Performers in traditional costume performing the Batak dance at Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia, in 1996. (STEPHEN G. DONLADSON PHOTOGRAPHY)
Traditional dress is still commonly seen in rural areas and is especially important throughout Indonesia for national ceremonial occasions. For both men and women, traditional dress in Indonesia includes a wrap-around lower-body cover—a kain (a rectangular length of fabric, generally in batik) or a sarong (a length of fabric with ends sewn together, more often in ikat). Women in Java and Bali wear sarongs and kain, held in place with a stagen, a narrow sash. The kebaya
is a tight, often sheer, long-sleeved blouse worn on the upper body. It
is often made of lace, but can also be made of lightweight, sheer,
elaborately embroidered cottons. In addition, women generally have a large rectangle of cloth called a selendang (ikat or batik) draped over the shoulder (on less formal occasions a large selendang is used to carry babies or objects); on Bali the pelangi (a sash) is worn over the kebaya around the waist when going to temple.
Indonesian men generally wear kain or sarongs only in the home or on informal occasions. A black felt cap, or peci, is occasionally worn; although it was once associated with Islam, it has acquired a more secular, national meaning since Indonesia's independence. These ensembles have become national dress in Indonesia because the vast majority of the population lives on Java and Bali. Kebaya and batik kain are considered Indonesia's national dress for women, and teluk beskap, a combination of the Javanese jacket and kain, are national dress for Indonesian men.