This is a Nonya (Peranakan woman) version of the kebaya (woman’s tunic). Such close-fitting kebaya with floral designs reflects the fashion around the mid 20th century. Designers created a more form-hugging kebaya from lightweight textiles. The origins of the kebaya remains unclear—it could have come from the Portuguese kobaya, a kind of lace-trimmed blouse; the Arabic Abaya, a type of tunic fastened at the front; or influenced by the fashions of Java. Kebaya is still worn by Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian women today.
