WANT to know the social status of a girl within the Buton community in Southeast Sulawesi? Just look at the sarung buton she wears. If the traditional sarong she wears bears simple motifs, a kasopa, it means that she’s a commoner. A girl of noble birth would wear kumbaea, a sarong with more complex motifs dominated by the color silver.

To a Butonese, the traditional dress you wear isn’t just a body cover, it’s also a mark of social strati