Each birth Kartini on April 21, performed a variety of ways to commemorate. Starting from a special cooking competition fathers until the fashion show (especially kebaya). From year to year, which is never absent is the little children of mothers who wear the kebaya style Kartini. As if to convey the impression that Kartini Day identical with kebaya. Just imagine if Kartini wearing Western-style long dress that is a trend in that period, whether Western-style dress was the one who is now charged?
Kebaya own in the previous period of Kartini and also worn by Dutch women who combined with batik fabric designers creations of the Peranakan Chinese and Indo. In one collection Nieuwenhuys Met vreemde Ogen: Tempo doeloe - verzonken een wereld (1988) there is a photograph of a housekeeper of a large Dutch masters in the 19th century who wore a black silk kebaya with embeddable three bros.
However, kebaya cloth worn in the 19th century different from the kebaya worn in the VOC, especially in terms of types of materials and cuts. Batik fabrics combined with a variety of kebaya is any pattern. Around the 1830s after the defeat of the royal family in the Diponegoro War (War of Java in the historiography of the Netherlands), batik as a fabric exclusive to the royal family and nobility were taken by the Dutch and used as clothing material of choice. If previously the aristocratic woman who became a pattern designer batik, batik designers now taken over by women in Indonesia. Batik cloth was then sold to other Indo women.
The women still wearing royal Javanese batik cloth with a pattern and a special color. Kebaya they are made of silk, velvet and brocade. Meanwhile, the kebaya morning Indo women are made of white cotton fabric decorated with European-made lace and silk kebaya made from black night.
Cain and kebaya, a mixture of adaptation between Java and mestizo culture (read: Indonesia), which appeared later, such as those imposed by the housekeeper, threatened in the reign of Raffles. When it was introduced to European dress. Slowly kebaya cloth and move into the world a more private and limited to only worn by the natives before later returning to wear a 'must' of women who will live in the Indian accompany their husbands.
Kebaya by Jean Gelman Taylor is the costume for all social classes in the 19th century, both for women Java or Indo. Even when the women began coming to the Netherlands Indies after 1870, kebaya became their compulsory clothing worn in the morning.
In the late 19th century, the Dutch woman who will go into the Indian buying tropical clothing, sarongs and kebaya (as suggested in the manual) in special shops that sell tropical apparel, such as Gerzon's and de Bijenkorf. Though actually to sarongs and kebaya advised to buy it in the Indies. As a result, such criticism Catenius lady-van der Meijden, author Naar Indië en terug: Gids voor het gezin, speciaal voor een vraagbaak Dames (without year), a guide for women who want to Netherlands East Indies: 'kebaya purchased at a good price Dutch look silly when worn in the Indies'. Mrs Catenius also reminded not to bring too many clothes because of the Indies: 'all, very cheap, compared to the Netherlands. "
Kebaya is also known as a luxurious and elegant costumes. Kebaya seemed to symbolize the 'lost time' and is associated with peace, tranquility and social order that connects people of Indonesia, the Netherlands, and Java.
In relation to the identity of Indonesia is the political power relations with men. National costumes by Jean G. Taylor developed by Sukarno and Suharto made up of Western suits (jackets) for men and kebaya cloth for women. Cloth wrapped tightly to prevent movement as fast and convenient. While men can move quickly bandaged Western settings.
In days of Sukarno, cloth and kebaya re-emerged among the elite in the public and gain status as a national dress. According to Saskia Wieringa in his dissertation "The Politization of gender relations in Indonesia: The Indonesian women's movement and Gerwani Until the New Order state", Sukarno attitude toward women is more likely driven by admiration and desire than a sincere desire to promote equal rights.
Sukarno was known as the 'admirer' of women who wear kebaya. He has a collection of kebaya that quite a lot. The impression of the kebaya is spoken by one female minister in his time. When was the minister summoned Sukarno. Apparently Soekarno 'rebuke' the minister because there is one thing that made him no favor. After the 'scold' the minister, Sukarno summoned his aide. Not long after Sukarno arrived with a pile of kebaya and gave the minister who is still confused.
Meanwhile, in another occasion, Ketut Tantri, an American woman writer who has successfully made the speech of English to be invited to the palace of President Sukarno. He is facing the president with a gloved kebaya. He was surprised to see President Sukarno to dress casually. Gloves with short jacket and skull cap. Whereas the previous picture in the head Tanti is the figure of dashing white suit Soekarno-white or khaki uniform. Reason Bung Karno who had previously changed his clothes and in uniform is: "You have to bother dressing up with a national dress. So I guess you duly received by the national dress as well. "And as we expect, Bung Karno also praised the appropriateness K'tut Tanri berkebaya
Cain as a complement to the wrapped tight kebaya in the female body is as quick and convenient to prevent movement, but the modern Indonesian women are not desperate. A type of kebaya fabric that is often worn on formal occasions is sewn like fabric and has zipper narrow sheath. So easy to wear and released.
Above the stage of public-body women who wear the kebaya outfit showed typical of this nation as a non-Western. The bodies of the women representing the essence of the nation, a living tradition and maintained by the end of the 20th century. Female body as a user kebaya is considered 'national costume' gave the impression as if women are the keepers of the national essence that escapes from the touch of colonialism. Plus the female body in recent times seems to be a mere object to be invited-legislated. Far from the desires and ideals of Kartini.
