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Alavalava, sometimes written aslava-lava, also known as an'ie, short for 'ie lavalava, is an article of daily clothing traditionally worn byPolynesians and otherOceanic peoples. It consists of a single rectangular cloth worn similarly to a wraparoundskirt orkilt.[1] The termlavalava is both singular and plural in theSamoan language.
Today the fashion remains common inSamoa,American Samoa,Tonga and parts ofMelanesia andMicronesia. It is worn by men and women in uses from school uniforms to business attire with a suit jacket and tie. Many people of Oceanic ethnicity wear thelavalava as an expression of cultural identity and for comfort within expatriate communities, especially in theUnited States (notablyHawaii,Alaska,California,Washington, andUtah),Australia andNew Zealand.
Thelavalava is secured around the waist by an overhand knotting of the upper corners of the cloth; women often tuck the loose ends into the waistband, while men usually allow them to hang in front. Women generally wear ankle-lengthlavalava while men's wraps often extend to the knee or mid-calf depending on the activity or occasion.
Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the Pacific Ocean, the most prestigiouslavalava were made by wrapping the body in a'ie toga with fine mats (finely woven textiles ofpandanus leaves) orsiapo (tapa cloth) pounded frompaper mulberry or wildhibiscus bark. The Samoans also createdlavalava from traditional materials such as flower petals, leaves, feathers and seashells tied to a wrap-around backing of plaited plant fibers.
Calico and loomedcotton cloth had largely replaced woven or barkclothlavalava as articles of daily use (though'ie toga andsiapo wraps are still used today for ceremonial and festive occasions and dance performances). Samoan men who bear thepe'a body tattoo, as well as Samoan women who bear themalu leg tattoos often roll the waistband of thelavalava or tuck in the sides and rear portion(s) of thelavalava to expose their tattoo during dance performances or ceremonial functions (such as 'ava ceremonies), a style referred to asagini.
WithinMicronesia, the introduced term “lavalava” is used to describe loom-woven skirts in the Outer Islands ofYap, though weaving and wearing of these textiles once extended further east into present-dayChuuk State.[2][3] Worn around a woman's hips, the fringed ends "meet together at the front and are then wrapped to one side and secured by a belt."[4] Among these Western Caroline Islanders, traditional loom weaving has been described as “highly developed” and weavers have long demonstrated “singular ingenuity and resourcefulness” in their work.[5][6] The skirts’ cultural significance “far exceeds their function simply as items of daily wear.”[7] The lava-lava is nothing less than a “highly condensed visual expression of social and economic relations, ritual affairs, and the aesthetic ideals of Micronesian society.”[8] In addition to being worn daily by all females who have reached womanhood in the atolls of the Western Caroline Island, the skirts are also used for investiture, initiation and the burial of local leaders.[9][10] While back-strap tension weaving of skirts remains a common practice in the Outer Islands of Yap in Micronesia, among migrants the practice is diminishing.[11]
Specially tailored linenlavalava which extend mid-calf, often with pockets and ties / buckles, are worn by men at special occasions or to church; these are always solid colors (in contrast to the bright patterns of everydaylava-lava) and are known assulu (Fijian),'ie faitaga (Samoan), ortupenu (Tongan). Similar ankle-length skirts form the lower half of the two-piece formal dress worn by Samoan and Tongan women (calledpuletasi andpuletaha, respectively). On special occasions the Tongantupenu andpuletaha are usually associated with a tapa cloth or waist-mat calledta'ovala and some Samoans still wear a tapa clothvala sash in similar fashion (though thevala is generally restricted to ceremonial / festive regalia of orators or people acting / dressing astaupou maidens andmanaia beaus). The formal, tailored linenlavalava styles of Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji originated with the Fijian noble Ratu SirLala Sukuna who introduced the buckledsulu to Fiji in 1920 following his military service and university education in Europe.
Loudly coloredlavalava made from materials such assatin,velvet,polyester, andsequins have recently been popularized among performance dance groups and village, church, or school-based choirs.
Theʻie faitaga is included as part ofAir New Zealand's future new staff uniform line-up designed by Emilia Wickstead and Te Rangitu Netana launching in 2025.[12]
In English, such garments are generically calledsarong, but that word is actuallyMalay, whereaslavalava is Samoan, being short forʻie lavalava (cloth that wraps around). Another common name for the Polynesian variety ispāreu (usually spelledpareo), which is theTahitian name.[13] In Tonga, the garment is calledtupenu. InNew Caledonia andWallis and Futuna, lavalava are calledmanou. A similar simple kind of clothing is thelap-lap worn inPapua New Guinea and theSouth Pacific, which is completely open at both sides.