I do not know how many people here are going to get new baju raya for this coming Hari Raya. But i know i'm in the market for one. Actually i came out of some mamak session with a few of my malay friends on some plans for visiting people during raya. So pot pet and more pot pet, and i was thrown the idea of making a Baju Melayu for me to go raya open house touring with my malay friends. But that was last month.

Now i already have 4 off the shelf ones cheap from Mydin. Different designs and colors. And what suprising is even though they are of the same size, the fit is bad here and there. Cheap as in less than RM50 each. I was gunning for 7 sets to finish the rainbow color. These don't see action at all. And my parents seem to question me, "Since when did you changed religion?" when they search my wardrobe for crack. Of course they know i like to collect weird stuff. I could be getting rid of them if i get a tailored one. No more space for stuff.

So last week on Sunday i went to KL Wisma Yakin where there is supposed to be a lot of Baju Melayu tailors. I always pass by this place when walking to Jln TAR for many years and i never stopped in this building before. And i have heard of many getting their malay traditional wear there. So that day i went inside to explore. The first shop, i was greeted by a girl who was enthusiastic to get you as a customer. She promptly showed me ready made ones. But i was looking to get one tailored. Ask for a ball park figure, RM70 for tailoring charges. Not including fabric. The second shop also charges the same. Then by the 3rd or 4th shop, i think, another enthusiastic sales girl greets me. She gets me in the air conditioned room and shows me the ready made ones. RM 168 for complete top and bottom with sampin. I was so tempted to buy that there and then. But it wasn't satin type of fabric and its cotton mix. I wanted flash.

Then i went to Omar Ali and they quoted RM120 for tailoring charges, excluding fabric. Ready made ones cost from RM250 right up to RM800!!!. Pretty high. A check on the website, this is one of them seemingly high class ones like Spark Manshop kind of thing. Then there is BAK tailoring. Now this one i saw their branch before in in Tmn Tun called BAC MADACENA. I read in news papers last few weeks ago that this shop is a branch of BAK. And the name is an amalgam of some words. And the shop in Tmn Tun is very flashy. Then there is Den Wahab, the guy that supplied Baju melayu to the late Sudirman (the singer). But a quick check on websites have read a few negative feedbacks. And some of my malay friends say this tailor is over rated and very pricey. I don't think he will go lower than RM120 offered by Omar Ali though.

Now back at home, after visiting so many shops in Wisma Yakin, i'm going to go ask a few more non malay shops near my house and probably another visit to Pertama & Campbell. I hope to get one made next month.

Now what choice of color would go well with typical chinese skin? hahaha. a quick check, white is getting married, black is getting conferred national titles. So leaves me with a large swathe of colors. I'm quite fond of maroon or probably some dark blue number. Can't do yellow!

Then the other details like butang baju, songkok and sampin, maybe to be bought during ramadhan. Friends say more choices during then. Oh well, thats all i could report. Hopefully could post pictures later.

This post has been edited by netmatrix: Aug 28 2010, 11:39 PM

wah... respect you bro, you've put a lot of effort in preparing the hari raya.

if u want tailor made, dont wait till ramadhan or ur baju melayu wont ready by raya..

me myself already ordered mine.. eventhough raya is couples months to go

and yeah.. i've ordered mine at MZ Tahir.. in Wisma Yakin also..

how bout a linen-y baju melayu?

Thank you for sharing your experience, netmatrix. Saved for future references in case I decide to make one.

Anyway, I would go for maroon since it is in similar hue as the Chinese traditional colour red. Although, I feel that a pure red baju melayu is a no-go.

This post has been edited by Fusion[eX]: Jun 22 2010, 07:51 AM

Well i just to experience what it is like to get baju raya. People want to travel the world, i want to wear the world. So i think la. Because i haven't go open house for few years already. Good excuse to get one?

Yeah i saw MZ tahir also. Maybe i went inside there when i was walking around. But because the signboard are mostly facing the main street, so didn't see. How much damage did it cost you? Most of the other shops ask for RM70 just for workmanship. I wonder how their workmanship is? In fact maybe i could look at the tech aspects of baju melayu making. Because seriously the only workmanship i could see and comment would be sewing lines. Once there, i could see easily see the collar fit, the back drape and shoulder drape. Then its learning about baju melayu for sleeves and the body length. For suits/ shirts its so easy to get info. But this traditional wear is almost non existent.

Erm.... i think only Omar Ali and BAK can make that, as they do western tailoring as well. And they also sell linen shirts. But i don't want muted fabrics. I want satin!! I think the only one i'm going to get tailored might as well go for gutso!!! And i could go buy fabric from the shops nearby or use in-house fabrics. If buy, i could spend additional hours shop touring before my head decides.

