Baju Jawi

There's no way you will ever look good in a kinda clothes the Arab are wearing. If you are a Malay, that is. You've gotta be an Arab to look good in that kinda clothes and you've gotta have the Arab kinda head to look good in that kinda headgear that they put on. Same thing with cowboy suit. You won't ever look good in it if you are not from Wyoming, Montana or Idaho, or Texas. Even Mexican don't look good in it. You've gotta be American to look good in a cowboy suit and there's no two way about it. And don't ask a guy from Vienna to put on a cowboy suit. This will only make him look very odd - like adding salted shredded chicken to a nice glass of sirap bandung soda.

This is why I don't put on the Afghan shirt and try to pass as one. Or the Arab kinda robe to look like one. No, I won't put on a cowboy suit, not even for a fancy dress dinner. I'd put on a checkered shirt and jeans. This would be as far as I'd go. No, I won't put on cowboy boots because like I've said, you've gotta be American to look good in them. I'm not sure if a Malay would look good in a Samurai suit. I reckon this is okay. You may wanna try it but don't ask me when would be the most appropriate time of the year to put it on. Maybe during Cherry Blossom. I don't know.

I've seen if often, male Caucasian putting on Baju Melayu when they marry a Jawi girl. I've not heard anyone say they don't look good in them. I guess being Jawi, we'd rather be polite and keep the opinion to ourselves and puji memuji the orang putih for willing to put on a funny clothes on an important day like a bersanding. 

Same thing with Ultraman suit. You won't ever look good in it if you are not Japanese. You can cover up the face but people would know. Just like Robocop suit. You can't possibly look good it if you are a Jawi guy. 

I've seen white folks put on a Silat suit in class. They look impressive, in Holland. But in Jakarta, they look funny. I don't know if it's the surroundings or the geography of a place that could have played a part in making you look good in an ethnic clothes that you put on.

Which is why it is always safe to put on a shirt, a nice belt, and a nice pair of pants, and a good pair of shoes. You can be Eskimo or Masai but I guarantee that you will look good in these. And for the women, you can be Norwegian, Swede, Chinese, Indian, American, African, Iranian or Australian. I guarantee that you'd look good in Baju Kurung. Which is why I don't get it when Jawi women go for Arab kinda clothes instead of Baju Kurung.  As for the men, you gotta be a Melayu to look good in a Baju Jawi. You can add the Kris on the side, but that would be overdoing it since 99% of Jawi men won't know how to use it properly. 

And the capal. The best guy who looks good in a Baju Jawi would be P.Ramlee. In Madu Tiga - when he asks 'Mana butang baju Melayu aku daa?'  This Raya, I'm putting on a Sponge Bob suit. Maybe I'll take pictures and post them here.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. Ma'af Zahir dan Batin.

(This sounds more like Jawi, and less pretentious than Eid Mubarak).