Anniversary Sale at Black Pearl Designs

We're celebrating our 6th year!
It's amazing how time flies. We've gone through our share of ups and downs and we're looking forward to a great 7th year. To celebrate, we're doing something we usually don't do. We're putting our black pearl shell jewelry on sale now for the month of October. In addition, we're putting our Mahana Pareos on sale as well.

New Mahana Pareo color - Nave Nave Purple

Don't look for a Hawaiian sarong? Or even an Indian batik sarong? The Tahitian pareo with its vivid colors, comfort and ease of tying to fit your style is the must-have item this summer. Check out the colors, cuts and sets. And look for seasonal colors throughout the year.

Soft and melodious are just a couple of words that can describe our new Nave Nave Purple Mahana Pareo. This Tahitian pareo or pareu in Tahitian, is one of our classics. Add in the two tones of purple and you have a great summer look that is both comfortable and functional.

It's the perfect beach coverup that is light enough to pack away in your purse or small beach bag without a thought about weighing you down. Made from 100% cotton, it breathes effortlessly.

The hand dyed material features a uniquely Tahitian look by adding in the Tahitian tiare motif and photosenitive ink where the suns rays sets the colors and creates variations by highlighting and imprinting designs above and below the fabric. The pareo can hug your body as close as you want or flow freely in the slightest breeze.

New color for Mahana Pareo - Brown Tapa

You might have noticed that we change up some of the colors for the Mahana Pareo from time to time. It's an evolving product as we continue to learn and perfect the process of making the pareos and mixing colors.

We just introduced a new color - Brown Tapa. It's not the brightest color, nor is it an intense color. However, after working on other recent projects that have required "natural" texture and a call to make them look "Polynesian" we realized that we hadn't offered a brown in our growing pareo offerings. It's not that we've gotten many requests for it, but we felt that we needed to offer it. If nothing more, we want to offer a more authentic color that would have been found in ancient Polynesia.

With this new color, we are adding in a new texture to the Mahana pareos. The Mahana pareos are created with photo sensitive dyes and placing various opaque stencils to create a subtle contrast. Many of our pareos are also multi-colored as well. Sea salt is added to absorb the dye and create "specks" for more texture. The stencils have added a definitive touch to make them Tahitian, however they are only a 2-D element. Adding in real palm leaves with their natural curves and their tendency to do everything but lay flat, creates an almost-not-there watermark that lends to an even more authentic look. Because the leaves are three dimensional, when we lay the pareos in the sun to dry and set, the leaves leave darker areas where they are closest to the fabric and lighter and less defined areas where the leaves are raised from the fabric. It creates a more natural organic feel to the pareo design.

A chiffon feel and weight to the 100% cotton Mahana pareo lends to the natural feel. It's a natural fabric and gets nice and soft after multiple washings much the same that real fine tapa feels. The new color-Brown Tapa is an exciting addition for us. It's so reminiscent of a more elegant, nostalgic and simpler time in the South Pacific.

Tahitian Pareo questions

Three of the pareo styles that we offer are all made of 100% cotton of different weights. The heaviest is the Heiva Hibiscus. It is made of a high threadcount of cotton sheeting. The Mahana is more of a chiffon weight, light and airy. And the Tehani is in the middle. It is a broadcloth. When you go shopping for your pareo it all depends on what you are really looking for.

The Mahana pareo is the only one that is hand dyed. It's varying colors and motifs are the result of a photo sensitive dye process that fixes the colors into the fabric depending on how much heat and light it receives. Sea salt that is thrown on the fabric absorbs colors and creates texture to the design.

The Heiva Hibiscus pareo is based on classic Tahitian motifs. Many prints in the past were printed on a polyester and cotton blend. We've decided to stay away from the polyester.

The Tehani pareo is all our own. It's one of the most "Tahitian" that we're proud of. Tehani is based on the Tahitian tiare, Hawaiian lauae and Marquesan tattoo inspirations. The fabric is just the right weight (we think it is) and has a nice balance of weight and durability.

Our last pareo is made of rayon. We've had request after request for rayon and we intend on making a new design in the future on rayon or one of the above in a rayon version. The Tiare pareo is a handmade work of art. Each is screened by hand. The only fabric more softer is silk.

Hope this helps in making your decision when visiting our Black Pearl Designs website.

