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| Sarong and blouse used to be both festive and working attire. For use in the fields the sarong is well worn, or of a cheap quality; the blouse is simple, the jewellery put aside, and the thin headshawl is both sun protection and sign of modesty. |
Let us imagine that we are entering a Malay village in the 1960s. The country is on the verge of an extremely fast development yet to come, and people are full of optimism because of the newly won Independence. Most villagers have their basic needs covered, but the growth of prosperity has not yet really taken off.
There is a frugal utilisation of resources, also as far as clothing is concerned. We are stricken by the ubiquity of the sarong: there are new and crisp sarongs, old and washed-out ones, and they all make up a colourful medley on clotheslines. This piece of fabric seems to go through a life course from festive garment to washrag.
At this period the sarong is the very quintessence of batik. The production of batik in the East Coast States is well established, but still the sarongs from Java are considered the best: most expensive, and of superior quality.
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