The María Clara gown, historically known as the ''traje de mestiza'' during the Spanish colonial era, is a type of traditional dress worn by

women in the Philippines The role of women in the Philippines ( fil, Kababaihan sa Pilipinas) is explained based on the context of Culture of the Philippines, Filipino culture, standards, and mindsets. The Philippines is described to be a nation of strong women, who dir ...

. It is an

aristocratic Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word' ...

version of the '' baro't saya''. It takes its name from

María Clara María Clara, whose full name is María Clara de los Santos y Alba, is the ''mestiza'' heroine in '' Noli Me Tángere'', a novel by José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. Her name and character have since become a byword in Filipi ...

, the mestiza protagonist of the novel '' Noli Me Tángere'', penned in 1887 by Filipino nationalist

José Rizal José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is considered the national h ...

. It is traditionally made out of piña, the same material used for the '' barong tagalog''.Moreno, Jose "Pitoy"
– Maria Clara
Philippine Costume, koleksyon.com, archived from the original on July 13, 2011. A unified

gown A gown, from the Saxon word, ''gunna'', is a usually loose outer garment from knee-to-full-length worn by men and women in Europe from the Early Middle Ages to the 17th century, and continuing today in certain professions; later, the term ''gown ...

version of the dress with butterfly sleeves popularized in the first half of the 20th century by

Philippine National Artist The Order of National Artists of the Philippines ( Filipino: ''Orden ng mga Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas'') is an order bestowed by the Philippines on Filipinos who have made significant contributions to the development of Philipp ...

Ramon Valera is known as the ''terno'', which also has a shorter casual and

cocktail dress A cocktail dress is a dress suitable at semi-formal occasions, sometimes called cocktail parties, usually in the late afternoon, and usually with accessories. After World War I, the idea of the "working woman" became popular. After 1929, it wa ...

version known as the ''balintawak''. The masculine equivalent of ''baro't saya'' is the '' barong tagalog''. These traditional women's dresses in the Philippines are collectively known as

Filipiniana Filipiniana, or originally Filipiñana, based on the definition by Isagani Medina from "Collection Building: Filipiniana", in his ''In Developing Special Library Collections, Filipiniana: Proceedings'' (November 1992), are Philippine-related bo ...

dress. Along with the ''barong tagalog'', they are also collectively known as " Filipiniana attire".

Traditional components

Like the '' baro't saya'', the Maria Clara gown traditionally consists of four parts: a blouse (''baro'' or ''camisa''), a long skirt (''saya''), a

kerchief A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvrechief'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana, bandanna, or "Wild Rag" (in cowboy culture), is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head, face or neck for protective or decorative purpos ...

worn over the shoulders (''

pañuelo The ''pañuelo'' (from Spanish '' paño'' + '' -uelo'') or ''alampay'' is a Filipino lace-like embroidered neck scarf or shawl worn around the shoulders over the ''camisa'' (blouse). They were square-shaped and were folded in half into a trian ...

'', ''fichu'', or ''alampay''), and a short rectangular cloth worn over the skirt (the '' tapis'' or ''patadyong''). The ''camisa'' is a collarless

blouse A blouse (blau̇s, 'blau̇z, ) is a loose-fitting upper garment that was worn by workmen, peasants, artists, women, and children.The Concise Oxford English Dictionary It is typically gathered at the waist or hips (by tight hem, pleats, parter ...

whose hem is at the waist and is made from flimsy, translucent fabrics such as pineapple fiber and ''jusi''. The sleeves of the ''camisa'' are similar to the so-called "angel wings", or shaped like

bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...

