Big Bear Wears Filipino :D

Vintage photo of the BIG  BEAR. Edited of course harhar :)
Wearing a KIMONA and a STRAW HAT.:)

It's so amusing that somebody from our family decided to dress up our Big Bear in the house.:) And it isn't just any piece of clothing but a sheer top which is actually a traditional Filipino attire called KIMONA. 

Kimona (not to be confused with Kimono from Japan ^^) is a blouse, ranging from sheer to translucent, with embroidery and extended sleeves that is worn over an inner garment such as sando. There are variations to this but that on the Big Bear is one of the simplest designs I have seen. 

It is usually partnered with a skirt called PATADYONG. Unfortunately, our Big Bear's "bottomless" hahaha. Anyway, according to my research, such skirt originated 150 years ago in Antique and usually checkered in design. 

To complete the wardrobe, sometimes a folded rectangular cloth of the same fabric as the skirt is placed on top of one shoulder. And a scarf (usually of the same fabric as the skirt as well) is tied on the head. 

So far, this is the oldest of the photos I've seen in
the Net of someone wearing Kimona and Patadyong
in the most traditional form.
Photo source: www.manika.com

In the past, the Kimona and Patadyong tandem was considered fashionable especially in the barrios. It was very practical to wear too since Philipines was (still is and forever will be) a tropical country, so the lightweight fabric and structure kept the ladies then modestly dressed but somehow feeling fresh.

If blogging had been a trend then, I'm pretty sure a lot of fashion bloggers would be taking and posting their photos wearing Kimona and Patadyong while standing beside, err... a carabao perhaps? And background would be the vast ricefield and clear blue skies.:) 

Kidding aside, I'm happy that the sight of the big bear in a traditional Filipino attire has made me spend even just a few minutes tonight browsing the internet for articles and photos of the fashion that used to be. There are actually a lot of traditional wear in the country, there's Baro't Saya, Balintawak, Mestiza, Malong, among others. Every now and then, they would be subjected to alteration for the sake of achieving a modern or more glamorous look especially when used as costumes in cultural shows or Buwan ng Wika celebrations. But one thing remains though, all these are inevitably part of the colorful and oh-so-rich Filipino heritage.:)

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If you were to reinvent Kimona and Patadyong in such a way that it would be wearable today even for normal days, how would you do it?