Clothing the Colony: Nineteenth-Century Philippine Sartorial Cutlure, 1820-1896

by Stephanie Coo

“This book is, to date, the most comprehensive and rigorously-researched study on the forms of dress worn by almost all types and classes of inhabitants of the Philippines under Spain from 1820 to 1896. Using an interdisciplinary approach, it systematically and perspicaciously shows the inextricable links between these attires and the rapidly changing economic, political, religious, and social conditions of the nineteenth century, which, among others, witnessed the opening of the islands to international trade, the consequent rise of a mestizo elite, and the formation of groups of Filipinos who would eventually assert their identity through the ideology of reform, and later, revolution at century’s end. Written in a lucid style and appropriately documented with prints and photographs of the period, this work is an indispensable source book for all artists who design for theater, film, television, and the fashion industry, as well as historians of all persuasions and Filipinophiles of all nations.”

―NICANOR G. TIONGSON, PhD, professor emeritus
University of the Philippines-Diliman

Genres: History, Nonfiction

550 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely incredible book, one I still need to pour over in its entirety. I had my eyes on it for years but finally managed to get my hands on it last summer. Despite being entirely in English, it is incredibly difficult to access it unless you are in the Philippines or are willing to import. Its printing had been through Ateneo De Manila University's press, I think having a few runs but I may be mistaken. Their page is down as of trying to recheck. I had tried to reach out to the university press on a couple different platforms (social media and email) and was unable to get a response when I had done so. Might be able to have better luck via Facebook? Unfortunately there is no full PDF available to view or purchase, either, but if you are based in the USA, some university libraries did seem to have it on shelf although that also faces restriction.

The sheer amount of pages this book has really lives up to the word that it is the most researched text on this subject, and being able to access this information when I am not a native speaker of any Filipino languages is endlessly rewarding. It is beautifully comprehensive and thorough of the material, plus it has some gorgeous art plates that I have not seen available online. If you are an artist looking to reference historical art pieces, there are definitely some gems in here but beyond that I recommend it purely for the depth it goes on with context for the pieces and historical insights and information.

I hope it may someday be able to be more accessible for international readers since I wholeheartedly recommend it if you have the opportunity to check it out.

[Eron Bituin · Rating 5 out of 5]

[...] pinakamahalagang implikasyon ng Clothing the Colony ay ang paglalantad nito ng dinamika ng pagkakakilanlan sa kolonyal na Pilipinas. Ang mga “indio” ay may sariling istilo ng pananamit na unti-unting inimpluwensyahan ng mga Espanyol. Ngunit hindi ito simpleng pagtanggap ng kolonyal na kultura; bagkus, ipinapakita ng aklat na may aktibong pakikibaka sa pagbabagong ito. Halimbawa, ang pagtutol sa “Europeanization” ng pananamit ng mga Pilipino ay isang anyo ng tahimik ngunit matatag na resistensiya. Pinapakita rin ni Coo na sa kabila ng mga restriksyon sa pananamit na ipinatupad ng mga awtoridad—tulad ng mga ordenansa kung anong uri ng tela ang maaaring isuot ng isang “indio”—may mga pagkakataong nilalampasan o sinusuway ito ng taumbayan upang ipahayag ang kanilang sariling dangal at pagkatao. Ang kasuotan ay naging makinarya ng pananakop; at sa parehong paraan, naging daluyan din ito ng tahimik na pagsuway. Sapagkat sa mundong binabasa ka batay sa iyong bihis, ang pananamit ay politikal.

[Francie Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read a chapter for PH Indigenous Ethnic History. Might get my own copy and read the entire thing, The intersectionality and involvement of clothing in colonial influence is a fresh angle most especially if you're into material culture.

[空 · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Coo goes a lot into the descriptions of the clothing, she also includes a lot of very cool illustrations/photographs. She also includes commentary on societal expectations and situations, which are quite interesting to read.

I just wish that the photographs she had in the book were more accessible, so all sorts of people can make more use of them. Artists, illustrators, fashion designers, even just normal people who want to look at all the varied clothing Filipinos had.

Also, honestly, bring veils back. I want veils so I don’t have to look at anyone when I go out when I go back home.