“I’m not sexualising men” – M’sian Designer Says His See-Through Baju Melayu is Nothing New

With Ramadhan in less than a week, many Malay friends have started to purchase or reserve their outfits for the upcoming Raya season. We can’t wait to see how they’ll look good in their traditional outfit OOTD, and the reason the outfits will never look outdated is because they stay traditional.

Or are we allowed to “tweak” the outfit a little to catch up with the trend? Just recently, a see-through Baju Melayu went viral on social media, with a male model putting the outfit on, revealing the upper part of his boy and lower leg given the nature of the see-through outfit.

Not everyone is on board with the new look of the Baju Melayu, and the mastermind behind the idea, Arma broke the silence and responded to the criticisms behind his see-through idea. 

“I’m not sexualising men, and it’s nothing new”

In an interview with Majalah Wanita, Arma said that it was never his intention to sexualise men with the new outlook of the traditional Baju Melayu. The outlook is meant for a recent fashion show and as a customer, if you’re not happy with it, Arma is more than happy to alter the design based on your requests.

“It’s made with rare material but the original cut and designs are still retained. Customers are more than welcome to request for a change of materials.”

Arma also said that customers can pair the see-through Baju Melayu with a singlet or a T-shirt inside if they’re not so comfortable to expose their bodies.

The Malaysian fashion designer also revealed that the idea is not something new and many designers in the past came up with the idea, which was already executed back then. In the meantime, Arma urged the public NOT to relate his design to the LGBT community.

“This is really not something new. As of now, I’ve had about 20 reservations for this see-through Baju Melayu.”

@majalahwanita

Arma tak lucahkan Baju Melayu, boleh pakai lining atau singlet #wanita #utusantv #beritaditiktok #trendingnewsmalaysia #fyp #armacouture

♬ original sound – Majalah Wanita – Majalah Wanita

To those who will be celebrating Raya, what do you think of this design? Should traditional clothes stay the way they are, or it’s time for some trendy changes?

Also read: “Brainless”, Local Actor Slams People Who Wear Tight Baju Melayu, Reminds Others to Respect the Attire