Thank you guys for the comments.

This post has been edited by netmatrix: Jun 22 2010, 10:06 AM

I would go with navy, because both the Chinese and Western cultures seem to agree it works best on a man.

And I would get it done devastatingly well: Do one up in muslin before going for the real thing. Get the yoke to lie on your shoulder smoothly, a clean chest, slightly tapered at the sides, get the back to hang well, get narrow tapered sleeves which are short (like on suits). I was told the mandarin collar is difficult to do well, so you'll want an accomplished suit tailor to do it. Never let the shoulder seam to droop beyond the deltoids.

Get real silk for this. Thick deep lustrous navy silk. And smoked MOP buttons. At least 18 stitches/inch. Have the cuffs invisibly reinforced.

There is no reason to make yet another BM. Make a standard-setting BM! Show the masses they actually have no taste.

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Added on June 22, 2010, 10:05 amThe BM has always been an anti-fit garmet. That's because most people do not understand fit. Make a BM that is ALL about fit.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Jun 22 2010, 10:05 AM

I do not think it would be wise for me to adopt western tailoring principles in making my first baju melayu. Of course i would like to do as suggested. But come to think of it, how many baju melayu tailors get a chance to make traditional suits/ shirts? I would use some principles of how a shirt would wear on me. And nothing more. Because seriously i don't want to look like a smarty pants as i'm journeying into the unknown. Maybe that time there could be adjustments made. And i'm loosing a little weight too. I would now know how the thing would fit again after 2 more months. All my pants seem to have lost an inch these last few month of controlled eating.

I want great fabric. But not silk. I want some sheen but not tacky shiny. The buttons would be those tuxedo style put on buttons. Not sewn on. Damn a lot of designs the last i saw! Your color choice is great too. But i hope not to hit high cost for getting one. There are still the accessories like songkok (I saw Mydin RM10 above. But i want to get those better looking with a curve on the top one.) Sampin (not those ultra super few hundred to thousand ringgit one la!) and capal shoe(RM35-RM85).

Hope to get some report in. Might be visiting my alterations tailor nearby for cost this week.

You might want to have some of your RTW altered to as good a fit as possible. Then use that as a template for your bespoke BM, with better materials and little tweaks.

I tailor made three baju melayu's recently. Two at BAK tailor and another at Den Wahab. Bak workmanship is noticeably better, better customer service and most importantly better appreciation of any feedback you give.

When I told Den Wahab that the shoulders are too broad and that i wanted the pants to be slimmer, they looked at me in disbelief with a "this is just a baju melayu, don't complain" look. Den Wahab has done a few baju melayu's for malay celebrities before (you can see they post the pictures on the wall) but they don't look nice at all.

You don't want a too tight-fitting baju melayu but it shouldn't be so loose.

In contrast, BAK noted my instructions to make it fitting and i was pleased to have it. I'd definitely recommend BAK for first timers.

A wise decision to make for your first baju melayu. If I am in your shoes, a little modification to its tailoring style should be fine but hopefully not too much - as personally, I am not certain the effect it would have on my Malay peers' families if I suddenly show up in a traditional costume that looks somewhat different from what they came to know unless I know fully well that it will not display any disrespect towards them or their culture. Although, I remain optimistic that Malaysians with their closely-knitted races have good capacity for acceptance.

Another idea: a linen BM. Those rayon/polyester stuff they typically use are terrible at wicking away sweat and are damn hot. A navy linen BM, carefully fitted with proper front and back balances, smooth yoke, and sublime mandarin collar should blow away the roof.

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Added on June 22, 2010, 12:19 pmCome on, nobody is this ulu nowadays.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Jun 22 2010, 12:19 PM

Head to Salikin Sidek in Ampang Park, I always get mine tailored by them so far they have been very accommodating and I have no complaints, been using them for the past 5 years, Good for formal functions. You can check them out here www.salikinsidek.com.my

Thanks for the recco. Ampang Park eh? I remember a few tailoring shops there too. Maybe should go and have a look.

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Added on June 22, 2010, 1:28 pmThanks for the reply. I am thinking of Bak or Omar Ali. I have been in their showroom which is impressive. But u know la, people like me damn always thinking shops would put a lot of effort to jazz up their products on display. And later falter when u see the final product. I think i would skip Den Wahab then. There are a few more small shops in Wisma Yakin. I thought of giving them a try since their workmanship is RM70. Bak & Omar Ali RM120 as i was quoted. I think i don't want to spend a fortune on one. Its more of a personal agenda now rather than a need. How much was yours anyway? I'm getting prices to compare.

