View source for Sarong

{{Short description|Garment consisting of a length of fabric}}
{{for|Thai snack food|Sarong (food)}}
{{Cleanup lang|article|date=August 2021}}
[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Nederlandse militair in sarong TMnr 10029658.jpg|thumb|Dutch military personnel wearing sarong, 1949]]
[[File:Jungle trails and jungle people - travel, adventure and abservation in the Far East (1905) (14593378878).jpg|thumb|Three women wearing sarongs in 1905]]

A '''sarong''' or a '''sarung''' ({{IPA|ms|saˈroŋ}}, {{IPAc-en|s|ə|ˈ|r|ɒ|ŋ}}) is a large tube or length of [[textile|fabric]], often wrapped around the waist, worn in [[Southeast Asia]], [[South Asia]], [[Western Asia]], [[Northern Africa]], [[East Africa]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.selyn.lk/single-post/2016/02/25/Sarong-from-ancient-times-to-the-present|title=Selyn - Fair Trade Handlooms|website=Selyn - Fair Trade Handlooms|access-date=28 March 2018|archive-date=26 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226214211/https://www.selyn.lk/single-post/2016/02/25/Sarong-from-ancient-times-to-the-present|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[West Africa]], and on many [[Pacific island]]s. The fabric often employs woven [[plaid (pattern)|plaid]] or checkered patterns or may be brightly colored by means of [[batik]] or [[ikat]] [[dyeing]]. Many modern sarongs have [[printed]] designs, often depicting [[animal]]s or [[plant]]s. Different types of sarongs are worn in different places in the world, notably the [[lungi]] in the Indian subcontinent and the [[izaar]] in the Arabian Peninsula.

The unisex sarong is typically longer than the men's lungi.

==Etymology==
The term ''sarong'' is a loanword from [[Malay language|Malay]] {{lang|ms|sarong}} ({{langx|ms|label=[[Jawi alphabet|Jawi]]|{{Script|Jawi|ساروڠ}}|italic=unset}}, old spelling: {{Script|Jawi|سارڠ}}), meaning 'to cover' or 'to sheath'.<ref>{{Cite dictionary|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-60272783/view?partId=nla.obj-436289740#page/n395/mode/1up/search/sarong|title=sarong|dictionary=A Malay-English dictionary (romanised)|last=Wilkinson|first=Richard James|author-link=Richard James Wilkinson|publisher=Salavopoulos & Kinderlis|location=Mytilene|date=1932|volume=II|page=390}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=sarong|title=Sarong|publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper|date=2020|access-date=21 November 2020}}</ref> It was first used in 1834 referring to the skirt-like garment of the [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malays]]. ''Sarong'' is the older Malay spelling, still used colloquially and persists in English, while {{Lang|ms|sarung}} ({{IPA|ms|ˈsaruŋ|}}) is the standardised form of the word.<ref>{{cite dictionary |title=sarung|year=2017|dictionary=Kamus Dewan|publisher=Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Malaysia |url=https://prpm.dbp.gov.my/cari1?keyword=sarung}}</ref>

Variants of the term are found across Asia, such as [[Tamil language|Tamil]] {{transliteration|ta|saram}} ({{lang|ta|சாரம்|}}), [[Arabic language|Arabic]] {{transliteration|ar|ṣārūn}} ({{lang|ar|صارون}}); and [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]] {{transliteration|si|sarama}} ({{lang|si|සරම}}).

In West Africa, the word ''srong'' or ''sorong'' is found in the [[Akan language|Akan]] language, and this word means "the highest point", in reference to the garment being fastened at the very top in order to secure it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e6UTAAAAYAAJ&q=asante+fante+dictionary+nsrom|title=A Dictionary of the Asante and Fante Language Called Tshi (Chwee, Tw̌i): With a Grammatical Introduction and Appendices on the Geography of the Gold Coast and Other Subjects|first=Johann Gottlieb|last=Christaller|date=June 22, 1881|publisher=Evangelical Missionary Society|via=Google Books}}</ref>{{Dubious|reason=While the source may sow the meaning of similar words like 'srong' or 'sorong,' it does not claim that 'sarong' is derived from these words.|date=January 2025}}

