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A barong Tagalog held against the light, showing the translucency of the fabric.
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The barong Tagalog (with Mandarin collar)
The barong Tagalog (or simply barong) is an embroidered formal garment of thePhilippines. It is very lightweight and worn untucked (similar to a coat/dress shirt), over an undershirt. In Filipino culture it is a common wedding and formal attire, mostly for men but also for women. The term "barong Tagalog" literally means "a Tagalog dress" in the Tagalog language; however, the word "Tagalog" in the garment's name refers to the Tagalog region, not the region's language of the same name.
The barong was popularized as formal wear by Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay, who wore it to most official and personal affairs, including his inauguration as president.
|Contents |
| [hide] |
|1 Origin |
|2 Type of cloth used |
|3 Variations |
|3.1 Barong decorative details |
|4 Controversy |
|5 References |
|6 See also |
[edit]Origin
Long before the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines, the Tagalog people on Luzon Island already wore a dress that can be seen as the origin of the barong Tagalog. The dress reached slightly below the waist, was colorless and had an opening in the front.[1]
A legend persists that the Spaniards made Filipinos wear their barong untucked to distinguish them from the ruling class; its translucent fabric allegedly helped the Spaniards to see that the wearer was not bearing a weapon underneath.[2] Supposedly, the native Filipinos were also prohibited from tucking in their shirts, which served to designate their low rank as well as to distinguish them from the people