Clothing tips

Press, 28 June 1983, Page 30

Clothing tips

Is a bikini acceptable attire in Fiji? The Visitors’ Bureau in Suva suggests that women visitors should be guided by common sense. Women who feel at ease wearing skimpy tops and shorts in New Brighton on a summer’s day should consider the feelings of the less sophisticated and more modest Fijians, particularly those living in relatively remote villages or on the outer islands. But even in the urban centres, the sight of women in revealing dress can embarrass the local people, many of whom seldom go into town. A good idea for women visitors who may be sunbathing on the beach one minute and strolling to the nearest village the next, is to wrap a sulu around the waist. A sulu is a brilliant, island-patterned length of cotton cloth sold in almost every shop for about $B. A sulu lends a touch of South Seas glamour as well as modesty to the wearer. If a swimsuit top is too meagre, the sulu can be tied around the top, sarong-style, and an attractive short muumuu is created. Bikinis are acceptable on beaches and at swimming pools; short muumuus are best for sight-seeing tours; and jeans or shorts most apt for clambering in and out of boats.