Clothing in Myanmar varies depending on the ethnicity, geography, climate and cultural traditions of the people of each region of Myanmar (Burma). The most widely recognized Burmese national costume is the longyi, which is worn by both males and females nationwide. Burmese clothing also features great diversity in terms of textiles, weaves, fibers, colours and materials, including velvet, silk, lace, muslin, and cotton.
Video Burmese clothing
History
Pre-colonial era
In the pre-colonial era, sumptuary laws called yazagaing dictated life and consumption for Burmese subjects in the Konbaung kingdom, everything from the style of one's house to clothing suitable to one's social standing from regulations concerning funerary ceremonies and the coffin to be used to usage of various speech forms based on rank and social status. In particular, sumptuary laws in the royal capital were exceedingly strict and the most elaborate in character. Sumptuary regulations regarding dress and ornamentation were carefully observed. Designs with the peacock insignia were strictly reserved for the royal family and long-tailed hip-length htaingmathein jackets and surcoats were reserved for officials. Velvet sandals were worn exclusively by royals. Gold anklets were worn only by the royal children. Silk cloth, brocaded with gold and silver flowers and animal figures were only permitted to be worn by members of the royal family and ministers' wives. Adornment with jewels and precious stones was similarly regulated. Usage of hinthapada (?????????), a vermilion dye made from cinnabar was regulated.
Colonial era
During the British colonial era, Burmese nationalists associated traditional clothing, in particular Yaw longyi (??????????), a type of longyi from the Yaw region, and pinni taikpon (????????????????????), a fawn-coloured collarless jacket, with anti-colonialism and nationalist sentiment, because of a clampdown in the 1920s over increasing dissent. Wearing "traditional" clothing was seen as a mode of passive resistance among the Burmese. The female sarong (htamein) became shorter, no longer extending to the feet, but to the ankles, and the length of the sarong's top decreased to reveal more waistline. This period also saw the introduction of a sheer muslin blouse for women, revealing a corset-like lace bodice called za bawli (????????). British rule nonetheless influenced hair fashion and clothing. Cropped short hair, called bo ke (???????) replaced long hair as the norm among Burmese men. Similarly, women began wearing hairstyles like amauk (??????), consisting of crested bangs curled at the top, with the traditional hair bun (??????).
Modern era
Maps Burmese clothing
National costumes
Longyi
The national costume of Myanmar is the longyi (???????, Burmese pronunciation: [lò??d??ì]), an ankle-length wraparound skirt worn by both males and females. The longyi in its modern form was popularized during the British colonial period, replacing the traditional paso worn by men and htamein worn by women in pre-colonial times. The pre-colonial htamein features a broad train called yethina (???????) and is only seen in modern times as wedding attire or a dance costume. Similarly, the pre-colonial paso is only commonly worn during stage performances, including dances and anyeint performances.
Acheik textiles
The indigenous Burmese pattern, called acheik (??????; [??t???e??]), features intricate waves interwoven with bands of horizontal stripes, embellished with arabesque designs. Acheik is also known as luntaya (??????????; [l???t?jà]), which literally means a "hundred shuttles," referring to the time-consuming, expensive, and complex process of weaving this pattern, which requires using numerous individual shuttles, each wound with a different color of silk. Acheik weaving originates in Amarapura, and became popular during the Konbaung dynasty.
Taikpon jacket
For business and formal occasions, Bamar men wear a Manchu Chinese jacket called a taikpon eingyi (???????????????, [ta??pò??]) over an English collar shirt. This costume was popularized during the colonial era.
Female eingyi
Burmese women wear blouses called eingyi (???????? [?é??d??ì]). There are two prevalent styles of eingyi: yinzi (??????) buttoned at the front, or yinbon (???????), buttoned at the side. For formal and religious occasions, Burmese women typically don a shawl.
Htaingmathein jacket
The most formal rendition of Myanmar's national costume for females includes a buttonless tight-fitting hip-length jacket called htaingmathein (???????????[t?à??m??é??]), sometimes with flared bottoms and embroidered sequins. Htaingmathein in Burmese literally means "does not gather while sitting," referring to the fact that the tight-fitting jacket does not crumple up when sitting. This jacket was popular among the aristocratic classes during the Konbaung dynasty, and is now most commonly worn by females as wedding attire, or as traditional dance costume. The htaingmathein is worn over a bodice called yinkhan (?????, [j???k?à?]). Historically, the htaingmathein also had a pair of pendulous appendages on both sides called kalano (?????????).
Gaungbaung
The Burmese national costume for men includes a turban called gaung baung (????????????, [?á??bá??]), which is worn for formal functions. During the colonial era, the gaung baung was streamlined as an article of Burmese attire. The design of the modern Burmese gaung baung emerged in the mid-1900s and is called maung kyetthayay (?????????????). It is a ready-made gaung baung made of cloth wrapped in a rattan frame and can be worn like a hat is worn.
Formal footwear
Both genders wear velvet sandals called gadiba phanat (?????????????, also called Mandalay phanat) as formal footwear.
Regional costumes
The various ethnic groups of Myanmar all have distinct clothing and textile traditions.
See also
- Culture of Myanmar
- Folk costume
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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