Atjeh Dress (Dutch: Atjehsche kleederdracht) is the traditional clothing of the Atjehers, distinguished by the wide trousers (wijde broek) worn by both men and women.
Account from Nederlandsch Indië Platen Atlas (1926) — Atjeh Dress
The atlas provides a precise description of the Atjeh dress in its chapter on the peoples of the Archipelago: “De Atjeh-sche kleederdracht onderscheidt zich door de wijde broek, zoowel door mannen als door vrouwen gedragen. Het bovenlijf is bedekt met een baadje, terwijl de vrouwen nog een kleed om de schouders slaan.” (The Atjeh-style dress is distinguished by the wide trousers, worn by both men and women. The upper body is covered with a jacket, while the women additionally drape a cloth over their shoulders.)
Comparison with Neighbouring Peoples
The atlas’s presentation of the Atjeh dress alongside those of the Minangkabau, Batak, and Lampung peoples allows for comparison. The Minangkabau women are depicted in festive dress consisting of a jacket (baadje), a kain (wrapped cloth) as lower garment, a slendang (shoulder cloth), and a headcloth — with the kain and slendang richly woven with gold thread. The Batak women are noted for their heavy silver jewellery. The Atjeh dress, with its distinctive wide trousers for both sexes, thus stands apart from the wrapped-cloth tradition more common elsewhere in Sumatra, possibly reflecting foreign cultural influences — particularly from the Islamic world — consistent with the mixed origins of the North Sumatran population.
See Also
Sources
Nederlandsch Indië Platen Atlas met korte beschrijvingen, uitgegeven door Volkslectuur, Weltevreden, Java. Weltevreden: G. Kolff & Co., January 1926. Chapter II (Land en Volk), p. 30.