Lava-lava

A lava-lava is a kind of clothing worn by Polynesians, especially Tongans, Samoans, Micronesians, and Hawaiians. It is worn by both men and women, in uses from school uniforms to business attire with a suit jacket and tie. It consists of a single rectangular cloth worn like a kilt or skirt. [http://books.google.com/books?id=rOopZNh3CYAC&pg=RA2-PA583&dq=%22Lava+lava%22+clothing&lr=&ei=A_bcSK75L5KQzQSnp8DFDQ&client=firefox-a National Geographic Article on the Lava-Lava] In English, such garments are generically called sarong, but that word is actually Malay, whereas lava-lava is Samoan, being short for "ʻie lavalava" (cloth that wraps around). Another common name for the Polynesian variety is pāreu (usually spelled pareo), which is the Tahitian name. [Fia Fia: A Novel of the South Pacific.James Ramsey Ullman.Published by World Pub. Co., 1962]

A similar simple kind of clothing is the lap-lap worn in Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific, which is completely open at both sides.

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