The kebaya is the traditional outfit that is worn by the women of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Burma, Singapore and Thailand. It consists of a blouse-skirt combination and batik fabric is often used to create it. The earliest examples of these dresses seem to have originated in the court of the Javanese Majapahit Kingdom as a response to the newly adopted religion of Islam as a way for the women to affect a more modest dress. The word for this type of dress is believed to be derived from the Arabic word abaya, which means clothing, and the outfit itself is believed to have been inspired by clothing from the Arab region of the world.

The outfit consists of a blouse with a central opening. The front flaps of the opening are fastened with a brooch called a kerongsang. The kerongsang brooch is often very intricately detailed and is a sign of social status. For those of the peasant or commoner class the kerongsang is typically replaced by a simple safety pin. The skirt of kain is typically an unstitched piece of fabric approximately three meters long. The kain is wrapped around the waist, held in place with a string, the fabric is then folded over the string and the skirt is held in place with a belt. The kain should not be confused with the sarong, as the sarong is actually stitched together to create a tube, while the kain is an unstitched piece of fabric.

These outfits are the national costume of Indonesia and are often worn by Indonesia’s first ladies. They are currently experiencing a comeback as designers are beginning to find ways to make it more modern and fashionable, including creating casual versions of the outfits, bridal dresses and adding decorative details and also details that make them easier to wear such as zippers, buttons and clasps. These outfits have also recently become the official uniform of both Indonesian and Malaysian airline attendants.