5 Tropical Christmas Gift Ideas

Ho, ho, ho! It's that time of the year again to get festive and shop for your loved ones, are you cracking your head on yet another year of Christmas shopping list?

When it comes to beach fashion apparel, there’s no such thing as abundance especially when you get to gear up for your next holiday getaway. Be it for Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, lover or friends, get tropical with this year's X'mas presents and here are our top suggestions for you:

1) Merry Sarongs

We all know that the color red and green reminds us of that warm and loving Christmas season. Take your pick between our collection of red sarong or green sarong. These one piece fabrics are cool and practical because they are not only used for fashion style (dress,top,head wrap,skirt,etc) but also for home decoration (table cloth, blanket, curtain,etc)! PS: Don’t let the boys feel left out, do check out our men’s sarong collection.

2) Dresses for the Sun (and Moon?)

A reliable and comfortable dress is every woman’s need, wear it casually during the day or get fancy at night. Pick your favorite design from our dress collection and make sure your present is a right fit by referring to our size chart measurements!

3) Small and Meaningful Jewelry

They say that accessorizing is a way of expressing one's individuality and this is very true in the world of fashion. If you're thinking to get economical with little gifts, browse through our jewelry collection of earrings, necklaces, bangles, belts, rings, bracelet and more. And if you’re considering to get something unique, check out our Sarong ties.

4) Sparkle with Scarfs 

Our all time favorite choice for both men or women because you can rarely go wrong with it! Be it for a cold winter or to jazz up your style, scarfs or shawls are probably one of the most traditional gifts that has been given for generations.

5) Mambo in a Poncho 

Who says that ponchos can’t be cool? These babies are super comfy for everyday use and we're convinced that anyone who wears this would feel happy. Find something else that you might like from our beach cover up collection.

Be it at the beach or in the city, we hope that you have an amazing holiday season! Have fun shopping and don't forget to enjoy our Christmas Sale while you're at it!

Love,

1 World Sarongs Team

Get to Know your Sarong - The Batik Tools

So if you're well informed, you'll know that Batik is a traditional art medium and methodology for creating designs on cloth. It is a technique of applying wax to portions of the material and then dyeing it with colors, followed by removing the wax. We do realize that there's a lot of intricate craftsmanship being put into each sarong piece!

Now the question is, how exactly are they applying wax to the cloth? To answer this question, we'd like to introduce two traditional instruments in the art of Batik making - the Tjanting (Canting) and the Tjaps (Chops).

A 'Tjanting' is a hand drawing tool that functions as a wax pen. This ancient Javanese gadget is used to hold hot wax in a tiny copper bowl attached to a wooden handle. This gives an artist better control and precision when hand crafting batik pattern lines or dots onto a sarong material.

The 'Tjaps' are Batik stamps which are made of copper, where each stamp consist of patterns or designs that are cut out and shaped in detail. The tool is then dipped into wax and used to stamp onto the sarong material to get the best results of aligned and accurate repeat patterns or design borders.

As we continue to run about and meet all the amazing people behind the scenes while sourcing and researching for the best sarong selections, we also like to understand and share knowledge of the production processes as well as cultural references. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

Read more about 'What is Batik' or shop for an Indonesian Batik Cotton Sarong!

Inspired by The Sarong Girl: Dorothy Lamour

Island fashion is timeless. While most would think that sarong fashion is a modern trend in the Western world, you’d be surprised to find that the art of sarong wear has been around for decades and is a pop culture that never goes out of fashion.

We are so star struck by this beautiful American actress and singer from the 1930s. Her trademark image of the girl next door with exotic Polynesian features has contributed to her film career where she typically played most of her film roles clad in a sarong. “Lamour appeared in a sarong in 11 of those films, meaning that fully two-thirds of her roles during that ten-year span did not call for her to wrap herself in any manner of South Seas attire”.

The biggest impact of her Hollywood career would be her famous role as "Ulah" in classical film The Jungle Princess (1936). “She publicly burned a sarong, the skimpy South Seas garment with which she had been inseparably associated since her first starring role, in Paramount’s 1936 tropical romance The Jungle Princess (Wilhelm Thiele) (Head and Calistro, 67)”

Looking at these vintage photos, we find her to be very fitting and attractive in a sarong. It’s almost like that everlasting advertisement of all time to show what a sarong represents on a woman’s body. “There was something indelible about the connection between Lamour and her trademark garment: audiences seemed to remember her not for the variety of roles she played, but for those roles in which she appeared in a revealing sarong.”

