I was originally introduced to sarong wearing in the early 1980's by a partner who was often well-ahead of the pack when it came to fashionable attire (he wouldn't leave the house without an almost indistinguishable touch of make-up, his man bag and being fashionably late for everything!).
Beach goers around the Mediterranean are of course assailed by immigrants selling either beach sheets with brightly coloured "eastern" designs or sarongs - usually tasseled as if Arabian.
The sarong is of course still widely worn by men and women throughout the Far East - but rarely seen in the West away from the beach or pool. This is a shame.
Historically it must have come fairly soon after the loin cloth ceased being made with leather and was replaced with a more delicate hand-woven cloth. The Scots and Irish of course have not extended much further than that (and I'm a Scot!) with their kilts - and although some would say they brave an artic freeze below ... their's is actually a far healthier attire than that of their trousered relatives south of the border.
There are a number of different ways to wear a sarong and of course with different lengths down the leg. This makes it a thoroughly practical dress, easily adjusted and of course as colourful or drab as the occasion requires.
Men's fashions have changed must over the years but there does seem to have been in the latter half of the twentieth century at least, a preference for greater constriction: tighter suits, trousers and under-wear. And with it a declining sperm count and higher number of men with fertility difficulties. The medical advice? Wear looser clothing, ditch the briefs and give your bits space to breathe!
And so I respectfully propose that we re-invent the sarong and claim it for our own (as we have done tea, etc) and look for Paul Smith et al to develop and market a very British sarong for the street, the office and general everyday use.
However for now, I suspect, that I am one of many who fold theirs away each autumn and sigh as we look forward to it being taken out and put in the suitcase when the next warm holiday approaches. How very British!
