What It's Like to Wear Baju Kurung (Malaysian National Dress) in London
I wore baju kurung from the moment I landed in London. Straight out of Heathrow arrivals, onto the Tube with my dusty sneakers and a backpack that had seen better days, all the way to the Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and my first plate of proper British fish and chips.
Why?
My trip happened to coincide with Eid al-Adha, and although I don’t really celebrate the festival, I thought it’d be nice to send my mom a photo of me in London, wearing the baju kurung she had sewn for me herself.
It was also my first time in London — a pretty big deal in its own right. I wanted to make the day feel a little more ceremonious, even if the ceremony was just me wrestling with my sarong as I climbed up and down the steps to the Underground.
It would double as a social experiment of sorts, to see how Londoners would react to a culture they weren’t familiar with.
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So what exactly is baju kurung?
For anyone wondering, the baju kurung is a traditional outfit worn by Malay women in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, and some parts of Indonesia.
It’s one of the oldest Malay costumes, originating from the 15th-century Malacca sultanate.
The baju kurung comes in two pieces: a long, loose top and a matching long skirt with pleats on one side. It’s designed to be comfortable, practical, and modest without feeling restrictive.
Although labelled “traditional”, it’s actually very normal in daily life back home. People wear it to work, to school, to family events, to the mosque, and sometimes just because it’s hot and you want something airy.
There are different styles too, some more relaxed, some more structured, some clearly meant for weddings.
Fabric-wise, it depends. Everyday ones can be cotton, while fancier versions can be silk blends or songket.
What it's like to wear baju kurung in London
Practicality
Turns out, baju kurung works surprisingly well in London. I’d deliberately picked a slightly thicker one for the autumn chill, and I had a jacket on hand in case I needed to layer up.
While baju kurung is usually styled with feminine footwear, such as high heels, stylish pumps, or strappy sandals, I had zero interest in hauling an extra pair of shoes around in my backpack, so I went with my regular sneakers and had absolutely no regrets.
When I was in school and college, I wore baju kurung almost every day and got very used to it. The loose fit and the long skirt never felt inconvenient.
But somewhere along the way, I started wearing it less and less. By adulthood, it had been downgraded to an occasional appearance: Eid, weddings, and that was about it.
So when I first set foot in London and had to take escalators, climb stairs, and squeeze onto double-decker buses dressed like this, it felt mildly annoying at first, especially when I had to lug around a backpack, jacket, and tote bag.
Still, it didn’t take long before I found my rhythm and stopped thinking about it altogether. I managed to explore London, got lost, un-lost, and lost again without any wardrobe malfunction.
The public reaction (or lack thereof)
I have a lot of respect for people who travel overseas and unapologetically wear their traditional or religious clothes without fear or being judged or treated differently. That takes a level of confidence I don’t fully have.
When I travel, I usually dress in a way that helps me blend in. In Indonesia, that might mean Javanese batik. In the Middle East, I’m perfectly happy in a scarf and an abaya. Blending in feels safer than advertising myself as a foreigner or tourist.
This was the first time I decided to do the opposite.
It was my way of stepping out of my comfort zone, and a small nod to my own traditions and culture. Also, if I’m honest, there was a tiny rebellious gremlin in me enjoying the idea of wearing my traditional attire in a land that used to colonize mine for over a century.
I’m not going to lie — at the beginning, I was a little apprehensive. Would I get singled out at the airport for a “random” check? Would people look at me the way people look at someone who wears a white dress to someone else’s wedding?
The truth is, the only reference point I had for how people in the UK felt about migrants or visitors came from mass media, and let’s just say it didn’t exactly paint the warmest picture.
Well, here’s the plot twist: absolutely nothing happened. No drama, and yet no compliments either. A few passing looks maybe, and the busy Londoners got back to minding their own business. Even the pigeons couldn’t have cared less.
Tips for wearing baju kurung in London
If you’re Malaysian and suddenly feel like wearing baju kurung in London — or if you’re not, but are simply curious to try it — here are a few tips.
- Fabric matters — In the colder months, pick something with a bit of thickness.
- Layer like an onion — A thermal layer underneath and a jacket over it work perfectly. It’s also totally fine to accessorize with scarves or shawls.
- Shoes: comfort first, fashion later — I wore sneakers and had zero regrets. Cobblestones and stairs do not care about your aesthetic.
- If you’re feeling a little insecure like I was, act normal and it becomes normal. Confidence does 90% of the job. The other 10% is not tripping on escalators.
And if you want to find a baju kurung in the UK, try:
- Malaysian shops around Bayswater/Queensway
- Online Malaysian boutiques that ship internationally
- UK Malaysian Facebook groups
Final thoughts
So that was my grand cultural experiment: one Malaysian woman, one baju kurung, one very average day in London.
The fact that my non-conforming outfit didn’t draw as much attention as I thought it would was a huge relief to me. I know a short visit doesn’t tell the whole story, but for that day at least, London felt like a city that was so used to people from all kinds of backgrounds, that one more display of unfamiliar culture didn’t make a huge impact.
And I’m glad I was wearing one that was handmade by my mom, which made it more than just cultural clothing. It felt like home in a place that wasn’t.
Have you ever worn your traditional costume abroad? Or have you been discriminated because of what you wore? Share your experience in the comments below.
Umie, just wondering….u travel snap pic sengsorang guna tripod eh? hahaha sorry just curious sebab every time pun nice shot!!
Haha, thank you so much, Retnawati. Takdenya nak bawak tripod2 segala bagai. Paling canggih pun monopod je. Kalau nak ambil gambar jauh sikit, mintak tolong orang, ataupun letak kamera/phone tu atas permukaan yang agak stabil (pandai2 la guna apa2 objek supaya dia tak jatuh). Lepas tu, buat self-timer.
