I'd like to talk about the barong Tagalog, which is the traditional formal shirt for men in the Philippines. I'm a twenty-six-year-old civil engineer from Cebu, and I own two of them, which is fairly typical.
People wear it mostly for important occasions. Grooms wear it at weddings, and male guests often do too. Politicians wear it at official ceremonies, and some offices encourage staff to wear it on Mondays or national holidays. I usually wear mine to weddings, graduations and funerals.
It's quite different from a Western shirt. It's long, worn over the trousers rather than tucked in, and it's made from a very light, almost see-through fabric. The best ones are made from pineapple fibre, which sounds strange, but it's incredibly fine and delicate, with a slight shine. There's detailed embroidery on the front, usually in white or cream, with patterns of flowers or leaves. Because it's transparent, you wear a plain white T-shirt underneath. It's ideal for our hot, humid climate, much cooler than a suit and tie.
When I wear it, I honestly feel proud and quite grown up. My father gave me my first proper one for my university graduation, and when I put it on, I remember feeling that I'd become an adult in my family's eyes. I also love that it's connected to our history. The embroidery is done by hand by skilled craftspeople, often women in small towns, and each one takes weeks. When I see my younger cousins choosing it for their weddings instead of a Western suit, it makes me happy, because it means the tradition is still alive.