Pair of man's trousers, striped silk in colours, Malay style, from Singapore, 1870s Man's trousers of silk with cotton lining. The waistband, which has two neatly bound slits through which a tie would be threaded, is lined with a European printed cotton fabric, which makes a striking contrast to the striped silk. These short loose trousers show the influence of the Persian and Turkish shalwar, although the bold striped silk fabric is more typically Malay. Trousers began to be widely adopted in South-East Asia with the spread of Islamic culture across the region, often replacing local wrapped waist-cloths like the sarong. These short, loose trousers show the influence of the Persian and Turkishshalwar , although the bold striped silk fabric is more typically Malay. The waistband, which has two neatly bound slits through which a tie would be threaded is lined with a European printed cotton fabric, which makes a striking contrast to the striped silk. European, especially English, printed cottons were favourite fabrics for linings and decorative trimmings throughout India and South East Asia during the nineteenth century, often in combinations that seem incongruous to us today.