I live in an urban city environment and need my summer wardrobe to occasionally transport me to a tropical getaway, even if only in spirit. A fabric direct from Hawaii, bought at the island by a friend, is just the thing to help trick my mind into bearing the humid city heat as if merely an urban variant of the island’s rainforest. The resulting dress is not only an authentic taste of Hawaii’s beautiful textile heritage but also the largest scale print I have ever worked with for the ultimate “go big or go home” moment! I am ready for my mid-western version of some tiki time.
To honor the Polynesian origin of my fabric, I utilized a vintage pattern from a brand that had specialized in offering fashions influenced by the culture of the island. This is my first dive into the popular “Polynesian Pattern” brand and am thrilled with the experience. I do have a soft spot for wrapped garment designs, and this one is not only Hawaiian but also unique, comfortable, and appealing. It has the loose fit proper of a Hawaiian design with a streamlined silhouette and the perfect design lines for an oversized floral. This is easy summer dressing at its finest!
THE FACTS:
FABRIC: cotton broadcloth
PATTERN: the “Pilialoha” wrap dress from “Polynesian Patterns” number 204, dated to year 1971
NOTIONS NEEDED: thread and two buttons
TIME TO COMPLETE: This dress was sewn in August 2022 and made in about 8 hours.
THE INSIDES: cleanly finished in double rows of tight zig-zag stitching to imitate serging (overlocking)
TOTAL COST: I don’t remember exactly how much I spent, but three yards of fabric were about the same price as decent quality cotton at my local fabric store. I felt that the cost was reasonable since this came from a small ethnic fabric shop in Honolulu.
“Polynesian patterns” was one of four major brands which offered Hawaiian inspired fashions during the 1960s and 70s. These several sewing pattern brands were based in Hawaii and brought the island’s culture into worldwide awareness and appreciation. “Polynesian Patterns” specifically is unique for the way each of their design offerings were given a name derived from the ethnic language. This brand also offered more than the stereotypical Hawaiian mu’umu’u (a long, brightly colored, loosely fitted garment) found through the other Polynesian pattern companies. “Polynesian patterns” offered a variety of women’s styles, as well as offerings for men and children…something for everyone! These patterns are a niche, short-lived trend in the home sewing market of the past, but a great way to try a Hawaiian style for yourself. They helped expand and continue the fascination for tropical influenced fashions that grew out of the WWII era so that a new generation could enjoy a taste of Hawaii wherever they may be. Now, these Polynesian Patterns are prized among collectors and sewists, especially the sacque back gowns or sarong dresses, as they are timelessly appealing examples of modern Hawaiian fashion.
It is always so fun to try (and find out about) new lines of vintage patterns, and this one matched my high expectations. I was lucky to acquire the design I wanted – the “Pilialoha” dress – in what seemed to be my size according to the envelope chart. The size chart was accurate to the finished dress, as were the shoulder-to-waist proportions. While the dress fit me perfectly, I did find the armhole clearance to end up being small. I do not attribute this to the pattern but the era from which it came. Most sewing patterns of the 1960s into 1970s, no matter what the brand, seem snug around my larger upper arms, no matter whether they are sleeveless or not. The pattern paper seemed nice, and the notches, seams, and sewing directions were printed directly on the pattern, much like other patterns of the era. It was easy to use, easy to sew, and came together beautifully with no hiccups. I do hope to pick up yet another “Polynesian Pattern” in the future. Before then, I may just have a go at trying out a short-sleeved, blouse-length version of this dress design instead. It is good enough to repeat sew, for sure.
The most challenging part of making this Hawaiian dress was not the pattern or the fit but planning out a pleasing placement for the ridiculously oversized fabric print. The leaves are almost as big as the dress itself, and it is the most outrageous border print ever! As amazing as the print is, it was a new kind of challenge to tackle. When it comes to large scale prints, the motif layout seems to dictate where the pattern pieces will go. The pieces had to be laid out opposite of the suggested selvedge to accommodate the border design. The fabric was woven so tightly that countering the selvedge luckily didn’t matter too much anyways this time. Yay for a good fabric which helps my crazy ideas work out.
However, cutting on a single layer is also just as important to perfecting the layout. Every piece was laid out on one layer of fabric and traced out with chalk before cutting. This way, I could have a clear idea of where each pattern would fit on the entire yardage of the oversized print. The main leaf cluster in the middle of my three-yard cut was spotted to be the primary point of interest for the dress, and the front panel was laid out for asymmetric positioning. Luckily, the A-line, straight cut to the front dress piece was wide enough for almost all the front leaf cluster to fit.
