Some resources also claimed that kebaya originated from Majapahit (1293–1527), as a mean to blend the existing "kemben", women torso wrap, to be more modest and acceptable as Islamic influence began to grow in coastal Javanese towns. The kebaya perhaps served to provide body coverage to court women and elites in reactions to Islamic strictures on modesty. When the Portuguese tried to assume spice trade in Indonesia in the early 16th century, some women in Java already wore kebaya on their upper body. During this time, kebaya in Java was considered as reserved clothing to be worn only by royalties and nobilities, in an era when peasant men and women walked publicly bare-chested. Majapahit was the first that formally adopted the kebaya, and subsequently it has become the official dress of its successors, Cirebon (1445–1926), Surakarta (1745–1946) and Yogyakarta. Nevertheless, the use of kebaya among peasant women in Java only became widespread in the late 18th century when it was encouraged by the Dutch.