For centuries bygone, the sarong has stolen the limelight. Now efforts are underway to revive its fashion heyday.

The sarung or sarong, a large piece of fabric wrapped around the waist, remains fashionable despite the change of times.

The centuries-old sarong culture has developed in many countries, not only Indonesia, each with its own special name. The man’s wrap is called Futah, Izaar, Wazaar or Ma’awis in Yemen; Wizaar in Oman; Phanex, Lungi and Mundu in India; Longvi in Myanmar etc.

India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, The Philippines, Thailand and Brunei Darussalam — to name but a few — are on the list of countries in Asia where wearing the sarong is a key part of culture.

In Indonesia, the development of sarong as a fashion, which enjoyed its heyday in the 14th century or prior to the Dutch colonial period, was affected significantly by the advent of the trouser-wearing culture, although some communities, including santri, the students of pesantren (Islamic boarding schools), wear the sarong as their daily outfit until today.

The sarong was recently in the spotlight after vice presidential candidate Ma’ruf Amin’s remarked that he would commit to regularly wearing the cloth should he be elected in 2019.

The 76-year-old, the nonactive leader of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), once announced that he would regularly wear the sarong, which reflects the identity of pesantren. “I will become the first vice president to wear the sarong,” Ma’ruf said as quoted by tempo.co.

Ma’ruf’s plan to bring the santri-style fashion to government officials has been viewed by some as a positive move that would add to the sarong’s prestige.

But Ma’ruf is not the only public figure to embrace the traditional outfit.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who ran for reelection alongside Ma’ruf in the 2019 elections as the presidential candidate, has also worn it at several other occasions, including, of course, when he opened the 2019 Indonesian Sarong Festival in early March.

At the occasion, the President asked the people to wear the sarong, one of the country’s cultural treasures, at least once a month.

Amid myriads of sarong motifs found across all of the country’s regions, the most popular sarongs are those with plaid motifs.

Typical garments: Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) clerics in their typical outfits, sarongs and black caps, pray in conjunction with the celebration of National Santri Day in Banyuman, Central Java. (JP/Agus Maryono)

So, when did sarong start to be recognized in Indonesia?

How the sarong came to Indonesia remains unclear. According to one source, the sarong originates from Yemen. Another source suggests it was brought to the archipelago by traders of Gaujarat, India and the Arabian peninsula in the 14th century.

As time went by, the sarong became associated with Islam in Indonesia and is worn by many Muslims as a daily outfit.

When the Dutch controlled Indonesia and brought their fashion style with them, trousers for men and dresses for women gained popularity in the archipelago, particularly among Javanese people pursuing Western education, such as students of STOVIA, a teacher training school, and priyayi (aristocratic) circles. Many of them became increasingly familiar with the trousers and dress culture, especially following the colonial government’s move to implement a policy on the proper way to dress.

However, in several regions of East Java, such as Gresik and Pasuruan, the sarong remains an important element of male fashion. It is of no surprise to learn that the sarong is used by men when they attend special occasions, such as Friday prayer, a wedding party or circumcision ceremony.

Several Indonesian designers have also made creations taking cues from the sarong, thereby contributing to the increased status of the sarong as an element of national identity.

Sarong styles

Different regions in Indonesia, based on their respective cultural heritage, have contributed significantly to the variety of sarong-making techniques, which is why the country now features many sarong styles for both men and women.

The international community understands the sarong to be a skirt or a long cloth or fabric. This fabric, in fact, has a unique concept. The appearance of this fabric akin to a long and wide skirt has, indeed, a special meaning, particularly for the people of Southeast Asia, South Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula.

The long fabric reflects the identity and history of an ethnic group or a country.

In Indonesia, the sarong is also a symbol of the struggle against the rising influence of Western culture represented by garments of Europe in the colonial era.

The sarong changed the dressing style in Indonesia in the 14th century. Prior to that, the people and royals in the archipelago were more familiar with wearing a piece of fabric that was just wrapped around the stomach and waist, with the dangling end known in Javanese as “wiron”.

Easy to wear: A man helps his son put on a sarong prior to performing shalat (praying) at Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta. (JP/PJ Leo)

Functions

The sarong varies in function. In Yemen, the futah is commonly worn by men only when relaxing, such as when at home or engaged in trading.

It is considered inappropriate if worn during travel or when performing religious activities.

In Indonesian tradition it is the other way around. The sarong in the archipelago has developed into a garment not only for relaxing but for various occasions, even formal ones.

This explains why the sarong serves as a sleeping garment, a custom outfit and a garment for cultural rituals. The sarong has turned into a highly popular mass-produced textile commodity.

Indonesian sarongs are not only confined to plaid motifs and are created with a variety of techniques. Apart from using a weaving machine, many sarongs are also made by hand. They use such techniques as dying, printing, embroidering, writing and etc.

The sarong has its own characteristics in every region of the country based on local tradition. The sarong from Sumatra and Kalimantan is much influenced by the Malay style when it comes to motifs. Thanks to the migration of the Bugis ethnic group to Kalimantan, the sarong from Samarinda is also influenced by the Bugis sarong.

In Java, the sarong is influenced by batik designs. Batik fabric is also produced to cater to the needs of the sarong, with the two ends of the fabric sewn together

In Nusa Tenggara, the woven sarong, commonly called sapu, features detailed pictures of horses. The horses reflect the tradition of farming, and horse-riding symbolizes masculinity in the region. People of the region are obliged to wear the sarong, which is considered a sacred garment, in custom ceremonies or for religious rituals.

Locals also wear it in their daily life. Balinese communities have included their life philosophies into the sarong motifs. For them, black and white in the plaid motif symbolizes vigilance in life, because vice (represented by black) and virtue (white) live side by side.

In the heyday of the sarong, the garment was worn by both men and women. Women wore the sarong to enable them to move more freely when going about their activities.

Women were also found wearing sarong that they paired with the kebaya (traditional long-sleeved blouse) when traveling for leisure.