Thebarong tagalog, more commonly known simply asbarong (and occasionallybaro), is anembroidered long-sleeved formal shirt for men and anational dress of thePhilippines. Barong tagalog combines elements from both the precolonialnative Filipino and colonialSpanish clothing styles. It is traditionally made with sheer textiles (nipis) woven frompiña orabacá; although in modern times, cheaper materials likeorganzasilk,ramie orpolyester are also used.
It is a common formal or semi-formal attire inFilipino culture, and is worn untucked over anundershirt with belted trousers anddress shoes.Baro't saya is the feminine equivalent of barong tagalog, with theMaria Clara gown being the formal variant of the latter.[1] Barong tagalog was also known ascamisa fuera ("outer shirt") inPhilippine Spanish.[2]
The term "barong tagalog" is usually shortened in modernFilipino to "barong". Though this is grammatically incorrect, since "barong" contains theenclitic suffix-ng, which indicates that it is modified by or modifies the next word. The correctroot word ofbarong is theTagalog wordbaro, meaning "outfit" or "clothing", but this is rarely used.[3][4][5]
Though "barong tagalog" literally translates to "Tagalog outfit", the "tagalog" in the name does not mean that it was a form of dress exclusive to theTagalog people, as opposed to otherPhilippine ethnic groups. Barong tagalog (andbaro't saya) were worn universally among Christianized lowlanders throughout the Philippines in the Spanish colonial period. Rather, the name was coined to distinguish the dress as native (hence "tagalog", i.e.Indio), as opposed to the styles of dress of Europeans and other foreign cultures.[6] The "tagalog" descriptor is usually not capitalized.[7]
Barong tagalog is a formal shirt usually made of sheer lightweight but stiff fabric known asnipis (usually woven frompiña orabacá fibers). When using sheer fabrics, it is worn over an undershirt known as thecamisón orcamiseta, which can have short or long sleeves. The termcamisa de chino is also used for collar-less and cuff-less undershirts, named after its resemblance to shirts worn by Chineselaborers. It is worn with belted trousers anddress shoes. Headgear, when worn, is either asalakot or abuntal hat (and historically alsotop hats orbowler hats). The ensemble mixes elements of both native and Spanish traditions.[8][9][10]
Barong tagalog can vary considerably in terms of design and material used, but they share common characteristics of having long sleeves, embroidery, being buttoned (halfway or straight down the chest), and the absence of pockets. They are also worn loosely and have slits on both sides. Historically, the material used for barong tagalog depended on the social class of the wearer and the formality of the occasion. Barong tagalog made of fine, sheer material likenipis were worn largely by the upper classes or were used for festive occasions; while barong tagalog made of cheaper opaque materials likecotton orsinamay were used by lower classes or for daily wear. The quality of the material and the intricacy of the embroidery were often signs of the status and wealth of the wearer.[6]
The embroidery of the barong tagalog are commonly placed on a rectangular section on the front of the chest (known aspechera, "shirt front", from Spanishpecho, "chest"), and/or over the entire shirt (sabog, from Tagalog for "scattered"). They feature various embroidery techniques, includingcalado anddoble calado ("pierced" and "double-pierced", types of openworkdrawn thread embroidery),encajes de bolilio (Venetian lace), andsombrado (shadow embroidery). They can also have other kinds of ornamentation, likealforza (pleats),suksuk (weft floats), and even hand-painted designs.[6][10]
Occasionally feminized versions are worn by women, either as an egalitarian orhaute couture fashion statement; or as a form ofpower dressing when worn by female politicians (such asCorazon Aquino during her presidency).[11] However, the direct female counterpart of the barong tagalog is thebaro't saya (or more formal versions of it like thetraje de mestiza and theterno), and both share the same precolonial origins.[12][13]
The barong tagalog originated from thebaro (Tagalog for "shirt" or "clothing", withcognates likebarú,badu,bado, orbayú in otherPhilippine languages; andbaju inMalaysia andIndonesia), a simple collar-less shirt,tunic, or jacket with close-fitting long sleeves worn by both men and women in most ethnic groups in thepre-colonial Philippines. These were made from rough linen-like cloth woven from nativeabacá fiber, or from imported fabrics woven fromsilk,cotton, andkapok, among others.[6][14][15] The design of the originalbaro was influenced bytrade and contact with neighboring regions. These influences include theMalay andJavanesebaju,[16] and theSouth Asiankurta.[17]
Among Tagalog men, thebaro were commonly paired with loose trousers known assalawal (also spelledsalaual) or a rectangular wraparound cloth known astapis. Thesalawal were loose knee-length or shin-length trousers adapted from thePersiansirwal (probably viaMalays).[6][4][14][3]
