How to Wear a Pareo

How to Wear a Pareo

            What is a pareo? Pareos are the traditional wraparound skirts worn by the inhabitants of Cook Islands and Tahiti. It is commonly confused with the Indonesian sarong and the Indian sari. But the difference between them is how the natives traditionally wear a pareo. While the sarong is worn traditionally just below the shoulders covering the whole torso, the pareo was traditionally worn simply as a skirt. It is a brightly colored cotton shirt that is decorated with hibiscus and tapa designs.

            Today, the garment enjoys widespread popularity with women because of their comfortability and style when going to the beach. What’s so great about this outfit is that women of all body types and even men can look great if worn properly. So how do you really wear a pareo?

            A pareo can be worn by women in many ways. It can be worn as a skirt with a bikini top. Or you can wear it as a dress over your bikini if you don’t want to overexpose yourself.

            To make a dress out of your pareo, start by putting your pareo centered in back. Wrap it around your back and bring it under both your arms. Then pull it snugly around your body and cross the corners of the fabric once in front of your chest. And then continue to bring the corners around your neck and tie it behind. Another variation is something like this. Follow the first three instructions until you cross the corners in front of your chest. You can then cross the fabric multiple times until it forms a coil of fabric. Proceed to bring the corners around your neck and tie it behind the head. You can also just tie the top ends in the middle of your chest to create another classy, strapless look.

            Another way to wear it is the one-shoulder look. Start with the center of your pareo under your left arm. And then wrap the cloth around your body and cross it under your right arm. Then bring the corners up in front of and behind your shoulder. Tie the corners of your pareo above one shoulder and adjust so you can amply cover your body. You can also accessorize a pareo with a belt. This would look good in beach parties.

            Another is holding the top two ends of the fabric behind the back and placing it horizontally. Grab the top two ends and wrap it around your back. You can then fold one side over the other in the middle of your chest. Twist the ends a little and then bring them behind your neck and tie them into a double overhand knot.

            For the men, one style starts by putting your pareo behind your back and positioning it horizontally. Place the fabric just above the waist level. Take one end and place it against the side of your waist. Then, take the other end and wrap it to the opposite waist and then tuck it.

            What are so appealing with a pareo are its versatility, functionality and style. So, if you’re planning to spend your vacation in a tropical island somewhere and don’t know what to wear, you could always count on pareos.