Sarong Fabrics: Rayon, Cotton, Polyester or Silk: PART 2 COTTON

We've once talked about our first choice of fabric being rayon sarongs. Next, we want to talk about the most popular traditionally used sarong material – cotton fabric.  Various cultures in South East Asia used cotton sarongs also known as “Batik” for their traditional women attire known as “kebaya”. The combination of a "kebaya" top and batik sarongs are historically worn by women in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Burma, Singapore, southern Thailand, Cambodia and the southern part of the Philippines. 

Baba nyonya Kebaya traditional attire for women in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei (Image via Pinterest)

Kebaya style women seen in Bali culture (Image via Pinterest)

..before that, what is Cotton? Cotton is a white, natural fiber cultivated from the seeds of cotton plants, they are made in threads and used to make soft, breathable-like textile when it comes to fashion. 

Cotton plants (Image via agrodaily.com)

If you’re a big fan of soft, fluffy and comfy wraps, then cotton sarongs are perfect for you. And why would you choose cotton Sarong over other fabrics? Well, they make a great beach wrap if you like the exotic look and makes an ideal wrap for windy days at the beach. Batiks are handmade via batik stamp or hand stamp and so each batik sarong is a unique piece of its own! We feel that it makes a great picnic mat too, its durable fabric makes it easy to lay out in the sun and you can even get the whole family in because our traditional sarongs comes in a larger size of (74 x 42 inches) compared to our regular sarongs that are usually measured (66 x 44 inches).  

Traditional Batik Wraps by 1 World Sarongs

If you like to think out of the box, try using your cotton sarong for home ware such as curtain drapes, table cloth cover, bed throw and so much more. Have you ever thought about using your cotton sarong at home? That aside, we always feel that sarongs make a great travel companion because they are so reliable in all situations. We think that cotton sarongs would work great as your temporary travel bed sheet (soft on your skin!), a portable blanket (nice, thick and warm!) and a towel (the fabric absorbs water very well!).

Not to mention, cotton sarongs can be worn and used for all seasons – be it spring, summer, fall or winter! Some of customers use their cotton sarongs to wrap up their necks, head or shoulders for the cold season. Some even take it with them on date night at the movies when it gets chilly with air conditioning. Cotton is thick and solid enough to keep you warm than say polyester or rayon fabric.

By the way, have you ever wondered where does Cotton grow? Cotton is usually harvested in warm climates and some of the main producers in the world are countries like the U.S., Uzbekistan, China , India, Brazil, Pakistan and Turkey.

Image via thehindu.com

Fun Facts about Cotton:

• Absorbs up to 27 times its own weight in water
• Has a comfortable, soft hand
• Easy to wash
• Is durable and strong
• Conducts heat well
• Resists graze & chemicals impacts
• Resists pilling and moths
• Easy to handle and sew

How to care for your cotton sarong?

• Do not overexpose your cotton sarong under the sun for longer durability.
• Due to its low resiliency, after a quick wash, avoid squeezing it dry for fewer wrinkles on fabric.
• Keep your cotton sarong washed with the same color clothing to avoid color spill over.
• Do not use hot water, stick to cold wash

We also got a cool tip to share, how can you tell if our sarong is made of cotton or other fabric?Scrape the fabric with your finger nail and if the threads separate, then the fabric that you have might be low grade cotton or mixed material because good cotton sarongs won’t separate that easily.

Cotton sarong by 1 World Sarongs

In a nutshell, why do we use more of rayon sarongs than cotton fabric? Well, cotton as sarongs doesn't really drape as well as rayon and they are higher in cost and since we try to run our business with sustainable practices, we want to be efficient and would rather produce more with rayon material than cotton.  While cotton can be more durable and gives a feeling of breath-ability but in our experience, rayon seems to flow better on a body and have more breath-ability which makes it great for the tropical weather. Plus, it's allows us to offer you fair prices and good quality sarongs at the same time, which is why it’s our primary choice of sarong fabric. That doesn't mean we don't ADORE our cozy cotton sarongs though!

Up next, we’ll be talking about polyester sarongs in Part 3. Stay tuned and if you have any questions or feedback that might help us in our research, please leave us a comment below:

Peace & Love,

The 1 World Family

How to Wear a Sarong as a Scarf

Images via Pinterest

Do you like to wear your sarongs all year round? 

Seasons may change but sarongs are eternal. For this fall, learn how to turn your summer beach cover up to a head or neck wrap at the city. Sarong wraps are all about convenience and fashion depending on your personal style. We're all about creativity and so here are some ideas on how you can use a sarong or half sarong as a scarf:

Clothing - from Summer cover ups to Fall fashion

Did you know that your beach skirt or sarong dress can be a fashion statement? Try to mix and match any bright colorful sarong with solid colored clothing like black, white or blue jeans, throw it over your neck and wear it like a shawl:

Image via Pinterest

Thanks to the versatility of a sarong, it has the same function as a scarf where you can wear it as a sash, bandeau top or vest. As Coco Chanel once said, 'Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening'. We like to think of sarongs as a way of life and we have been observing how it has evolved in the Western world. Here's a cool idea on how you can tie a scarf as a vest: 

Flaunt your personality by wearing your favorite sarong as a bandeau scarf top, you can pair it with a high waist skirt or any pants or jeans along with sneakers or wedges, depending on your style and mood. Here's an inspiration for casual city wear: 

Image source. Get the look with our animal prints.

For those casual days or lazy weekends, you can stay fashionable even in your most comfortable outfit just by throwing your scarves over your shoulders and let it hang loose for that relaxed vibe:

Image source. Get the look with our scarves.

Breezy days - the best way to manage your hair

Easy, flattering and fashionable - there's no better way to keep your hair in place during the season. Last Summer we talked about different hairstyles with scarves to play around with. Fall is a wonderful time to jazz it up and see how you can pull off fresh hairstyles to fit a different climate. We like a woman who can pull off that retro style where you tie your hair back neatly with a little front volume. We recommend a silk or half sarong to get this vintage look:

Image source. Get the look here.

You can also get that bohemian look when you tie your sarong as a head turban. The more material you have, the more freedom to experiment with this style! Be it with a half or full sarong, it's a great excuse for those bad hair days and a great way to keep your scalp and ears warm for those windy days:

Image source. Find your favorite yellow wraps here.

Hand me down - wrapping your children with love

Did you ever want to see how adorable your kid would look in a little sarong skirt or dress? Some of our customers have been using our scarves or half sarong collection to wrap their children as they would for an adult because they make a perfect fit. Now that we have launched a collection of kids sarongs for your little ones, you can buy them their own sarong to use. More than just looking cute, sarong brings them a lot of happiness. Try it out with your children and let us know how they feel about it!

Image source

If you want more ideas, follow us on Pinterest or get connected with us on Facebook to get more updates and fashion inspiration on how you can put your sarongs to good use. Do you wear your sarong as a scarf and if so, what's your favorite style? 

Peace & Love,

The 1 World Family