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Asarong or asarung (Malay pronunciation:[saˈroŋ],/səˈrɒŋ/) is a large tube or length offabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn inSoutheast Asia,South Asia,Western Asia,Northern Africa,East Africa,[1]West Africa, and on manyPacific islands. The fabric may be brightly colored by means ofbatik orikatdyeing. Many modern sarongs haveprinted designs, often depictinganimals orplants. Different types of sarongs are worn in different places in the world, notably thelungi in the Indian subcontinent and theizaar in the Arabian Peninsula.
The unisex sarong is typically longer than the men's lungi.
The termsarong is a loanword fromMalaysarong (Jawi:ساروڠ, old spelling:سارڠ), meaning 'to cover' or 'to sheath'.[2][3] It was first used in 1834 referring to the skirt-like garment of theMalays.Sarong is the older Malay spelling, still used colloquially and persists in English, whilesarung ([ˈsaruŋ]) is the standardised form of the word.[4]
Variants of the term are found across Asia, such asTamilsaram (சாரம்),Arabicṣārūn (صارون); andSinhalasarama (සරම).
In West Africa, the wordsrong orsorong is found in theAkan language, and this word means "the highest point", in reference to the garment being fastened at the very top in order to secure it.[5][dubious –discuss]
Sarong orsarung denotes the lower garment worn bySoutheast 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 thekepala 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 thekepala at the center of the back, and folds in the excess fabric from both sides to the front center, where they overlap and secure 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 thebatik method. However, inJavanese culture, the wearing ofbatik 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 akebaya blouse.Malay men wear sarongs in public only when attending Friday prayers at themosque,[citation needed] but sarongs remain very common casual wear at home for men of all ethnicities and religions inBrunei,Indonesia,Philippines,Cambodia,Malaysia,Singapore,Sri Lanka, and much of theIndian subcontinent.[6] (In the Indian subcontinent, excluding Sri Lanka, sarongs are sometimes known asmundu orlungi.)
Sarongs known under a variety of local names are traditionally worn by the people ofYemen and elsewhere on theArabian Peninsula. Local names for the garment includeṣārūn,fūṭah,izaar,wizār,maqtab andmaʿwaz (pl.maʿāwiz). InHadhramout,Yemen sarongs are calledSaroon (Arabic:صارونṣārūn) in the interior and the coastal region. InOman, sarongs are calledwizār and are often white in color, similar to theKeralanmundu of the Indian subcontinent and it is usually worn under theThawb. InSaudi Arabia, sarongs are known asizaar. Designs can be checkered or striped as well floral orarabesque, but double plaid (i.e., a vertical section of theizār with a different plaid pattern) designs fromIndonesia are also very popular. In southwestern Saudi Arabia, tribal groups have their own style of unstitchedizaar, which is locally woven. This is also worn in northern Yemen. However, the tribal groups in Yemen each have their own design for theirṣārūn, the latter of which may include tassels and fringes. It is thought that this tribalṣārūn resembles the originalizaar as worn on theArabian Peninsula since pre-Islamic times such as theShendyt. They are generally worn open and unstitched in such a way that the garment does not reach over one's ankles. Otherizaars, often imported from Bangladesh, are the traditional clothing ofArab fishermen of thePersian Gulf, theIndian Ocean and theRed Sea. It was the traditional garment for men before the introduction of pant-like pajamas andkaftans during the Turkish and European colonial periods. Tube-stitched, as well as open sarongs, are both worn, even informaldishdasha-wearing countries, as casual sleepwear and at home.
Sarongs, very similar to those of South-East Asia and completely different from the Indian subcontinent (excluding Sri Lanka) are widespread – in the state ofManipur, where they are calledphanek andmekhela inAssam which are very similar to traditional attire of other South-East Asian nations. In the SouthIndian states ofKerala, they are calledmundu (if fully white or fully black) andlungi orkaili if coloured, and inTamil Nadu, they are calledkaili orsaaram orvetti orlungi 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 (themundu) is more often plain white and is worn for ceremonial or religious purposes. In Kerala, the brightly coloured sarongs are calledkaily and the white ones are calledmundu. The more formal, all-whitedhoti is worn for formal and religious occasions. While there are dresses based on themundu which can be worn by women, they more commonly wear thesari.
Sarongs are very common inSri Lanka and worn only by men. (A similar garment is worn by women. However, the women's garment is calledredda, 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, theSri Lankan Tamils and theSri Lankan Moors people also call itsaaram orchaaram.
