Introduction
Filipinos don their finest formal barongs in a variety of fabrics.
White Jusi™ fabric - has been developed by pioneering Barong designers at MyBarong in response to the demand for pure white, elegant fabric for the modern groom's wedding Barong.
Piña fabric - is hand-loomed from pineapple leaf fibers. And because Piña weavers in the Philippines are dwindling, its scarcity makes the delicate Piña cloth expensive and is thus used for very formal events.
Jusi fabric - is mechanically woven and was once made from abacca or banana silk. Today, China is the main source of polyester Jusi.
Banana fabric - is another sheer fabric used in formal occasions. Made and hand woven from banana fiber, it usually comes with geometric design details. This fabric hails from the Visayas island of Negros.
Piña-Jusi fabric - is the latest barong fabric that just came out of the market and is gaining much popularity. With the sheerness of pineapple fibers and the strength of the jusi fiber, this "new" fabric blend offers the market the same formality needed on special occasions at a more reasonable price range.
Variations
The term "Barong Tagalog" is used almost exclusively to refer to the formal version of the barong; however, less formal variations of this national costume also exist.
J-cut Barong™ - Is the latest in the line of casual Barongs. The J-cut Barong™[5] has become the apparel of choice for grooms in beach weddings, garden weddings & other destination weddings.
Polo barong - refers to a short-sleeved version of the barong, often made with linen, ramie or cotton. This is the least formal version of the barong, often used as office wear (akin to the suit and tie).
"Gusot-Mayaman" ("gusot" means "wrinkled" and "mayaman" means "wealthy") and Linen barongs - barongs that are not constructed with pina, jusi, or similarly delicate fabrics are generally considered less formal than the barong Tagalog. Both "gusot-mayaman" and linen barongs are used for everyday office wear.
Shirt-jack barong - barong cut in shirt-jack style usually in poly-cotton, linen-cotton and gusot-mayaman fabrics. Popularized by politicians and government officials and worn during campaigns or out-in-the-field assignments. This barong style gives the wearer a more casual look yet lends a more dressed-up appearance from the usual street worn casual wear.
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