How to Layer Up for Fall

The warm and cozy weather of Fall is a great time to fall in love again. It's a contemplative season of change and a beautiful reminder for us to learn to let go. As we ease away from Summer to welcome colder days and feel the chilly breeze on skin, it's time to enjoy the art of layering. Take out your favorite texture, print and pattern materials, the best season to get dressed with a touch of creativity is here. Layering is one of the best ways to get dressed and it works for both men and women plus all body types and shapes. Using scarves or sarongs, anyone from all walks of life can have fun with the freedom of layering. From inner, middle and outer layer, you can style your scarves in so many different ways to match your mood for the season.

Want to have fun layering up with scarves? Too easy! You can also layer with sarongs if you want more fabric to experiment with. We have compiled scarf looks we love so you get 10 easy ideas to pull off this season:

1) Classy Neck-Kerchief

Gentle and pretty, a simple knot and bow around the neck works with any outfit be it pants or skirt or dress.

 2) Waist Belt

Not only do you get to wear the coolest belt in town but you get to define your waist line and have an outfit that flatters your body line.

3) Turbanista Head Wrap

Inspired by the great mamas of African culture, the turban look is great for bad hair days or for cold windy days to keep your scalp and head warm wrapped up in your favorite scarf fabric and print.

4) The Neck Loop

Get Kim Kardashian's scarf look here

Black is always a good idea. Shop here.

This style literally takes 2 seconds of your life to look amazing! From casual to night wear, the neck loop works with jeans or a pretty dress or whatever your heart pleases.

5) Throw Over Shawl

Find men scarves here

Guys! Tuck any colored scarves into your coat or jacket for that extra warmth. Be it at the movies or when you're out taking an evening stroll, this relaxed look is also a great way flaunt your favorite scarf designs. 

6) DIY Casual Top

Turn your scarves or half sarong or full sarong to a one of a kind top matched with jeans or pants. Whether it's a tube or toga or halter style, put on a belt for more definition and to keep your scarf top in place. 

7) Statement Neck Warmer

Image via Man Repeller

From the smallest to bigger fabric, this neck warmer style works best with loud and vibrant prints. If you were thinking to throw out your grandma's scarf, think again! Vintage patterns work wonders with this style. 

8) Hat Decor

If you been wearing your hat far too often these days, switch it up and make it as if it's a brand new hat by tying your favorite scarves around it. The flowy touch to your hat will make you look so glamorous!

9) Cool Sash

Image via Man Repeller

This effortless style is great for lazy weekends or for a quick run to the grocery store with your family. It keeps you warm and makes you look fashionable without even trying hard. 

10) Comfy Blanket Scarf

Some days the wind gets really cold and all we really want to do is to stay in bed. With the blanket scarf, you get to move around with so much comfort and ease as though you're tucked in bed. How amazing is that?

You know what they always say, scarves NEVER goes out of style, no matter what print and patterns you may own you can only always count on your scarves to be there for you through thick and thin. They are amazingly versatile and functional plus you get to use your imagination and use creativity to find your own style. Give these looks a try and let us know how it worked out for you. 

May you and your loved ones have a blessed and beautiful Fall. No better time to get cozy and cuddle up!

So much love,

1 World Family

Postcards from Rachel: Ubud, Bali

Bali is a magical island that needs no introduction. They call it the 'island of Gods' which can only be felt and understood once you travel there and experience it on your own. If you want to dive deeper into the culture and spirituality of Bali, Ubud would be a good destination to start with. Famous from the movie 'Eat, Pray, Love', there's something really mystical about this little town. Maybe the fact that it's located at 200m above sea level that brings this natural sense of relaxation. I have once read somewhere that mountains are attributed to a high vibratory frequency which is why a lot of sacred temples and monasteries of the world can be found on higher altitudes. I am not sure if it's a proven theory but I can validate that theory by how I feel when I am high up on the mountains. 

If you ever get a chance to travel to Ubud, you must take time to discover the beautiful houses and villas tucked away in an oasis of greenery. Recently I packed my bikini, sarong and a good book for a weekend retreat to indulge in tranquility by the pool at Ubud Mana, located in a quaint village called Penestanan. With the sound of nature, swimming in a natural salt pool, it was all so serene and peaceful. With a beautiful weekend spent revitalizing for the week ahead, I am reminded about the simplest things in life we take for granted - gratitude. I believe it's important to make time for the Self to reflect and observe your thoughts and emotions after a week of productivity. If you need suggestions on where to go in Ubud town, just get in touch and I'll point you to the right directions. Namaste!

