DRESSING STYLE

Fashion and clothing in the Philippines

Traditional clothing in the Philippines. 

Filipino national costume is rather colorful, ornate and beautiful. Filipino people lived under the occupation of other countries for centuries. That's why their national attire was formed under the influence of different cultures and got some of their features. But nevertheless, Filipino folk dress is very unique, authentic and even tribal, if we can say so.

To a large extent, the dressing culture of the Filipinos was influenced by Spain and the United States. Apparently, the media and the country’s tropical climate also influenced the Filipinos dressing culture. The country’s tropical climate compelled Filipinos to put on colorful clothes that were often mixed with bead work. Before Spain colonized the Philippines, it is alleged that the Filipinos used the canga as well as the bahag as part of their dressing.

1890s woman wearing the Maria Clara dress

The Boxer Codex, showing the attire of a Classical period Filipino, made of silk and cotton.

A Filipino lady, 1897

The clothing style and fashion sense of the Filipinos in the modern-day era have been influenced by their native ancestors, the Spanish colonizers and the Americans, as evidenced by the chronology of events that occurred in Philippine history. At present, Filipinos conform their way of dressing, in addition to the above factors, as a result of the influence of what is shown by the media on television, fashion shows, among others.

Apart from colonial influences and media influence, the Filipino style of clothing had been dictated by the climate in the Philippines. With a tropical climate (dry and rainy seasons), early Filipinos – as well as the still extant tribal groups in the Philippines – wore colorful woven clothes, often with intricate beadwork and other ornam a type of a collarless shirt – which later became adorned with laces, trimmings, buttons, and a collar – was where from the Barong Tagalog evolved. On the other hand, the bahag was a type of loincloth or G-string.

Evolution of Filipino fashion