 During the 19th century in the Spanish colonial era, the salakot were worn as status symbols by members of the aristocratic class (the "Principalía") as part of the barong tagalog ensemble.These Spanish-era salakot were made from prized materials like tortoiseshell and elaborately decorated with gems and precious metals like silver, or, at times, gold.They also commonly had long ornate spikes tipped with horsehair, or have coins or pendants that hung around the rim.