This distinguished brand, however, has a rich history that goes back almost nine decades. It was the brainchild of a remarkable man, who rose from simple general worker to distinguished tailor, and even served the country’s first prime minister.
The late Omar Ali may have passed on in 1979, but his legacy lives on through his business, capably stewarded by his family members.
The tailor’s managing director Azizah Omar recalled her father as a man who loved helping others.
“He was a loving father, and he was very hardworking. He would go out for work very early in the morning and come home late at night. Family meant a lot to him, and he worked very hard to support us,” said Azizah, the youngest of Omar’s 11 children.
Omar first came to Malaysia in the 1920s from Padang, Sumatra. He worked for a Japanese woman in Kuala Lumpur: she was a seamstress, who specialised in creating ball gowns for the wives of British expatriates.
In the outbreak of World War II, his boss returned to Japan. Her business was bestowed to Omar, who had honed his tailoring skills in her employ.
Omar, however, faced issues with the business. As the war dragged on, many expatriates returned to their homelands, and demand for ball gowns dried up. The new tailor found himself having to rely on his next best skill: making Baju Melayu.
His first shop opened in Kuala Lumpur in 1935: Omar soon developed a sterling reputation for the quality of the Baju Melayu he crafted. Today, he has 10 stores under his name in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya. They have a devoted customer base of Malaysians from all races and backgrounds.
One of Omar Ali’s most notable achievements was serving as tailor to Malaysia’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj.
According to Azizah, Tunku Abdul Rahman had requested a modification of the traditional five-button Baju Melayu as he felt it too restrictive. Omar designed for him a three-button variation, with a cheongsam style collar.
According to Omar Ali marketing manager Idris Mokhtar, this style, which he liked to call “kolar Tunku” (Tunku’s collar) is still popular today.
“It’s mostly worn on casual occasions, not for formal ones. Older people particularly like it, especially those who might have arthritis in their hands, because it’s easier with less buttons,” said Idris, who is the late Omar’s son-in-law.
Omar would serve as Tunku’s tailor until 1979, sewing Baju Melayu, and even baju kurung and baju kebaya for the ladies of his household.
Another of Omar’s contributions to local fashion was his invention of ready-made Baju Melayu.
Previously, customers had to custom make all their traditional clothing. The innovative Omar pioneered the practice of making off-the-rack garments in small, medium and large sizes, bringing convenience for customers.
Today, Omar’s family is determined to uphold his legacy.
“We have four generations of customers coming here. I’ve known some customers from the cradle, up until now when they have ‘cucu’ (grandchildren), Azizah said.
Despite its heritage background, Omar Ali refuses to be stuck in the past: its management is up-to-date on style and fashion, and adept with modern marketing tools such as social media.
“My son is always on TikTok. We’ve had customers come all the way from Brunei because of his posts,” Idris said with a laugh.
When it comes to their designs, however, Omar Ali will probably stay true to the timeless and traditional.
“Nowadays we see people come up with all sorts of concepts and ideas. Like see-through or sleeveless Baju Melayu, which is not the norm. If the customer really wants it, we can make it for them,” Idris concluded. “But ultimately, we will always stick to tradition, because tradition is the basis of the Baju Melayu.”
For more information on Omar Ali, visit their website.