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Showing posts with label how to. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

6 Ways to Wear a Sarong as a Beach Cover Up

Since it's bikini and swimwear season, it's time to share a few quick ideas on how to cover up at the beach. As much as I like to flaunt my body, there are days when I'd like to stay modest and fashionable at the same time.


It's also common to be in situations where you want to feel comfortable by covering up. Maybe I ate too much pasta for lunch, call it post-holiday dips but we're all a little guilty of those extra snacks we'd sneak in while on vacation. You may even find yourself having to cover up when you're traveling on an island or resort within a conservative society where bikinis aren't really a norm. Maybe you took too much sun and protecting your skin from getting burnt calls for a much needed cover up around your shoulders or back. Or if you're a beach nudist fan then you'd know that you'd have to cover up until you get to a safe nude beach zone.

Whatever your reasons may be, here are my top 6 favorite ways cover up while I'm basking under the sun at the beach:
1)

An all time favorite classic Hawaiian look, it's become the most natural and easiest way for me to wrap up after a day at the beach. Just grab the two corner ends and tie them both into a double knot just below your navel. It's the best look on the days that I decide to get daring and wear a Brazilian style bikini!

2)

I like to cover up with a short skirt especially on a hot day out or when I spontaneously decide to go for a beach walk after lazing about on sand. The trick to get this look with a full sarong is by folding your cloth to half. Then grab both corner ends and tie it the same way as you do with a long wrap skirt. 

3)

Another easy and practical way to cover up especially when I want to show off my golden shoulders! Take both corner ends and tie a double knot in between your breasts or at either side. Make sure you fasten the knot tightly or you'll end up with a loose dress that falls off every time you move. Depending on the sarong design, I would accessorize (Sarong tie, necklace, earrings & wedges) and wear this for a casual outing.

4) 

Another classic favorite, I like this style because it stays on properly and drapes beautifully at the center and could almost pass off as a real dress. Take both corner ends, twist it at the front and then tie a double knot at the back of your neck.

5) 

Bringing sexy back - a new style that I recently discovered and adore because it's unique, flattering and fashionable! Hold out your sarong in a vertical position, take both ends of the top side and tie a double knot behind your neck so that it drapes around your chest. Then take both sides at waist level and tie a double knot just above your butt. This look is great because it could even pass off as a formal dress if you wore an inner piece like shorts.

6)

Another cool new look that works well for both normal or plus size sarongs. After all, the more material you have the more space you have to get creative. Wrap the sarong around your body horizontally like a towel, make sure both corner ends are positioned to the side of your body. Take both ends, cross over below your armpits. Bring the ends above your shoulders, fasten, twist it around and tie a double knot at the top of your shoulders.

These styles are a few ideas in a nutshell while there are actually so many more different ways to cover up at the beach. I think I'm about to hit the peak of my career as a sarong model with these pictures, haha. Wrapping up in a sarong is as fun as making home made tortillas! 

So.. what's your favorite way to wear a sarong?

xx
- Sandy B

Friday, May 16, 2014

How to Make a Sarong? A DIY Sarong Guide!

So maybe you've bought way too many sarongs and for once, you'd like to get creative and try to make your own sarong. Maybe you're on holiday and want to get busy with an art project? Maybe you think that you can produce the best sarongs in the whole wide world and you'd like to try it out and see what happens?

Whatever your reasons may be - we are your sarong guru and so let us guide you through the right steps. Here’s a quick and easy do-it-yourself (DIY) instructions on how to make your very own fringe-less sarong at home!

Step 1:

Touch, feel and imagine.

The key in having a good sarong is to know your fabric. Get to your nearest fabric shop, talk to the sales person and survey your options. It’s important to buy a piece of cloth in the color, design and fabric material that you would like as your first DIY handmade sarong. Choose a lightweight fabric like rayon or chiffon for those summer days or cotton for those winter days. Find out what are our thoughts on the best material for sarong.


Tip: Always try and wrap your future sarong around your body, be it as a skirt, dress or turban – it’s important to get a feel on how it would like when you wear it on. So wrap up with your chosen fabric to help with your decision.

Step 2:

Get the right tools.

