Island Style

Aside from sakau, embroidered skirts (urohs en Pohnpei) may be the most quintessentially Pohnpeian symbol. Every Pohnpeian woman owns a collection of these skirts – simple embroidery for everyday wear and elaborate embroidery for special occasions, feasts, trips into town, etc. 

At Education Day last year - the four of us on the ends are wearing
different styles of Pohnpeian skirt

Several of my family members make these skirts for a living. Since all my medical problems this winter, I haven’t been going up to the mountain to harvest sakau anymore – instead, I’ve been filling most Saturdays helping Seileen make skirts. 

Seileen and Pattiann work in their "skirt factory"

She does all the sewing, but I’m responsible for the cutting. The nicest skirts (the ones that sell for the most money) involve three layers of fabric, and I cut around all the embroidery to expose the colored fabrics in the 2^nd layer. It takes about 1-2 hours per skirt, and it’s a nice way to fill those weekend hours!

The middle skirt is an example of the layered cutting technique
(the orange fabric is the 2nd layer)

The other key element of a Pohnpeian woman's wardrobe is the oh-so-figure-flattering muumuu. It seems like they should be breezy and comfortable, but I find them unbearable to wear in the hot weather. I have to wear them to school and church, but I also change into Pohnpeian skirts as soon as I get home!

Matching muumuus are popular. People use the
English word "uniform" when their clothes match