The Buwan ng Wika not only centralizes the allure of our national language, Filipino, but also showcases the rich culture that the Philippines possesses, reminding every Filipino of the unparalleled beauty of our own motherland as modern society continues to tempt them with successful lives presented by foreign countries.
The Filipino culture includes our delectable dishes, folk beliefs, timeless traditions, and especially our remarkable, time-honored costumes. One of these costumes is the terno, a lovely, modest dress especially embroidered for Filipinas.
T E R N O
Origin: NCR
In
the historical account of the Filipino women’s dress, the most prominent among
them is the “Terno”. The terno comes from
the Spanish word “to match” which was composed literally of two parts, the
lower and the upper part.
The
Filipino terno alludes to the matching of the blouse and
skirt, joined at the waist to form a one-piece creation, with both bodice and
skirt made of the same material. The terno as we know it today
evolved from an ensemble called baro’t saya (blouse and
skirt), transformed into the Maria Clara, which, in turn, was
metamorphosed into the traje de mestiza.
The
seamlessness is only one of its inventive features. The sleeves are upright,
flat against the shoulders like clipped butterfly wings, the low neckline
contours the bosom and the whole dress is nipped at the waist to let fall a
shapely skirt that is rounded, flared or trailed at the hem.”
When
the sleeves were clipped like butterfly wings the panuelo became
cumbersome and was then removed. So, too, went the tapis, to allow the
skirt to flirt with the whims of fashion. Skirt draping, shirring, folding,
pleating, and layering were just some of the fashionable touches. The tail of
the terno was in use until the early years of 1930s when its
popularity started to wane.
At
the start of the 19th century, the terno had
acquired the features that were to distinguish it until the end of the colonial
era. The terno, graced flores de mayo processions,
rigodon de honor, coronation nights and the Malacañang Palace.
It has been called a masterpiece, a classic, a national treasure.
My friends and I flaunt our uniquely designed ternos at school.
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