A sarong is a large rectangle of cloth — ours measure 210 x 115 cm before the tube seam — that you tie straight onto your body. No buttons, no zip, no size to pick. It is the simplest summer garment there is, and it is also the one that stops most men: you do not know how to put it on, so you do not buy it. Here are five ways to wear it, from the plainest to the most dressed-up. None takes more than thirty seconds once you have the movement.
1. The waist knot: the basic move
This is the beach knot you see all over Indonesia. It falls to the ankles and comes undone in a second when you want to swim.
- Hold the unfolded sarong behind you, one top corner in each hand, the cloth pulled taut across your back.
- Bring both corners round to the front, level with your navel.
- Cross them once, then tie them over each other like a shoelace, pulling at hip height rather than at the stomach.
- Tuck the loose points under the band of cloth.
Height is what matters: tied on the hips rather than on the belly, the sarong hangs straight and does not ride up as you walk.
2. The rolled waistband: the knot that holds
If you walk, play ball or step onto a boat, a plain knot will eventually slip. The rolled waistband solves it.
- Tie the waist knot described above, but leave it fairly loose.
- Take the top edge of the cloth all the way round your waist and roll it outward two or three turns, the way you roll the waistband of a pair of swim shorts.
- The roll traps the knot inside. It will not move for the rest of the day.
This is the version we recommend for a full day outdoors.
3. The long sarong, kain style
Worn long and close to the body, the sarong becomes evening wear. This is how men wear it in Java for ceremonies.
- Set the cloth across your back and bring both panels to the front, flat, one over the other, without tying.
- Pull the outer panel so the cloth follows the hips, then fold the excess inward to form two or three vertical pleats at the front.
- Hold it all with a narrow leather belt, or with the rolled edge from the previous method.
With a white linen shirt, that is a dinner outfit. The fluid drape of the cloth does the rest.
4. The short version, worn like shorts
For more active days, the sarong is worn above the knee.
- Fold the sarong in half lengthways before putting it on.
- Wrap it round your waist and make the rolled waistband.
- Adjust the length by sliding the roll up or down.
Doubled cloth holds better and does not turn see-through once wet.
5. Worn over the shoulder
A sarong is not only a lower garment. Thrown over one shoulder and knotted under the opposite arm, it works as a scarf in the evening when the temperature drops. Rolled and laid across the shoulders, it shields the back of the neck from the sun. It is also a towel, a spare sheet, an improvised curtain, and a bag when you knot the four corners together.
The three most common mistakes
Tying too high. A sarong knotted on the belly rides up and looks awkward. Drop the knot onto the hip.
Pulling too tight. The cloth has to slide a little as you walk, otherwise it creases and pulls. A firm but soft knot holds better than a strangled one.
Choosing cloth that is too light. A cheap beach pareo is see-through and clings to the skin. A dense viscose hangs straight, keeps its colour and stays opaque.
Care
Hand wash, or machine wash cold on a delicate cycle, without fabric softener. In the sun a sarong dries in minutes. Ironing on a medium setting, inside out, is enough to restore the drape. The colours of hand-painted batik set on the first wash, so wash it separately the first time.
Which sarong to choose
For a man, two things count: the size and the motif. A sarong needs to be at least 110 cm wide to hang properly on a man’s hip, and the motif has to stay readable once the cloth is pleated. Our mens sarongs are hand-painted in Java on premium viscose, woven denser than the usual tourist pareo. Every piece is unique.
See also our pareos, our kids pareos and our wall hangings.
What about the pareo?
The same fabric is worn by women and children under the name pareo: dress, bandeau, wrap skirt, beach trousers. The knots are different and we have collected them here: how to tie a pareo.
