As Hawai'i's Filipino community gets ready — and gets dressed — for all the celebrations surrounding its centennial, there will be a whole lot of barongs about.

The barong (short for barong Tagalog, the national dress for men in the Philippines) is becoming increasingly popular among men of all nationalities in the Islands. Retailers and seamstresses are busily ordering and making the popular shirts.

It's not surprising. The lightweight barong Tagalog is tailor-made for our tropical environment. Usually made of fabrics that breathe, such as pina (pineapple fiber), it's a relaxed way to dress up.

At formal and semi-formal occasions, it can gracefully substitute for a suit, which is often too hot and stuffy for Island indoor-outdoor events. It is also worn untucked, a comfortable custom for men who are used to aloha shirts worn this way. David Sayre, husband of Filipina entertainer Loretta Ables Sayre — and Caucasian — owns one.

"Haoles who are tired of wearing ties" have discovered barong Tagalog, said Cita Labayog, a sales associate at Nancy's Fashions in Kalihi. According to Labayog, men often want one of the shirts for family photos and weddings as well.

The traditional barong Tagalog is beige or ecru because it is made of natural pina cloth or jusi — natural, undyed banana fiber. Modern barong Tagalog are often made of silks, cottons and synthetics, since the traditional fibers are not readily available and are extremely difficult to weave. This can lower the cost considerably, from upwards of $500 to around $50.

While the shirts (often simply called "barong," although that's technically incorrect because "barong" alone means "dress of") usually have traditional men's pointed collars, some designers opt for mandarin or Nehru collars, even Chinese frogs or knot buttons. Since a barong is quite see-through, men wear a white undershirt with it.

Traditionally, the shirts are embroidered. In the past, the elaborate embroidery was done by hand, as the pina and jusi are so fragile. Modern embroidery machines, however, are able to produce delicate designs on the silks and cottons, often closely mimicking the appearance of the traditional fiber garments.

Leo Gozar of Kalihi, owner of the Larawan Center and an event producer, choreographer and dancer, suggests wearing the short-sleeved polo barong "for practical purposes, like humid or hot weather or for semi-formal occasions."

WHO WEARS BARONG?

Gozar said the opening of the state Legislature is a great barong-spotting place. "All the Filipino legislators wear them, and so do their supporters from other nationalities," he said. "You even see women — Filipinas — wearing them there."

Otherwise, in the Islands barong Tagalog are usually reserved for weddings, balls and other formal occasions.

Dr. Jorge Camara, an ophthalmologist at St. Francis Medical Center, said his pina barong Tagalog is "always at the ready."

"I am proud of my Filipino heritage, and I really enjoy wearing it," Camara said. "I wear it to a lot of formal events. In fact, I would wear it to any special event, except, perhaps, the Heart Ball, where a tuxedo is more appropriate."

He had his barong Tagalog made by Rosa Loo Cabiz, a Chinatown tailor.

Pina is also the preferred fabric for Charles Degala of Nu'uanu, who is a mortgage broker, actor and entertainer. Degala wears his barong Tagalog for formal events and when he is emceeing at parties.

In a nontraditional take on the garment, Degala said, his sisters recently wore barong Tagalog for their parents' 50th wedding anniversary party. The comfort and understated elegance of the shirts worn over pants were the perfect mix of tradition and fashion, he said.

BREAKING WITH TRADITION

It's interesting to note that the three versions of traditional Filipina women's attire, called the Maria Clara, terno and kimona, have roots similar to that of the mu'u mu'u. They originated with the long dresses worn by Westerners who settled in Hawai'i and the Philippines in the 18th or 19th centuries. The formal, fitted gowns were adapted for the warmer climates by making them looser and of natural fibers.

Island women are not wearing traditional Filipina gowns with the frequency or enthusiasm of the men in barongs. While they are still worn for Filipina beauty pageants and annual cultural dances such as the Terno Ball, women often opt for western dress when going out with men in their barongs.

Camara's wife, Binky, who is Filipina, owns a Maria Clara but doesn't wear it as often as Camara wears his barong Tagalog, he said.

Former first lady Vicky Cayetano said she doesn't wear her terno gown as often as she would like. "I have two of them, and I love them because they are feminine and they look formal but are still comfortable," she said. "Also, they look fragile, but they have held up really well."

A trend in wedding attire has recently arisen in the Hawai'i Filipino community, said Gladys Agsalud, owner of Casablanca Formals, a Mapunapuna bridal salon: When a groom is wearing a barong Tagalog, the bride often coordinates her look by choosing a fabric that appears as much as possible like pina or jusi. Silk shantung is among the most popular choices. She then selects a Western style, such as a spaghetti-strap or strapless gown, and has a seamstress add detachable butterfly sleeves to give the look of a terno or Maria Clara.

About eight years ago, traditional Filipina gowns were popular for weddings, Agsalud said, but now there has been a break with tradition.

"They would rather modify dresses," Agsalud said. "I think it's because they find the Filipina dresses so big and overpowering. They want to show more skin. Also, to wear the terno, you have to have an absolutely perfect figure or every pooch will be accentuated."

Amelia Casamina Cabatu, of Salt Lake, asked her sister, Elsie Casamina Fernandez, a bridal designer who teaches a bridal course in Honolulu Community College's fashion technology program, to make gowns for her wedding party. "Although it was a very traditional Filipino wedding, I wanted to combine the simple elegance of modern design with our traditions and culture," Cabatu explained.

Fernandez delighted her sister and her bridesmaids with gowns made of jusi in a soft shade of gold combined with French lace in a classic Western style. The Maria Clara, she said, was just "too confining."

The barong Tagalog, however, when it fits properly, can hide a multitude of sins. Undoubtedly a contributing factor to the popularity of this traditional men's wear, while traditional Filipino ladies' wear such as the Maria Clara and terno go the way of balls and beauty pageants.

Reach Paula Rath at prath@honoluluadvertiser.com.