Fashion
The clothing of the Babas and Nyonyas reflect the unique blend of cultural influences – Chinese, Malay, Indonesian and Western. Baba costumes are an exuberant assortment of batik, embroidery, beadwork, silks, satins and organdie. In their ornate jewellery, the Babas were no less exuberant and lavish!
As an affluent community, the Babas spared no expense in acquiring fine furniture, porcelain, beadwork, embroidery, implements and vessels for their altars and ornaments.
Sarong Kebaya
Now more than ever, the image of a woman in a sarong kebaya resonates with the Singaporean public – from the iconic Singapore Girl to the Little Nyonya of primetime TV and even to the blown-up images of Ivan Heng as the sultry Emily Gan in Emily of Emerald Hill. The sarong kebaya, a
tubular batik skirt worn with a fitted blouse, is still proudly worn by Peranakan women – Nyonyas – in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar. The diverse influences that led to this enduring garment are traced in a new exhibition at the Peranakan Museum.
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Nyonya Patchwork Unpicked
Baba Norman Cho muses on the significance of items made from leftover fabric
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