s. The correct term for the sleeves of the camisa during the mid to late 1800s is a "pagoda" – derived from early Western silhouettes of the Victorian period.Fashionable Filipinas: An Evolution of the Philippine National Dress in Photographs 1860–1890 The ''pañuelo'' is a piece of starched square cloth (either opaque or made from the same material as of the ''camisa'') folded several times and placed over the shoulders. The purpose of the ''pañuelo'' has been related to modesty, used to cover the nape and the upper body due to the ''camisas low neckline as well as its sheer translucency; and also doubles as an accent piece because of embellishments added to it, usually embroideries and the pin securing it in place. The ''saya'' is a skirt shaped like a "cupola", the length begins from the waist reaching the floor. These are usually comprised either of single or double sheets, called "panels" or ''dos paños'' (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

for "two cloths"); some examples are made out of seven

gore Gore may refer to: Places Australia * Gore, Queensland * Gore Creek (New South Wales) * Gore Island (Queensland) Canada * Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community * Gore, Quebec, a township municipality * Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manito ...

s or ''siete cuchillos'' (Spanish for "seven knives"). The ''tapis'' is a knee-length over-skirt that hugs the hips. ''Tapis'' designs may be plain, and is usually made of

opaque Opacity or opaque may refer to: * Impediments to (especially, visible) light: ** Opacities, absorption coefficients ** Opacity (optics), property or degree of blocking the transmission of light * Metaphors derived from literal optics: ** In lingui ...

fabrics such as ''muslin'' and the ''madras'' cloth, and also is used for the purposes of modesty as it keeps the lower body from showing due to the thinness of the ''saya''. Some ladies belonging to the higher classes (often of the ''mestiza'' caste) consider the ''tapis'' a lowly piece of clothing. It resembled the ''dalantal'' (apron) worn by the lower classes. The upper-class women of the 1880s to the 1890s wore an elaborate version of the tapis that was tied around the waist with two strings. This was also referred to as a "dalantal" (apron).Patterns for the Filipino Dress: From the Traje de Mestiza to the Terno

Modernization

The word "terno" in Spanish refers to a matching set of clothes made of the same fabric. In the Philippines, "terno" refers to a woman's ensemble that consists of matching colors/patterns.Patterns for the Filipino Dress by Salvador Bernal & Georgina Encanto In the early 1900s, the traje de mestiza's components started to match in terms of color and patterns.Fashionable Filipinas: An Evolution of the Philippine National Dress in Photographs 1860–1890 by Gino Gonzales & Mark Lewis Higgins Some trajes in the 1910s were entirely made of the same material (such as "nipis" – a Filipino term meaning "fine" or "thin"Fashionable Fabrics: The Mestiza Dress from the Nineteenth Century to the 1940s by Sandra Castro). By the 1920s the term referred to a dress consisting of a matching "camisa" with butterfly sleeves, a heavily starched "pañuelo" (fichu), a "saya" (skirt) which normally came with a "cola" (train), and a "sobrefalda" (overskirt). By the late 1940s, the terno's meaning and silhouette evolved into any Western dress with butterfly sleeves attached to it. Occasionally the "terno" would be referred to as a "mestiza dress" by women who lived in the first half of the 20th century. During July 8, 2008, State of the Nation Address of Philippine president

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the House Deputy Speakers since 2022, and previously from 2016 to 2017. She previously ...

, she wore a "modernized María Clara gown". The adaptation donned by the president came was fuchsia-pink, designed by JC Buendia. Created in three weeks, the fabric used for the presidential gown was a blend of pineapple fibers and silk and was developed by the Philippine Research Institute, an agency of the

Department of Science and Technology of the Philippines The Department of Science and Technology (abbreviated as DOST; fil, Kagawaran ng Agham at Teknolohiya), is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the coordination of science and technology-related projects in the ...

. The six-yard fabric costing ₱ 3,000 were produced in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

Misamis Oriental Misamis Oriental ( ceb, Sidlakang Misamis; tl, Silangang Misamis), officially the Province of Misamis Oriental, is a province located in the region of Northern Mindanao in the Philippines. Its capital, largest city and provincial center is t ...

, processed in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

, and woven in the province of

Aklan Aklan, officially the Province of Aklan ( Akeanon: ''Probinsya it Akean'' k'ɣan hil, Kapuoran sang Aklan; tl, Lalawigan ng Aklan), is a province in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Its capital is Kalibo. The province is situa ...