The pareo skirt - tying your pareo

We've been looking for a pareo look that can leave the beach behind and we found it in the A'ahu pareo tying style demonstrated for us by Poehere. By taking a full size pareo and wrapping it around the waist lengthwise and tying it on your preferred hip, we have one of the most simple, yet elegant looking tying style. Next, by adding a mini pareo of complementing color, our model folded the mini pareo lengthwise twice and tied over the full size pareo right above the full size tie to create another layer to the skirt. By wrapping it at a slight angle, you can create even more interest. The style allows for comfort and flexibility as it stays open, but not necessarily revealing, on the side you made the tie.

You can create some interest as well by tying the full size pareo on the width instead of lengthwise. This will allow for a "slit" that will go up to the hip tie and a "train" that you can let trail or you can pick up for "on the go". Either way, you have a more dressy look to your average pareo. Add a solid color neutral or complementing top, a nice understated black pearl necklace, some Maitai black pearl shell round earrings or a tiare hairpick behind your ear and you have a perfect tropical evening... a casual island elegance.

Here's a few suggested color variations that work well. Our Mahana Pareo Set is perfect for this as it is light and breathes well. After all, it's a 100% cotton. And it has the flexibility to mix different colors. Not to mention that it is on sale!

Full size pareo – Mini pareo
Tahiti purple – Lehua red
Palm green – Yellow ginger
Rehu ash gray – Lehua red
Rehu ash gray – Light blue ocean
Yellow ginger – Coral orange
Citrus lime - Rainforest green
Twilight blue – Tahiti purple
Hibiscus pink – Rehu ash gray

Visit Black Pearl Designs for more color options.

New Mahana Pareo color

As if we didn't have enough already to work on. We just added a new color - Rehu Ash Gray. It features honu (turtle) and our signature Hawaiian salt effect. The dyes react and are absorbed by the Hawaiian salt creating a natural variation in hue. With our model Poehere, we couldn't help but think this is one of our best yet. I admit, I'm a little bias. I love the silver/gray look.

But you can't help feel that the gray look in combination with a black top, Black Pearl necklace and earrings and the finishing touch of our new Tehani Tiare black pearl shell belt is a classic casual elegant look. If you want to dress up knowing that it will be on the warm side, this Mahana Pareo can be tied as a skirt. Tie off on your preferred side and tie the belt over to help secure. Add a tiare flower in your hair (right side if you are available, left side if you are involved or taken). After this, you'll all be wearing your flower on your left. Add a strappy pair of shoes and you're set for an elegant and casual evening.

Exclusive Offer for Black Pearl Designs readers and subscribers

When is reading a reward? Well, most times it is. After all, knowledge is power. And here's a new reward for keeping in touch with us here at Black Pearl Designs. For a limited time, get 5% off your next purchase of $50 or more at our online store. Just shop around at our various unique sections. Sections that include hard-to-find coconut woven jewelry featuring Tahitian black pearls and exclusive pareos like our 100% cotton Mahana Pareo, are just a couple examples of cultural finds that you'll rarely see outside of Tahiti.

This is an exciting feature for us to offer coupons. Until recently it wasn't an option, but Yahoo! (our online store back office support) finally made it available as part of our expanding operations. Yahoo! Small Business has enabled our secure checkout system and security of our customers' information since the beginning. It's been a great and strong partnership.

So, take advantage of this exclusive offer just for our readers. Enter the coupon code: TEHANI2050 when you checkout and you'll receive 5% off your order of $50 or more. It's that easy. But don't wait. The offer expires Sept. 30, 2007.

Mauruuru (Thank you) for visiting and make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed to receive news, exclusive offers and advance notice of new products at our store.

Creating a Mahana Pareo

There's more to pareo than just color. Back in the early 1980's there were a few Tahitians in Hawaii who were looking for new ways to make a living. They cherished their native culture and wanted to find a new way to share their culture. Lo and behold the idea was wrapped around them the whole time.

The Tahitian pareo has been around for a very long time. From its modest and practical origins, the pareo evolved from Tahitian tapa which adorned and clothed the islanders before European contact. A tiputa poncho, pareu and maro were the forerunners of post-European dress in the islands. The history and origins of the modern day pareo has gone through changes throughout the ages. It progressed from manual printing, block printing and modern textile printing. Yet the art and creativity still remains the core.

