Beach Babes wearing Sarongs

Women’s sarongs may seem like a recent invention, and something that is only seen at the beach, but in reality, sarongs for women have been a part of many cultures around the world.  The most common type of women sarong is a large length of colorful fabric that is wrapped around the waist or worn as a skirt.  The common belief is that women from Western cultures first saw women’s sarongs while visiting Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and parts of the Arabian Peninsula.  They may have also been worn in the Horn of Africa.  Fabrics were usually a woven plaid or checkered pattern, or a colorful batik dyed cloth.

Sarongs are the indigenous form of dress for both men and women in tropical climates all over the world. While each culture has a different name–from Pareo to Sari– they are all simply yards of fabric wrapped and tied on the body.

Sarongs are every day clothing worn to work in the rice paddies and to do the daily chores as they allow for a full range of body movement.

When looking for a sarong, begin by determining what your ideal length and width is. For women, a sarong can either be wrapped above the bust line, doubling as a dress, or at the waist, doubling as a skirts. Make sure that the sarong is a comfortable length, no matter where you’re wrapping it, and also ensure that it is long enough to comfortably wrap around your body and secure it into place. Men, unless you want to pull a David Beckham, your sarong is best used only on the beach, at about knee-length.

to maintain uniqueness and a bit of mystery, before exposing yourself like these women wearing, don't forget to wear a sarong!