Peranakan Glam Rock
Last sunday we returned from another (not quite) whirlwind trip to Melaka. This time we went to pick up my kebaya, which I am happy with. Despite David's reluctance to see me in it the 7th, he stuck around in the shop whilst i tried the kebaya so, too bad, he had to give me his comments. We're missing a suitable sarong (batik skirt) for the kebaya so it is off to Arab street some time soon to hunt for a silk sarong. Fingers crossed, but I've got the lady to make a normal batik skirt for me, in case I don't find anything nice. She's coming down to Singapore at the end of the month and will bring that, my mom's new green kebaya (that she's wearing for the wedding reception), and my grandmother's new batik skirt with her. Phew. That saves us having to go to Melaka again. As much as we like Melaka, making such regular trips can be very tiring, and June's the school holidays so there will be loads of traffic on the roads and at immigration, which I dread.
Upon arriving back in Singapore, we visited my godparents (Mary and James), and she has kindly offered to lend me her antique blue kasut manik-manik , which is the traditional shoes you'd wear with a kebaya. Yay! More 'something blue', and this means I've also got my 'something borrowed' covered.
On the ‘something borrowed’ note, Godma Mary also took out her antique peranakan jewellery (looks much like the ones in this picture) that she has insisted is necessary for the bride to wear. No such thing as half-measures. The bride's got to be the centre of attention (right...now, what did I say about attention and me before?). Alas, this is not the kind of thing you argue with someone who's taken the effort to dig out her treasure trove and share it with you. Besides, I think my mom and grandmother were secretly glad that they had someone else to 'pressure' me into glamming up! Anyway, the jewellery is gold (repoussé ) set with intan (i.e. shaved rose diamond skin mined from Kalimantan or Irian Jaya). It consists of a necklace, earrings, bracelet, and a chained broach.
So, in terms of fulfilling the English traditions - something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue – I think I’ve got it covered with the Kebaya (new, blue), the kasut manik (blue, old, borrowed), and the jewellery (old, borrowed). Have I missed out anything?
Upon arriving back in Singapore, we visited my godparents (Mary and James), and she has kindly offered to lend me her antique blue kasut manik-manik , which is the traditional shoes you'd wear with a kebaya. Yay! More 'something blue', and this means I've also got my 'something borrowed' covered. 
On the ‘something borrowed’ note, Godma Mary also took out her antique peranakan jewellery (looks much like the ones in this picture) that she has insisted is necessary for the bride to wear. No such thing as half-measures. The bride's got to be the centre of attention (right...now, what did I say about attention and me before?). Alas, this is not the kind of thing you argue with someone who's taken the effort to dig out her treasure trove and share it with you. Besides, I think my mom and grandmother were secretly glad that they had someone else to 'pressure' me into glamming up! Anyway, the jewellery is gold (repoussé ) set with intan (i.e. shaved rose diamond skin mined from Kalimantan or Irian Jaya). It consists of a necklace, earrings, bracelet, and a chained broach.
So, in terms of fulfilling the English traditions - something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue – I think I’ve got it covered with the Kebaya (new, blue), the kasut manik (blue, old, borrowed), and the jewellery (old, borrowed). Have I missed out anything?
posted by bibikwannabe at 11:57 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home