== Overview ==
<gallery widths="200" heights="160">
COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Sarongweefster uit Bandoeng Java TMnr 10014439.jpg|[[Sundanese people|Sundanese]] sarong [[weaver (occupation)|weaver]] in [[Bandung]], [[West Java]], present-day [[Indonesia]], 1900–1940
Chau Doc textile.jpg|Sarung denotes a length of fabric as a [[garment]].
</gallery>

''Sarong'' or ''sarung'' denotes the lower garment worn by [[Southeast Asia]]n 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 the {{lang|id|kepala}} 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 the {{lang|id|kepala}} 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 people|Malay]] men wear sarongs woven in a check pattern, while women wear sarongs dyed in the [[batik]] method.  However, in [[Javanese people|Javanese culture]], the wearing of [[batik]] 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 a {{lang|id|[[kebaya]]}} blouse. [[Malay people|Malay]] men wear sarongs in public only when attending Friday prayers at the [[mosque]],{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} but sarongs remain very common casual wear at home for men of all ethnicities and religions in [[Brunei]], [[Indonesia]], [[Philippines]], [[Cambodia]], [[Malaysia]], [[Singapore]], [[#Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]], and much of the [[Indian subcontinent]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=manipur.Sports_and_Manipur.Indigenous_Games_between_Cambodia_and_Manipur |title=Singh, Atom Sunil; "Indigenous Games between Cambodia and Manipur: A Borderless Connectivity" |work=E-pao.net |access-date=2011-09-18}}</ref> (In the Indian subcontinent, excluding Sri Lanka, sarongs are sometimes known as ''[[mundu]]'' or ''[[lungi]]''.)

==Regional variations==
=== Arabian Peninsula ===
<gallery widths="200" heights="145">
Bayt al-Faqih market.jpg|[[Yemen]]i men in traditional ''Saroon''
Bait al-Faqih.jpg|[[Yemen]]i man tying his ''Saroon''. Sometimes people keep money or small utensils in the folds of the futah.
BronzeManNashqum.jpg|Bronze statue of a Yemeni man wearing a ''Saroon''
</gallery>

Sarongs known under a variety of local names are traditionally worn by the people of [[Yemen]] and elsewhere on the [[Arabian Peninsula]]. Local names for the garment include {{Transliteration|ar|ṣārūn}}, {{Transliteration|ar|fūṭah}}, ''[[izaar]]'', {{Transliteration|ar|wizār}}, ''maqtab'' and {{Transliteration|ar|maʿwaz}} (pl. {{Transliteration|ar|maʿāwiz}}). In [[Hadhramaut|Hadhramout]], [[Yemen]] sarongs are called '''Saroon''' ({{Langx|ar|صارون}} {{Transliteration|ar|ṣārūn}}) in the interior and the coastal region. In [[Oman]], sarongs are called {{Transliteration|ar|wizār}} and are often white in color, similar to the [[Kerala]]n ''[[mundu]]'' of the Indian subcontinent and it is usually worn under the [[Thawb]]. In [[Saudi Arabia]], sarongs are known as ''izaar''. Designs can be checkered or striped as well floral or [[Arabesque (Islamic art)|arabesque]], but double plaid (i.e., a vertical section of the {{Transliteration|ar|izār}} with a different plaid pattern) designs from [[Indonesia]] are also very popular. In southwestern Saudi Arabia, tribal groups have their own style of unstitched {{Transliteration|ar|izaar}}, which is locally woven. This is also worn in northern Yemen. However, the tribal groups in Yemen each have their own design for their {{Transliteration|ar|ṣārūn}}, the latter of which may include tassels and fringes. It is thought that this tribal {{Transliteration|ar|ṣārūn}} resembles the original {{Transliteration|ar|izaar}} as worn on the [[Arabian Peninsula]] since pre-Islamic times such as the [[Shendyt]]. They are generally worn open and unstitched in such a way that the garment does not reach over one's ankles. Other {{Transliteration|ar|izaars}}, often imported from Bangladesh, are the traditional clothing of [[Arab]] fishermen of the [[Persian Gulf]], the [[Indian Ocean]] and the [[Red Sea]]. It was the traditional garment for men before the introduction of pant-like pajamas and [[kaftan]]s during the Turkish and European colonial periods. Tube-stitched, as well as open sarongs, are both worn, even informal [[Thawb|dishdasha]]-wearing countries, as casual sleepwear and at home.