The dress’s back panels were laid out on either side of the front to continue the print’s progression as best I could. I changed the separate gathered panel for the back of the dress into being cut as one with the dress back to minimize extra seam lines and avoid breaking up the print. The dramatically gathered back fullness is achieved in the same way as the pattern designed but through a different, more continuous means by my adaptation. The way I was able to match up the print across the back wrap overlap leaves me so very happy.
While the front is simple in shape but ornamented by the oversized border print, the back has the most detailing. This is a wrap dress that closes from behind, after all. I like the way the back is an overlapped, double-breasted closure for security from both a button malfunction and a cheeky flash of the wind. To keep with Hawaiian theme but adhere to the fact this is from 1971, the duo of buttons are merely imitation wood. This makes my dress easier to wash in the machine.
I did raise up the back dip of the dress’s neckline by 2 ½ inches. By doing this, the back neckline is still low enough to be sexy but high enough to cover up most my lingerie. I can’t imagine how low the back neckline would have been otherwise! The view from behind is still impressive enough and makes my dress feel quite different when compared to the view from the front. I do like a dress that gives off a bit of something unexpected when turned around! The gathered back gives me the sense of having a train without the fussiness of one, adding to the fun of my Polynesian wrap dress. The wrap design keeps it effortless and swishy for summer.
Every piece so closely fit altogether on three total yards, even though the envelope says the short dress needs 2 5/8 yards. I am so grateful my friend picked up a generous amount of this fabric. I cut my dress as a slightly longer version of the short dress and understand the yardage amounts given are for a fabric with no set direction. The long dress calls for over four yards, though. Since I was cutting this dress out on a different layout, my luck held out to have this work after all. Three yards continues to be a safe bet to create a dress from most decades of the last hundred years, even on a 45” width fabric such as this one.
My necklace is an important part to completing my ensemble. Not only is it from my dear departed maternal grandmother, but it is a culturally significant “haole koa” seed lei necklace. These seeds are endemic to Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu. They are one of twenty-seven plants thought to have been brought to the islands by the first Polynesian explorers. Koa plants are revered by the culture for symbolizing their brave and fearless warriors as well as being tied to their native royalty. The wood of the Koa plant is strong enough to have been used for the early canoes, weapons, and utensils, but the seeds tend to go towards bodily adornment, such as tattoos (from the dye) or lei necklaces. Koa seeds are supposedly easy to string because they are boiled down until soft so as to be easily pierced with a needle, then strung using a method close to crochet. Here’s an old 1950s instructional sheet on the different seeds used as beads in Hawaii and they are turned into jewelry.
These necklaces are supposed to embody the virtues of their ancestors and transmute those qualities to the wearer. They stand for the Polynesian islands’ heritage of resilience, strength, and vitality, lasting from generation to generation. Seed lei necklaces are a great way to respect the culture of Hawaii. Here, it more deeply honors the origins of both my fabric and the pattern which was used for my dress. If only grandma could see how I am wearing her necklace today, and hear how I styled it considering the culture, she would no doubt be quite pleased.
Even though I am not Hawaiian by ethnicity, any of my Polynesian themed sewing projects are approached as a great opportunity to appreciate another culture’s tradition, as is the case for any ethnic influenced fashion. The last time I sewed with some of the fabric which my friend brought back from Hawaii, I sewed it in a way to learn about America’s 50th state to join the union (see that post here). This time, my outfit is more based on the heritage and traditions of Hawaii, even though it ultimately only began because I wanted an awesome summer tropical dress out of the best border print ever seen. My sewing pattern and dress material is sourced from the islands. The friend through which I acquired my fabric has family ties to Hawaii herself. My grandmother’s koa seed necklace is something she brought back from one of her several travels to the island. I do feel that I am carrying on the Polynesian tradition of honoring one’s ancestors by my thoughtful approach to making a modern Hawaiian dress.
Never forget that every admirable quality of your predecessors exists in the good you are doing today! This is not exclusive to one culture but applies to all. Hopefully this post will help you see that the tropical prints, which are so popular for summer, have a bigger meaning and message behind them. They are part of a culture that used its fierce resilience and unique identity to survive in the middle of the ocean for centuries. Polynesian prints are a great way to experience the beauty of the islands wherever you live!
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