This South Sea heroine is a reminder to our love and passion for Sarong fashion and as the saying goes, “You Can’t Go Wrong with a Sarong!”

So tell us, what do you think about this sarong beauty icon?

(Text source: http://sensesofcinema.com/2002/22/lamour and note: these images does not belong to us)

Keep Calm and Wear a Sarong

Shop for your sarong right away at www.1worldsarongs.com

You Design & You Shine: Beach Sarong Design Contest

Join our beach sarong design contest! Whether you’re an aspiring or experienced artist, submit your art and have a chance to:

• Win prizes
• Get exposure
• Gain credibility
• Expand your portfolio
• Support a sustainable cause
• Have future design opportunities
• See your designs put into production

This design contest is open to all artists - the more designs you submit, the more opportunity you have to win. So spread the word and tell your friends!

About us:

1 World Sarongs is an international brand based in Southern California, USA that’s been around for 15 years focused on sustainable fashion. If your designs are picked, you’ll be able to have this as a feather in your cap and gain international recognition! 

So what are you waiting for? Get in the game by submitting your sarong designs now! Contest starts now and ends December 30^th 2013.

How to enter:

Step 1: Stick to the theme ‘Floral Beach Sarong’ with a main audience of women ages 20-55 years old.

Step 2: Be inspired and design as many motif ideas as you'd like following the design parameters. All art work must be original and created by you (the contestant) with the right to assign copyright to 1 World Sarongs.

Step 3: Submit all your designs in JPEG/PDF format (High Resolution 300dpi). Make sure you name and describe each design idea. 

Step 4: Send your designs to style@1worldsarongs.com with email subject “1 World Sarongs Design Contest" along with the following details:

1. Full Name:
2. E-mail Address:
3. Mobile Number:

4. Country:

5. Website/Blog/Portfolio (if any):

Kindly ensure all your information is correct. We will send you a confirmation email that we received your submission (if you don’t get a confirmation, we didn’t get your email!).

Judging Criteria:

·         Unique

·         Beautiful

·        Wow Factor

·    Minimal & simplistic

·        Tropical Beach Island Style

·        Wearable Beach/Resort/Cruise Fashion

·         A short written description for each design (minimum 20 words)

Image Design Requirements:

• Maximum 5 colors
• View samples of floral sarongs to get ideas but be unique
• Submit your artwork with the following dimensions: 200 x 115 cm
  
• Design format should be in PSD or JPEG / PDF Files in High Resolution (minimum 300dpi)
• Winning designs will be produced with either hand screen print or batik stamp method. To get an idea on how sarongs will be made watch video here

What will the winners get?

• Contribution to a sustainable fashion brand
• Full credit for winning designs at 1WorldSarongs.com
• Your winning sarong design produced by us and shipped to your doorstep
• Cash vouchers worth up to $500 to redeem any of our products from 1 World Sarongs
• A golden opportunity to be commissioned by a worldwide recognized beach fashion brand to create more designs

Prize:

• 1^st prize – $500 cash voucher valid for 1WorldSarongs.com products + 5 finished sarong pieces of your very own designs
• 2^nd prize – $250 cash voucher valid for 1WorldSarongs.com products + 3 finished sarong pieces of your very own designs
• 3^rd prize – $100 cash voucher valid for 1WorldSarongs.com products + 2 finished sarong pieces of your very own designs
• Plus $50 cash voucher valid for 1WorldSarongs.com products per additional winning design

Contest Terms & Conditions:

·         By submitting your designs to 1WorldSarongs.com, you acknowledge that you assign to 1WorldSarongs.com the entire right, title, and interest in and to the copyright in your design and the right to further sublicense the design.

·    You acknowledge that the design you are assigning to 1WorldSarongs.com is your own original work, has not been previously published, and does not contain any trademarks, logos, copyrighted material, or any other intellectual property belonging to any third party.

·         If your design is selected, 1WorldSarongs.com may use your design in any manner on or in connection with the design, including but not limited to: making derivative works of the design, using the design on the 1WorldSarongs.com website and other affiliated websites and sales channels or promotional materials for 1WorldSarongs.com.

How Do We Make Sarongs? Discover: Screen Print and Batik Stamp Methods

Are you curious and want to know what goes on behind the scenes? 

Research and sourcing is a part of what we do to make sure that we deliver the best of the best sarongs to our customers. It helps us to give value to our products and appreciate the hard work of traditional craftsmanship.

