It’s no secret that the barong Tagalog is an exceptional piece of Filipino traditional clothing. It can be worn on formal occasions, such as weddings, baptism and special events. Whether you’re looking to stand out amidst the crowd or just want to look polished with your attire, we all know that a good barong Tagalog will surely make a mark.
But what happens if you don’t wear the barong Tagalog properly? What if you didn’t pair it with the right trousers… or unfortunately sent it to the dry cleaning? Well, in order to prevent any unwanted circumstances in the future, we will share with you the top common mistakes to avoid when wearing a barong Tagalog. Take out your pen and paper and start writing down some notes, gentlemen!
MISTAKE #1: NOT OPTING FOR CUSTOM-FIT
The most common mistake when wearing a barong Tagalog is not having your clothes tailor-made or customised to your body shape. This mistake is really common among men who don’t know how to fit a barong Tagalog properly. Sometimes, custom tailor-made barong Tagalog are not available so we end up purchasing the ones at department stores or other retail outlets that are readily accessible and available. In this case, it’s important that you first know if what you bought has a good fit and style. If the sleeves are too long or short, it won’t look nice on you. Also, if the waistline is too low or high it will also look funny on you. Be sure to have your barongs custom-fitted to your size so that at the end of the day, you’ll be able to enjoy the event you attended.
Photography by Forest Picture Company
MISTAKE #2: NOT BUYING THE REAL DEAL
The barong Tagalog is a “must-have” for Filipino men due to its versatility when worn to events. However, if you want to wear it on many formal and informal occasions, you must learn to buy the real deal. The most common mistake that most men do is not getting a real barong Tagalog due to a tight budget or just lack of knowledge in getting the real one. What you have can be a fake one with cheap materials (like rayon), and it won’t be good for long-term use. Here at BarongsRUs, you can make sure that what we sell online are made of premium and high-quality materials that are definitely worth keeping in your closet for years to come. Save it for your #wedding day!
MISTAKE #3: WRONG UNDERSHIRT & SHOES
Aside from the common mistakes we discussed above, there are other things to consider when wearing a barong Tagalog. For one, not having the proper fit is a surefire way to ruin your garments. You should also be aware that guys need to wear matching socks that go with their dress pants. To keep things safe, we highly suggest wearing black pants, black socks and black shoes. Also, whether or not you should wear an undershirt underneath your barong Tagalog again comes down to personal preference. Be sure to wear a comfortable shirt underneath the barong Tagalog so that you don’t get burned from the sun while you’re out and about in events. Also choose your shirt with care, as it should be made of lightweight cotton and should not have a collar or cuff.
HOW TO AVOID THESE MISTAKES
While we’ve already discussed this in another blog post, it’s good to rehash some information that might help you to avoid these common barong Tagalog mistakes.
Photography by Forest Picture Company
- Select the perfect fit for you. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: the proper fit is everything. You can’t just wear whatever barong is at your disposal as long as you can fit in it. Otherwise, you won’t be able to move much, or the excess fabric will keep getting in the way.
- Choose an undershirt that matches your barong. Nothing fashion faux pas than by wearing a red shirt underneath a white translucent barong. Barongs are made with breathable and translucent fabrics such as abaca, cocoon, jusi, and piña which means that what you wear under your barong is visible, and that’s why it should be put into consideration when you’re dressing up.
- Feel comfortable with your barong. We all know that a barong is just a piece of clothing you wear to an event, but if you’re not comfortable with it, the whole event goes down with you. So you have to keep in mind that you need to be able to breathe, relax, enjoy and have fun in your barong Tagalog.
There are many factors to consider when wearing a barong Tagalog… but at the end of the day, you just have to feel comfortable and enjoy the moment while you’re wearing it. If you’re looking to custom-fit your barong Tagalog, BarongsRUs is here to help!