You will need:
  • Scissors
  • Pins / Needles
  • Thread (preferably same color as your choice of fabric)
  • Measurement tape
  • Sewing machine
  • Mirror
  • Chalk / Crayon / Marker (optional)
  • Iron (optional)

Step 3 

Measure up!

After you've selected your favorite fabric and design, it’s time to get the right size and so get your dimensions right!


A standard sarong size should be in the form of 66 (width) x 44 (height) inches (168 cm x 112 cm).  Or if you plan to make a half sarong or a scarf, you can try the dimensions of 71 (width) x 24 (height) inches (180 x 60 cm). And if you’re making a plus size sarong, the measurements that we would like to suggest would be 96 (width) x 44 (height) inches (244 cm x 112 cm).

BUT WAIT! That doesn't mean that you’re going to buy your fabric cloth in that exact size.  Depending on how big of a hem you want to sew, add up those measurements with a ¼ inch (6 millimeters) on each side. (And if you’re a bad seamstress we’d suggest at least 1 inch extra on each side, lol)

Step 4

Experiment & Pin it!

So you've bought your fabric, and got your tools ready. Now in front of the mirror, wrap your fabric around your body to make a final check if the measurements are right. You can use the fabric and imagine that you’re using it as a beach cover up and test it out just to get a better idea.


Use a scissors and cut out any extra fabric that goes beyond your preferred measurement. Once you've toyed around with the fabric and you’re convinced and confident - use a ruler and crayon then draw the outlines. Use as many pins as you need and pin down the edges to make sure that you've got the symmetry right and remember to give it about 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) space for the first fold.


Well, if you're a professional seamstress or have good experience with a sewing machine, you can probably sew and fold at the same time, without marking an outline or using pins.


Step 5

Hem and sew!

For the second fold, pin the edges again with another ¼ inch (6 millimeters) towards the back side of the fabric. The best way to determine the back side of the fabric would be to check which side of the print stands out the best in terms of color and design. If they’re both the same quality then just pick any side. Tip: Use an iron to flatten out the edges and make sure that the fold stays (if you do it this way, you might not even need pins!). 



Next, with a sewing machine, you can carefully sew the edges and making sure that you sew on the inner fold at the back side. Begin with the corners of one end and then sew downward to the other end.


Take your time when sewing the edges to make sure that you can keep to a straight thread line and maintain the quality of workmanship.


To check if you're sewing correctly, look at this example and notice that the thread is sewed on the lower end of the fold.


Be gentle when sewing the 4 corners! The key is to make sure that your sarong remains in a proper rectangular shape with sharp corners. Here's an example of how your ideal sarong corners should look like.


*Cool tip: You can turn your sarong into a lungi, did you know that? To turn your sarong into a lungi, make sure that you use the plus size sarong measurement for that added comfort. Keeping the width free, sew both edges together to seal it up and turn it a tube shape like skirt! Works as a great alternative for men sarongs

Step 6

Mission accomplished, beach time!

Love this sarong? Check out the half sarong version of it!

Once you've finished sewing all the edges, your very own self made sarong is ready to be used. Try it out in front of a mirror and try new ideas on how to tie your sarong. Enjoy your new sarong!

Too much work and can’t be bothered?

If these DIY steps stressed you out or you just don't have the time and rather head out to the beach and chill out, you can always have an easier way to get your sarong. Just browse through our collection and for as low as $7.99, you can have a new sarong shipped right to your doorstep – hassle free! No machines, no thread, no pins or headache. :P We'll package it nicely and even throw in our brand new hang tag which comes with a free brief instruction on how to tie a sarong. Sounds like a great deal, don't you think? :) :)


**Note: All images are originally taken by us here at 1 World Sarongs during our research field trips as we continue to source and produce the best quality sarongs for our customers :). 

Sunday, April 13, 2014

How to Wash a Sarong?

Similar to our initial advice on how to care for a sarong , we've taken further investigation by talking to our loyal 1 World Sarongs customers as well as doing tons of reading on other reliable sarong resources to get the first dips on the best way to wash a sarong.

