Many of the ports Flat Stanley and Flat Hal have visited on their cruise have welcomed the passengers with local music, dance, residents in native dress sharing a glimpse of a life different than ours back home and taking time to talk with us and make us feel not just welcome in their community, but appreciated as visitors.
There are, from my perspective, two kinds of native dress. There is the clothing they wear everyday — but is not jeans, T-shirts, and the clothes we toss on each morning. Sometimes it is made from different materials than we are used to, here in the South Pacific clothing has a different use of color, more designs and patter with vibrant colors. Hawaii has Aloha wear, and each of the countries we have visited has had something similar… styled to be comfortable in the hot and humid weather the islands get. Men wear a sulu in Fiji for instance. At first glance it has a similar design to a skirt, or kilt, but it is as different as the culture and people.
The other kind of native dress is either more ceremonial or historical. As opposed to everyday wear, this is what is worn for the dances that have been done for generations in their villages. That is just one example of this either type of dress.
Do you have an outfit that is unique to your culture or region? Something you wear on special occasions that reminds you of your family and community? Is there some piece of clothing that feels “symbolic” of where you live?
A lot of people expect Flat Hal and the rest of us Texans traveling with him to have cowboy hats and boots, but for most of us in Texas that is not everyday wear.
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