Dress
The traditional clothing of Malaysia was quite simple as it was made of any local material that could cover a person up; a tradition still used by some of the Orang Asal people. However, most common in the past was the use of simple fabrics to cover up, but the styles, designs, and colors of these outfits varied greatly from region to region. Indian, Chinese, and even Portuguese clothing made their way to the region as it became a center of trade, giving the people no single traditional outfit.
Over time the numerous ethnic groups began to wear their own styled clothing. The ethnic Malay women tended to wear the baju kurang, which is similar to a dress, while the men wore the baju melayu, which consists of a simple long-sleeved shirt and pants or a sampin, which is similar to a sarong worn in place of pants. The Chinese often wore changshan for men or cheongsam for women, single-piece outfits that often fit well as they show off a person's figure; they can come in numerous styles, but are similar to dresses and often have short sleeves. The Indian sari is often times a single piece of cloth wrapped around a woman's body to completely cover herself or can be multiple pieces of cloth and is generally very colorful. The dhoti kurta is a simple shirt (kurta) with basic loose-fitting pants (dhoti).
Malaysia, especially the capital and the resorts, may look and feel like any other country, but the majority of people are Muslim and, while quite liberal, there are a few dress restrictions for the visitor. Most local Muslims dress conservatively as they cover their arms and legs; few women cover their hair or faces, although some do and in some parts of the country women must cover their hair by law. Foreigners are treated quite liberally by the Malays and you are not expected to cover up as they do, but doing so will gain you a great deal of respect and doing so displays you as a sensitive and knowledgeable traveler. Having said that though, most resorts are private and most of the tourists arriving to these resorts arrive with the intention of sitting half naked on a beach with drink in hand. So long as you are at a private resort you may wear bathing suits, but nakedness and toplessness for women is strictly forbidden even in private resorts.