Statistically, the number of people wearing sarong as their primary public attire is on the decline inSri 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.[7] 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.
Sarongs are ubiquitous inSomalia and theMuslim-inhabited areas of theHorn of Africa. Althoughnomadic and urbanSomali men have worn them for centuries in the form of a plain whiteskirt, the colorfulmacawiis (ma'awiis) sarong, which is the most popular form of the garment in the region. Before the 1940s, mostmacawiis were made ofcotton. However, since the industrialization of the market, they now come in many fabrics and combinations thereof, includingpolyester,nylon andsilk.
Designs vary greatly and range from checkered square motifs with watermarked diamonds andplaid to simple geometric lines. The one constant is that they tend to be quite colorful; blackmacawiis 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 avalue-added service.
InIndonesia the sarong is generally known as akain sarung ('sarong cloth') except for inBali where it carries the namekamben, possibly etymologically related tokemben (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.[8] The sarong is also commonly described as a unisex tubular skirt.[9]
The most common design of the Indonesian sarong is woven cloth with checkered motifs, usually used byMuslim men forsalah 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 asbatik,ikat,songket, and other kinds oftenun traditional woven clothes. Sarongs are used by variousethnic groups in Indonesia. They are made from a variety of materials such as cotton, polyester or silk.[8] Indonesian women wear traditional costumes calledkebaya 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. PresidentJoko Widodo said the sarong is a significant element ofIndonesian culture and that wearing it will be a sign of appreciation for sarong craftsmen.[9]
InMalaysia, the sarong is known as akain. The wordkain is paired with specific words to specify its type and function such askain pelikat (a type of sarong with a simple stripe and box pattern),kain sarung,[10]kain tenun (woven sarong),kain batik (sarong with batik motifs and design, normally worn by women and paired with akebaya orBaju Kurung) orkain samping orsampin (specialized sarong worn by men withBaju Melayu). In the Malaysian state ofSarawak, it is calledsabok (for men) andtapeh (for women).
Since 2017, special celebrations aroundMalaysia Day are held to encourage the wearing of sarong in public spaces as well as taking the railway system called theKeretapi Sarong ('Sarong Train').[11]
Similar sarong-like native garments from thePhilippines are generally known astapis inLuzon,alampay in theCordilleran highlands,patadyong in the islands ofVisayas andSulu, andmalong inMindanao. 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. They can also serve as shawls or blankets. They were paired with close-fitting shirts or jackets known asbaro orbayu.[12][13][14][15][16]
Among theMaranao people, themalong is featured in the folk dancekapa malong malong which shows the various ways that themalong can be utilized.[17]
During theSpanish colonial era, thetapis was worn over a longer skirt (saya orfalda) due to the shortness of thetapis 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, thebaro't saya.[14][18]
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In North and South America as well as Europe, hip wraps are worn as beach wear or as a cover-up overswimwear. The wrap is often made of a thin, light fabric, oftenrayon, 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 orlavalava 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.[19]
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.[20] 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 wrapped around the body and knotted, or abelt may be used to hold the sarong in place.
The basic garment known in English most often as asarong, sewn or unsewn, has analogs in many regions, where it shows variations in style and is known by different names.
![The tapis of the traditional colonial Filipino baro't saya dress, evolved from a sarong-like wrap with the addition of a long skirt (saya) underneath, due to Spanish demands for modesty[14][25][18]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.m.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aFabi%25C3%25A1n_de_la_Rosa_-_Filipina.jpg)
The American public is most familiar with the sarong for the dozens offilms 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 byEdith Head.[citation needed] Lamour starred in multiple films of this genre, starting withThe 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.[citation needed] Among the other actresses to don the sarong for film roles areMaria Montez,Gilda Gray,Myrna Loy,Gene Tierney,Frances Farmer andMovita. Male stars who wore the manly sarongs on film includeJon Hall,Ray Milland,Tyrone Power,Robert Preston andSabu Dastagir, as well asRalph Fiennes inThe Constant Gardener and Pierce Brosnan inThe Thomas Crown Affair.
The 2005 documentary filmSoldiers in Sarong, directed by Lokendra Arambam, depicts the women's resistance movement inManipur, North-East India.[26] The 2020 Indonesian filmTarung Sarung depicts a martial arts tradition where combatants are joined together by the garment.
In Singapore, the termSarong 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.
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