Auntie Ura has kept this art alive and well. She is one of the few who have continued this artform. It's an art she is most proud of and enjoys making and knowing that others enjoy her work as much as she does. Originally from Tahiti, she has spent a large part of her life in Hawaii. She has made pareos for almost 30 years. We're blessed to be able to have her create her "Mahana" pareos for us here at Black Pearl Designs.

With a creative flair, Auntie Ura prewashes the fabric and dyes the pareos in photo sensitive dyes, which were introduced from merchants visiting Tahiti from France. It is a unique dye that when exposed to sunlight, creates a fabric effect similar to the batik and tie dye. This, however, can be a softer look. Anything placed on top of the dyed fabric will leave a lighter impression. Anything under the fabric will leave a darker impression.

One of the fun effects that can change the pareos' appearance is the use of Hawaiian sea salt. When spread out over the pareo, it absorbs some of the dye to create variations in the dye intensity. Combine it with leaves and flower silhouettes with intricate patterns, and you have a totally unique piece of wearable art. The pareos are laid out in the sun until the dye is set and then dried on clothes lines using the cool tradewinds. It's a Kodak moment as you pass by watching all the pareos drying flapping in the wind.

Together with all the labor and time that goes into making these pareos and mother nature, each Mahana Pareo is a unique piece of wearable art. Pareo making is one of Tahiti's only surviving folk arts. It is heartening to have visitors in Tahiti purchase the handmade pareos to help the traditions of the native people live on.

Pareo fabric quality

The Heiva Hibiscus Pareo is considered by the industry to be of high quality due to the weight of the fabric. Fabric quality is judged by weight of fabric and/or thread count. The same as what you see in the store for sheets, the more expensive sheets have a higher thread count. All fabrics have selvage edges on the top and bottom that run the entire length of the bolt. One bolt is 1,000 yards. The selvage edges are the tiny holes you see from the manufacturing process. The looser weaved fabrics, lower thread count, would still have the same selvage but it would be less obvious due to the looser weave. Although the tiny holes are less obvious in a looser woven fabric, the fabric is less in "quality". Quality is a subjective term because the light weight fabric may be what you are looking for and the "quality" you want. Selvage edges naturally do not unravel and therefore need no further work. It is important to keep this particular garment with the lightest kind of edges as heavy edges would impair the ability to drape it or tie it easily for the best effect. The two side edges are cut and would unravel. The smallest kind of finished edging to do on a garment that prevents unraveling is a pearl serged edge which is what is on this garment. We have several pareos that we use and wash with this kind edging and have no problem with unraveling.

Another 100% cotton pareo, the Mahana Pareo, is a lighter weight fabric but due to the hand-dyed process, is more expensive. The selvedge is less obvious. Either pareo, Mahana or the Heiva Hibiscus, are stiff in the beginning due to the dying and starching from the manufacturers but will soften up after a few washings.

Hot Mahana Pareo

The Mahana Pareo is the beach fashion of the summer

What's hot? Do you really need to ask? With summer coming right around the corner, beachwear is a must for upcoming vacations. Here in Hawaii we have warm sunny days all year, but especially during summer. Long white sandy beaches, cool refreshing surf and an unending supply of monoi coconut oil to keep your skin looking great. But what to wear? Whatever you decide you can always add on to show a bit of fashion. That's where the Mahana Pareo comes in.

Aptly named, the Mahana (sun) Pareo originated in Tahiti within the last three or four decades. Created with photo sensitive dyes, tropical themed silhouette motifs, traditional island sea salt and the warm rays of the sun, the Mahana Pareo is the hottest thing on the beach. They are one of a kind works of art.

As much as they are warmed by the sun, they are soft and comfortable to wear. Made of 100% light weight cotton, these light and airy pareos are convenient as well. Lighter in weight than our signature Heiva Hibiscus Pareo, the Mahana Pareo is fast becoming a favorite among our friends.

If you have trouble selecting colors, don't worry. Black Pearl Designs is always adding in colors and can do custom work upon request. The wait is minimal (after all, all we need is sunny skies and a flair for creativity) for custom orders. Ask us. We're more than happy to hear from you.

New Pareo Tying Style - Tahaa

With Summer fast approaching comes a wave of new pareo ties. And we promise to bring a few new ones for our readers, pareo enthusiasts, dancers and collectors in the coming months.

