baro't saya Archives

Patis Tesoro, the woman who made high-fashion Filipiniana pieces versatile and wearable

At 74, Maria Beatriz "Patis" Pamintuan Tesoro is still full of life and shows no signs of slowing down. In the 408-page tome Filipiniana is Forever, written by her daughter Nina Tesoro Poblador and various contributors, see the colorful tapestries that form the storied career of the grand dame of…

The terno: Wearing your national pride on your sleeves

What makes this national dress special and a reflection of its wearer’s pride in being Filipino? Despite the impression that it’s difficult to wear, what does it imbue its wearer that a contemporary or Western dress doesn’t? This Independence Day, a number of the country’s leading designers share their insights…

Finding space for the baro’t saya in the modern Filipino woman’s wardrobe

By Alex Y. Vergara We know it today as the Maria Clara, the three-piece Filipino attire for women consisting of a loose skirt and diaphanous top usually made of cotton or piña with matching embroidered accessory known as the panuelo, but it was simply called baro’t saya by our ancestors…