. The cloth was then colored with a dye from the ''sabang'', a native plant. According to the ''

Philippine Daily Inquirer The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded br ...

'', this is the first time in Philippine history that the media office of the Malacañang Palace revealed details about a Filipino president's evening outfit that would be worn for a State of the Nation Address. However, the president herself talked about the attire she wore in June 2008 during the 50th anniversary of the Department of Science and Technology. The aforementioned outfit was an old-rose-colored dress from pineapple fibers and dyed with materials originating from

coconut husk The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the f ...

s.Avendaño, Christine
‘Modernized’ Maria Clara gown for Arroyo
, ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'', July 28, 2008. Now there are a lot of designers who are incorporatin
filipiniana dresses
into their creations, adding a modern twist to them. They tailored it to be able to match up to today's ever-changing standards and the needs of everyday people.The Modernization of the Filipiniana Gown
Retrieved January 26, 2019 Although its style has changed, the image of the classic

filipina Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or other ...

can still be seen.

Gallery

File:Butterfly Gown.jpg, Woman in ''terno'' with stiffened "butterfly" sleeves File:Imelda Marcos as the young Rose of Tacloban 1953.jpg, A young

Imelda Marcos Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who served as the First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power during the dictato ...

wearing ''terno'' type of Maria Clara. File:Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach waves to the Malacanang Press.jpg,

Pia Wurtzbach Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach ( ; ; born September 24, 1989), formerly known professionally as Pia Romero, is a Filipino model, actress and beauty queen who is known for being crowned Miss Universe 2015. She joined Binibining Pilipinas pageant thre ...

at the Malacañang Palace wearning ''terno''. File:Kerchief (Pañuelo) MET 115249a.jpg, Early 19th century ''pañuelo'' in the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

File:Pinayavatar.jpg, ''

Mestiza de sangley Sangley (English plural: ''Sangleys''; Spanish plural: ''Sangleyes'') and Mestizo de Sangley (Sangley mestizo, ''mestisong Sangley'', ''chino mestizo'' or Chinese mestizo) are archaic terms used in the Philippines to describe a person of pure ov ...

'' woman in ''traje de mestiza'' with an ''

abaniko An abaniko (from the Spanish word ''abanico'', "fan") is a type of hand fan from the Philippines. Description The abaniko is common accessory for the baro't saya, the traditional ladies’ attire. Various ways of using and holding the ab ...

'' fan File:Filipina mestizas, early 1800s.jpg, Filipina '' mestizas'' from the early 1800s with ''

s'' over '' baro't saya'', by Paul de la Gironiere File:La Mestisa by Justiniano Asuncion.jpg, ''"La Mestisa"'' (A Filipina Mestiza) by

Justiniano Asuncion Justiniano (born Josue Rivera) is an American comic book artist. His work includes the ''Doctor Fate'' feature in the 8-issue ''Countdown'' spin-off ''Countdown to Mystery'' miniseries (with the late writer Steve Gerber) from DC Comics, ''Evil ...

File:La Mestisa Española by Justiniano Asuncion.jpg, ''"La Mestisa Española"'' (A Spanish Mestiza Filipina) by

File:India de Manila by José Honorato Lozano.jpg, ''"India de Manila"'' (Native

Filipina Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or other ...

) by

José Honorato Lozano José Honorato Lozano (1815 or 1821-1885) was a Filipino painter born in Manila. He is best known as the pioneering practitioner of the art form known as Letras y figuras, in which the letters of a patron's name is composed primarily by contoured ...

File:India A Caballo by José Honorato Lozano.jpg, ''India A Caballo'' (Native

On A Horse) by

File:Meztizo Spanish Woman.png, A gown worn by a Meztiza

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Clara gown National symbols of the Philippines Philippine clothing History of Asian clothing Kerchiefs Women in the Philippines

Traditional components

Modernization

Gallery

See also

References