‘Mask-have’ baju Melayu

In style: The baju Melayu collection that comes with matching face masks.

PETALING JAYA: The traditional baju Melayu will come with an added “accessory” that is deemed a “must have” by many these days – the face mask.

Designer Kel Wen Tan, 24, said his collection of baju Melayu came with a matching face mask and was a concept meant to make a fashion statement.

It retains the elements of the baju Melayu’s traditional tailoring technique – kekek, pesak and cekak musang – but at the same time, it is tailored to the current times when the world is battling the Covid-19 outbreak.

“The only difference is that it is designed to be worn bigger than your actual body size and it is easy to style with my pants in any variation.

“And with the Covid-19 pandemic, I am introducing a matching fabric mask for the ‘baju oversaiz’ instead of wearing matching pants, ” he said.

Tan said the “baju oversaiz” design went viral on social media last year and was inspired from the concept of an oversized sweater.

“Working in the fashion industry, I get invited to a lot of open houses, where I prefer not to show up in the traditional baju Melayu because I personally feel it looks a bit like a costume.

“From my own research, I learned that the baju Melayu was never meant to be worn during Hari Raya only.”

Thus, he took the initiative to incorporate modern trends into traditional wear, he said.

Tan said that the sale of his baju Melayu had been slow in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.“But sales have slightly increased since Ramadan as people are getting in the mood to celebrate Hari Raya, ” he said.

He also said he would be organising a charity drive to collect pre-loved traditional Raya clothes to be distributed to orphanages and the homeless.

“This effort is to remind everyone of the true meaning of Eid by being grateful with what we have and to share the privilege of wearing Raya clothes with others.

“Traditions need to go on because it is what makes us Malaysian and we must show strength in spirit by supporting each other.

“If you have any past Raya clothes that you have stopped wearing and they are in good condition, donate them to bring joy to other families, ” he said.