Sarong

A sarong or sarung () is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Northern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often has woven plaid or checkered patterns, or may be brightly colored by means of batik or ikat dyeing. Many modern sarongs have printed designs, often depicting animals or plants. Different types of sarongs are worn in different places in the world, notably the lungi in the Indian subcontinent and the izaar in the Arabian Peninsula.

Etymology

The term ''sarong'' () is an English loanword of Malay origin meaning 'to cover' or 'to sheath'. It was first used in 1834 referring to the skirt-like garment of the Malay. ''Sarong'' is also the colloquial and old spelling of the Indonesian and Malay word for , while in formal Indonesian it is known as ().
Sarong
is known in many names across Asia; including , ; , ; ; and .

In West Africa, the word ''srong'' or ''sorong'' is found in the Akan language, and this word means "the highest point", in reference to the garment being fastened at the very top in order to secure it.

Overview

COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Sarongweefster uit Bandoeng Java TMnr 10014439.jpg, Sundanese sarong weaver in Bandung, West Java, present-day Indonesia, 1900–1940.
Chau Doc textile.jpg, Sarung denotes a length of fabric as a garment.

''Sarong'' or ''sarung'' denotes the lower garment worn by Southeast Asian men and women. This consists of a length of fabric about a yard (0.91 m) wide and two-and-a-half yards (2.3 m) long. In the center of this sheet, across the narrower width, a panel of contrasting color or pattern about one foot wide is woven or dyed into the fabric, which is known as the or "head" of the sarong. This sheet is stitched at the narrower edges to form a tube. One steps into this tube, brings the upper edge above the level of the navel (the hem should be level with the ankles), positions the at the center of the back, and folds in the excess fabric from both sides to the front center, where they overlap and secures the sarong by rolling the upper hem down over itself. Malay men wear sarongs woven in a check pattern, while women wear sarongs dyed in the batik method. However, in Javanese culture, the wearing of batik sarongs is common and not restricted to a particular gender; sometimes they are also worn on formal occasions such as weddings.

The sarong is common wear for women in formal settings with a blouse. Malay men wear sarongs in public only when attending Friday prayers at the mosque, but sarongs remain very common casual wear at home for men of all ethnicities and religions in Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and much of the Indian subcontinent. (In the Indian subcontinent, excluding Sri Lanka, sarongs are sometimes known as '' mundu'' or '' lungi''.)

Regional variations

Arabian Peninsula

Bayt al-Faqih market.jpg, Yemeni men in traditional sarongs.
Bait al-Faqih.jpg, Yemeni man tying his ''futah'' (sarong). Sometimes people keep money and other small utensils in the folds of the futah.

Sarongs known under a variety of local names are traditionally worn by the people of Yemen and elsewhere on the Arabian Peninsula. Local names for the garment include , '' izaar'', and (pl. ). In Hadhramawt sarongs are called in the interior and in the coastal region. In Oman, sarongs are called and are often white in color, similar to the Keralan '' mundu'' of the Indian subcontinent and it is usually worn under the Thawb. In Saudi Arabia, sarongs are known as ''izaar''. Designs can be checkered or striped as well floral or arabesque, but double plaid (i.e., a vertical section of the with a different plaid pattern) designs from Indonesia are also very popular. In southwestern Saudi Arabia, tribal groups have their own style of unstitched , which is locally woven. This is also worn in northern Yemen. However, the tribal groups in Yemen each have their own design for their , the latter of which may include tassels and fringes. It is thought that this tribal resembles the original as worn on the Arabian Peninsula since pre-Islamic times such as the Shendyt. They are generally worn open and unstitched in such a way that the garment does not reach over one's ankles. Other , often imported from Bangladesh, are the traditional clothing of Arab fishermen of the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. It was the traditional garment for men before the introduction of pant-like pajamas and kaftans during the Turkish and European colonial periods. Tube-stitched, as well as open sarongs, are both worn, even informal dishdasha-wearing countries, as casual sleepwear and at home.

Indian subcontinent

LungiBoypagne.jpg, Bangladeshi boy in a traditional lungi.
Bhangra Dance punjab.jpg, Indian Bhangra dancers in lungi.

