The Sarong
Revisited
I have always thought batik
sarongs were pretty cool. I like the bright colors and designs.
The handmade feel of them connects me to primitive times. They
have been worn for centuries in Japan, China, Indonesia, Africa
and other parts of the world. Sarongs have history, art, and
function.
They would seem to be the perfect swimsuit cover up, but I don't see too many women wearing them in this country. You will see the short ones tied as a skirt around the hips, but full length sarongs need to be tied in complicated ways, all having different degrees of success. They will be long unless you double the material, or gaping open, or gathered around the neck. Not comfortable I imagine.
An idea is
born
I started thinking about sarongs again while watching my
girlfriend get ready for work one day. When she put on her slip,
I asked her to bring it up over her breasts. It looked pretty
good. I didn't realize it at the time, but this style of dress
is called a tube dress. I had her walk around the backyard (so
cooperative!). I liked the way it fit; kind of loose, the body
moving freely beneath the fabric. This would be a nice swimsuit
cover up in a different material. Then it hit me: take that
sarong that has been hanging in the closet since 1989 and cut it
up. Add elastic to the top, and see what happens.
After a couple of tries I came up with a pretty good one. Now you can wear this handmade beach cover up just stepping into it. No knots to tie, no doubling of fabric, no gaping openings. A loose-fitting dress – but not too loose – so you have freedom of movement over a swimsuit in a cut that is still flatters the figure. They can be made to whatever length is suitable and you can still wear it like the aforementioned slip, or around the waist for a long skirt.
A breeze to
wear
We have made quite a few now and most of the women I have shown
them to think it's a great idea. There is a wide variety of
colors and designs available. We use rayon sarongs because they
are lighter and cooler than cotton. A custom sized, lightweight,
attractive swimsuit cover up to wear around the pool, beach, or
your own patio is now a breeze to wear!






