Figure 1.--This Samoan boy wasc photographed picking coconuts by a U.S. Navy sailor during World War II. It has the look of a posed photograph so we are not entirely sure how common grass skirts were. Notice the dark straw belt decorated with shells.

Until World War II, Samoa and its culture was still largely untouched by the outside world. Samoans were living a basically traditional lifestyle including both food and clothing. Children wore little or no clothing because of the warm climate. Women wore long grass skirts and did noot bother to cover their breasts. Men also wore grass skirts. Samoa clothing once textiles were introduced were a kind of wrapping up dress. Men also wear the wraps. Some of the popular Samoan garments are Puletasi, lava lava and others. Puletasi is exclusively a woman's gasrment in Samoa. Lava lava can, however, be worn by both men and women. Lava lava is a type of sarong that the Samoans wrap up the body. Puletasi is also a wrap garment. This dress covers the entire body and modt commonly is worn by young girls. Puletasi is a traditional dress that is most commonly worn for traditional Samoa occasions. It is also worn for church attendance. Like other Polynesian cultures (Hawaiian, Tahitian, and Māori) there was a tradition of significant and unique tattoos,

Created: 5:18 PM 9/29/2013
Last updated: 5:18 PM 9/29/2013