THE NEW DESIGN FOR TRADITIONAL MALAY MALE ATTIRE FORM TRADITIONAL TO CASUAL WEAR Muhammad Khalik Mustafa* Lecturer, Department of Fashion Design, Faculty of Art & Design, Universiti Teknologi Mara Perak, Malaysia, Tel: + 60172449960 Email: khalikmustafa86@yahoo.com DR. Baharudin Ujang Senior lecturer, Department of Industrial Design, Faculty of Art & Design, Universiti Teknologi Mara Shah Alam, Selangor. Tel: + 60192817761 Email: bahar1@salam.uitm.edu.my Zainudin Md Nor Senior lecturer, Department of Fashion Design, Faculty of Art & Design, Universiti Teknologi Mara Perak, Malaysia, Tel:+601135434963 Email: zainudinuitm@yahoo.com Sahak Ramli Lecturer, Department of Fashion Design, Faculty of Art & Design, Universiti Teknologi Mara Perak, Malaysia, Tel: +60132825913 Email: shakr@salam.uitm.edu.my ABSTRACT This study is conducted to determine feedbacks upon the upgrading on the traditional Malay male attire’s design, which has been contemporaries, based on the character and the philosophy of the traditional Malay male attire. The wearing of traditional Malay male attire can be seen nowadays only in certain events and occasions. Among the attire studied here are baju kurung teluk belanga and baju kurung cekak musang. These original designs are given a new twist or in other word, transformation to adapt with the new fashion trends. Study conducted by having three methods; observation, evolution and questionnaire. The process making through idea sketches and prototype- making and actual product making are done based on results of these study. It can be concluded that modernization done on these traditional attire to be more contemporary as casual wear for Malaysian men are acceptable through solving-methods done based on the study. It is important to keep this study going in future as the traditional attire has its potential prior to its modern counterpart, as men used to make the traditional attire as their daily attire during the early days of Tanah Melayu. Keywords – Traditional Malay male attire, contemporaries and casual wear INTRODUCTION Writting about the traditional Malay dress has not been fully developed. But there are some efforts to extend the knowledge in the collection of cultural performances or things like that done by the museum of a culture and arts.The main aim of this study is to explore, examine and analyze the nature of Malay clothes. This study also describe the existence of type of dresses, the way they are used and the sensitivity to clothes received as a heritage of Malay culture. As stated by Siti Zainon Ismail (2004) since the 15th century AD, there is the concept of clothing, "wearing the Malay way" recorded in old Malay literary texts in “Hikayat Hang Tuah” . The writing is viewed as a cultural record of clothing, how it is used and elements of traditional values and norms in the Malay culture.Reflecting on the traditional Malay dress without off setting to the value and meaning of the symbolic and aesthetic justification is important. However, there is no specific guidance about the rules or discipline that explains the meaning or concept.