Sarongs, very similar to those of South-East Asia and completely different from the Indian subcontinent (excluding Sri Lanka) are widespread – in the state of Manipur, where they are called and ''mekhela'' in Assam which are very similar to traditional attire of other South-East Asian nations. In the South Indian states of Kerala, they are called '' mundu'' (if fully white or fully black) and '' lungi'' or '' kaili'' if coloured, and in Tamil Nadu, they are called '' kaili'' or '' saaram'' or '' vetti'' or '' lungi'' and are usually worn at home. A standard lungi measures 2.12 by 1.2 metres.

Unlike the brightly colored Southeast Asian sarongs, the Kerala variety (the ''mundu'') is more often plain white and is worn for ceremonial or religious purposes. In Kerala, the brightly coloured sarongs are called ''kaily'' and the white ones are called ''mundu''. The more formal, all-white dhoti is worn for formal and religious occasions. While there are dresses based on the ''mundu'' which can be worn by women, they more commonly wear the sari.

Sri Lanka

Sarongs are very common in Sri Lanka and worn only by men. (A similar garment is worn by women. However, the women's garment is called ''redda'', which is a wrap-around skirt.) It is the standard garment for most men in rural and even some urban communities. However, most men of upper social classes (whose public attire is usually trousers) wear the sarong only for ceremonial purposes, as a convenient night garment or only within the confines of the house. The Tamil-speaking communities, the Sri Lankan Tamils and the Sri Lankan Moors people also call it or .

Statistically, the number of people wearing sarong as their primary public attire is on the decline in Sri Lanka, the reason being that the sarong carries the stigma of being the attire for less-educated lower social classes. However, there is a trend toward adopting the sarong as a fashionable garment or as a formal garment worn with national pride, only on special occasions. Political and social leaders of Sri Lanka who want to portray their humility and closeness to the common person and their nationalism, choose a variation of the sarong nicknamed the "national" as their public attire.

Horn of Africa

Sarongs are ubiquitous in Somalia and the Muslim-inhabited areas of the Horn of Africa. Although nomadic and urban Somali men have worn them for centuries in the form of a plain white skirt, the colorful ''macawiis'' (ma'awiis) sarong, which is the most popular form of the garment in the region. Before the 1940s, most ''macawiis'' were made of cotton. However, since the industrialization of the market, they now come in many fabrics and combinations thereof, including polyester, nylon and silk.

Designs vary greatly and range from checkered square motifs with watermarked diamonds and plaid to simple geometric lines. The one constant is that they tend to be quite colorful; black ''macawiis'' are rare. ''Macawiis'' in Somalia are worn around the waist and folded several times over to secure their position. They are typically sold pre-sewn as one long circular stretch of cloth, though some vendors offer to sew them as a value-added service.

Southeast Asia

Indonesia

File:Sarungan.jpg, Javanese Muslim men in Indonesia wearing sarong.
File:Formal Batik Sarongs worn by guards at Sultan's Parade, Yogyakarta.jpg, Formal batik sarongs worn by guards during Sultan's parade in Yogyakarta.

In Indonesia the sarong is generally known as a ('sarong cloth') except for in Bali where it carries the name , possibly etymologically related to '' kemben'' (Javanese torso wrap). The sarung or sarong is often described as an Indonesian skirt; it is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn by men and women throughout much of the Indonesian archipelago. The sarong is also commonly described as a unisex tubular skirt.

The most common design of the Indonesian sarong is woven cloth with checkered motifs, usually used by
Muslim men for salah prayer. This kind of sarong cloth is stitched together to create a tubular skirt-like lower garment. In Bali, sarongs are not stitched together as a tube, but remain as a piece of cloth to wrap around the waist and secured with a knot.

Other than common checkered motifs, other woven or print methods might be employed, such as batik, ikat, songket, and other kinds of tenun traditional woven clothes. Sarongs are used by various ethnic groups in Indonesia. They are made from a variety of materials such as cotton, polyester or silk. Indonesian women wear traditional costumes called ''kebaya'' as upper garments, while for lower garments they wear sarongs dyed in the batik method, with flower motifs and in brighter colors. However, in Javanese culture, the wearing of batik sarungs is not restricted to women on formal occasions such as weddings.

In 2019, in an effort to promote and popularize the sarong among its people, the government encouraged Indonesians to wear the sarong in public at least once a month. President Joko Widodo said the sarong is a significant element of Indonesian culture and that wearing it will be a sign of appreciation for sarong craftsmen.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, the sarong is known as a . The word is paired with specific words to specify its type and function such as (a type of sarong with a simple stripe and box pattern), , (woven sarong), (sarong with batik motifs and design, normally worn by women and paired with a kebaya or Baju Kurung) or or (specialized sarong worn by men with Baju Melayu). In the Malaysian state of Sarawak, it is called (for men) and (for women).

