If you happen to be headed to Hawaii, or just a summer beach party, a Hawaiian dress is festive and can double as a summertime bathing suit cover-up. There are two basic Hawaiian dresses, the pareo and the mumu. The mumu was a cloth wrap originally made of bark or plant fibers that was worn about the waist. Missionaries developed the mumu for Hawaiian women as a more modest dress than the native style. Making either dress is simple.
Materials
Select a lightweight woven fabric for your mumu or pareo. Depending on the size of the fabric, you can make an airy and cool pareo with no sewing involved. Some fabrics that are good choices include cotton, linen, rayon or a blend. The most popular fabrics for these types of dresses are called batik fabrics. Batik fabrics combine bold prints and vibrant colors with lightweight fabric.
Pareo
A pareo is a single, large square of fabric. This makes the pareo possibly one of the simplest designs that one can create from scratch, as there is no pattern required. Use 2 yards of fabric that is 36 to 45 inches wide. Fringe the edges of the sarong by pulling out the crosswise threads until you have around 2 inches of fringe on each end. Create tassels by knotting the fringe at the ends. Your selvage will make the side seams.
Mumu
A mumu looks much like a lady's nightgown with a bell shape. Although it looks easy to make, it actually has a very complex construction. The traditional mumu has inseam pockets, a yoked collar, tucks on the front and back and a front opening placket with buttons. The back has a deep pleat in the center. When working on a mumu, it is best to start with a pattern. Several pattern companies have mumu patterns that you can purchase online. One good place to find them is a website called Myriah's Polynesian Bazaar (see Resources).
Tags: