With the much awaited celebration of Hari Raya less than a month away, celebrants young and old are gearing to welcome the festivities, with the joyous feel and spirit beginning to make its presence.
Among other things is the preparation for Raya outfits, be it the traditional or fashion baju kurung for the women or the cara Melayu or kurta outfits for men.
Over the past few years, the trend of ready-to-wear Raya outfits have taken the likes of many although there are still some who still trust their tailors to design and sew their Raya outfits. Most have sent their materials months in advance to ensure the workmanship is tip top as sending last minute may result in disappointment due to the rush.
The Bulletin spoke to several about their preference in Raya outfits during the upcoming festivities.
“I don’t really shop for clothes online because there are some disadvantages of shopping for ready-to-wear online although the designs and prices may be quite tempting these days,” said 25-year old Nursyairah Aqilah @Hanisah binti Mahyuddin.
One disadvantage is the size issue as it can be difficult to find the right size because sizing charts may not always be accurate. Trying clothes on is not an option and the fact that the inability to feel the material or quality can be disappointing and there is the return or exchange issues, Nursyairah said.
This, she added, can be a lengthy and inconvenient process especially when the seller does not offer free returns and shipping delays to high traffic during the festive season. “On top of that shipping times can be unpredictable, and sometimes orders take longer to arrive than expected.”
She said another disadvantage is the limited fit and style knowledge as without physically trying the clothes on, one can’t really assess how it will look on the body, or if it will flatter their shape. While online stores can be cheaper, the added costs of shipping, taxes, and potential return fees can make it more expensive than shopping in person, she said.
Shopping online lacks the personal interaction and assistance one may get from store staff who offer advice or help with finding the right fit. Lastly there’s a risk of encountering scams or unreliable sellers, especially on lesser-known websites, she added.
With these in mind, Nursyairah prefers to go for the conventional way of sending her material to her trusted tailor and have a peace of mind in choosing her own design, get the size altered way before the celebration.
“Plus it’s cheaper, especially when I am wearing matching Raya outfits with my young daughter.”
For Zarif Nur Hazman bin Zakaria tailor-made clothes often offer several advantages over ready-made options, his reasons being personalised and tailor-made clothes are customised to exact measurements, ensuring a perfect fit while ready-made clothes are designed to fit a range of body types, so they might not fit as well or be comfortable.
“Pick and choose your favourite and quality fabrics. Tailored clothing is typically made with higher-quality fabrics and craftsmanship. Since the focus is on designing something unique, the tailoring tends to be more precise,” said Zarif.
He also noted that tailored clothes give better comfort, as it is made to fit the body shape and often feel more comfortable compared to ready-made options.
“You can also add personalised touches to tailored clothes, such as specific stitching, pockets, or lining. Ready-made clothing usually lacks this flexibility. Easy modifications such as adjustments can be made as needed, even during the fitting process with tailored clothes. Ready-made clothing, on the other hand, cannot be altered to your liking.”
Having his outfits tailored for him is also exclusive and unique, because it is made for him alone and it would be less likely to find someone else wearing the same item.
In short, Zarif opts to have his Raya outfits tailored to his preference over buying ready-to-wear online or even at shops as he also believes that since it is tailored to fit the body perfectly, it enhances the overall appearance and creates a sharper, more polished look than ready-made garments that may not complement the shape as well.
As for Fauziah she has no preferences as her baju Raya are both tailor made and ready-made. The tailor-made baju are made here locally while she also has a designer to sew her baju Raya.
“She is a designer I always engage in for the festive occasion. For the local tailor, I will usually ask when the deadline is to send materials to sew the baju. However, the baju I send are not entirely for Raya, some are for day-to-day work.”
As for ready-made, she always travels abroad of which there are two boutique designers that she always goes to for ready-made. “Every year they have fresh designs or improvised designs while price wise, they are acceptable as the baju can be worn for work as well for any official invitation.”
“Both tailor-made and ready-made are the same place I always go to every year. Why did I choose them? Because I am very satisfied with their design and the showmanship, which is unique and elegant.”
As for her Raya mood, the excitement varies each year. “Sometimes the excitement is not there at all. Perhaps the evolution over the years of how the celebration is and perhaps due to the missing of loved ones affects the mood,” she said.
“This year, I’m looking forward to celebrating Raya back at my kampong. Hopefully the celebration mood will be more meaningful.”
Meanwhile, Hafizul Rahman sends his cara Melayu materials to sew his traditional cara Melayu but for kurta, he checks online sellers or those available in the physical market.
“I don’t really have any preference to tailor or ready-to-wear although I know the disadvantages of getting ready-to-wear online as I am one who is not sceptical of buying my clothes online. If it fits, it fits but if it doesn’t then just have it exchanged or returned or if it is not possible, post it as pre-loved items. At the end of the day what is most important is the comfort of wearing the clothes.”
Ever since after the pandemic, Hafizul has not been keen in wearing full cara Melayu during Hari Raya. However, he would still make one or two before the festivities. Most of the time, he is more comfortable in wearing kurta as he finds it not only unique in style but also it is more breathable and convenient to move around without feeling the heat or discomfort during Raya visits. – Lyna Mohamad
