Around 1500-1600, on the island of Java, kebaya was clothing worn only by the Javanese royal family. Kebaya is also a clothing worn by the family of the Cirebon Sultanate, the Mataram Sultanate and its successor the Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Sultanate. During the period of Dutch control on the island, European women began wearing kebaya as formal attire. During this time, the kebaya was changed from only using Mori woven items using silk with colorful embroidery. Clothes similar to the one called "nyonya kebaya" were first created by Peranakan people from Melaka. They wear it with beautiful beaded sarongs and shoes called "Manek sandals". Now, Mrs Kebaya is undergoing renewal, and is also famous among non-Asian women. Other variations of kebaya are also used by Indonesian Chinese descendants in Cirebon, Pekalongan, Semarang, Lasem, Tuban and Surabaya.
here are some portraits of kebaya fashion that are on display, hopefully adding your insight into dress mode.
