The two exhibits that I’ve seen which are NCCA’s “The
Philippines at the turn of the century” and CPP’s “Cordillera Beauties: A
Reorientation” gave me a glimpse on how Filipino way back years ago live their
lives and how they struggle and fight for their life behind all those war and
chaos that they’ve had. There are also beautiful portraits that expresses Art
and Literature that Filipino have. One special way to distinct Filipino to
other nations is the way they dress.
Clothing basically is use to give comfort to the people and
prevent from too much exposure to the elements like harmful heat that comes directly
from the sun, from too much coldness or dust from the environment. Clothing is a kind of language that people speak.
It also symbolizes feelings, personality and culture. Clothes distinct one nation
from the other by the way of how people wear it and how it looks like.
In Filipino Culture, Filipino men’s traditional costume is
what we called “Barong Tagalog”. It serves very important role in molding our
national identity. It speaks for the Filipino’s pride and dignity. The movie “Ganito
Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon” showed different ways on how Filipino work on
their daily lives. This includes on how they dress.
The term Barong is technically incomplete because it does
not refer to anything definite. It is a construction of two Tagalog words “baro”
and “ng” that means “dress of” from the baro ng Tagalog or dress of Tagalog. So
we can’t simply say Barong because when you say, “Nakasuot siya ng Barong” it’s
equivalent to English is “He is wearing a dress of.” The word Barong was not
popularly used until about the 1960’s.
Early Filipino men usually wear Barong Tagalog but as the years gone by, the Filipino today is completely westernized in terms of clothing.
Early Filipino men usually wear Barong Tagalog but as the years gone by, the Filipino today is completely westernized in terms of clothing.
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The Filipino spirit in terms of clothing doesn’t reflect in today’s generation. Filipino men’s clothing was modernized and obviously they’ve embraced the culture of other country. In 1820’s, a long coat and Japanese umbrella is a very common walking accessory of men. They usually wear the ancestor our “Tsinelas” today, an embroidered of abaca cloth or leather. But today as we see, Filipino men wear rubber shoes when wandering outside home.
There were still clothes way back years ago that Filipino
men are using until today. In 1858, Plaid Pants become popular at time and
slippers with curled toes were still a popular choice of footwear.
Towards the 1800’s more European details and accessories
were added to the loose shirt and pants- top hats, raffled cuffs and leather
shoes. But today, when we see someone wearing loose shirt and pants and a cup, one
thought might come out to our mind, “he’s a gangster.”
The polo Barong with its short sleeves and chest pocket or
pockets along the hemline introduced sometime in the mid 60’s. But today there
are different kinds of Polo. Some are with pockets some are not. There are also
long sleeves that are hit to the young ones especially when getting along with
the barkada or what we call “pormahan”.
In ancient times, most of trhe people here in the Philippines who wear coat are those who has a position. Like a Gobernadorcillo del Pueblo, an officer of the Mayor or a sheriff. But tioday, anyone can wear as long as you you can buy one or you own one.
This is what some katipuneros clothes then, but now, this is what the kutsero's uniform in the Intramuros, Manila.
This is what vendor in Manila looks like today but way back then,
a typical Tagalog vendor of Manila wears Camisa de Chino with sleeves.
By the late 1800's, the familliar Barong Tagalog style had appeard, the similar silhouette andordered patterns of embroidery were destined to become the "classic" baro. But today you can only see that kind of baro to a special occasion.
If the vendor in Manila wears a Camisa de Chino back then, today, some of them wear nothing on their top.
From the mid-19th century there were more uniformity in men's clothes and they don't mind if they have the same clothes as the others as long that it's theirs. Barong tagalog nowadays are ussually worn during special occasions and Camiseta de Chino went of out style and it is not usually worn today specially of teenagers because they will say that they will look like a farmer.
Our tradition, our culture, what is now our distinction to other country if we will embrace whatever they are doing or they have. Our on way of living has gone.
"The Filipinos looks good in a barong tagalog. Not all Filipinos look good in Western suit." - Pitoy Moreno, best-known Filipino fashion designer
Sources:
Cruz, Eric V. (1993) The barong tagalog: Its Development and Identity as the Filipino Men's National Costume
The Evolution of Philippine Costume (1994)
