How should a formal Batik Shirt fit

The batik shirt is warm weather formal wear here in Malaysia as well as in Indonesia. I have mentioned this a few times here in this blog but this time let's discuss the fit as well as the overall outfit.

For a more formal occasion the long sleeved batik shirt is the one you should use. This means sit down wedding dinners, the orchestra at the Petronas Philharmonic Hall, government related events and anything you feel you need to dress up but without the need of a business suit or going black tie (if not specifically mentioned in the invite) here in the tropics. The short sleeve shirt is less formal. It could be used to weddings but it is a more casual variety (although some Indonesian short sleeve shirts have paddings and lining too, making it somewhat of a mix). 

The style of the shirt

Either the Indonesian type pattern above or the hand drawn/painted Malaysian (at the start) variety are the types discussed. The printed batik are usually less in-your-face than hand drawn batik. It depends on my mood as to whether I want that Go-to-Hell type of look or something subdued and subtle. 

The collar should be a traditional point or spread collar as these are the most formal of shirt collars. It does not have to be a stiffly fused or lined collar as it is still a summer shirt. The choice is there as the stiffer the collar the better it can stay upright (and more formal looking). Of course, if the shirt is properly made, even a soft collar can be proper.

The sleeves are the usual buttoned sleeves. Barrel cuffs would do just fine and is the norm.  Although I do have one in French or cocktail cuffs like in the photograph below. Since its a shirt acting as outerwear double cuffs would be too heavy handed a look. Never seen a RTW batik shirt with double cuffs though. And it is warm weather wear. Less is more.

The correct length should be like a suit jacket (i.e it should cover your behind). If it is too long the person wearing it may look out of proportion - short legs, long body. Too short and then it would be the modern take on things, like the current short jacket trend. But since the batik shirt is for formal occasions, it should be a little more conservative. As if the colour on them isn't striking enough sometimes.

It has a ventless back (as it is still a shirt), with or without side slits. 

It should be worn untucked. Hence the shirt hem is straight.

Make sure the sleeves are of the correct length. Too long and it will look all bunched up.

Pockets - One welt pocket on the left chest like a jacket although some may have a patch pocket (which matches the pattern of the batik print - seldom matches if it were a hand drawn batik shirt)

Buttons & shirt placket - You may need to change the buttons as most RTW (ready to wear) shirts come with terrible plastic buttons. I have changed many buttons on batik shirts. Luckily, most of the batik shirts come with a hidden button placket.

The Trousers
Black would be the most formal.  Usually I prefer lighter colours during the day with black reserved for night. Preferbly stick to dress trousers and not khakis or chinos. 

Common Materials used for Ready to Wear batik shirts

Ignore everything polyester. There are polyester batik shirts out there and avoid them as they wear warm. 

A lot of Malaysian made Batik shirts are made out of Satin Silk. This is a horrible material for men. It is too soft and actually hugs the body too well. If you have man breasts or a large enough tummy, it will drape on them and show off your outline. Not very manly. Some try to overcome this by using lining on the front of the shirt. But it would be a little less breathable than before. And silk is not very breathable to begin with.

The next cloth usually used is crepe silk. This is silk which is a little less fine in terms of texture. It is still soft and flowy but it isn't as bad as satin silk. Some would use lining here too but at least the cloth does not show off every single line of your body.

Cotton

Breathable and easy to work with. The choice material as it is like any dress shirt you might buy. The only thing is that cotton will wear out in terms of colour fade after lots of washing. But if you have many batik shirts, this would actually take a long time as you do not wear the shirts everyday. Affordable usually unless the cloth is specially commissioned. The shirts are usually unlined but I have one from Indonesia that has a thin layer of fusing in the front of the shirt so that the front is a little more controlled. Funny thing is that the one I have is a short sleeved shirt.

Linen

Very breathable and like cotton, suitable for batik. Some may not like the rumpled look but this is summer wear. It is acceptable. Not as common as satin silk or cotton. Costlier but not by much unless special order.

Raw silk

The Indonesians have gone a step further than Malaysian batik. They use raw silk with rayon lining in the front. Like linen but less crumpling and more texture. Slubby yet with a hint of sheen to it. However the material is fragile and will deteriorate and tear after a while. Expensive but looks it.

One can find loose pieces of batik cloth to make shirts from all of the fabrics mentioned above. Buy then and get the shirts made at a tailor and the fit will be proper. 

This cotton print batik shirt is by Batik Keris of Indonesia. Ready to wear and almost perfect in terms of the overall fit, shoulder width, sleeve length and shirt length. It has very soft thinly fused collar/ barrel cuffs and four inch side slits. Single welt pocket on chest. I have paired it with bespoke high waisted trousers so that I can wear it with the bottom button undone so that it looks more like a jacket than just a shirt. The batik is a traditional Indonesian printed batik with the Garuda bird motif. Very intricate pattern for something printed. I have two from Batik Keris. 

This is a Malaysian made RTW by YNR Batik, who are based in Kuala Lumpur. This is one of the better batik producers in Malaysia in terms of hand drawn batik as well as the tailoring of the shirt. Most would give you cheap plastic buttons and sub-standard stitching/sewing. This one has mother of pearl buttons. The English spread collar has stiff fusing and there are cocktail cuffs. The shirt has no vents or side slits whatsoever. This is a lot more formal in terms of shirt style compared to the one above. This shirt may be cotton but they use quality 2 ply cotton with pinstripes. It is quite a thick fabric and holds dye well. It is pair ed with tailored high waisted linen trousers here with the lowest button left undone also.

Taken about five years ago. Indonesian raw silk RTW batik shirt from Alleira Batik. Rayon lining in front. Side slits. Soft collar and barrel button cuffs. This shirt has now suffered a rip in the left shoulder. Very nice texture and very well made with coconut shell buttons (ala Aloha shirt) and fabulous batik motif print.  Expensive if not for a discount. Dress trousers are Marks and Spencers wool blended trousers with self sewn 2inch cuffs. 

At the moment I think that Malaysian hand drawn batik in RTW shirts aren't as nice as the RTW ones from Indonesia. This is because of sub-standard tailoring (except from YNR batik) from Malaysian RTW. I prefer to buy my own cloth from Malaysian batik traders or manufacturers rather than buy RTW. Of course, this also allows me to get my tailor to make my own shirts. Which is better of course.

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