Overview
Before Christian missionaries from Europe arrived in the Pacific Islands at the end of the eighteenth century, Pacific Islanders usually wore loin cloths, short skirts, or went without clothing.
The missionaries introduced their ideas of decency and fashion to the inhabitants, and traditional items of clothing were replaced by trousers, jackets and long flowing European dresses such as the Mother Hubbard - even if such garments were uncomfortable, unsuitable for the climate, carried germs, and caused dampness which led to influenza and chest disease.
Pacific Islanders took some of the elements of European fashion, successfully combining them with elements of their own - and have been doing so ever since.
The lavalava or pareu or sulu (wrap-around skirt), is one of the most enduring and versatile aspects of Pacific costume - from the smart uniform of the schoolboy or policeman to the many elegant variations of the woman's puletasi.
This Mother Hubbard dress, thought to be from Tuvalu, is an example of Pacific Island adoption and assimilation of European tradition.
It was made from sections of pandanus matting which were cut out and then machine stitched with white thread. It has a fairly deep yoke made from thick strips of yellow and red matting, with a rounded neck and an opening at the back.
The rest of the dress is mostly made from a finer matting which is predominantly red and patterned with a small yellow diamond. The body of the garment is pleated from the yoke and has a flounce and a fringe at the base. The fringe consists of broad, vertical leaf strips which alternate in red and yellow sections.
The garment has three-quarter sleeves which end in a fringe of hibiscus fibre. While most of the dress is made from materials found in the natural Pacific environment, there are sections of European cloth facing the sleeve edge, neck and opening.
The hat has a narrow brim made from yellow and red patterned pandanus mat. It also has a red fibre band which has been sewn to the body of the hat. The crown is decorated with red plaited cords and a small pom-pom. The hat has been machine sewn together and there is a pearl shell star or cross ornament in the centre front.
The dress would probably not have been worn for everyday wear, being so uncomfortable, though signs of wear around the neck indicate it was definitely worn at some stage - perhaps as a Sunday best.
Enterprising European cloth-makers developed a range of ‘Polynesian prints’ - European-made cloth but with Island designs - over 100 years ago, aimed specifically at Pacific Island markets. Today we can buy high quality prints by Island designers as well as cloth mass-produced elsewhere. Designs and pattern with a strong Pacific Island influence are increasingly part of the New Zealand fashion scene. For example, the work of Pacific Island designer Shigeyuki Kihara, who won second prize in the lifestyle category at the Dupont Lycra awards in 1995.
Text originally published in Tai Awatea, Te Papa's onfloor multimedia database (2003)