===Indian subcontinent===
{{Main article|Lungi}}
[[File:LungiBoypagne.jpg|thumb|[[Bangladesh]]i boy in a traditional [[lungi]].]]

Sarongs, very similar to those of South-East Asia and completely different from the Indian subcontinent (excluding Sri Lanka) are widespread – in the state of [[Manipur]], where they are called [[phanek]] and [[Mekhela chador|''mekhela'']] in [[Assam]] which are very similar to traditional attire of other South-East Asian nations. In the South [[India]]n states of [[Kerala]], they are called ''[[mundu]]'' (if fully white or fully black) and ''[[lungi]]'' or ''[[lungi|kaili]]'' if coloured, and in [[Tamil Nadu]], they are called ''[[lungi|kaili]]'' or ''[[lungi|saaram]]'' or ''[[veshti|vetti]]'' or ''[[lungi]]'' 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 (the ''mundu'') is more often plain white and is worn for ceremonial or religious purposes. In Kerala, the brightly coloured sarongs are called ''kaily'' and the white ones are called ''mundu''. The more formal, all-white [[dhoti]] is worn for formal and religious occasions. While there are dresses based on the ''mundu'' which can be worn by women, they more commonly wear the [[sari]].

==== Sri Lanka ====
Sarongs are very common in [[Sri Lanka]] and worn only by men. (A similar garment is worn by women. However, the women's garment is called ''redda'', 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, the [[Sri Lankan Tamils]] and the [[Sri Lankan Moors]] people also call it {{Transliteration|ta|saaram}} or {{Transliteration|ta|chaaram}}.

Statistically, the number of people wearing sarong as their primary public attire is on the decline in [[Sri 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.travelsrilanka.com/index.cfm?PAGE=1176 |title= Travelsrilanka - Seven Additional Uses for a Sarong - Sri Lanka|website=www.travelsrilanka.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007044002/http://www.travelsrilanka.com/index.cfm?PAGE=1176 |archive-date=October 7, 2007}}</ref> 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.

=== Horn of Africa ===
Sarongs are ubiquitous in [[Somalia]] and the [[Muslim]]-inhabited areas of the [[Horn of Africa]]. Although [[nomad]]ic and urban [[Somali people|Somali]] men have worn them for centuries in the form of a plain white [[skirt]], the colorful ''macawiis'' (ma'awiis) sarong, which is the most popular form of the garment in the region. Before the 1940s, most ''macawiis'' were made of [[cotton]]. However, since the industrialization of the market, they now come in many fabrics and combinations thereof, including [[polyester]], [[nylon]] and [[silk]].

Designs vary greatly and range from checkered square motifs with watermarked diamonds and [[plaid (pattern)|plaid]] to simple geometric lines. The one constant is that they tend to be quite colorful; black ''macawiis'' 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 a [[value-added]] service.

===Southeast Asia===
====Indonesia====
[[File:Sarungan.jpg|thumb|Javanese Muslim men in Indonesia wearing sarongs.]]
[[File:Formal Batik Sarongs worn by guards at Sultan's Parade, Yogyakarta.jpg|thumb|Formal batik sarongs worn by guards during [[Yogyakarta Sultanate|Sultan's]] parade in [[Yogyakarta]]]]

