Limited Edition Heiva Hibiscus Pareo

This is unexpected at the least. We recently were going through some boxes in our warehouse and found a bolt of our Heiva Hibiscus fabric. Well, we couldn't just let it sit there and collect dust. After all, it is one of our most popular fabrics. So we have made it available in our pareo and mini pareo cuts. But don't wait too long, we have a very limited amount of this color - Maohi Violet & Turquoise - and once its gone it won't be back.

Heiva Hibiscus Pareo »

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.

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.

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.