3 Types of Traditional Baduy Clothing

 The Baduy tribe is a native of Banten Province, which is located between the islands of Sumatra, West Java and Jakarta with the center of government in the city of Serang. In terms of culture, Banten and West Java have many similarities, one of which is in the traditional Banten clothing. However, the traditional clothing worn by the Bantenese tribe still has its own characteristics.

The Baduy community is divided into 2 groups, namely the inner Baduy and the outer Baduy. Basically the traditional clothes worn by the two are the same, it's just that the clothes worn by the Inner Baduy tribe are white as a symbol of purity, while the clothes worn by the Outer Baduy tribe are black. To meet their clothing needs, the Baduy people plant cotton seeds, harvest, spin, and weave the cloth used for clothing.

Inner Baduy tribe clothing

The clothes worn by the men of the Inner Baduy are long-sleeved shirts called jamang sangsang. This is because its use is only doubted or attached to the body. The design of the sangsang dress is quite simple, that is, it is only punched in the neck to the chest, without collars, without buttons and without clothes pockets. The making of this traditional dress can only be done by hand and cannot be sewn by machine. The material used must also be made from the original cotton thread that is woven.

The use of this sangsang dress is combined with a blue-black sarong, which is only wrapped around the waist and tied with a piece of cloth so that it does not come off. The distinctive feature of the Inner Baduy traditional clothing is the use of a white headband that functions to cover their long hair. The choice of white in the traditional clothes of the Inner Baduy means that their life is still sacred and has not been influenced by outside culture.

Traditional Clothing for the Outer Baduy Tribe

Meanwhile, the traditional clothes worn by the Outer Baduy tribe are known as black kampret clothes. The design of the clothes is split in half to the bottom with pieces like clothes commonly worn by the public, namely using pockets, buttons and the basic materials are not required of pure cotton yarn.

Judging from the model or style of clothing worn, the way the Outer Baduy tribe dresses shows that their life has been influenced by outside culture. The distinctive feature of the Outer Baduy traditional clothing is the use of a dark blue headband with a batik pattern.

Baduy Women traditional clothing

The daily clothes worn by women in Inner Baduy and Outer Baduy do not really show any significant difference. They wear a kind of sarong which is blackish blue and is worn from the chest to the heels. For married women they usually leave their chest open freely, while for girls it must be closed. Another case for traveling, the clothes worn by Baduy women are in the form of kebaya, black-black woven sarong, karembong, belt and scarf.

For the Baduy community, clothing does not only function to protect the body, but also as a cultural identity. No wonder if just by looking at the style, cut and dress, people will know at a glance that it is the Baduy tribe. They believe that the clothes were passed on by their ancestors to be preserved.