If you've noticed, we've recently introduced our Mahana Pareo at our Black Pearl Designs website. It's a traditional style that has been around for decades. Funny thing though, no one got around to creating a name for it. So it was from many hours of making the pareos and countless hours discussing its attractive attributes that we most appropriately called this style - Mahana - meaning... sun.

Mahana pareos are created by using photo sensitive dyes, tropic motifs, island salts and light from the sun. They are handmade works of art. Each unique. Each of the colors are hand dyed. Along with sea salt and themed silhouette, the pareos are dried in the sun to lock in the colors.

Here is a first look at the first pareo tying style we are featuring using the Mahana Pareo - Tahaa. Tahaa is known as the "vanilla island." Over 75% of all the vanilla that is produced in Tahiti is from Tahaa. The aroma is intoxicating and its scent permeates everywhere you go on the tiny island. Its sister island Raiatea might be more well known, but its every bit as beautiful. So as we expand our style guide, we share this island inspired tying style.

Start off by wrapping the pareo lenthwise around your body, holding the two ends in front of you. From there, move your hands about a foot or so along the top of the pareo close to your chest. Allow the ends to fall and twist once to create an easy tie. Next, reach down to the open ends and bring them together in front.

From there, you fold twice to create a pleat. Bring the pleat flat to your chest and tuck into the top of the pareo above the knot.

There you go. Simple, fun and easy to create.

While you are enjoying your pareo tying accomplishment, we're delighted to announce that we will be introducing two new pareos this summer. Introducing our our first rayon pareo - the Tiare Pareo. Look for it coming shortly. Our second pareo will be coming later this summer. We're still working out the colors and material, but it will be available soon as well. We're excited for both and excited to let our readers know first of these developments.

Is it a sarong or a pareo?

Does it even matter what you call your wrap around? Well, the short answer is yes.

Imagine walking down a street in Bali, Jakarta, or even New Delhi. A street vendor shows you a selection of "Tahitian Pareos". How can this be? I'm sure the appeal of the design is there. The texture is probably so smooth you have to catch yourself daydreaming about relaxing on a deserted beach being pampered with scented coconut oil and a refreshing pina colada at your side. The ambiance of those exotic places lend to the appeal of the wraparound. Those wraparounds are in fact "Sarongs", not "Pareos".

The origins and process from which the Indonesian Sarong is made is called "Batik". The bright colors, bold patterns and vivid artwork showcase Indonesian inspired motifs. Batik is a dying process that involves labor intensive processes and hard work. There are many great sources describing this process available in libraries and on the internet.

A Tahitian Pareo however, can trace its origins from a totally different source. The tapa cloth of central Polynesia is the forerunner of today's pareo. It's amazing that even though the sarong and the pareo came from different sources, they both share a remarkable similarity in today's culture. The Tahitian Pareo came about after the western explorers introduced fabric textiles to the Tahitian royalty. As more and more western ships arrived, more commercial traders arrived with new materials and goods. They inspired the Tahitians to creatively decorate their new "clothing" similarly to how they decorated their tapa.

Local fauna was a favorite motif and in more recent times, Marquesan tattoos have also become a very visible addition. Originally the designs were placed on the pareo using ferns and flowers pressed in ink and transferred by pressing down on the pareo as desired. Later, block prints were created. And still later screen printing simulating block prints have created an "ancient" look. Today, still another method is being used as well. Textile production has expanded to specialize in ethnic prints including Tahitian.

Another method Tahitian Pareo are being made today is somewhat similar to the batik method. Our very own Mahana Pareo is an example of this method. With photo-sensitive dyes, the fabric is dyed while being tied and twisted to create an "organic" and "natural" free-flowing texture and design. This is similarly done with the Caribbean's "Tie-dye" method. Island salt is lightly sprinked to absorb some of the dye and Tahitian and tropical motifs dye-cuts are placed on the pareo according to the artists' desires. All that needed is a sunny sky and patience.

A main difference between the pareo and the sarong comes from the origins from which they have developed. Motifs and color choices also play into the identity of the wraparound. In places such as Hawaii and the Caribbean, these differences have become somewhat blurred. But there are many out there who can tell the difference and who are searching for the authentic. Black Pearl Designs is committed to bring more and more authentic Tahitian goods to its audience. Maururu.