Philippines

File:Parangal Dance Co. performing Kappa Malong Malong at 14th AF-AFC 07.JPG, ''Kapa malong malong'', a traditional Maranao dance featuring the many uses of the '' malong''
File:Spanish mestizo costume.jpg, French illustration of a Spanish-Filipino '' mestizo'' couple c. 1846, showing the traditional way of wearing the ''tapis'' by the ladies
File:Tube shirt (patadyong) from the Philippines, Sulu Archipelago, Honolulu Museum of Art .jpg, A ''patadyong'' from the Sulu Archipelago in the Honolulu Museum of Art
File:Skirt from northern Luzon, late 1990s, cotton, glass beads, plain weave, warp-faced, Honolulu Museum of Art.JPG, Cordilleran ''alampay'' in the Honolulu Museum of Art
File:Skirt from Bagobo, Mindanao, abacá (Musa textilis), Honolulu Museum of Art 7908.1.JPG, Bagobo ''malong'' woven from abaca fiber
File:USAID Measuring Impact Conservation Enterprise Retrospective (Philippines; Kalahan Educational Foundation) (40246611432).jpg, '' T'nalak'' textiles woven from abaca fiber

Sarong from the Philippines are generally known as '' tapis'' in Luzon, ''alampay'' in the Cordilleran highlands, '' patadyong'' in the islands of Visayas and Sulu, and '' malong'' in Mindanao. They are worn by both men and women and can be rectangular or tube-like. They can be knee-length or ankle-length and come in various colors that are usually unique to the specific ethnic group that wove them. Among men, the skirt is usually drawn up and tied at the waist (like a '' dhoti''), forming a trouser-like clothing known as a ''salawal''. They can also serve as shawls or blankets. They were paired with close-fitting shirts or jackets known as ''baro'' or ''bayu''.

Among the Maranao people, the ''malong'' is featured in the folk dance ''kapa malong malong'' which shows the various ways that the ''malong'' can be utilized.

During the Spanish colonial era, the ''tapis'' was worn over a longer skirt (''saya'' or ''falda'') due to the shortness of the ''tapis'' being deemed too immodest by the Spanish clergy to be worn alone. It evolved over time to become part of the traditional Filipino dress for women, the '' baro't saya''.

Western world

In North and South America as well as Europe, hip wraps are worn as beach wear or as a cover-up over swimwear. The wrap is often made of a thin, light fabric, often rayon, and may feature decorative fringing on both sides. They may have ties, which are long thin straps of fabric which the wearer can tie together to prevent the wrap from falling down. These wraps are mostly worn by women as beach cover-ups and do not usually resemble traditional Asian or African sarongs in size, pattern or design. Western men who wear male sarongs are influenced by the Scottish kilt or lavalava within the Polynesian or Samoan culture. Typically sarongs are worn by men when they are at home, the beach, by the pool, or on a cruise.

Securing

Numerous tying methods exist to hold a sarong to the wearer's body. In some cases, these techniques customarily differ according to the sex of wearer. If a sarong has ties, they may be used to hold it in place. Sarong ties give the wearer a little extra hold and security. If no ties exist, a pin may be used, the fabric may be tightly tucked under itself in layers, the corners of the main sheet may be around the body and knotted, or a belt may be used to hold the sarong in place.

Similar garments

The basic garment known in English most often as a ''sarong'', sewn or unsewn, has analogs in many regions, where it shows variations in style and is known by different names.

