Filipino Costumes

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President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, left, and President Xi Jinping of China during a welcome ceremony Tuesday Nov. 20, 2018 at the presidential palace in Manila.

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Barong Tagalog, the official national costume of Filipino men, originated from the northern part of the Philippines, and is originally made of jusi or pineapple cloth called “pina” (woven from pineapple leaves).

‘PERFECT HOST.’ Philippine President Benigno Aquino (R) shake hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping upon arrival ahead of a welcome dinner for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders in Manila on November 18, 2015. Photo by Ted Aljibe/AFP

Barong Tagalog

Barong Tagalog for men

Barong Tagalog, the official national costume of Filipino men, originated from the northern part of the Philippines, and is originally made of jusi or pineapple cloth called “pina” (woven from pineapple leaves). It is worn over a Chinese collarless shirt called camisa de Chino. It exhibits the loose, long lines of its Chinese sources, the airy tropical appearance of Indo-Malay costume, the elongated effect of Hindu dressing, and the ornamental restraint of European men's clothing. Today, barong tagalong can come from different materials and different colors. It is usually used for formal occasion and meetings

The Mestiza Dress

The Mestiza Dress is a formal dress made of expensive lace and fabric adorned with embroideries. It is the sophisticated version of the national costume, the baro't saya (blouse and skirt). Made more popular by former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, some even called it Imelda dress or terno. Mestiza dress is known for its elegance and butterfly sleeves.It is usually worn for formal occasion

Maria Clara's dress

Maria Clara's dress was named after a mestiza heroine of one of the novels of the Philippine National hero Dr.Jose Rizal. Its origin was the national costume of Filipino women which is baro't (shirt) saya (skirt). The Maria Clara gown features a floor-length paneled skirt of silk or satin and it consists of four separate pieces: the collarless waist-length, bell sleeved camisa; the bubble-shaped, floor-length saya; the stiff, neck-covering pañuelo; and the hip-hugging, knee length tapis, or overskirt

Kimona Dress

This dress originated from the Visayas, can be worn for everyday activities as casual dress or for formal occasion. Its origin was the baro't (shirt) saya (skirt), the national costume for Filipino women during the early years. A casual kimona dress is always worn with matching West Visayan wrap around called "patadyong" as a skirt

Modernized Filipina Dress

Igorot Costume

This attire is used by the tribes in Mountain Province of The Cordillera ranges, called Igorots. They have their own unique costume that makes them distinctive from other tribes in the Philippines. This costume reflects their way of life, cultures, personalities, religious practices and rituals.Igorot costume is very simple. The men wear long strips of handwoven loin cloth called "wanes".The woman wear a kind of wrap-around skirt called "lufid". 

These people are the natives and what they are wearing is the traditional costume of the native inhabitants.

Ifugao Costume

The Ifugao, immortalized by their magnificent rice terraces; inhabit the rugged terrain of the extensive Cordillera Mountain Ranges of Central Luzon Ifugaos have woven on looms and carved works of art from blocks of woods. The rice terraces is a symbol of their industry that will live through the ages.

Maranao Costume

Typical Muslim Maranaw costumes (bottom-left photo). The attire of Maranaw prince and princess. “Maranaw” means ‘people of the lake’, referring to lands surrounding Lake Lanao. Descending from Muslim Malays, the royal families within this tribe are a mix of Arab, Malaysian and Chinese ancestry. They are famous for their artwork, sophisticated weaving, wood and metal craft, and their epic literature.

Bagobo Costume

Bagobo's traditional clothing consists of flamboyant beads which they call "pangulabe". It will take one month or more to finish beautiful clothing which is woven with artistry. They are also creative because they use abaca to make a "tapis" or woman's skirt. Their bags "kobol" are made of dried roots. Their headdress "lolen" is made of horse's hair or chicken feathers and their bracelet "pankis".

Malong Dress

The malong dress is traditionally used as a garment by numerous tribes in the Southern Philippines and the Sulu Archipelago. Its origin is from the ethnical group of Maranao, Maguindanao and T’boli located in Mindanao. Handwoven malongs are made by the weavers on a backstrap loom. Very rare malong designs and styles can indicate the village in which the malong was made. Handwoven malongs, which are costly- made of cotton and silk, are likely to be used only at social functions, to display the social and economic status of the wearer. But a malong in royal colours is worn only by Maranao men and women of royal status. The malong can also function as a skirt for both men and women, a dress, a blanket, a bedsheet, a hammock, a prayer mat, and other purposes

B'laan Clothings

The B'laan are one of the indigenous peoples of Southern Mindanao in The Philippines. They are famous for their brassworks, beadwork and t'nalak weave. The people of these tribes wear colorful embroidered native costumes and beadwork accessories. The women of these tribes, particularly, wear heavy brass belts with brass 'tassels' ending in tiny brass bells that herald their approach even when they are a long way off.

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