Have You Seen This Girl Somewhere??

She looks like our President!!! It is our President - in the paper!!!

Trends: Sari allure, kebaya chic

By : R. ZEENEESHRI

KIMMY Foo Kit Leng opens her wardrobe and reaches for her favourite blue baju kebaya.It is presentation day in her English Proficiency class at University of Malaya (UM) and she needs to look her best.“The kebaya is the most comfortable yet feminine outfit I have,” says the 23-year-old undergraduate.“It accentuates curves but is not revealing at all. You can also accessorise it to suit any occasion.”

Foo, unlike other Chinese girls her age, opts for the Malay traditional outfit for formal functions at her university.“I have four kebaya — two in blue, one in orange and another in green. “My friends usually scowl at me (for dressing in a kebaya) but I enjoy wearing it anyway.

It’s simple to put on and easy to match with jewellery.“Also, it is very light on a hot day, unlike other traditional costumes that are usually heavily brocaded or embroidered,” she adds.“I wear (Chinese traditional costumes) only during Chinese New Year. Even then it is usually a mandarin-collared top with pants, instead of a cheongsam.”

Foo, the president of UM’s Toastmasters Club, finds the kebaya a suitable outift for making formal speeches.“When I have to speak at functions, my attire reflects the speech content, the audience and amount of movement required. More often than not, I end up wearing a baju kurung or kebaya as it looks professional and allows me to move freely.

“My lecturer once told me that if you look good and feel food in what you wear, you will instantly feel confident.“She used to criticise my dressing, telling me to stop wearing sneakers and jeans because of my height. And like she said, when I put on a kebaya, my confidence level rose as I felt really pretty and comfortable in it.”

(taken from The New Straits Times, 2 May 2009, You Section)

UM TMC.