Summer Fun with the Tahitian Skirts



Nothing says summer like the Tahitian skirt, otherwise known as the grass skirt. These fun and flirty skirts blow in the wind showing off the legs of the wearer, while they modestly cover the individual while the wind is still. These skirts flow well during dancing and are considered environmentally friendly. Coming in a wide variety of colors, the Tahitian skirt is designed in such a way that it fits every dancer's skin and dress. These skirts can be adorned with a large variety of decorations such as flowers or Tahitian belts of more colored grass.



The traditional wearer of the Tahitian skirt is the Hula dancers of Hawaii. These women wore the skirts originally as part of the tribal cultures of Hawaii before the colonization by the Westerners. These skirts were worn for dances, religious and cultural festivals after that. It is now a tradition for those who visit Hawaii to attend a Hula dance and enjoy the beauty that was once a part of everyday life for the natives of Hawaii. These skirts are made of a natural tree bark that is dyed to the specifications of the dancer. These grasses are then woven onto a belt in several layers. There are Tahitian skirts for male dancers, but these skirts tend to be significantly shorter and thicker than the female skirts.

In today's culture, the imitated Tahitian skirt has become a symbol of summer parties. Used frequently in theme parties for those who cannot visit Hawaii or as a break from the winter weather in the north, the skirts are made of a thin plastic grass that is placed in a single layer around the belt. Where the traditional skirts can cost hundreds of dollars and some have entered into the thousands of dollar ranges, the imitation skirt is often a couple dollars. These brightly colored skirts hardly cover the individual and it is suggested that the wearer considers pants or shorts to avoid indecent exposure.