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What are Sarongs ?
A Sarong is a single piece of fabric
worn either as a body wrap or skirt by both men and women. It
has been traditionally worn by people of South East Asia, India,
and the Pacific Islands. They have become popular in the West as
cover-ups for swimwear. The fabric is usually brightly colored
and printed with intricate, bold patterns. Sarongs are also used
as wall hangings, bed sheets, table covers, shawls or complete
dresses.
‘Sarong’ is Malay for sheath, a cotton fabric two-and-a-half
yards long sewn into a cylinder and worn across the lower part
of the body. Women wear it along with a blouse. Malayan men wear
it in public only for Friday worship at the Mosque.
Sarong is known by different names in different parts of the
world. In South East Asia, it is usually called ‘Surong’ while
in India, it is ‘lungi’ or ‘mundu.’ In parts of Africa, it is
known as ‘kanga.’ Tahitians call it ‘Pareos.’
Textile and Designs
Sarongs are available in different fabric ranging from cotton to
rayon to silk. The art of dyeing called Batik is associated with
sarongs. In this process, a wax is used on certain parts of the
fabric to block colors from being absorbed, thus creating very
colorful patterns.
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