From Malong to Nursing Scrubs

Mention the word "batik" and immediately, I think of gaggle of girls doing their laundry at the river wearing nothing but tapis. The said tapis or sarong, or malong, inevitably designed with "batik" prints. Batik is in fact the term used to describe the malong or tube skirts made in Indonesia that are almost exclusively imported by the vendors in Southern Philippines. The malong or tube skirt, on the other hand, is a traditional piece of garment used by various tribes in the said part of the Philippines. Each tribe has its own unique way of weaving, decorating, and using the malong. Beyond its common use as a piece of clothing, malong is also used as blanket, baby crib, wardrobe, decoration, poncho, scarf, and head gear among others.

We have been carrying different styles of malongs at the store. To get the most authentic tribal kinds, we have travelled as far as Davao and Zamboanga. At one time or another, our store carried the traditional black and white T-boli Malong and the more colorful Maguindanao ones. But our most common Malongs are the mass-produced ones made of Batik fabric from Indonesia. These are the malongs usually worn by denizens of the Southern Philippines and elsewhere - whether for lounging, certain ceremonies, and dance.

Testing the batik's versality futher, we thought of having them made into nursing scrubs. The fabric is lightweight, cool, and colorful. What a way to wear your "colors", we thought. So there you have it, batik nursing scrub! The scrubs look every inch the traditional scrubs with V-necks, front pockets and side-slits. They are unisex and they come in all 3 sizes: small, medium and large. They come slightly large - perfect for everyone!