I saw a picture of Rudy Farninas’ daughter on a fashion website posing in a modern Filipiniana dress. Some guy gave a snide comment saying that this is probably modern for the Philippines ;p  For the record, the traditional Filipiniana dress does not look like that. The fabric is usually made of pineapple fiber, it also is decorated with beautiful embroidery. If the butterfly sleeves were taken out, it will no longer be a Filipiniana dress. It’ll be just another gown :) There are two popular types of Filipiniana dresses, you have the one-piece terno with its stiff butterfly sleeves popularized by Imelda Marcos and the two-piece baro’t saya (blouse and skirt) often called Maria Clara after the character in Jose Rizal’s novel. La Bulaquena by Juan Luna 1895  (Maria Clara dress: source) Sra. Conchita of Roxas City (Terno: source) Other pictures: (Pitoy Moreno creations: source) Now here are the modern versions of the Filipiniana dress:  Shamcey Supsup in a modern Maria Clara by Brazilian designer Alfredo Barazza: I like the top but the the skirt is too much for me.hehe (source) A UST student wearing her version of the Maria Clara dress: Her name is Katrine Salvador (source). Former Akbayan Representative and RH Bill advocate Risa Hontiveros in a red modern-day Terno: Not so sure if I like this one.hehe (source) The beautiful model/host turned congresswoman, Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez escorted by (actor) husband Richard Gomez. Clearly, this was taken by PEP but I found the picture in another blog: (source) My top picks of modern Filipiniana dresses (in no particular order and not influenced by any political party): Divine Lee in Kermit Tesoro (source):  Agot Isidro in a barong dress. How cool is that? (source):  Marie Lozano looks absolutely stunning in this dress! (source):  Charo Santos- Concio in a beige terno at the Kodak Theatre for the 2009 Oscars (source):  A model in what I believe is a Karl Lagerfield creation. I don’t know if it’s intended to look like a Terno but it does (source).  Daphne Osena-Paez looks pretty cool (source).  Stella Marquez-Araneta in a J. Moreno circa 1960’s (source).  London-based Filipino designer Lesley Mobo has her own take of the modern Terno shown here being modeled by a pretty lady (source).  And of course, I cannot make this post without talking about the woman responsible for making the Filipiniana dress (particularly the Terno) very popular -Imelda Marcos:  1. Imelda with parasol (source):  2. Imelda with Ferdinand: best political love team (source): 3. Imelda’s Ternos on display (source): While it may be tempting for some to completely alter the design of the Filipiniana dress like the red one worn by Risa Hontiveros, I personally prefer dresses that still look distinctly Filipiniana. That is, if you’re going for the Filipiniana look. 
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I saw a picture of Rudy Farninas’ daughter on a fashion website posing in a modern Filipiniana dress. Some guy gave a snide comment saying that this is probably modern for the Philippines ;p 

For the record, the traditional Filipiniana dress does not look like that. The fabric is usually made of pineapple fiber, it also is decorated with beautiful embroidery. If the butterfly sleeves were taken out, it will no longer be a Filipiniana dress. It’ll be just another gown :)

There are two popular types of Filipiniana dresses, you have the one-piece terno with its stiff butterfly sleeves popularized by Imelda Marcos and the two-piece baro’t saya (blouse and skirt) often called Maria Clara after the character in Jose Rizal’s novel.

La Bulaquena by Juan Luna 1895 

(Maria Clara dress: source)

Sra. Conchita of Roxas City

(Terno: source)

Other pictures:

(Pitoy Moreno creations: source)

Now here are the modern versions of the Filipiniana dress: 

Shamcey Supsup in a modern Maria Clara by Brazilian designer Alfredo Barazza:

I like the top but the the skirt is too much for me.hehe (source)

A UST student wearing her version of the Maria Clara dress:

Her name is Katrine Salvador (source).

Former Akbayan Representative and RH Bill advocate Risa Hontiveros in a red modern-day Terno:

Not so sure if I like this one.hehe (source)

The beautiful model/host turned congresswoman, Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez escorted by (actor) husband Richard Gomez.

Clearly, this was taken by PEP but I found the picture in another blog: (source)

My top picks of modern Filipiniana dresses (in no particular order and not influenced by any political party):

  • Divine Lee in Kermit Tesoro (source): 
  • Agot Isidro in a barong dress. How cool is that? (source): 
  • Marie Lozano looks absolutely stunning in this dress! (source): 
  • Charo Santos- Concio in a beige terno at the Kodak Theatre for the 2009 Oscars (source): 
  • A model in what I believe is a Karl Lagerfield creation. I don’t know if it’s intended to look like a Terno but it does (source). 
  • Daphne Osena-Paez looks pretty cool (source). 
  • Stella Marquez-Araneta in a J. Moreno circa 1960’s (source). 
  • London-based Filipino designer Lesley Mobo has her own take of the modern Terno shown here being modeled by a pretty lady (source). 

And of course, I cannot make this post without talking about the woman responsible for making the Filipiniana dress (particularly the Terno) very popular -Imelda Marcos: 

1. Imelda with parasol (source): 

2. Imelda with Ferdinand: best political love team (source):

3. Imelda’s Ternos on display (source):

While it may be tempting for some to completely alter the design of the Filipiniana dress like the red one worn by Risa Hontiveros, I personally prefer dresses that still look distinctly Filipiniana. That is, if you’re going for the Filipiniana look.