Betting on batik

NOT ALL CLOTHS ARE CREATED EQUAL. Prolific in Asia but underrated in the West, the batik style of clothing saw its heyday in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s. An Indonesian-Malay word, batik has come to be understood as a term for dyeing clothes using a "resist" technique. By covering certain sections of the cloth in a dye-resistant liquid, artisans create different patterns and textures. The process is effective on many materials, including cotton and silk.

Its exact origin is unknown, but people believe it goes all the way back to 4th century Egypt, and reached its peak popularity in recent times in Indonesia. It then came to Singapore in the 1900s, the most iconic version of it seen in the Singapore Girl kebaya, as introduced by Singapore Airlines.

Batik in Singapore has generally been decorated with the "bouquet" motif, as popularised by Dutch enterprises in Java, and remains the most popular design even in modern batik prints. Though not unique to Singapore, batik has had a significant effect on our fashion culture, and continues to be used for casual clothing today. The photos above show various models and socialites showing off the batik trend in Singapore in the late 1950s.