\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were clothes that felt more like a costume in the performative sense \u2013 I didn\u2019t want that,\u201d he said. \u201cI wanted to wear clothes that really felt like me, felt like the traditional version of my everyday wear, so I can feel like myself, but elevated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naturally, people who noticed him dressing this way responded in different ways, ranging from genuine awe to bafflement.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the most common questions I\u2019d get is, \u2018Not hot ah?\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cThe thing is, because I chose the right materials for Singapore\u2019s weather, I know that what I wear isn\u2019t going to be that hot \u2013 at least not as hot as most of the stuff made of polyester I used to wear, no matter the design.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some moments have stayed with him. Once, while walking around central Singapore, he noticed a group of men who kept staring.<\/p>\n
A few times, strangers would stop him mid-step to wish him \u201cSelamat Hari Raya!\u201d or “Selamat pengantin baru!” (Malay for Congratulations to the newlywed), or ask if he was heading to a performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes I ignore them, sometimes I’ll tell them this is just what I wear, and they’d be quite surprised,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m aware some people are just teasing me, but I\u2019m alright with it \u2013 most of the time, my clothes open up a conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople stop me to ask where I got my batik or my sarong, or why I dress this way when there\u2019s no so-called \u2018special occasion\u2019, and I\u2019m more than happy to share.\u201d<\/p>\n
He is also clear-eyed about value. Traditional pieces are not, in his view, expensive simply because they are branded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of us are happy to part with our money for all kinds of luxuries, why shouldn\u2019t our traditional clothes be part of that? We are, after all, paying for an artwork,\u201d he said. \u201cWe do not have a brand, but it\u2019s really a lot of hard work and labour to create something as beautiful and intricate as traditional batik or songket.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, Hafiz has dozens of traditional outfits in his collection, ranging from tops and bottoms to accessories and layering pieces. Some were bought, while others were traded, gifted, or passed down from friends.<\/p>\n
Over time, Hafiz has come to see wearing these clothes as part of himself and his identity as a Malay man in Singapore.<\/p>\n
\u201cI often feel that people look at other forms of identity making,\u201d he said. \u201cFor me, embracing slow fashion through heritage and tradition is part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He often feels that even though those born here are native to Singapore, they still live with a kind of diaspora-like feeling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n