5 Innovative Ways to Tie a Chic Summer Sarong
Your step-by-step guide to styling the season's must-have piece.
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Sarongs often feel like an afterthought, but they’re one of summer’s most valuable outfit accoutrements. The garment—which translates to "to cover" or "to sheath" in Malay—originated in Southeast Asia in the mid-1800s as a skirt-like garment that was common for women. Though the sarong has gone through multiple iterations across different cultures over the last 200 years, it's become a summer mainstay that is as important to your vacation packing list as your passport.
What makes a sarong so versatile is all in the execution: Not only can the right sarong make a beach outfit feel more sophisticated, but it can also transform itself into a stylish makeshift skirt, top, or dress—you just have to know how to tie it. Whether you’re hitting the pool or packing for a weeklong trip to the tropics, ahead we walk you through five ways to tie a sarong off and on the beach.
For more styling genius, check out seven fresh ways to tie a scarf.
How to Tie a Sarong: As a Makeshift Dress
Turn your sarong into the bottom half of a co-ord set by staying within the same pattern or color family.
House of Sunny Day Tripper Orchid-Print Recycled-Polyester Sarong
How to Tie a Sarong: As a Skirt
Sure, this totally works on the beach—but this sarong-as-a-skirt outfit would be just as chic out of the water too. Exchange the bathing suit top for a crop top or a button-down for a stylish look.
How to Tie a Sarong: As a Low-Slung '90s Revival
Instead of tying your square or beaded sarong high on the hip, embrace the '90s nostalgia by wearing it slung low like a belt rather than a proper bottom.
How to Tie a Sarong: As a Head Scarf
Wear a silk or textured linen sarong as a head scarf for the beach and beyond. A petite silk scarf is perfect for eradicating a bad hair day, but a larger scarf offers more drama.
How to Tie a Sarong: As a Tank Top
A square silk sarong can double as a shirt when you fold it in half long ways and tie it at the back. Style yours with a pair of pleated wide-leg pants and a blazer for a work-to-play look.
Kerry Pieri is Harper's Bazaar's Digital Fashion/Features Director. Kerry oversees the fashion vertical for BAZAAR.com, including launching digital covers, styling celebrity features, and managing recurring features including Brand Watch and My Life in Three Looks. In addition, Kerry edits the “best of” each season, from shoes to bags, denim and coats, and is consistently looking for shifts in the fashion realm to lend a voice. Kerry formerly served as the Editorial Director of StyleCaster.com and as a producer at Full Frontal Fashion. She lives in New York with her husband Steve, and baby girl Lila Sky.
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