A lavalava, also known as an 'ie, short for 'ie lavalava, is an article of daily clothing traditionally worn by Polynesians and other Oceanic peoples. It consists of a single rectangular cloth worn as a skirt. The term lavalava is both singular and plural in the Samoan language.
The lavalava 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-length lavalava while men's wraps often extend to the knee or mid-calf depending on the activity or occasion.
History
Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the Pacific Ocean, the most prestigious lavalava were made by wrapping the body in a 'ie toga with fine mats or siapo pounded from paper mulberry or wild hibiscus bark. The Samoans also created lavalava from traditional materials such as flower petals, leaves, feathers and seashells tied to a wrap-around backing of plaited plant fibers. Calico and loomed cotton cloth had largely replaced woven or barkcloth lavalava as articles of daily use. Samoan men who bear the pe'a body tattoo, as well as Samoan women who bear the malu leg tattoos often roll the waistband of the lavalava or tuck in the sides and rear portion of the lavalava to expose their tattoo during dance performances or ceremonial functions, a style referred to as agini.
Current forms
Specially tailored linen lavalava 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 and are known as sulu, 'ie faitaga, or tupenu. Similar ankle-length skirts form the lower half of the two-piece formal dress worn by Samoan and Tongan women. On special occasions the Tongantupenu and puletaha are usually associated with a tapa cloth or waist-mat called ta'ovala and some Samoans still wear a tapa cloth vala sash in similar fashion. The formal, tailored linen lavalava styles of Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji originated with the Fijian noble Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna who introduced the buckled sulu to Fiji in 1920 following his military service and university education in Europe. Loudly colored lavalava made from materials such as satin, velvet, polyester, and sequins have recently been popularized among performance dance groups and village, church, or school-based choirs.
Related names and garments
In English, such garments are generically called sarong, but that word is actually Malay, whereas lavalava is Samoan, being short for ʻie lavalava. Another common name for the Polynesian variety is pāreu, which is the Tahitian name. In New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna, lavalava are called "manou". A similar simple kind of clothing is the lap-lap worn in Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific, which is completely open at both sides.
