‘Urban, modern and Islamic’: The politics of muslim Men's fashion in Malaysia

Abstract

This article focuses on the cultural politics of contemporary urban Muslim men's fashion in Malaysia. By looking at the debates surrounding these Muslim men's fashion trends and based on my observation in Muslim men's fashion boutiques and other urban spaces, this article explores how masculinity, ethnicity and Islam implicate each other. Most Malay Muslim men wear baju Melayu (traditional Malay clothing) during the festive seasons. However, there have been evolving trends in Malay men's fashion. The jubah (a long Arabic robe) and kurta (a long upper garment which many South Asians wear) have become popular, especially among segments of young Muslim men in urban Malaysia. The popularity of jubah a decade ago prompted some observers to worry about an ‘Arabisation’ or the perceived growth of Islamic conservatism. However, as I observe, the jubah in Malaysian fashion industries has been adapted to the local taste and fashion trends; hence, it is a modern and creative adaptation of ‘Arabness’ instead of a form of sweeping ‘Arabisation’. Since 2018, there has been a trend of wearing tanjak (traditional Malay headgear) to assert Malay political power and cultural identity. From modern appropriation of ‘Arabness’ to the contemporary reinvention of traditional Malay costume, urban Malay Muslim men's aesthetic expressions reveal the mediation of religious and ethnic identities amidst rapid urbanisation and socio-political change in contemporary Malaysia. How should an ideal Malay Muslim man dress? This debate reveals the politics of different versions of Islamic piety and Malay identity in Malaysia today.