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Are new clothes essential for Lebaran? These people say no
The Jakarta Post spoke to people who had found ways to look good for Idul Fitri without having to buy new outfits.
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re new clothes compulsory for Idul Fitri? If you've read the headlines, they're seemingly essential. Last weekend, thousands of people braved the still-raging pandemic to throng Tanah Abang market and many other shopping centers around Jakarta in search of new outfits.
While this habit might be great for the economy, some say it can be disastrous for the environment. Although opinions differ, some studies, such as one carried out by the World Economic Forum in 2021, have found that the fashion industry, responsible for 5 percent of global emissions, is the world's third-most polluting industry.
The Jakarta Post spoke to people who had found ways to look good for Idul Fitri without having to buy new outfits.
Upcycling
"It's not actually necessary to buy new clothes for Lebaran," said Naily Azizin Nuha, science and handicraft teacher at Permata Madani Islamic School in Bogor. "According to what I've learned, it's sunna [commendable but not compulsory] to wear your best attire for Idul Fitri. It doesn't have to be new."
Instead, the 23-year-old upcycles her old clothes and hijabs to create new looks for Lebaran. On April 24, she taught residents of the Green Pramuka City apartments about the process by video conference.
"You don't need a special talent or sophisticated tailoring skills to be able to upcycle your old clothes," she said. "As long as you have the willingness and patience to learn and to do it, you can create new clothes from your old ones."
During the hour-long class, Naily showed how to upcycle old hijabs using beads, sequins, a needle, a pencil and an embroidery hoop. The materials can be purchased for less than Rp 50,000 and reused multiple times.
She started by drawing a simple floral pattern on the edge of an old pink hijab and then sewed glittering pink sequins on.
"It usually takes about two to three hours [to embellish the garment]," she said. "And you'll get a 'new' hijab that looks glitzy and trendy for Lebaran."
But if sewing is not for you, you can still upcycle your old clothing with another technique. All you need is water, an old pail, some rubber bands, some pebbles and textile dye.
"A sachet of coloring agent costs about Rp 18,000 to Rp 25,000 and can be used for three or four pieces of clothing," she said.
Put a sachet of the dye and a liter of water into the pail and stir well. Then, tie a small pebble to the cloth with a rubber band and repeat it at a specific intervals to create a pattern on your clothing. Afterward, soak the fabric in the dying mixture for several minutes.
"For clothes made of cotton and voile, it takes about 5 to 10 minutes for the color to set," Naily said. "But for clothes made of shinier materials, it usually takes about an hour."
"Get creative and play around with different materials and tools," Naily said. "There are a lot of tutorials on the internet that you can explore and try on your old clothes. And you'll feel proud wearing something that you've made yourself."
Raid your wardrobe
"I think wanting to buy new clothes for special occasions is normal," said Adi Surantha, a celebrity fashion stylist. "But in this pandemic, you should rethink it. Is it really necessary? As mudik [exodus] and large gatherings are forbidden, we'll only meet our immediate family on Lebaran and will have silaturahmi (friendly gatherings) with friends and distant relatives virtually."
Adi suggested raiding one’s wardrobe to discover "hidden treasures".
"Women don't have to wear caftans or tunics for Lebaran," Adi said. "In fact, you can wear any old clothing items as long as they're still good, trendy and, of course, modest."
Adi recommended wearing loose-fitting blouses in white, beige or earthy tones and matching them with a long skirt, jodhpur pants or palazzo pants in similar tones to create a harmonious look.
A statement brooch placed on the upper bodice will create a sassy look for your Lebaran outfit.
"Men can wear their best baju koko [shirt with a Nehru collar] from three or four years ago," the celebrity stylist said. "To create a fresh new look, they should pair it with something other than the usual black or brown pants. Try white or khaki-green, for example."
Leave your comfy sneakers at home during Lebaran.
"Sneakers are casual and relaxed, while Lebaran moments are sacred and very special," Adi said. "I'd suggest you wear leather shoes or leather sandals for the occasion."
As with your clothes, your footwear doesn't have to be new, as long as it is in good condition and clean.
"Cleanliness is very important," Adi said. "I believe it reflects the state of your spirituality on the holy day."
Swaping old clothes around
"Buying new clothes for Lebaran has become an Indonesian tradition that often leads to consumerism," said Naurah Nazhifah, a campaign activation officer at Tukar Baju, a movement by the Zero Waste Indonesia community.
"People often feel that they have to wear all new [clothing] for Idul Fitri. At Tukar Baju, we want to encourage them to get new items without actually buying them."
The 24-year-old said she had not bought any new clothes for three years.
"I've gotten all my new clothes from my mom and aunts, who are the same size as I am, as well as from Tukar Baju events," she said.
Since its inception in 2019, Tukar Baju has held 15 offline events where participants bring in their old clothes and trade with each other.
"Other people's clothes, which you have never worn before, still count as new items for you, don't they?" she said.
On Tuesday, Tukar Baju held its first online clothes swapping event. Fifty-seven people participated and exchanged old clothes through an online platform.
If you missed the event, don't worry. You can still have your own clothes swapping event with your circle of friends, family members or colleagues before Lebaran.
"It'll be so much fun for everyone involved," Naurah said, suggesting that during the pandemic, aspiring swappers could create a Whatsapp group for all participants to upload images of their old clothes. A courier could then deliver the selected clothing to the participants' addresses.
"The more the merrier, because then you'll have more exciting choices of clothes to swap around," she said.
Thrifting
If buying clothes is a must, "preloved" items can be an option.
"Some people might think that secondhand clothes are either ugly, torn or disgusting," said Syeba Jubilee Victoria, the 26-year-old cofounder of @worthyrepeats, an online shop for preloved clothing. "But they're not. A lot of them are still in pristine condition. And they also have designs that are as up to date as the clothes we see in malls."
"The key to finding great items [in secondhand markets] is patience," Syeba said. "These markets are usually hot and jam-packed with people. To find a great choice, you have to look very carefully and then haggle for the right price."
To avoid large crowds at secondhand clothing markets, shopping online is an obvious solution.
"On Instagram, there is a myriad of choices for every fashion style," Syeba said. "You can easily find them by using specific hashtags."
The hashtag #thriftkoreanstyle, for example, will lead you to online shops that sell cute Korean-style outfits, and #thrifthoodiejakarta will take you to an array of online shops that sell preloved clothing in Jakarta.
But how can we tell which stores are actually good?
"A good thrift shop will detail all the measurements and materials of the clothes, as well as their condition," Syeba said.