So we've compiled some video snippets of what we've learned and really want to share this knowledge to all those who are passionate about our favorite island wear - Sarong.

Watch our video to discover these two hand made methods - Screen Print and Batik Stamp.


Got questions or comments? Leave your feedback and we'll be more than happy to answer!

Sarongs and Rewards and Capital One

Hope you're having a great summer.

Wow to my surprise when I was checking my credit card website I came across
this beautiful picture of a woman wearing a sarong. You know sarongs are
famous when your bank reward program features a sarong on its home page.

As most of you already know...the sarong is quickly becoming the modern
symbol for escaping to paradise!

Get the look of this sarong...check out our solid Yellow Sarong here at
http://www.1worldsarongs.com/sarong-kd-solid-yellow.html.

1 World Sarongs and First for Women reunite again!

1 World Sarongs is excited and honored that First for Women selected us again for their 6/6/2011 issue. Our beautiful hand painted embroidered floral sarong is shown in the traditional sarong dress style.

Don’t miss out on this lightweight gorgeous sarong. http://www.1worldsarongs.com/sarong-kd-emb-floral-10.html

Indonesian Batik Sarongs From 1 World Sarongs

You’ll love our new selection of "Indonesian Batik Print Cotton Sarongs". They are very soft to the touch with wonderful unique patterns and high quality cotton. These cotton sarongs are fantastic in so many ways...that’s why you’ll find Indonesians wearing their cotton sarongs every day. Plus, there is plenty of material to wrap yourself in too. These traditionally "Earth Toned" sarongs are originating from Java and Bali and are one of a kind "BATIK" style prints. They come in a large variety, (we are talking thousands of designs) and chances are there are no repeated patterns. That’s why we offer these as an assortment only. We're told that these sarongs are pre-owned which means they have already gone through the tough stage of breaking them in. To ensure the proper quality and designs, we select each sarong by hand. We choose the cotton sarongs based upon their design, quality and feel. After we select the sarong, it is thoroughly checked for defects and laundered. Please keep in mind that these sarongs are handmade. Therefore there will be variations in size color and design. Sarongs measures approximately 92" x 39" inches (2.38 x 1 meters) on fringeless cotton. Note, sarongs like these have many uses and can be used as a table cover, light blanket, material for making clothing, beach blanket, baby carrier, sheet or whatever your heart desires. To get more info about Indonesian Batik, click this link: Batik. Price is per sarong.

Re: Sarong Fabric?

Hi Maren,

Thanks so much for your question about our sarongs fabrics.

This is a question we hear quite often. To answer you question about the sarong fabric: "it varies".

Most of our sarongs are the lightweight top quality sarong rayon fabric with a thread count of 70/42 or 68/38.

These are denoted with a KD in the code. Such as SARONG-KD-SOLID-BLACK. Most of our sarongs are the lightweight sarong fabric and can be found throughout our website. Or you can do a search here:

http://www.1worldsarongs.com/kesabcowde.htm

Our other sarong fabric that we carry are the rayon fabric with a thread count of 80/60 which is a top quality heavier weight but still light enough to everyday wear. This sarong fabric has a PT in the code. For example SARONG-PT-DRAGON

We use rayon, first cause it drapes well. Second cause it breathes great. Third cause it feels wonderful and finally, it is affordable to most everyone. You can find some of our heavyweight sarongs by doing a search here:

http://www.1worldsarongs.com/pe1co.html

The sheerness of the fabric depends mostly on three things. First, the thread count (how thick the fabric is), secondly the color of the fabric (black sarongs are less sheer then white sarongs) and finally how bright is the light source. In general a lightweight sarong will in white will be more sheer and see through then say a black lightweight sarong. If you have a red bikini on and wear a white heavyweight sarong you will still be able to see the bikini, but just not as much.

For your question about cotton, yes we do have cotton sarongs. We usually offer the traditional Indonesian sarongs in cotton found at this link:

http://www.1worldsarongs.com/cottonsarongs.html

Cotton doesn't really drape well and is a higher cost so it's not the choice of fabric for sarongs. Cotton can be somewhat more durable and gives a feeling of breath ability but in our experience the rayon seems to flow and breath better.

Also we have a limited amount of Polyester sarongs. But because polyester is made from petroleum we try to stay away from it. The world has enough problems caused by petroleum. We don't need to encourage more consumption of this fabric.