In [[Indonesia]] the sarong is generally known as a {{Lang|id|kain sarung}} ('sarong cloth') except for in [[Bali]] where it carries the name {{Lang|id|kamben}}, possibly etymologically related to ''[[kemben]]'' (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.<ref name="Gultom">{{Cite web|date=2014-04-26|first=Obbie Afri |last=Gultom|title=Indonesian Skirt : The Famous Indonesian Sarong|url=http://www.travelfoodfashion.com/indonesian-skirt-famous-indonesian-sarong/|access-date=2020-10-29|website=Eat,Travel and Style|language=en-US}}</ref> The sarong is also commonly described as a unisex tubular skirt.<ref name="JG-Sarong">{{Cite web|title=Jokowi Wants Indonesians to Wear Sarong at Least Once a Month|url=https://jakartaglobe.id/news/jokowi-wants-indonesians-to-wear-sarong-at-least-once-a-month|access-date=2020-10-29|date=5 March 2019|website=Jakarta Globe}}</ref>

The most common design of the Indonesian sarong is woven cloth with checkered motifs, usually used by [[Islam in Indonesia|Muslim men]] for [[salah]] 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 as [[batik]], [[ikat]], [[songket]], and other kinds of [[tenun]] traditional woven clothes. Sarongs are used by various [[ethnic groups in Indonesia]]. They are made from a variety of materials such as cotton, polyester or silk.<ref name="Gultom"/> Indonesian women wear traditional costumes called ''[[kebaya]]'' 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. President [[Joko Widodo]] said the sarong is a significant element of [[Indonesian culture]] and that wearing it will be a sign of appreciation for sarong craftsmen.<ref name="JG-Sarong"/>

====Malaysia====
In [[Malaysia]], the sarong is known as a {{Lang|zsm|kain}}. The word {{Lang|zsm|kain}} is paired with specific words to specify its type and function such as {{Lang|zsm|kain pelikat}} (a type of sarong with a simple stripe and box pattern), {{Lang|zsm|kain sarung}},<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5Te9LWyzQvYC&q=munshi+sarong&pg=PA85|title=The Malay Handloom Weavers: A Study of the Rise and Decline of Traditional Manufacture|first=Maznah|last=Mohamad|date=28 March 1996|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies|isbn=9789813016996|access-date=28 March 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref> {{Lang|zsm|kain tenun}} (woven sarong), {{Lang|zsm|kain batik}} (sarong with batik motifs and design, normally worn by women and paired with a [[kebaya]] or [[Baju Kurung]]) or {{Lang|zsm|kain samping}} or {{Lang|zsm|sampin}} (specialized sarong worn by men with [[Baju Melayu]]). In the Malaysian state of [[Sarawak]], it is called {{Lang|zsm|sabok}} (for men) and {{Lang|zsm|tapeh}} (for women).

Since 2017, special celebrations around [[Malaysia Day]] are held to encourage the wearing of sarong in public spaces as well as taking the railway system called the ''[[Keretapi Sarong]]'' ('Sarong Train').<ref>{{cite news |title=Organiser ready to cooperate with KKD to make 'Keretapi Sarong' part of National Month activity |url=https://www.bernama.com/en//news.php?id=2226403 |work=[[BERNAMA]] |date=17 September 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

