Copy this look : Kadazan traditional costume

My traditional outfit was called sinombiaka, it was usually worn during harvest festivals or wedding. The style varies according to ethnicity. They had adapted the outfit, modernised it in the past years. Then lately, the interest has changed and focused more on making the outfit looking traditional; it have simpler design and less decorative.

Looking back at the pictures that I found, my family have been wearing this style of outfits for generations. The only difference was that the costume was made of cotton back then.

My dress was inspired by the dress worn by my mom.

Initially, I planned to use velvet fabric for the dress, but it was too hot to wear it here. I decided to use satin fabric instead, it have that glossy effect, plus it’s a breathable fabric and perfect for the warm weather.

I added the gold trims, similar to the dress that my mom wore, but I made the skirt much simpler to makes me look taller.

I have been planning to make this outfit for years. I went to the store, looking closely at the decorative trims, looking through pictures online, searching for ideas and inspirations.

At the end of day, I'm glad I made a lot of effort into it, all the tiny details - the style of the trims, the skirt, the fitting, the type of fabric, etc. It really made a big difference to the outfit.