The Modern Barong Through A Woman’s Lens

The once rigid codes of barong dressing are loosening in the hands of a new generation.

The barong or “barong Filipino” is the national costume of the Philippines, and for a long time, that meant it belonged solely to men. Sheer, embroidered, and worn untucked over a camisa de chino, it carried the full weight of Filipino formal identity on its shoulders. But contemporary Filipino designers have been dismantling that assumption, whether intentionally or not. Some design with women explicitly in mind; others simply make something so good that the question of who it was meant for becomes irrelevant. Here are five labels making barongs worth stealing from the men’s section.

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Gabbie Sarenas

Sarenas built her brand around the Filipino woman. Her signature barong in piña cotton with hand embroidery reads as decidedly feminine without losing the garment’s ceremonial weight.

Kelvin Morales

You have probably seen a Kelvin Morales barong at a wedding. What you may not have clocked is how well it translates off its intended wearer. Morales works in silk cocoons and other local materials, with intricate hand embroidery and silhouettes that skew abstract and architectural. Morales treats the barong as an art object, and art has no gender dress code.

Yana Kalaw Studios

Emerging designer Yana Kalaw doesn’t reinterpret the barong so much as she detonates it. Neon, cropped, maximalist, and rooted in a politics of body positivity and queerness, her take on the garment is loud on purpose. The craftsmanship is still there, with a different, though still reverent, treatment 

Ched Studio

Christian Edward Dalogaog creates what he calls “everyday barongs.” His work makes a strong case for the garment as a wardrobe staple, rather than just special occasion armor. He also makes piña apron tops designed specifically for women, so the consideration is already built in.

Randolf

RJ Santos of Randolf piles on vibrant tattoo-inspired motifs on his barongs with a bespoke, go-big-or-go-home energy. The silhouettes are boxy, the embroidery is maximalist, and the whole thing feels just as rock-and-roll as it is formal wear. On a woman, that reads exactly as intended.