====Philippines====
{{Main|Tapis (Philippine clothing){{!}}Tapis|Patadyong|Malong}} 	
Similar sarong-like native garments from the [[Philippines]] are generally known as ''[[Tapis (Philippine clothing)|tapis]]'' in [[Luzon]], ''alampay'' in the [[Igorot people|Cordilleran]] highlands, ''[[patadyong]]'' in the islands of [[Visayas]] and [[Sulu Archipelago|Sulu]], and ''[[malong]]'' in [[Mindanao]]. 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 as ''baro'' or ''bayu''.<ref>So, Michelle P. (17 April 20080. [http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2008/04/17/oped/michelle.p..so.caught.in.the.net.html "Caught in the Net: 'Tapis' cops"] (editorial column) ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420234456/http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2008/04/17/oped/michelle.p..so.caught.in.the.net.html |date=April 20, 2008 }}). ''Sun Star Cebu''.</ref><ref name="vinta">{{cite web |title=The Filipiniana Dress: The Rebirth of the Terno |url=https://www.vintato.com/blog/2019/5/14/the-filipiniana-dress-the-rebirth-of-the-terno |website=Vinta Gallery |access-date=19 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="coo">{{cite thesis |type=PhD |last=Coo|first=Stéphanie Marie R.|date=2014|url=https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01126974/document |title=Clothing and the colonial culture of appearances in nineteenth century Spanish Philippines (1820-1896)|publisher=Université Nice Sophia Antipolis}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Perdon |date=22 August 2013|first1=Renato |title=Muslim Filipinos: An Ethnic Ensemble |url=https://muntingnayon.com/102/102794/ |website=Munting Nayon |access-date=20 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="Kaino1995">{{cite book| author    = Lorna Kaino| title     = The Necessity of Craft: Development and Women's Craft Practices in the Asian-Pacific Region| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_bHWAAAAMAAJ| year=1995| publisher = University of Western Australia Press| isbn=978-1-875560-62-2| page=52}}</ref>

Among the [[Maranao people]], the ''malong'' is featured in the folk dance ''kapa malong malong'' which shows the various ways that the ''malong'' can be utilized.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kapa Malong-Malong |url=https://www.danceanddance.com/267/Dance_styles_review.php |website=DanceAndDance |access-date=14 July 2020}}</ref>

During the [[History of the Philippines (1565–1898)|Spanish colonial era]], the ''tapis'' was worn over a longer skirt (''saya'' or ''falda'') due to the shortness of the ''tapis'' 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, the ''[[baro't saya]]''.<ref name="coo"/><ref name="scott">{{cite book  | last = Scott  | first = William Henry  | author-link = William Henry Scott (historian) | title = Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society  | publisher = Ateneo de Manila University Press  | year = 1994  | location = Quezon City  | isbn = 971-550-135-4  }}</ref>

<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
File:Parangal Dance Co. performing Kappa Malong Malong at 14th AF-AFC 07.JPG|''Kapa malong malong'', a traditional [[Maranao people|Maranao]] dance featuring the many uses of the ''[[malong]]''
File:Spanish mestizo costume.jpg|[[French people|French]] illustration of a Spanish-Filipino ''[[Filipino Mestizos|mestizo]]'' couple c. 1846, showing the traditional way of wearing the ''tapis'' by women
File:Tube shirt (patadyong) from the Philippines, Sulu Archipelago, Honolulu Museum of Art .jpg|A ''patadyong'' from the [[Sulu Archipelago]] in the [[Honolulu Museum of Art]]
File:Skirt from northern Luzon, late 1990s, cotton, glass beads, plain weave, warp-faced, Honolulu Museum of Art.JPG|[[Igorot people|Cordilleran]] ''alampay'' in the [[Honolulu Museum of Art]]
File:Skirt from Bagobo, Mindanao, abacá (Musa textilis), Honolulu Museum of Art 7908.1.JPG|[[Bagobo people|Bagobo]] ''malong'' woven from [[abaca]] fiber
File:USAID Measuring Impact Conservation Enterprise Retrospective (Philippines; Kalahan Educational Foundation) (40246611432).jpg|''[[T'nalak]]'' textiles woven from [[abaca]] fiber
</gallery>

===Western world===
[[File:Voluptuous model on a boat. (6772371695).jpg|thumb|Woman wearing sarong over [[bikini]] at a beach.]]

In North and South America as well as Europe, hip wraps are worn as beach wear or as a cover-up over [[swimwear]]. The wrap is often made of a thin, light fabric, often [[rayon]], 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 or [[lavalava]] 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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-04-03 |title=men |url=http://1worlldsarongs.blogspot.co.id/2014/04/sarongsforwomen.html |access-date=2016-09-21 |website=Sarong Blog}}{{dead link|date=June 2023|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

==Securing==
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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://shawlovers.com/sarong/|title=Sarongs : A Journey Through Style and Function|date=15 July 2023 }}</ref> 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 a [[belt (clothing)|belt]] may be used to hold the sarong in place.

