Barong Tagalog and Baro't Saya
The clothing style and fashion sense of the Filipinos in the modern-day era have been influenced by their native ancestors: their Spanish colonizers (the Philippines was a colony of the Spanish Empire for around 333 years), the Americans (the Philippines was a territory of the United States for about 46 years), and even the Japanese (Japanese soldiers occupied the Philippines during World War II for 4 years), as evidenced by the chronology of events that occurred in Philippine history.[1] At present, Filipinos conform their way of dressing, in addition to the above factors, as a result of the influence of what is shown by the media on televis fashion shows, among others.
Apart from "colonial influences" and "media influence", the Filipino style of clothing had been dictated by the climate in the Philippines. With a tropical climate (dry and rainy seasons), early Filipinos – as well as the still extant tribal groups in the Philippines – wore colorful woven clothes, often with "intricate beadwork" and other ornaments. Other items of native clothing during pre-Spanish Philippines were the canga and the bahag. The canga is a type of a collarless shirt – which later became adorned with laces, trimmings, buttons, and a collar – was where from the Barong Tagalog evolved.
Men's clothing
Barong Tagalog is a clothing worn by men. Originated in Luzon, this clothing is made of pineapple fiber and is actually transparent, where an undershirt has to be worn together with black pants. The "coat" or "suit", locally known as the "Amerikana" or Americana (literally "American") was another type of clothing introduced to the Philippines by the Americans. Worn with a tie, it is used for formal occasions.
Women's clothing Baro't Saya (literally "Shirt and Skirt") is the Filipino style of women's clothing. Traditionally, it is composed of a blouse and a long skirt with a "panuelo". The upper class women wore more elaborate baro't saya sewn with beads and has colorful designs. The skirt is also wider than what lower classes wore.
These types of clothing that are "simple yet functional" that have both indigenous Filipino qualities and Spanish influence started to become prominent during the 16th-century in the Philippines.
Such clothing, through the innovation of modern-day Filipino fashion designers, can be worn in the Philippines for formal occasions and office uniforms. These "national clothes" can be made from materials such as piña, jusi, abaca, and Mindanao silk.