The Nyonya Kebaya: Wearing A Deep Heritage
By Liani MK
July 2025 FEATURE
THE KEBAYA—hand-embroidered fabric reflecting detailed lace and embroidery work—is today at once a symbol of style and status, and a shared cultural heritage across Southeast Asia.
Of sartorial elegance, the garment is usually a lace-top paired with a sarong or kain lepas skirt with batik patterns. The traditional wear, threaded with tenun details and steeped in natural dyes, is often handed down for generations.
On 4 December 2024, after being jointly nominated by Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand, the kebaya was successfully added to UNESCO’s Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This is recognition of the strong historical and cultural relationships that extend across the region. The nomination draws attention to the uniqueness of the textile, and at the same time, encourages educational and intercultural dialogue across communities in Southeast Asia.
History of the Kebaya
In a string of casual but in-depth public talks on the nomination of the Nyonya sarong kebaya organised in Penang, Kenny Loh in “Road to UNESCO—Nyonya Sarong Kebaya” elaborated on how the wearing of the kebaya dates back to the time before World War II, when George Town’s role as a trading port inspired an exchange of cultures that fused Chinese and Malay influences.
“Change is part of the soul behind Baba Nyonya culture,” he enthused during the highly animated discussion.
Kenny Loh, a fashion designer who founded Kenny Loh Couture, is himself a fifth-generation Peranakan Nyonya who has taught himself Nyonya kebaya embroidery. He often organises workshops that promote cultural preservation and interest, and exhibitions that showcase local artisans and kebaya designers.
One of the invited speakers was Cedric Tan, who walked the audience through the evolution of the Nyonya kebaya in Melaka and Penang, and the di!erent styles and accompanying accessories across the years. “The kebaya is more than just a piece of cloth,” he said. “It carries stories of the generations before us and we still have a lot to learn from it today.”
Cedric was formerly president of the Persatuan Peranakan Baba Nyonya in KL and Selangor. He is also a consultant to the National Heritage Department of Malaysia, leading the multinational nomination of the kebaya since 2023, which led to the kebaya being listed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Endearingly known as Baba Cedric, he shared how there have been sketches found of people adorning the kebaya from as early as the 1600s. It was also seen to be an attire worn by the hybrid mestiza communities in Goa and Melaka in the 1630s.
The exact origins of the kebaya are not known and are still debated, but two theories appear to prevail. For one, many historians have suggested that the Portuguese settlers introduced a cotton surcoat blouse style similar to the kebaya in the 16th century. Other sources point to Muslim merchants who would trade long gowns.
The word cabaya or cabaye is found in the Persian, Turkish and Urdu languages, and seems to have been derived from the Arabic word qaba, which meant a long attire, coat or robe. The word cabaya (a vesture) was, according to scholar Eredia in 1618, introduced by Arabs to Southeast Asia, and used to denote long tunics worn in India. This term was found in Portuguese records dating to the 16th century that was later used in Southeast Asia.
At the first UNESCO nomination working meeting hosted by Malaysia in 2022, Baba Cedric said that the kebaya today has been defined as a front-opening blouse with or without a gusset, and is known for its intricate floral and geometric embroidery and decorative fasteners—or brooches, called kerongsang—and is paired with a sarong or kain lepas.
The design of every kebaya reflects the skill of the seamstresses and embroidery artists who stitch the intricate flora and fauna motifs. For centuries, the kebaya has been worn by women as daily wear and on occasions such as weddings, and even in mourning the dead. The garment is common across Southeast Asia, with each region flaunting its own variation. Traditionally paired with a sarong, the whole ensemble can hint at the background, status and taste of the wearer.
One can tell which country a kebaya is from based on the ornate kerongsang brooch design, accompanying sarong batik patterns, cloth type and even kebaya length. For instance, Baba Cedric explained, the Penang kerongsang style includes a large, unique star-shaped design that pays homage to the queen, reflecting its British influence.
The Kebaya Today
The kebaya received national and international attention when the late Endon Mahmood, wife of former prime minister the late Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, championed its revival in the early 2000s, including in her exhibition of kebaya collections catalogued by Baba Cedric.
“For as long as I can remember, I have loved and collected beautiful things,” she had once written. She attributed her love for the Nyonya kebaya to her parents, particularly her mother, who would wear it. “While she was not a Nyonya herself, the image of my mother in kebayas brings me back to the old sepia-tinted days when I was much younger, striking a sentimental chord in me.”
Renewed interest in the kebaya has emerged, culminating in its nomination for UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The submission process was spearheaded by four consultants, including Baba Cedric, and supported by institutions like the National Heritage Department (Jabatan Warisan Negara). Discussions, such as the talk “Kebaya: Road to UNESCO” organised by Kenny Loh, further highlighted the cultural significance of the garment and its place in contemporary society.
The nomination also highlighted the appreciation for shared ownership and cultural identity—the kebaya belongs to no single country, but rather to the collective history of Southeast Asia. The garment is just one element reflecting the diversity of the Malay Archipelago, where trade, migration and exchanges have been shaping traditions for centuries.
Beyond the kebaya, other traditional textiles such as batik, songket and tenun have also gained recognition as intangible heritage. The growing appreciation for these art forms underscores the importance of safeguarding traditional craftsmanship.
As Southeast Asians examine new styles of the kebaya, many have altered it to fit their own taste and wardrobe. Regardless of the variations, its history is manifested each time it is worn and remade.
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Liani MK
is an independent writer, journalist and artist whose works span areas of language, film, culture, indigeneity and migration in Southeast Asia.
