Sarong is a thing that is of great importance in many countries, although it is called differently everywhere. For example, the inhabitants of the South Pacific islands of Tahiti and Hawaii call it “Pareo”, in Southeast Asia - Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, they call it “Surong”, in India such clothes are “Sri”, and in Africa - “ Kanga. " In the ancient times of Rome and Greece, the sarong was known as the “Toga.”
This article uses the Indonesian name "sarong", as it is its most popular today. It is in this country that most sarongs are produced.
What are you talking about?
A traditional sarong is a fabric sewn in the manner of a pipe. In countries of origin, it is worn by both men and women. In Indonesia, the sarong is a daily item, as well as an integral part of the traditional ethnic outfit. It is made from a variety of fabrics, including woven plaids, batik, silk plaids or ikat silk silk.
Thanks to Hollywood, clothes from the sarong acquired an exotic and erotic meaning, which transformed it from a tubular appearance to a canvas.
Origin history
Initially, the sarong as a garment was a dress for the seafaring peoples of the Malay Peninsula near Sumatra and Java. He was brought to the island of Madurai, which is along the northern coast of Java. Interestingly, the sarongs of certain styles and patterns in this area, only the royal family had the right to wear. Imitation of these things and their public wearing was punished by death!
What makes the fabric for sarongs unique is the decorative decoration with batik. Creating such a masterpiece takes many hours of hard work. This is a very long and complicated process.
Types of traditional model
In the clothing tradition of Java and the surrounding western Indonesian islands, the sarong is an alternative to cain. But this is not only in Java. There it is a fairly popular item of clothing. Batik sarongs of the north coast are known for their floral bouquet of mullet and abundant flower decoration. At the turn of the 20th century, Eurasian batik manufacturers experimented with new chemical dyes and motifs, and the blouse worn with a sarong was shortened to the length of the thigh. In Kain Panjang, batik has similar muted colors (browns, indigo, creams, and whites).
Sarong varies in size and material. In all twenty-six provinces of Indonesia, there are various forms of ethnic clothing in which sarongs worn with outerwear occupy a prominent place:
In southern Sulawesi, the Bugin silk sarong is very wide.
In Maluku, sarongs are multi-layered: the first is long, and the second is folded and worn on the hips.
In Rota, handmade sarong-ikat is narrow and tall. Such clothes would almost hide the owner's head. Here, the sarong is attached to the chest, and the excess is folded, and again attached to the belt with a belt. Another ikat (not sarong) is thrown over the woman's shoulders. The overall silhouette is tubular.
What is meant by the sarong today
The Sarong, invented by Hollywood, looks little like the original. Hedi Lamarr in White Cargo (1942) and Dorothy Lamur in Roads in Bali (1952) wear wrap-around skirts (more like pareos). They are tied to the side in such a way that they emphasize, but do not hide, the hips. Both protagonists wear tight-fitting tops, exposing the lower back and shoulders, bracelets, heavy necklaces and earrings. Here, the sarong is a presentation of exotic femininity, which is designed to charm the western cinema audience.
Today, a fashionable wrap skirt is sometimes called a sarong. And yet, the most popular value is a light, bright, rectangular piece of fabric that is worn in the summer on the beach, when visiting a sauna or pool. Girls especially love this clothing for its versatility, because it is suitable for any complexion.
Here are the six most popular methods for using the studied wardrobe item:
Lightweight sarong skirt.
A way to quickly close the swimsuit.
Dress “toga”.
Shawl or scarf.
Turban.
Bedspread for the beach.
Some people call sarongs handmade artwork. Others consider them beachwear. The name is not so important, more important is what to do with a piece of fabric. How to wear it?
8 ways to tie a sarong
Those who believe that a sarong can only be worn in one specific way are deeply mistaken. There are many options for tying this rectangular fabric, and all of them are easy to repeat. Here are 8 different ways to tie a sarong:
Short beach skirt with side knot. This is the most common option. It is enough to fold the sarong in half (along or diagonally), wrap around the waist, just below the navel and tie the free ends to the side.
Open front sundress. This style will allow you to show your body in all its glory and look graceful. Only the chest area will close the sarong. To tie such a sarafan, you need to wrap the fabric back to front under the armpits, and free ends to twist and tie around the neck.
Long skirt with a slit. It is carried out similarly to the first option, only before tying the knot the fabric should not be folded in half.
Dress in the Brazilian style. This option may well pass for a real dress. To tie it, you need to connect two adjacent corners loosely around the neck, forming a neckline smoothly falling in folds. Then, picking up the two ends at the level of the hips, lift them up and tie them on the lower back.
The classic version of the dress. A sarong tied in this way will allow you to look great, regardless of body type. To tie it you need to: place the fabric back horizontally, pull it forward under your arms, pull the loose ends crosswise and tie a knot at the back of the head.
Bathrobe. You don’t need to sew anything in this case either. One knot - and a carefree, but stylish accessory is ready. It looks relaxed and chic. To do this, you need to place the sarong horizontally from the back under your arms, and tie the loose ends at the very edge. Now it remains to throw the formed knot back to the neck, and the dressing gown is ready. For a more stylish version, you can add a belt to the waist.
Kimono style. A free option that takes a minimum of time to complete. To wear a sarong in this style, you need to spread it around the body like a shawl, and tie the ends at the wrist (so as not to slip). The longer the fabric, the more spectacular the kimono looks.
Neck dress with a twist. This option is similar to a standard dress, tied behind the neck, but has a fashionable twist. They begin to tie it up, like the classic version. The only difference is that before you tie a knot on the neck, make a knot on the chest, and twist the ends with a tourniquet, forming a kind of tie.
With such a variety of options, there is no doubt that a sarong is not just a stylish scarf to hide a swimsuit, but a completely functional piece of clothing.
Conclusion
The colors and patterns of this sarong are simply stunningly beautiful! In addition, they cannot be found in a large department store. Each is a work of art in itself, because it is made by hand, and not massively.
Sarongs are gaining in popularity. People of different cultures interact with each other. As a result, unprecedented things become available. One of these is the sarong.