Ummi! Wahhhh cantik Baju Kurung warna purple tu. Usually bab pakaian ok je pakai semasa travel. Lg comfortable kan. Baju Kurung ni tak mencolok mata. Bak kata arwah yah saya, manis menutup aurat. Hehehe.
Terima kasih, kak Ruby. Menurut cerita2 yang biasa saya dengar, pakaian kadang2 menimbulkan masalah juga semasa travel. Contohnya kalau pakai hijab atau niqab di negara2 yang bukan pro-Muslim, memang akan jadi target untuk ‘random inspection’ di imigresen. Malah, kalau di negara yang mengamalkan Muslim ban, mungkin terus kena deport balik. Ada sesetengah orang kulit putih ni kadang2 tak suka dengan bangsa lain, lebih2 lagi yang dengan bangga memperagakan budaya masing2.
Begitu juga di negara majoriti Muslim. Kalau pakai pakaian yang tak sesuai pun jadi masalah juga.
Aawh that’s a lovely idea! Are you planning to wear in future travels? When we get to travel again ^^
I would love to, Tea. Maybe I’ll do that the next time I happen to be traveling during Eid or any other Malaysian festivals.
baju kurung yang ummi pakai nampak menyerlah sebab warna dan corak polka dot yang klasik. Ummi pun nampak cantik dan ayu gituu. Mungkin diorang pun dah biasa nampak student kita kat sana pakai atau sememangnya diorang dah tahu pasal baju kurung ni dari Malaysia sebab dah banyak pendedahan di media sosial, tu yang diorang kurang heran sangat
Mungkin juga la kan, Saidila. Lagipun orang2 bandar biasanya berfikiran lebih terbuka dan biasa didedahkan dengan budaya luar. Mungkin ada dalam kalangan mereka yang dah pernah sampai ke Malaysia juga. Saya rasa saya patut cuba di kawasan luar bandar pula lain kali. Apa pun, terima kasih, Saidila!
feeling travel oakai baju kurung indescribable haha. i penah pakai baju kurung masa pi perth. bangga je pakai baju tu jalan2 hehe
Haha, kan? Rasa macam wow, bangganya nak tunjuk kat semua orang kecantikan busana Melayu.
You go girl! I think I should try donning baju melayu when I travel next time right? The only time I wears baju melayu outside of Malaysia was when I attended a cultural event in Tokyo. And boy, was I bombarded with questions about my baju melayu. Hehe.
Oh wow, maybe I should try wearing baju kurung in Japan next. Anyway, thank you, Rawlins!
Sesekali bercuti di negara orang pakai baju kebangsaan kita kan.. lain dari yang lain.. mesti orang London pandang je kan hehehe..
Haha entahlah, sis. Saya tak rasa pun ada orang pandang. Tapi perasaan pakai pakaian kebangsaan di negara orang ni memang seronok dia lain macam sikit.
Wow sangat Ummi! Manis sekali, ramai dok jeling tuuu… Hehee
Kita lak rasa bangga tengok! Yes, purple tu so sweet dengan Ummi.
Terima kasih, Nina! Rasanya macam takde pun orang yang jeling2. Hahaha.
Nice nya berbaju kurung.agak nya most malaysian ramai buat macam ni jugak .. My friend pon g korea dorang buat yg sama. seronok bila kita dapat tunjukkan bj kebangsaan kita
Ya, Fafa. Memang seronok. Rasanya kalau dibandingkan dengan negara2 Asia lain, mungkin negara kita ni kurang menonjol di mata dunia. Jadi bila sesekali dapat tunjukkan pada orang luar tentang budaya kita, rasa teruja sangat.
Cantik you pakia baju kuring tu. Sesekali travel dnegan berbaju kuring not bad. Hehhe. Baju kurung baju tradisional melayu
Terima kasih, Nadia! Saya memang suka baju kurung tradisional mcm ni. Tak suka kurung moden, kebaya, jubah atau yg lain2 tu. 😁
looks cute lah pakai baju kurung and sneakers macam sharifah amani dalam movie sepet hihi
Hehe, ye ke? Tak perasan pulak dia pakai baju kurung dgn sneakers dalam movie tu. Thanks, Farhana!
Wah ummi, pakai baju kurung dekat negara orang memang pilihan yg sgt berani. Tahniah ummi tak malu pakai baju kurung dekat London. Mesti rasa seronok kan masa tu?
Eh, tak malu sikit pun. Lagi bangga ada la. Tapi takde pulak orang tegur. Kalau tak, boleh jugak introduce baju kebangsaan Malaysia ni kat diorang. Haha.
gigih yer you jalan2 pakai baju kurung kat kota london. mesti orang tengok pelik gak kan..hehe. nice outfit, nampak sopan jer
Hehe, thanks, Huda. Ya, gigih pakai baju kurung jalan2 kat London. Diorang tak tengok pelik pun.
omg! when i first the colour of your baju kurung, i was expecting many of them to come up to you for photos. quite shocked that not many are surprised by it. btw love this little experiment that you did here!
Thank you, Grace! I was hoping some of them might take notice too so I could proudly tell them where I was from. Hahaha. I might have to try it at some other place next time.
nasib baik la takde riak negetif dari orang sana kan. tapi baju kurung ni bukan waktu raya je kite pakai 🙂
Dulu masa study, saya pakai setiap hari. Sekarang pakai untuk perayaan, majlis2 atau acara formal je.
Wah bagus sis, its shows our culture and indentity. I like to wear baju kurung also coz its very comfy.
I agree, Kelly. Baju kurung is comfy because it’s loose and airy. But when traveling, I think it felt a bit troublesome with the backpack and everything. I rarely even wear skirts or dresses when I’m going to do a lot of walking. But it’s worth it to display my national pride once in a while. 🙂