==Similar garments==
The basic garment known in English most often as a ''sarong'', sewn or unsewn, has analogs in many regions, where it shows variations in style and is known by different names.

* [[Africa]]
** In [[Madagascar]] it is called a [[Lamba (garment)|''lamba'']].
** In [[Malawi]] it is called a ''[[chitenje]]''.
** In [[Mauritius]] it is called a ''[[pareo]]''.
** In [[Mozambique]] it is called a ''[[capulana]]''.
** In [[Somalia]] and [[Djibouti]] it is called a [[w:so:macawiis|macawiis]] or, less commonly, ''hoosgunti''.
** Along the [[Swahili Coast]], it is called either a [[Kanga (African garment)|''kanga'']] (worn by African women), or a ''[[kikoy]]'', traditionally worn by men and used with much simpler designs, however, it is used more frequently in high fashion. ''Kangas'' are brightly coloured lengths of [[cotton]] that incorporate elaborate and artistic designs and usually include the printing of a Swahili proverb along the hem.
** In [[South Africa]] it is called a [[kanga (African garment)|''kikoi'']] and commonly used as a furniture throw or for going to the beach.
** In [[Zambia]] they are known as ''chitenge''.
* [[Brazil]]
** [[Kanga (African garment)|''Kangas'']] or {{Lang|pt|cangas}} are used in Brazil as swimwear by women. They are readily available at beaches and [[Littoral zone|littoral]] cities, but are also found in shops in the countryside for swimming in pools or rivers.
* [[Middle East]]
** In [[Saudi Arabia]], it is called {{Transliteration|ar|futa}} (Arabic: {{Lang|ar|فوطه}}).
** In [[Yemen]], it is called either {{Transliteration|ar|futa}} (Arabic: {{Lang|ar|فوطه}}) or {{Transliteration|ar|mewaz}} (Arabic: {{Lang|ar|معوز}}).
* [[Indian subcontinent]]
** In [[South India]] it is called a ''[[lungi]]''.  It is most often sewn into a large cylindrical shape, so there is no slit when the ''phanek'' or ''lungi'' is tied.
** In eastern India and [[Bangladesh]] it is known as a ''[[lungi]]''.
** In [[Northeastern India]] traditional clothing are the ''phanek'' in Manipur and ''[[mekhela]]'' in Assam which are very similar to the traditional attire of other South-East Asian nations.  
** In South India it is called {{Transliteration|ta|veetti}} in [[Tamil language|Tamil]], {{Transliteration|te|pancha}} in [[Telugu language|Telugu]], {{Transliteration|kn|panche}} in [[Kannada]], and ''[[mundu]]'' in [[Malayalam]].
** In the southernmost districts of Tamil Nadu, it is also known as {{Transliteration|ta|chaaram}}, possibly influenced from Sri Lanka from the trading days.
** In the [[Maldives]], and Indian state of [[Kerala]], it is known as a ''[[mundu]]'', ''feyli''<ref>[https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectid=549883&partid=1&output=Terms%2f!!%2fOR%2f!!%2f20585%2f!%2f%2f!%2fsarong%2f!%2f%2f!!%2f%2f!!!%2f&orig=%2fresearch%2fsearch_the_collection_database%2fadvanced_search.aspx&currentPage=1&numpages=10 Sarong], The British Museum</ref> or ''neriyathu''.
** In [[Punjab region|Punjab]] it is a called ''chadra''.
** In [[Sri Lanka]] it is called {{Lang|ta|saram}} in Tamil, and {{Transliteration|si|sarama}} in [[Sinhalese language|Sinhalese]].
* [[Southeast Asia]]