Spooky Sarong Tricks for a Killer Halloween

Planning a do-it-yourself kind of Halloween? Look no further. With just a couple of sarongs, you get to be the coolest kid on the block. If you want to be different for this holiday season in the most affordable and easiest way possible, you are in for a treat. From costumes to decor ideas, here are sarong tricks and spooky ways you need to know for Halloween:

1) Get Your Capes On

The easiest costume to pull off with any colored sarong. You can use capes and cloaks for so many different types of scary costumes such as a witch, vampire, dead superhero, fairy, zombie, magician, elf and so much more.

2) My Sarong Brings all Ghosts to the Yard

Want to have the spookiest yard in the neighborhood? Flowy and drapey, there's no better way to create ghost and spirit like formations than with white sarongs. Be it indoor or outdoor, you can turn scary characters to live with a dash of imagination. For an even cooler effect, put some fairy lights into the fillings so your characters can shine boo-tifully at night.

3) Light it Up

When night falls, create an eerie effect with dimmed lighting. Using a white or yellow light bulb, you can cover any light source with a white, red, green or any suitable sarong color to set a dark and haunting kind of mood.

4) That Creepy Table

Be it black, orange or dark purple - throw a solid color sarong over any table to create a Halloween themed dining area for your friends and family. Use cool party props to accessorize and give your table setting an edge.

5) Animal Spirit

From Caveman, Tarzan to Cat Woman and whatever your mind imagines, bring out your wild and feisty persona by dressing up with animal print costumes.

6) Horrific Photo Booths

Capture the moments by setting up a photo booth for your Halloween parties. Using sarong colors like red, black or white as a back drop together with any scary props, your friends and family get to have fun and take awesome photos dressed in their costumes.

What do you think? If you have any more sarong tricks and want to share your ideas, we would love to hear from you!

Have a Spooktacular Hallooween, folks!

- 1 World Family

*All photos are sourced from Pinterest

Burning Man Costume Ideas

When it comes to one of the most unique and talked about art festival in the USA, people from all across the world travel to Black Rock City in Nevada for a once in a life time experience. If there's anything that inspires us in life is the freedom to experiment and imagine. Knowing that sarongs are being used as a fashion essential for creative festival costumes gets us excited! We all know that people have been using sarongs for centuries and we're really loving the trendiness and imagination of these modern times exhibited during Burning Man.

From fantasy characters to native warriors to pure nudity, a sarong has been used to style and protect festival goers from over exposure of sun and plus when people are camping out and dancing all day and night in the desert, sarongs are great to help keep the dust away from the eyes and hair. Some use them as a carrier to store their belongings as they dance till the sun comes up. Then when their feet gets tired, they lay their sarongs on the ground to rest and cuddle with their loved ones, listening to the sound of music echoing from a distance as the day light shines on their skin.

"A city in the desert. A culture of possibility. A network of dreamers and doers"

We were browsing a bunch of images from past festivals and couldn't help but admire how beautiful festival outfits can be. If you're going or planning to head to this amazing festival anytime soon, get yourself some sarongs and let your creativity do the work. Not only are they an affordable alternative than say renting costumes, but you get to have a little DIY project which can be therapeutic. Besides, Burning Man is all about art friendliness! Here are our favorite looks to inspire your next festival costume using your sarongs:

1) Use short sarongs as a neck or mouth cover for those windy days at the desert

2) Who would have thought head scarves could make a cool costume complete? 

3) Be it man or woman, the good ol' hip cover up style works with any man sarong or sheer sarong matched with bikinis and stack up a bunch of accessories.

4) Flowy, soft and silky sarongs to get in the mood for those twirling dance moves and breezy days

5) Layer up any sequined or colorful sarongs to make your favorite fantasy characters come to live

6) Guys, if you're lazy to think and want to whip up an easy costume in seconds, you'll find sarongs to be your best bet.

