We’ve all seen those oh-so-chic gals walking down the beach with the perfectly tied and positioned sarong. It all looks so effortless but is it really? We’ve been in this sarong gig for awhile and we’ve learned a few secrets along the way.
Watch how I show you how to tie the sarong as a dress:
Here’s our top four hints to sarong tying success plus our five favorite styles to try (and you don’t have to wait until you’re at the beach!):
- Choose your material wisely. Sarongs come in all types of materials and each is lovely in its own way but when it comes to a tie that holds and draping that flatters your curves, a rayon-blend is the way to go. Luckily this is a traditional and natural material used in real Batiks and it’s our go-to fabric choice for all our sarongs and pareos. The bonus is this material is quick drying so it easily can go from a day at the beach to a night on the town.
- Go big. The more material you have to work with, the better coverage you’ll get and the more styles you can play with. Most of our sarongs are 67” long and 45” wide so you can wrap fully around your body or tie around your neck and still have a cute below-the-knee dress.
- Try a clip. This is an Indonesian and Hawaiian secret and it adds the cutest tropical touch but is also super functional. Most clips are about the size of a large belt buckle and are made from a polished coconut shell with two large holes. You just thread two corners of the fabric through the clip and cinch down to hold in place. This adds a stylish embellishment but is also easier on the fabric and will keep the sarong in place. Most of our sarongs come with a clip!
- Add a belt, jewelry, or cute heels. This really adds a more dress-vibe to your sarong and looks really great over a simple black or white sleeveless shift. It also gives you many more options and ensures the sarong will stay closed.
Our five favorite tying styles and how to tie them plus a video:
Halter dress: hold the sarong with one long side up and the opening in front. Bring up under your armpits and put each corner together in front and tie in a knot tight against your breast line. Then twist each end, wrap around your neck and tie in back.
One shoulder: hold the sarong with one long side up with the opening at your side. Bring under your armpits but this time tie the first knot above your shoulder. Then tie the bottom two corners underneath your arm at about waist level. Use two clips for this style.
Grecian style, one-shoulder: hold sarong with long side up just above your waist, drape left-hand corner over your shoulder, pull right hand corner under your left arm, bring up across your back to meet the other corner and tie in a knot on top of your right shoulder. Adjust draping for coverage.
Cardigan style: hold with short side up, with opening in front. Bring up under your armpits, holding each corner out in front of you. Tie corners in a knot just at the tip of the fabric, put behind your neck and let the fabric drape down your front. For a more formal look, cinch with a belt at the waistline.
Maxi-skirt style: hold with one long side up and simply wrap around your body at waist level (or chest level for our short girls) until you have full coverage, tie in a simple knot or thread through a clip to hold in place. Wear over short shorts or leggings with a bikini top or cute plain tee.
Watch how I show you how to tie the sarong as a dress:
We have so many different sarongs to choose from– including batiks, solid colors, with fringe or beads, and plus sizes. Shop here
