This white kebaya has a faint white pattern of flowers and foliage on the cloth, and a white machine-made embroidered flower motif around its borders. The kebaya is a loose open jacket usually worn by Peranakan women of the Straits Settlements, Indonesia and Indo-European women of the late 19th to 20th century. It has embroidered edges that imitate the look of lace, which became popular during the mid-twentieth century and replaced lace as the decoration of choice along the border of the blouses. Its tapered ends was also popular during this time period. This kebaya belonged to a Chinese woman who was living in Java during the Japanese Occupation. She took on Peranakan dress and identity to adopt as low a profile as possible in order not to attract attention