7) From bohemian tents to a sailing ship, sarongs give plenty of fabric for the imagination to run wild. How about bold animal prints for a quick and easy costume?

8) Go white with any rayon or sheer material to create a vintage or fairy or gypsy vibe. Whatever your heart desires, you can never go wrong with a white sarong!

Thank you to all Burners who have inspired us with your mind blowing festival outfits, we're looking forward to see what's in line this year! You can find out more about this magical festival here.

*Photos via Pinterest

April X 1WS

The beautiful April from Ms Muffin is my Lovers did a video showing her viewers all the different ways she ties her sarongs! She shows some great ways to get a cute and comfortable summer look. Want to get her look? Use code shopmuffin to get 10% off your order along with free shipping!

Postcards from Rachel: Slovenia

I wanted to dedicate my first post to the beautiful country of Slovenia in Central Europe. I was blessed enough to be able to visit the gorgeous Lake Bled in the Julian Alps. This is an amazing tourist destination located in the town Bled that has been there for a thousand years! Interesting fact: on the island in the middle of the lake, the ancient Slavs worshiped Ziva, the goddess of love and fertility. There's some great info here and here if you are interested in visiting this beautiful place.

 

Must Watch Videos to Learn How to Tie A Sarong (for Women)

1. ‘7 New Ways to Tie Your Sarong This Weekend’ by PopSugar

Fresh styles for the weekend for those who want to explore both short and long sarong styles. Modeled by Allison Mcnamara, our favorite style is the dress with a little bit of waist definition that is really flattering to the body. For those who like shorter styles, you can turn your full sized sarongs to a short skirt.

Using a combination of fringeless and solid color sarong followed by a patterned and fringed sarong, we also like the harem jumpsuit look especially that added detail of having the fringe or tassels hang loose in front, it’s so cute!

*Get the look here:

• Fringe-less orange sarong
• Fringed blue sarong

2) ‘10 Simple Ways to Tie a Sarong’ by Harper’s Bazaar

True enough when they say, 'you'll never look at a single piece of cloth the same way'. Firstly, we got to compliment the quality of production because we totally love the mood and feel throughout this tutorial, it’s so chic and cool.

Our favorite sarong style is the ‘chic cape’ which is a long kimono that makes a lovely swimsuit cover when you’re strolling by the pool at a resort. A second sarong style to pay attention to because it’s unique and not many people have thought about it, turning your favorite sarongs to a crop top. Wear it with a bathing suit or a pair of shorts or long pants after having a day out in the beach. We also like that they demonstrated and eye catching and tasteful range of color palettes to show how you can match your swimsuit colors with different sarong colors and patterns.

*Get the look here:

• Fringe-less grey sarong
• Abstract sarongs

3) ‘Tie a Pareu’ by The Coconet TV

This video makes us want to book a ticket to Hawaii like yesterday! We love the angle of seeing a modern Polynesian woman sharing a staple part of an Island woman’s wardrobe which is the Pareu aka. lavalava aka. sarong. The best thing about this video (besides the beautiful Hawaiian music and setting!) is they show how to tie sarong styles using sarong ties. It's the perfect fashion accessory to pair with your sarongs so you can tie and secure your sarongs easily.

*Get the look with our collection:

• Hawaiian sarongs
• Fringe-less sarongs.

4) '12 Sexiest Ways to Tie a Sarong' by Cosmopolitan

‘No other single piece of clothing allows you to transform your look in so many ways.’ That is exactly what they try to show in the video. Our favorite is the number 10 style, where you have a one shoulder long or short sarong dress. Depending on your body type, this style may be suitable for certain body types and not others, it’s really all about experimenting and trying it out to see what works for you.

Sheer sarongs are sexy, sensual and feels heavenly on your skin. We love that they used an ocean inspired color sarong for this tutorial with a combination of blue, green and turquoise.

*Get the look here at a great value price:

• Sheer sarong black
• Sheer white
• Short sarongs

5) 'Traveler Obsession: 3 Sarongs, 3 Ways' by Condé Nast Traveler

Short, easy and straight forward tutorial to demonstrate how 'a beach cover up can become a surprisingly sophisticated piece if you know how to knot it'. Our favorite is the second style which is a halter style knee length short dress. It’s very flattering for those who want that extra boost on the chest and not to mention refine one's body shape by tying a knot around the waist.

