The evolution of Malay men's festival costumes in fashion trend through social change in Malaysia 1930-2017 / Muhammad Hisyam Zakaria

More than half of the population in Malaysia is of Malay ethnicity and Islamic religion. The most important Islamic festivals celebrated in Malaysia are Hari Raya Aidil Fitri and Hari Raya Aidil Adha. Through the years, the Malay men's festival costumes fashion trend has developed. The evolution of concepts and styles that transitioned from the traditional to the contemporary has somehow reformed its concept due to some social change among Malay men in Malaysia. The comprehensive documentation about Malay men's costumes in Malaysia is still limited and gives less attention to the evolution of their clothing. Nowadays, the modernisation process is very extensive. Although the fashion trend for festival costumes is increasingly focused on how to dress in accordance with the teachings of Islam, some designers are still underestimating the fashion culture in our country until it loses its identity. The objectives of this research firstly to identify the changes in silhouettes, types and style, and complementary accessories of Malay men's festival costumes in Malaysia from 1930 to 2017, secondly to investigate the factors that influenced the design of Malay men's festival costumes, and thirdly to conclude the impact of external influences on the values of Malay festival costumes in Malaysia. The study had been conducted using a qualitative research approach. Through the visual views that were evaluated from the critical analysis, nineteen types of Malay men's festival costumes were outlined. It is discovered that the Malay men's festival costumes have evolved and undergone fascinating stylistic changes, not only in terms of their appearance but also in terms of how they reflect various facets of modern human life, including those related to politics and administration, society, the economy, culture, and lifestyle. The costumes were collected from various sources and separated into four eras: before independence, early independence, modern era, and modern contemporary era. This research will hopefully fill in the gap in information about Malay men's costumes and provide a vital source for future references to transmitting intangible knowledge to cultural heritage resources.