*Africa
**In East Africa, it is called either a ''kanga'' (worn by African women), or a '' kikoy'', traditionally worn by men and used with much simpler designs, however, it is used more frequently in high fashion. ''Kangas'' are brightly coloured lengths of cotton that incorporate elaborate and artistic designs and usually include the printing of a Swahili proverb along the hem.
**In Madagascar it is called a ''lamba''.
**In Malawi it is called a ''chitenje''.
**In Somalia it is called a ''macawis'' or ''hoosgunti''.
**In Mauritius it is called a '' pareo''.
**In Mozambique it is called a ''capulana''.
**In South Africa it is called a ''kikoi'' and commonly used as a furniture throw or for going to the beach.
**In Zambia they are known as ''chitenge''.
*Brazil
** ''Kangas'' or are used in Brazil as swimwear by women. They are readily available at beaches and littoral cities, but are also found in shops in the countryside for swimming in pools or rivers.
*Middle East
**In Saudi Arabia, it is called (Arabic: ).
**In Yemen, it is called either (Arabic: ) or (Arabic: ).
* Indian subcontinent
** In South India it is called a '' lungi''. It is most often sewn into a large cylindrical shape, so there is no slit when the ''phanek'' or ''lungi'' is tied.
** In eastern India and Bangladesh it is known as a '' lungi''.
** In Northeastern India traditional clothing are the ''phanek'' in Manipur and '' mekhela'' in Assam which are very similar to the traditional attire of other South-East Asian nations and are completely different from the Indian subcontinent.
**In South India it is called in Tamil, in Telugu, in Kannada, and '' mundu'' in Malayalam.
** In the southernmost districts of Tamil Nadu, it is also known as , possibly influenced from Sri Lanka from the trading days.
** In the Maldives, and Indian state of Kerala, it is known as a '' mundu'', ''feyli'' or ''neriyathu''.
** In Punjab it is a called ''chadra''.
** In Sri Lanka it is called in Tamil, and in Sinhalese.

* Southeast Asia
** In Cambodia it is used as an alternative to sampot.
** In Indonesia, it is generally known as or , but in larger extent in Indonesian languages it can be known as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and .
** In Laos and Isan (northwestern Thailand), it is called a ''sinh'' (, ), as well as ''sarong''.
** In Malaysia it is known as a , , , , , or (specialised sarong worn by men with Baju Melayu). In the Malaysian state of Sarawak, it is called (for men) and (for women).
** In Myanmar, it is known as a '' longyi''.
** In the Philippines it is generally known as '' malong'' (in Mindanao), '' patadyong'' (in Visayas and the Sulu Archipelago), and ''tapis'' (in Luzon). It can function as a skirt for both men and women, a turban, niqab, hijab, a dress, a blanket, a sunshade, a bedsheet, a "dressing room", a hammock, a prayer mat, and other purposes. During the Spanish colonial period, it evolved into a distinctive outer covering of the skirt for the '' baro't saya''.
** In Thailand, it is known as a () for men and a () for women.

*Pacific Islands
** In Fiji it is known as an .
** In Hawaii it is referred to as .
** In Papua New Guinea the Tok Pisin term is '' lap-lap'' and it is worn by men and women. In the other lingua franca, Hiri Motu, it is called .
** In Rotuma, it is known as a ''.''
** In Samoa it is known as a lavalava (also ).
** In Tahiti and Cook Islands it is known as a ''pāreu''.
** In Tonga it is known as '' tupenu''.
** In Wallis and Futuna it is known as '' kie''.

In the media

The American public is most familiar with the sarong for the dozens of films set in the South Seas, most of them romantic dramas made in the 1930s and 1940s. Dorothy Lamour is by far the actress most linked with the garment, which was designed by Edith Head. Lamour starred in multiple films of this genre, starting with '' The Hurricane'' in 1937. In fact, Lamour was nicknamed "The Sarong Girl" by the press and even wore a sarong on occasion in more traditional films. Among the other actresses to don the sarong for film roles are Maria Montez, Gilda Gray, Myrna Loy, Gene Tierney, Frances Farmer and Movita. Male stars who wore the manly sarongs on film include Jon Hall, Ray Milland, Tyrone Power, Robert Preston and Sabu Dastagir, as well as Ralph Fiennes in '' The Constant Gardener'' and Pierce Brosnan in '' The Thomas Crown Affair''.

The 2005 documentary film ''Soldiers in Sarong'', directed by Lokendra Arambam, depicts the women's resistance movement in Manipur, North-East India. The 2020 Indonesian film '' Tarung Sarung'' depicts a martial arts tradition where combatants are joined together by the garment.

In Singapore, the term '' Sarong Party Girl'' refers to a local single Singaporean woman especially of Chinese ethnicity who favor socializing and having relationships with expatriate Caucasian men rather than the local ones.

See also

* Batik
* Kilt
* Fustanella
* Kanga (African garment)
* Lava-lava
* Mundu
* Lungi
* Mundum neriyathum
* Pareo

Notes

{{Clothing in South Asia

History of fashion
History of Asian clothing
History of Oceanian clothing
Indonesian clothing
Malay clothing
Sri Lankan clothing
Skirts