Above all, we are really obsessed by the way she used a larger sized sarong and tie dye pattern to demonstrate the sarong styles. It's all 'about that dynamism: the beauty of a great sarong is in the creativity it affords you'.

*Get the look here:

• Tie dye sarongs
• Plus size sarongs

6) 'Trendy Sarong Styles' by Brisa G. A. Silva 

Made in Brazil which got us day dreaming about the beaches of Rio de Janeiro and samba music of Carnival. We have to admit our Portugese vocabulary is as good as 'Oi' and 'Caipirinha', so we're using our body language to put our hands together for these awesome tutorials.

We are very impressed by this beautiful Brazilian woman who really knows how to style her sarong. We can learn a lot from her and so if you're looking for something unique and truly creative, you got to check her out on Instagram. Thank you and obrigada, @brisagasilva!

The possibilities are truly endless and it makes us very happy to see more and more creative videos being made by fellow sarong lovers from all around the world. If you're looking for more ideas, follow our weekly updates here:

10 Inspirational Quotes for Earth Day

Happy Earth Day, folks! If you don't know by now, Earth Day falls on April 22 this year and we fully support a movement that continues to cultivate ideas and inspire humanity to action. We believe that Earth Day is more than just a day, it's a long term commitment and the values we have should be more than just words. The challenge is to transmit thoughts into action and to remind ourselves that sustainability is more than just an idea, it is a way of life.

Our passion and love for Mother Earth is nothing new and we would like to share our 10 favorite and powerful quotes for Earth Day:

1. "Trees are Earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven." - Rabindranath Tagore


2. "The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope. The earth is what we all have in common." - Wendell Berry


3. "The truth is: the natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water and air. It is the most precious thing we have and we need to defend it." - David Attenborough


4. "Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left." - Aldo Leopold


5. "We cannot hope to create a sustainable culture with any but sustainable souls." - Derrick Jensen


6. "There's no doomsday scheme made specifically for mankind, only higher agenda and priority than human race preservation." - Toba Beta


7. "Having the right priorities in a wrong world will humble you with a journey that only love can sustain." - Bryant McGill


8. "No one is an environmentalist by birth. It is only your path, your life, your travels that awaken you". - Yann Arthus-Bertrand


9. "Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations." - Earl Nightingale


10. "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed." - Mahatma Gandhi

What are some of your favorite quotes?

Love,

1 World Family

Sarong Material: Opacity

When it comes our sarong fabric, we get a lot of this question: 'is this material see through?' We want to talk about opacity and help our customers understand the level of transparency when it comes to sarong fabrics. Most of our sarongs are the 'lightweight' top quality sarong rayon fabric and can be found throughout our store. 

We choose lightweight fabrics because they are easier to drape and tie. The lighter a sarong, the better it falls freely and gracefully on your body. The more breathable a sarong, the more wonderful it feels during those warm and breezy summer days. Not to mention the softer it feels on your skin! Some customers may ask, what is lightweight? 

To answer your question: No, our sarongs are not see through but are light weight and thinner and can allow more light to pass through. The opacity of a sarong fabric is dependent on the thread count, which is the number of threads woven into one square inch of fabric. The higher thread count there is the thicker a fabric is. We carry two styles and the best way to know the difference is in the code.

Most of our sarongs are the lightweight top quality rayon 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'. 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'.

Higher Opacity and More Coverage

Here are a few tips and tricks when it comes to sarong materials:

1) Pattern and Prints

If you like more opacity with sarong fabrics, we suggest pattern print sarongs for that extra opacity. The prints can help create an 'illusion' to 'blur' the edges of your body curves. The attention of the fabric will go to the beautiful patterns and not your body. 

2) Color Shades

The color of the fabric can also affect the opacity of a fabric. Darker color shade of sarongs are less see through than lighter colors. For example, a white sarong would be more see through than a black sarong under direct sun light. 

3) Thicker Fabric

Remember, it's all about thread counts! Try heavier materials like our cotton sarongs that are less see through than lightweight sarong fabrics like rayon. 

Check out our FAQ if you want more information. Next up.. we're going to talk about the sheerness of our other lightweight sarong fabric, sheer sarongs. Stay tuned!