Sarong Simplicity
A simple piece of fabric, which lent itself to being tied in multiple ways, served as the foundation for the most ancient pieces of clothing. In India, women have worn saris for thousands of years. In ancient Greece, women and men wore togas. In ancient Rome, women added a second piece of fabric to the outside of their toga, and this was called a stola. And in Hawaii and Tahiti, women wore sarongs as their daily outfit up until 100 years ago.
Although almost every culture has worn different kinds of beautifully tied and layered fabric, it all originated from the same thing: a simple piece of square fabric with no buttons, zippers or even print. Much like the people of these ancient cultures, you can see modern women at the beach wearing the same type of garment; only we know the sarong simply as the utilitarian beach cover-up.
What I love about beach cover-ups is that you can wear them in so many different ways, whether you are at the pool or on a sandy beach lazing the day away. This season’s beach cover-ups, which are made from different types of fabrics, come in all shades and often feature exciting and colorful patterns.
But they need not only be worn tied around the waist. Longer ones can be tied to look like breezy maxi-dresses. Shorter ones can be assembled to look like a knee-length skirt. Finally, medium sized ones can be tied at the waist and worn long like a maxi skirt.
For the summer of 2015, designers are redefining the notion of beach cover-ups altogether. This summer, you will find cover-ups that have been delicately crocheted, others that are gauzy with vibrant tropical prints; or they can be found in traditional florals, and even mesh for those not worried about getting too much sun.
Several designers have gone even further and are making beach cover-ups that could almost double as sundresses. Other designers are turning cover-ups into ponchos. My favorite cover-up this season looks as if it was borrowed from an ancient Egyptian princess. Designed to look a little like a maxi skirt, the fabric hangs in various flowing sections from a brightly embellished waistband decorated with beading and embroidery.
Of course, even amid all of the embellishments and new designs, there are still plenty of practical and no-fuss beach cover-ups available. These should be staples of every woman's summer wardrobe because they wash and dry in minutes, can be dressed up or dressed down, belted, tied and worn short or long. But the best part is they can stand up to sea and sand and have the ability to be tucked away to take up little room in a suitcase. Viva la sarong!