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Similar trousers are still worn by various indigenous groups inMindanao today, such as theBagobosaruar, theBlaansalwal, and theMaranaosaroar; though these are usually more tight-fitting than thesalawal.[18]
Thetapis (also known aspatadyong ormalong in other Philippine ethnic groups, among other names) is a native tubular or rectangular wraparound cloth that covers the wearer from the waist down. It is worn by both men and women.[19][20]
Thebaro usually extend to just slightly below the waist. However, in theVisayas, aside from similar shirts or tunics (known asbadu,[15]bado, orbáyò inCebuano,Waray, andHiligaynon, respectively), men also wore colorful robe-like and coat-like variants that could extend to well below the knees (known as themarlota andbaquero in Spanish, respectively). These were sometimes belted at the waist. Among Tagalogs, red dyes and gold trimmings were indicative of being a member of nobility (maginoo) or the warrior caste (maharlika).[6][21]
Early records of clothing in the Philippines during theSpanish colonial era from the 16th to the 18th centuries were limited, thus the exact evolution of the precolonial baro to the modern barong tagalog can not be established with precision. Based on illustrations and written accounts, however, baro were still largely only worn by commoners during this period. They were mostly identical to precolonial baro and were made from opaquelinen-likeabacá textiles, and thus lacked the collars, buttons, and embroidery of later baro styles. The couturierJose "Pitoy" Moreno has hypothesized that this transitional style of shirt was thecamisa de chino of later centuries, which makes it a precursor to the barong tagalog. Depictions of members of theprincipalia upper classes (including natives andmestizos) in the 18th century showed that they invariably wore European-style clothing,[6][10] often paired withsayasaya trousers. Thesayasaya (not to be confused with theSpanishsaya) was a type of loose silk trousers that feature embroideries along the hemline, presumably originating fromChinese trousers.[6][18]
The first barong tagalog precursor to gain favor among the local andmestizo elites was the barong mahaba (literally "long baro") which became prominent starting from the 1820s. These were much longer than the modern barong tagalog, reaching down to slightly above the knees. They were also commonly striped with bold colors like blue, red, or green. However, they already displayed hallmarks of the modern barong tagalog, including being made of sheernipis material, embroidery, long sleeves, and a loose silhouette with slits on both sides. However, they lacked buttons. Early examples of barong mahaba usually had high-standing collars or even Elizabethan-styleruffs with narrowcravats. Barong mahaba were generally worn with colorful straight-cut trousers with stripes,checkers, or plaid-like patterns (generally made from importedcambaya,rayadillo, andguingón fabrics),top hats (sombrero de copa), and a type of embroideredvelvet or leather slip-on shoes known ascorchos. While barong mahaba were generally worn loose, they were sometimes fastened by silk strings through three openings around the waist, either over or under the shirt. The sheer fabric used by barong mahaba also necessitated the wearing of an undershirt, known ascamisón orcamiseta, which was also worn on its own by commoners.[6][22]
By the 1840s, barong mahaba largely fell out of fashion. In this period, it evolved into the modern "classic" barong tagalog, being much shorter with less ostentatious folded collars, while still retaining the sheer fabric and other baro characteristics. They were also worn with smaller hats likebowler hats (sombrero hongo) or nativebuntal hats. They were initially paired with looser trousers, though they gradually assumed the dimensions of modern trousers by the end of the 19th century. The colors of the barong tagalog also became more muted and monochromatic, in contrast to the colorful barong mahaba ensembles of earlier decades. Barong tagalog ensembles from the mid-19th century onwards were usually combinations of black and white, blue and white, or all-white. Baro worn by commoners also favored darker colors like brown or blue, usually paired with white silk pants.[6]
This type of barong tagalog were common among government workers and businessmen, who usually wore them underneath jackets (chaqueta). Sheer baro were also worn by natives andmestizos forfiestas, leisure activities like dancing, or for church. However, western-stylesuits became more popular among students of the burgeoningilustrado educated class.[6]
A notable variant of the barong tagalog during this period was the baro cerrada (literally "closed baro"). Its name is derived from its closed-neck collar. It was made from opaque material (which can be white or darker colors) and was paired with white pants. This style of baro remained popular up until the early 1900s.[6]