** In [[Cambodia]] សារុង /saaroŋ/<ref>{{Cite web |title=SEAlang Dictionary |url=http://www.sealang.net/khmer/search.pl?dict=khmer&hasFocus=orth&approx=&orth=%E1%9E%9F%E1%9E%B6%E1%9E%9A%E1%9E%BB%E1%9E%84&phone=&def=&anon=on&matchEntry=any&matchLength=word&matchPosition=any&source=&ety=&pos=&usage=&subject=&useTags=1 |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=www.sealang.net}}</ref> is used as an alternative to [[Sampot|សំពត់ /sɑmpʊət/]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=SEAlang Dictionary |url=http://www.sealang.net/khmer/search.pl?dict=khmer&hasFocus=orth&approx=&orth=%E1%9E%9F%E1%9F%86%E1%9E%96%E1%9E%8F%E1%9F%8B&phone=&def=&anon=on&matchEntry=any&matchLength=word&matchPosition=any&source=&ety=&pos=&usage=&subject=&useTags=1 |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=www.sealang.net}}</ref>
** In [[Indonesia]], it is generally known as {{lang|id|sarung}} or {{lang|id|kain sarung}}, but in larger extent in [[Languages of Indonesia|Indonesian languages]] it can be known as {{lang|id|cawat}}, {{lang|id|cindai}}, {{lang|jv|tapih}}, {{lang|ljp|[[Tapis (Indonesian weaving style)|tapis]]}}, {{lang|id|lunggi}}, {{lang|id|lurik}}, {{lang|id|pareo}}, {{lang|ljp|palepai}}, {{lang|jv|jarit}}, {{lang|jv|jarik}}, {{lang|jv|sinjang}}, {{lang|id|kampuh}}, {{lang|ban|poleng}}, {{lang|id|sindai}}, {{lang|id|selongsong}}, {{lang|jv|wiru}}, and {{lang|id|wiron}}.
** In [[Laos]] and [[Isan]] (northwestern Thailand), it is called a [[Sinh (clothing)|''sinh'']] ({{Langx|lo|ສິ້ນ}}, {{Langx|th|ซิ่น}}, {{Langx|khb|ᦉᦲᧃᧉ}}), as well as ''sarong''.
** In Malaysia it is known as a {{Lang|zsm|kain}}, {{Lang|zsm|kain pelikat}}, {{Lang|zsm|kain sarung}}, {{Lang|zsm|kain tenun}}, {{Lang|zsm|kain batik}}, or {{Lang|zsm|kain sampin}} (specialised sarong worn by men with [[Baju Melayu]]). In the Malaysian state of Sarawak, it is called {{Lang|zsm|sabok}} (for men) and {{Lang|zsm|tapeh}} (for women).
** In [[Myanmar]], it is known as a ''[[longyi]]''.
** In the [[Philippines]] it is generally known as ''[[malong]]'' (in [[Mindanao]]), ''[[patadyong]]'' (in [[Visayas]] and the [[Sulu Archipelago]]), and [[Tapis (Philippine clothing)|''tapis'']] (in [[Luzon]]). It can function as a skirt for both men and women, a [[turban]], [[niqab]], [[hijab]], a dress, a blanket, a sunshade, a bedsheet, a "dressing room", a hammock, a prayer mat, and other purposes. During the Spanish colonial period, it evolved into a distinctive outer covering of the skirt for the ''[[baro't saya]]''.<ref name="pfmftapis">{{cite web |title=Tapis |url=https://philippinefolklifemuseum.org/portfolio-items/tapis/ |website=Philippine Folklife Museum Foundation |access-date=19 February 2020}}</ref>
** In [[Thailand]], it is known as a {{Transliteration|th|pha khao ma}} ({{Langx|th|ผ้าขาวม้า}}) for men and a {{Transliteration|th|pha thung}} ({{Langx|th|ผ้าถุง}}) for women.
* [[Pacific Islands]]
** In [[New Zealand]], Māori know it as a Rāpaki
** In [[Fiji]] it is known as an {{Lang|fj|isulu}}.
** In [[Hawaii]] it is referred to as {{Lang|haw|kikepa}}.
** In [[Papua New Guinea]] the [[Tok Pisin]] term is ''[[lap-lap]]'' and it is worn by men and women. In the other lingua franca, [[Hiri Motu]], it is called {{Lang|ho|rami}}. 
** In [[Rotuma]], it is known as a {{Lang|rtm|hạ' fạli}}''.''
** In [[Samoa]] it is known as a [[lavalava]] (also {{Lang|sm|lava-lava}}).
** In [[Tahiti]] and [[Cook Islands]] it is known as a [[pareo|''pāreu'']].
** In [[Tonga]] it is known as ''[[tupenu]]''.
** In [[Wallis and Futuna]] it is known as ''kie''.

