Alap-lap is a waistcloth orloincloth worn inPapua New Guinea and theSouth Pacific. This item ofclothing has three parts: a front flap, a back flap, and athread to tie them around thewaist. The sides are generally open. How much is covered by the front and back flaps varies.
Related to the lap-lap is thelava-lava, which is an all-round rectangular cloth worn like akilt orskirt byPolynesians.
This description refers to the traditional, pre-colonial period, costume. The current usage is broader than this:'Laplap: a waistcloth, a loincloth, any cloth material or dry goods, a rag'.[1] It is a Fijian word that is also used in Western Melanesia.{op. cit., p. 120}