A commonly repeated but false belief is that the Spanish colonizers made the natives wear their barong tagalog with the shirt tails hanging out to distinguish them from the ruling class; its translucent fabric allegedly showing that the wearer was not concealing a weapon underneath. There are no historical records of this anytime from the 16th to the late 19th century. No regulations mandated the use of sheer material or banned the tucking in of men's shirts. Baro were always worn untucked, even in the precolonial period; and up until the 19th century, they were not made from translucentnipis fabric.[6][4]
While the style and textiles worn by different classes did vary over the Spanish colonial period, this was due to fashion, wealth, and class distinction, rather than law. Most commoners throughout the colonial period wore baro made from cheaper and more durable opaque textiles, while expensivenipis fabrics were worn mostly by the upper classes. Natives (indios descended from precolonial nobility) andmestizos (bothmestizos de Español andmestizos de sangley) were also part of the aristocratic upper classes (principalia) and it wasn't restricted to Europeans.[6][4]
Indios andmestizos, regardless of class, wore barong tagalog and European-style clothing depending on what they can afford and which were fashionable at the time. The wearing of barong tagalog did have racial connotations however, since most people of unmixed European descent (theinsulares,criollos, andpeninsulares) retained their own dress styles and thus inadvertently differentiated from Filipino fashions.[6][4]
The popularity of barong tagalog further waned during theAmerican colonial period. It was replaced bysuits (known asAmericana in the Philippines) andtuxedos in most formal functions. In contrast, women persisted in wearing the nativeterno (a modernized and unified version of thebaro't saya), which was then associated withsuffragists. Barro cerrada remained popular as informal leisure clothing, however.[6][10][4]
After the Philippine independence on July 4, 1946,Americana or asuit and tie continued to be the dominant formal wear, worn by presidentsManuel Roxas andElpidio Quirino.[10] In 1953, however, PresidentRamón Magsaysay won the election by being "a man of the masses". He deliberately wore a barong tagalog at his inauguration. The press played up the symbolism of Magsaysay in a barong tagalog and the outgoing Quirino in a western-style suit as symbolic of the "break" between the independent Philippines and its colonial past. He also wore barong tagalog in most public and private state functions. Magsaysay's use of the barong tagalog as formal attire was unprecedented in modern times. His example was followed by otherPhilippine presidents, and by the time ofDiosdado Macapagal's term in the 1960s, it had regained its status as formal wear.Ferdinand Marcos, in particular, wore barong tagalog at almost every occasion. In 1975, Marcos issued a decree for the barong tagalog, along with thebaro't saya, to become the official national attire. June 5 to 11 was also declared as the "Barong Tagalog Week".[10][3][4]
Following Marcos' decree, barong tagalog became widely mandated as office wear for both employees of the government and private companies, as well asschool uniforms. In the 1970s to the 1980s, companies like thePhilippine Airlines,Ayala Corporation, and theAllied Bank were prescribing barong tagalog as their uniforms. Various semi-formal and informal versions of the barong tagalog developed during this period, including the short-sleeved polo barong and the linen barong.[10] In 1998, Supreme Court JusticeHilario Davide, Jr. mandated the wearing of barong tagalog for all employees of theJudiciary of the Philippines.[23]
While the barong tagalog was now regarded as formal wear, it did not gain popularity as a wedding attire for grooms in the early post-war Philippines. Most weddings featured a groom in a western suit and a bride in aterno. However, by the 1990s, the situations had reversed. Grooms now almost always wear barong tagalog, while women favored western-style bridal gowns.[10]
The finest barong tagalog are made from a variety of indigenous sheer fabrics (nipis). The most common traditional materials used are listed below. The fabrics used can also be composites of two different materials (likecotton andjusi orsilk andpiña). Additionally, more informal barongs can also utilize common opaque textiles likecotton,linen,polyester, orramie.[24][25]
The term barong tagalog is almost exclusively used to refer to the formal version of the barong. Named variants of the barong tagalog include the following:
The barong tagalog is a possible precursor to theguayabera, a shirt popular inLatin American communities since the late 19th century. It may have been introduced first toMexico via theManila-Acapulco Galleons and were adapted to use local fabrics in the absence of piña or abacá. A variant of theguayabera traditionally worn inYucatan is still called "filipina."[6][37]
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