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Sri Lanka best sarong how to wear it properly - male vs female technique?

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M
Marcus•680 rep

Bought a sarong. No idea how to wear it. Different for men and women?

15

4 Answers from travellers

✓Accepted Answer

Yes, distinct techniques. Men's sarong (called 'sarama' or 'diyareddha' when informal): (1) Step into it like a tube. (2) Pull to waist, extend one side more than the other. (3) Twist the extended side tightly. (4) Fold that twist back at your waist and tuck in firmly. (5) Adjust to sit at hip level. Practiced men also do a 'front knot' variation. Traditional check-pattern (redda) is masculine. Women's sarong: (1) Wrap around waist so it covers to ankles. (2) Overlap significantly at the front. (3) Tuck the overlap in tightly at the waistband. (4) Some styles pleat the front elegantly (like a saree fall). Silk and printed sarongs are feminine. YouTube 'Sri Lanka sarong tie' has good visual tutorials.

15
K
Kumari•1180 rep

Also: buying tip - a real Sri Lankan cotton handloom sarong from Barefoot (Colombo) lasts decades and softens beautifully. Tourist synthetic sarongs are useless within a season. For your first proper sarong, invest in one quality piece rather than 3 cheap ones. Real cotton takes a couple of washes to get properly soft.

25
P
Priyantha•1180 rep

Practical tips: (1) A sarong tends to slip in the first hour - practice a couple of times before wearing out. (2) Cotton is best for daily wear; silk for evening. (3) At temples, both genders can use sarong to cover legs - simply wrap once around lower body over your existing pants or leggings. (4) A sarong doubles as beach towel, picnic blanket, cover-up. (5) Different Sri Lankan regions have subtle style variations - Kandyan tradition wraps tighter, coastal is looser.

20
A
Amma•1180 rep

Practicing tonight. Thank you!

0
M
Marcus•680 rep

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