The Barong Tagalog - The Proud Filipino Fashion

The Barong Tagalog is the National Attire of the Philippines (worn usually by men). Elegant and priced highly, it is usually worn during weddings, and formal occasions. The most expensive of the bunch can fetch up to thousands of pesos. Probably the Barong is the only other National Attire that can rival the tuxes in elegance and universal nature of its usage. Foreigners can wear this attire without looking ridiculous and there is nothing more dapper than being clad in the finest pineapple silk (woven by the weavers of Aklan) and the magnificent embroidery. I am a big fan of the Barong, and contrary to an 2007 APEC in Sydney, information materials described of the shirt as a "peasant shirt", Barongs are expensive  and commands a high price and spells prestige to those who wear it.


According to a wiki article, "

This Filipino tradition dates back to the Spanish Colonial era. A legend persists that the Spaniards made Filipinos wear barongs untucked to distinguish them from the ruling class, its translucent fabric helping the Spaniards to see that the wearer was not bearing any weapon under the garment.

Sociologists have argued against this theory, however, pointing out that untucked wear was very common in pre-colonial Southeast and South Asian countries, and that the use of thin, transcluencent fabric developed naturally given the heat and humidity of the Philippines. Historians, likewise, have noted the absence of a citation to the specific law where the Spaniards supposedly prohibited the natives from tucking in their shirts. They also note that natives during the Spanish Era wore their shirts tucked at times. A common example cited in support of this argument is José Rizal and his contemporaries, who were photographed in Western clothing with their shirts tucked — although the era of the barong predated Rizal's time.

Another disputed theory is whether the barong was a local adaptation or a precursor to the guayabera, a shirt popular in the Latin American communities. According to those who claim that the barong is the precursor of the guayabera (pronounced "gwa-ya-ber-ra" with an almost silent "G"), the guayabera shirt was originally called "Filipina" during the era of Manila Galleon tradeships when it was brought to Mexico from the Philippines. "

There are different fabrics used for the Barong,

1. Piña (Pineapple) Fabric - The most expensive of the lot. APEC leaders wore this during the the `96 Summit in the Philippines as their official costume for the group's photo op. Since then, no one has equalled the elegance of that APEC Photo Op.  The cheapest Piña Barong would set you back about PHP3000. About USD68.88 at 44PHP - 1USD Exchange Rates. Normally the mid-level Barongs would at least command 3 times that price.

2. Jusi Fabric - This is mechanically woven and made from Abaca fabric. But since the '60s has been replaced by the imported Organza Fabric. (Organza fanfare was shortlived though, and got stuck in the campy '80s.)

3. Banana Fabric - is another sheer fabric used in formal occasions. Made and hand woven from banana fiber, and usually comes with geometric design details. This fabric comes Negros Island.

4. Piña-Jusi - this combination is one of the most popular right now. Not too expensive, but quite approaches the same level of elegance of the pure Piña cloth.

There are other less formal versions of the Barong Tagalog: The Gusot-Mayaman (usually used as everyday office wear), The Polo Barong and the Shirt-Jack Barong.

Whatever it is, the Barong Tagalog is a significant fashion but often overlooked fashion contribution by its overall elegance and its cultural origin. Peasant Shirt? Ha!

(ASEAN++ Leaders Wearing their Barongs)