Soon we will be offering silk sarongs. Of course silk sarongs are more expensive but silk sarongs offer the best of all worlds. Silk sarongs are lightweight, breathable, drape, travel well, and are durable. Silk sarongs are also the most environmentally friendly or "green". The silk worm being the source of silk, and it's food being leaves. Plus silk sarongs feel the best. We'll be looking forward to having a silk sarong section just as soon as we design and find the right ones for our customers.

http://www.1worldsarongs.com/sarong-silk.html

I hope that helps shed some light on the subject :-)

Terry

1 World Sarongs

California, USA & Bali, Indonesia

P.S. See our how to tie a sarongs instructions here at: http://www.1worldsarongs.com/howtotiesarong.html

On Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 12:28 PM, Maren M <mxxxxx@yahoocom> wrote:

To whom it may concern,

I fell in love with sarongs a long time ago, but have only ever purchased them in person. So, I have just a few questions. First, how sheer are the sarongs? Can you easily see what's underneath when standing in the sun? Second, do you carry any sarongs that are 100% cotton? And finally, is there a well explained, pictured instruction sheet for wrapping?

Sincerely,

Maren M

Sarongs for Men

Men in Sarong

Did you know that sarongs have been worn around the world by men for centuries? Believe it or not, men have worn sarong-like garments throughout the ages. For instance, kilts have been worn in Scotland and Ireland for hundreds of years also known as skirts for men. The Roman soldiers wore skirt-like garments into battle and the citizens adorned themselves with sarong-like wraps called “togas”. Polynesian men have worn sarongs for centuries, calling them pareos or lava lava’s or sulus. Today, we find it unusual to see a man in the West wearing a sarong, but in reality, men wear sarongs daily buy the millions around the world. Here in the West in countries like the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia and Europe, men are discovering that the sarong is the ultimate mens fashion apparel.

However, there are a lot of stigmas about men wearing sarongs in the media. When it comes to fashion for men, men are programmed from an early age that guys aren’t supposed to wear sarongs or skirts. Sarongs are for women and you’re less of a man if you put on a sarong. Well that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact it takes more of a man to wear a sarong and to stand up to any ridicule one may encounter. Guys who wear sarongs are stronger and more independent than men who are fearful of what others may think. So be a man, grab your sarong and be free!

As a man wearing a sarong you have the right to:

• Freedom of movement
• Comfort
• Manliness

Men who wear sarongs will tell you that sarongs are the most comfortable garment a guy can wear. Women will tell you that a man in a sarong is extremely sexy, to put it mildly. Plus, it makes sense for a man to wear a sarong. Just think about it, when it comes to men clothing, men have a lot more anatomy in certain places and a need to have some freedom without restriction if you catch our drift ;-)

Sarongs are perfect in hotter temperatures as well. That's why you'll see men wearing sarongs throughout most of Southeast Asia and Polynesia, where sarongs are worn by men as their daily attire. At 1 World Sarongs you'll find great quality sarongs for men at great prices with lots of designs to choose from. Sarongs have been worn by men for centuries, don't be fooled by the mass media and social programming, men’s sarongs are the ultimate fashion garment or beach wear for a guy today. Be a part of the men’s sarong revolution and get your sarong on!

Congratulations to Our Photo Contest Winner!

Congratulations to Kristi on winning our 1 World Sarong photo contest.

“I host an annual luau to which everyone comes dressed in Hawaiian garb, we eat Hawaiian food, listen to luau music, etc. I recently had a large luau at my house (70-75 people) and I wore a sarong from 1WorldSarongs.com. It was lovely and comfortable.”

If you would like a chance to win 5 FREE SARONGS just Wrap, Pose, Submit!

http://www.1worldsarongs.com/freesarongs.html

1 World Sarongs Featured in First for Women Magazine

Cover-ups That Make You Happy! Check out our lovely sarongs featured in First for Women Magazine August
16th, 2010 edition.
It is great to see sarongs growing in popularity and becoming a fashion
staple for the beach. Even movie stars like Denise Richards won't go to the
beach without a sarong now.
Check out our new editions at http://www.1worldsarongs.com/sarongs2010.html

Red Sarongs and Aston Martin Giveaway

1 World Sarongs supplied our Embroidered Red Sarongs for the Aston Martin give away contest at the Horseshoe Casino in Mississippi. The whole idea was to have the ladies wear our Embroidered Red Sarongs, but one of the sarongs had the words Aston Martin hidden in it. The contestants would then have to choose the lady with the Aston Martin sarong in order to win the car. This was a fun and unique way to give away a luxury car using sarongs!

Sarongs, beautiful models and a free Aston Martin...

Perfect combination for cruising to the beach :-)