The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-02
FEMININE DRESS ~ StMoA.
Startling Effects of blending Native and
European Garments.


From ne San FrInctsco Chron,r'..
In snite Of the simplicity of national attire
the single tapa lava-lava. or loin cloth. worn
by all. 10Th SEXES alke-the Samoans spend a
great deal Of their time in Identifying them
selves. The body is creased with cocoauut oil
and the hair is often plastcrcd with white
lime aud reached up pompadour style. giving
it when dry the effect of the judicial wig worn
by English barristcrs The lime is washed OF
at night and renewed from day to day. The
result is gradual change in the color o: the
cess. passes from \ coarse coal black. through
brick red to n bright yellow. The effect of this
brilliant contrast with their shiny Gopher skins
is grotesuue III the extreme. but in their eyes
SURPRISINGLY beautiful.
aucc would use such torture and unnatural
deformity as STAYS and corsets to make her
svllhltke and w!lowy. though she i lutte
ready to puncture her nose 10 wear Ie~elleh
ornament. Their hair. however, is their rride.
and a mass OF yellow spongel!ke stuff carefully
tied NJ on TOP Of their heads is the envy OF
and Joy forever In common with this
strange fancy the Samoans quite share, the
European ideas in regard to neauty. They
particularly admire Ia persons and Il Is
qnLts common for stranger. especially #
lowed by an aImiring thronE OF unobtrusIyely
oGtrusive natives. w"rshirninE IN silence
The common dress for roth men and women
is the already mentioned lava-lava, a kind Of
kilt or piece OF draperv wound about the waist
in n manner whose adjustment seems to tor
eigpers nothing short OF mlracul aus. The
adults. however. seem to have no difficulty in
keeping the lava-lava in place. but the chill
dren are less expert and careful of theirs and
often lose the scunt scrap OF cotton stuff that
OF all ages indoors. and babies in arms every
where. wear no clothing at all. This kind OF
Rarment-or drapery. perhars, would be bet
ter word for it's. i'll slightly varied form
comm n to most South Sea islanders, as
well As inhabitnnts OF the Indian arghiue lago
AMI the southern countries OF Asia. 1t is
called hv the Malavs n sarOnE. and its name
differs III the different Groups Of Polynesia
The Manye and Kings of Singapore: Ceylon
aud the MalHysian uruipsTIa wear IL loose OF
straight. while the Burmese and Siamese tuck
il up something after tho manner OF the we'll
known infantile accessory.
The hnery and gimcrack adornments oil
civilization are now gaining q foothOd in
particularly with the feminine heart. and II Is
not unusual to see sam AN lady EorgeOusly
arIaved in II llnc mat lava. lava combined with
a ball gown waist or velvet basque cut V.
and wearing to complete her toilet. Il string o
ferns about her waist and a necklace Of sharks
teeth around her dusky throat bust, arms
and limbs bare -prCmena,ling with all the re-
ON her SUNDAY outing. the observed 0f all oh,
servers Bur there is one sha"kle Uf CiviiHa
| ton they positively refuse To accept shoes
| and stockings Perhaps. however. his Is be,
! for the aboriginal "trilbics." Neve "theess. il
| one of the fights in which our native lies mar
| ticipated observed one warrior proudly wear
ing unir II AlXteen-buttOn black silk stock
| lugS extending above the knees; with his huge
| black feet urutruding beyond the soles. which
| were worn through. lie had doubtless loot
| ed" them from some European house. whose
| owner llcG whom hpstilties began.