<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
Image:Khmer Traditional Dancing.jpg|A traditional [[Khmer dancer]] wearing a sampot in [[Cambodia]]
File:Coffee Bean Batik sarong, Indonesia.jpg|The ''[[batik]]'' sarong in [[Overlapping circles grid|"Kawung" pattern]], [[Java]], Indonesia
File:Fabián de la Rosa - Filipina.jpg|The ''[[Tapis (Philippine clothing)|tapis]]'' of the traditional colonial [[Filipino people|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<ref name="coo"/><ref name="pfmf">{{cite web |title=Baro't Saya |url=https://philippinefolklifemuseum.org/portfolio-items/barot-saya/ |website=Philippine Folklife Museum Foundation |access-date=19 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="scott"/>
File:KITLV - 158790 - Kurkdjian - Sourabaia-Java - Women in sarong (sarung) and kebaya at the entrance of a house in a village in the Minahasa - circa 1900.tiff|A group of local women wearing sarong and ''[[kebaya]]'' at the entrance of traditional house in a village at [[Minahasa Regency|Minahasa]], [[North Sulawesi]], [[Indonesia]] {{circa}} 1900
Image:Pareu haka.jpg|Polynesian [[Hiva Oa]] dancers dressed in pāreu around 1909
</gallery>

==In the media==
The American public is most familiar with the sarong for the dozens of [[film]]s 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 by [[Edith Head]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2021}}  Lamour starred in multiple films of this genre, starting with ''[[The Hurricane (1937 film)|The 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|date=August 2021}}  Among the other actresses to don the sarong for film roles are [[Maria Montez]], [[Gilda Gray]], [[Myrna Loy]], [[Gene Tierney]], [[Frances Farmer]] and [[Movita]].  Male stars who wore the manly sarongs on film include [[Jon Hall (actor)|Jon Hall]], [[Ray Milland]], [[Tyrone Power]], [[Robert Preston (actor)|Robert Preston]] and [[Sabu Dastagir]], as well as [[Ralph Fiennes]] in ''[[The Constant Gardener (film)|The Constant Gardener]]'' and Pierce Brosnan in ''[[The Thomas Crown Affair (1999 film)|The Thomas Crown Affair]]''.

The 2005 documentary film ''Soldiers in Sarong'', directed by Lokendra Arambam, depicts the women's resistance movement in [[Manipur|Manipur, North-East India]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1156/Soldiers-in-Sarong |title=Soldiers in Sarong directed by Lokendra Arambam |work=Cultureunplugged.com |access-date=2011-09-18}}</ref> The 2020 Indonesian film ''[[:id:Tarung Sarung|Tarung Sarung]]'' depicts a martial arts tradition where combatants are joined together by the garment.

In Singapore, the term ''[[Sarong 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.

== See also ==
{{Portal|Fashion|Indonesia|Malaysia|Singapore}}
* [[Dhoti]]
* [[Izaar]]
* [[Lungi]]
* [[Malong]]
* [[Mundu]]
* [[Patadyong]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Sarongs|lcfirst=yes}}
* {{Wiktionary inline}}

{{Clothing}}
{{Indonesian clothing}}
{{Malaysian clothing}}
{{Sri Lankan clothing}}
{{Clothing in South Asia}}

[[Category:History of fashion]]
[[Category:History of Asian clothing]]
[[Category:History of Oceanian clothing]]
[[Category:Indonesian clothing]]
[[Category:Malay clothing]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan clothing]]
[[Category:Skirts]]
[[Category:Yemeni clothing]]
[[Category:Men's clothing]]