We all use our sarongs in the most versatile way and having them exposed to all kinds of environment makes you wonder - what's the best way to keep them clean and fresh at all times? The key is to maintain your sarongs in the best way possible so that it stays in its best condition and you can have long lasting sarongs.

The first step is to find out how delicate is the clothing and so you can ask yourself: what fabric or material is the Sarong? It's always important to determine the fabric or material - are you washing a batik, silk, polyester, cotton or rayon sarong? It's also important to check whether you're washing a sarong with fringe or fringeless sarongs.

So far the most important and consistent tip that we found useful is that using COLD WATER (or low temperature water, if you must) is the best way to wash your sarongs.

Why?

Well, most people would use hot water wash to effectively remove heavy dirt or germs but the downfall in using hot water is that your clothes are prone to higher risk of wrinkle, shrinking or fading especially for your vibrant and strong colored sarongs. The positive factor in using cold or low temperature water when washing is that you get to protect your delicate sarongs and ensure that the color quality of your sarongs are well-maintained.

Another cool factor about avoiding hot temperature machine wash is that you get to conserve energy, avoid wastage and do your part in saving the environment with less carbon footprints on Earth. That's because setting your washing machine at hot temperature requires more electricity to heat than using unheated water and saving electricity also means you get to save money!

Image source

Hand Wash Tips

This is probably the most efficient and effective Sarong washing method. It's the best way to wash your sarong AND the most environmental friendly practice too. If you have read our sarong labels you would already know that it's the correct way to care for your sarong and here's what we think:

1) If you want to use hot or warm water, keep the soak duration at a minimal period (maximum 60 minutes) and if you use cold water, feel free to use longer soaking hours (overnight soak is fine) to help remove stains or heavy dirt.

2) Use very minimal or no detergent at all. Besides, using less chemicals is the least we can do to help protect our Earth! If you insist to have your clean sarongs smell like fragrance then we would like to suggest a little DIY home project for you. Why not create your own non-toxic home made natural laundry detergent? Get instructions on how to make your very own natural laundry detergent.

3) Don't over do the rubbing, a gently kneading is sufficient. (So avoid washing your sarongs when feeling temperamental or angry)

4) Avoid soaking your colored sarongs with any white clothing. (Unless you plan to get into a tie dye project :))

Machine Wash Tips


Image source
While we always encourage our customers to stick to hand wash (as instructed on our sarong labels!), some of you might still prefer to save time and effort by tossing your sarongs into the machine for a wash and if that's the case, here are some advice:

1) Wash separately from other clothing (especially for first time wash), consequently make sure you wash your sarong following the basic rule of laundry - always separate the clothing by colors.

2) Set the machine at preferably cold or low temperature.

3) Minimal wash cycles and rinses work best for your light weight sarongs. There's no point in over washing your sarongs due to its breathable and delicate material unless if you're washing cotton sarongs.

4) Use very little detergent because sarong fabrics are not thick, so you might as well save up on detergent.

LOL

Finally, now that your sarongs are all washed and cleaned, the final step is to get it dry and ready for your next usage. So the question is..

Property of 1 World Sarongs
How to dry your Sarongs?

1) For longer lasting sarongs, try to avoid using a dryer for your sarongs, hang drying a sarong is the best method.

2) If you hang dry your sarong correctly, you can avoid creases and skip the ironing process.

3) Get your wet sarongs hung out on a bright sunny day and it'll only take a few hours for them to get dry to to it's breathable fabric!

Image source
So now that we've shared our insights on how to wash your sarongs, we hope that you'll use these tips to care for your sarong. If you have ideas or tips or personal experiences on how to wash a sarong, please do leave us a feedback!

Sunday, December 22, 2013

How to Tie a Sarong ?

This question never gets old and in case you forgot, here's a quick reminder to the most functional way of tying your sarong - as a long skirt.

1) Simple Side Tie Knot
It takes only a few seconds to get this done! Get a timer and try it out.

2) Accessorize - Use a Sarong Tie
www.1worldsarongs.com
Style up and stand out by getting a sarong tie , it's a great tool to keep that sarong secured too!

And if you haven't watched our How to Tie a Sarong Tutorial video, here you go!