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:
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:
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:
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.
I hope that helps shed some light on the subject :-)
Terry
1 World Sarongs
California, USA & Bali, Indonesia
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
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.