Mirrors my sentiment. I want to say, i'm trying, rather than overdo it. Its probably my only 1 and i don't want to be an over thought out spaceman.

Linen would probably going to get me through the day feeling like ice in my azz. But its not something i want. Talk about ulu, i went through some pictures of people in baju melayu during merdeka and found some design differences. Back then collars was mainly cekak musang (the 2 button type). And it was quite tight that folds appear on the collars. I thought maybe Tunku Abdul Rahman's tailor made a mistake, but the design is echoed by a few people during that time. Also i remember seeing some P Ramlee movies where he wore the same tight collar. I think it was a style back then. During TAR's time, the pants is hell wide and straight like a womens palazoo. Its as wide as bell bottoms and covers the shoes but without tight hips. And read more i found that some tailors called them "seluar cina". It must be the design was adopted by locals here when they saw how comfortable the chinese immigrants pants were. The mandarin collar seems to come from the influence as well. Notably some info was gathered that the design was called "kolar Tunku" or "Kolar Cina". It was was because he is the first to sport such style. But i'm getting a cekak musang collar (Fox stranglehold!)

It seems like i'm beginning to compile a lot more knowledge about this type of clothing.
Anyway does anyone know how low the top shirt should drop? Is it supposed to drop until the lower thigh or higher? Is the length the same as a suit jacket? Maybe its tailors perception of balance at work? Mystery to me until i go make one.

This post has been edited by netmatrix: Jun 22 2010, 01:37 PM

Sometimes when trudging an unknown territory as an outsider, it is best to proceed with caution. I do not know about you but personally I will choose to play safe (by not introducing too much of a change) unless I have a firm understanding of the other party's culture or have met wit their family before and gotten to know each other well. It is after all their major cultural celebration and who knows, maybe the host's grandparents (for example) might not like what you have done to their respected traditional attire especially when the wearer is a person of different religion. Don't you think that when you are celebrating another religion's celebration, it is best to blend in with the crowd rather than stand out too much (and consequently in a negative way)? As I have said, I remain optimistic in this case but then again better to be safe than sorry.

netmatrix will pass proper judgement based on how well he knows his friends.

This post has been edited by Fusion[eX]: Jun 22 2010, 02:09 PM

is it possible to LV custom made your baju melayu? that's gonna be the best baju melayu you have in your wardrobe

Well the modern society would probably laugh at me. But i want to try everything. Everybody does that. I want to try this in a fashion scope i'm confortable with. I think modern people aren't that fanatical nowdays. Maybe for Michael Jackson? I think of just letting the Baju melayu be a part of my experince rather than it being the focal point of what i want to do. But seriously u can't really take your eyes and mind off that headline, [Chinese guy and Baju Melayu]. Its seems like a pointless show off by a guy. And the laughter continues. Besides some attempts at making this as baju kebangsaan seems to fall short. Even though in most travelogues the Baju Melayu and Baju Kurung is the national costume. We go batik.

If between friends, they would go ooohhh and ahhhh. But at strangers, "U change religion?" Damn we can be open minded about Chua Soi Lek being a porn star, but cannot look at some chinese getting dressed in some other race decent wear. Strange world we live in. I still remember Country Heights Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew showing up in some meeting with some ministers in his hotel and he was wearing a purple baju melayu complete with songkok! Next day the papers say he reverted to Islam. That was many years ago. So if i go ahead, next day i'm branded malay already.

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Added on June 22, 2010, 2:16 pmI have seen baju melayu made with very nice bronze colores lining material. And whats funny is, the lining has brand names repeatedly woven in it. So i thought that guy looked like a chocolate wrapper. Even with LV's iconic patterns i still think i would look like i was wearing gift wrapper.

This post has been edited by netmatrix: Jun 22 2010, 02:16 PM

that's the mentality thinking of Malaysian..but not all of it of course..It same goes to me when i wear Punjabi suit, Punjabi guy came and ask me direction in his language..

Oh man.. Personally I do not see the point of doing that when you can choose your ideal fabric and have it tailor-made by Malay tailors who have decades of experience plying the trade (which I doubt LV's in-house tailors have, thus still needing them to outsource for professional baju melayu tailors), all for a fraction of the price. Even before we discuss this point, I highly doubt that LV even offers bespoke services for baju melaju nor sell them in their stores.

Unless of course you want Louis Vuitton's signature monogram on a baju melayu?

This post has been edited by Fusion[eX]: Jun 22 2010, 03:14 PM

It happen If someone that request for it is Michael Jackson, Sultan Brunei..?It's only an idea that hurt no body and think it positive way..