Philippines is known to be rich in culture and heritage. The colonization of Western countries have greatly affected and contributed to the unique culture of the Philippines. Its culture is syncretic in a way that it embraces influences from other countries and reforms them to make it appropriate for the preferences of Filipinos. The same also goes for Philippine fashion. Though Filipinos are very fond of modern international fashion that most people imitate, their preferences for clothing are still molded by their own culture and affected by the values they embody.
There are a lot of things that contribute to make Philippine fashion known to other countries. Indigenous fabrics are appreciated for their utter exquisiteness and uniqueness and are therefore recognized around the world. Abaca, piña cloth and Philippine silk are just some of the examples which prove that indigenous fabrics can also be recognized both locally and internationally. Abaca is an essential fiber that is obtained from the outer layer of the overlapping sheaths of leaf that form the stalks of the abaca plant. This fiber is known for its strength and durability which makes it superior over other types of fabrics. It is then woven into sinamay fabric which is used to make garments. Piña is a fiber made out by pulling the fabric from the leaves of pineapple plant. Each fabric is carefully hand scraped and is tied to one another to form continuous filament. It is then hand woven to create piña cloth which is widely used in the Philippines. The fabric is mostly used to create Barong Tagalog or other formal wear. Silk originally came from the Chinese but it is also produced in the Philippines for the past two millennia. The fabric is usually obtained from the cocoons of larvae of the silkworm Bombyx mori. Silk is one of the strongest natural fibers and has a smooth and soft texture. Its absorbency makes it comfortable to wear in warm weather which is very suitable to the Filipinos.
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