For the female, the Pahang traditional Malay costume and dress is the Baju Kurung, both of the Cekak Musang and Teluk Belanga styles.

It is therefore also loose fitting, and the long blouse with long sleeves is worn with a matching sarong. The sarong is normally of batik, tenun Pahang Diraja or songket, but other fabrics and designs are also frequently used.

As Malays are predominantly Muslims, the head of the female is usually covered with a “selendang”, “cindai”, or “kelubung” – a piece of cloth or sarong to cover the head and neck.

Another Pahang traditional costume or dress for the Malay lady, besides the Baju Kurung, is the Baju Kebaya. There are variations to this dress. But this costume is more “modern” and is more body hugging and worn either short – up to the waist – or longer down above the knee. And it is worn or complemented with a sarong, usually of batik or songket, although other fabrics with plain and colorful designs are also popular.

But the distinctive Pahang Malay traditional costume or dress for the women is the Baju Riau-Pahang, sometimes called Baju Turki. This is a long gown styled dress, cut at the front with 7 or more buttons and worn with a sarong.

However, with the growth of trade, and the importance of the Silk Route in China, traders crossed the Malay Archipelago from the Arabian archipelago and India to China by ships to sell their products.

And these ships stopped at the ports and villages along the coasts of the Malay Archipelago, that later bloomed into trading posts in south-east Asia. Goods from China, India, Middle East (Arab) and European countries were traded here. And the foreign traders not only brought with them goods for sale and barter, but also their unique dressing and fashion styles.

The Malays were therefore influenced and exposed to various fashions and costumes from various countries early in their civilized state, and these foreigners have influenced greatly the evolution of the traditional Malay costumes and dress.

And when the Malacca Empire was at its height in the 1400’s, with Islam as the main religion, the Malay traditional costume, the Baju Melayu, was born, as clearly described in the “Sejarah Melayu” or “Malay Annals”.

When they became more civilized with the adoption of Islam as their religion, the Malays slowly covered their bodies according to the tenets and teachings of Islam.

It is said that costumes of the ordinary Malays in the olden days are simple dresses, but as time progresses, the attire evolved and became more sophisticated, while the wearers became more discerning in their fashion tastes.

For instance, Chinese chronicles described the attire of the Malays in the 13th century for both male and female as covering only the bottom part of the body, with no cloth to cover the upper body.

Later, tunics, which are simple cover-alls that are either short-sleeve or sleeveless, were said to be the main attire of the Malays. And the pants or trousers worn were mostly in the “gunting Aceh” (Aceh cut) fashion, ending just below the knee.

The women folks, on the other hand, normally wear sarongs in the “berkemban” style, that is, by wrapping a piece of sarong around the body covering the chest.

Women’s apparel refers to various women’s clothing needs. A woman who is looking for suitable apparel can search an online catalog and find something of her choice. Various categories under women’s apparel are intimate apparel, bridal apparel and dance apparel. A woman can look for specific apparel like women’s golf apparel or women’s tennis apparel. Little women come under the category of junior apparel or teen apparel.

Women’s apparel stores cater to all these categories and more! There is designer woman apparel – a classy range for the woman of style. You can choose a women’s apparel off the racks from a boutique. Woman apparel for larger sizes is also specially catered to. Maternity women’s apparel is for the mother-to-be so that she too can look her best while waiting for her bundle of joy. Athletic apparel is also a popular aspect of any woman apparel store. Swimwear, formal dresses, jeans, and sleepwear are various categories in women’s apparel.

Gender differentiation

In most cultures, gender differentiation of clothing is considered appropriate for men and women. The differences are in styles, colors and fabrics.

• In Western societies, skirts, dresses and high-heeled shoes are usually seen as women’s clothing, while neckties are usually seen as men’s clothing. Trousers were once seen as exclusively male clothing, but are nowadays worn by both sexes. Male clothes are often more practical (that is, they can function well under a wide variety of situations), but a wider range of clothing styles is available for females. Males are typically allowed to bare their chests in a greater variety of public places. It is generally acceptable for a woman to wear traditionally male clothing, while the converse is unusual.
• In some cultures, sumptuary laws regulate what men and women are required to wear.
• Islam requires women to wear hijab, or modest clothing. What qualifies as “modest” varies in different Muslim societies; however, women are usually required to cover more of their bodies than men are. Articles of clothing worn by Muslim women for purposes of modesty range from the headscarf to the burqa.
• Men may sometimes choose to wear men’s skirts such as togas or kilts, especially on ceremonial occasions. Such garments were (in previous times) often worn as normal daily clothing by men.

• Compared to men’s clothing, women’s clothing tends to be attractive, often intended to be looked at by men.^[2] In the modern West, women are more likely to wear makeup, jewellery, and colorful clothing, while in very traditional cultures women are protected from men’s gazes by modest dress.