A longyi (; ) is a sheet of cloth widely worn in Myanmar (Burma). It is approximately long and wide. The cloth is often sewn into a cylindrical shape. It is worn around the waist, running to the feet, and held in place by folding fabric over without a knot. In ancient times, Lethwei fighters would hitch it up (paso hkadaung kyaik) to compete. This folding technique is still being used in modern days when people play chinlone.
History
The modern longyi, a single piece of cylindrical cloth, is a relatively recent introduction to Burma. It gained popularity during British colonial rule, effectively replacing the paso and htamein of precolonial times. The word longyi formerly referred to the sarong worn by Malay men.
In the precolonial era, men's pasos used to be a long piece of called taungshay paso () and unsewn. Alternately the htamein was a long piece of cloth open at the front to reveal the calves, with a dark strip of cotton or velvet sewn on the upper edge, a patterned sheet of cloth in the middle and a strip of red or white cloth sewn below, trailing on the bottom like shorts train. Paso was commonly worn by men in 19th century Burma and Thailand. The amount of cloth in the paso was a sign of social status.
A western visitor to Rangoon in the 19th century wrote:
Visiting Amarapura, Henry Yule described the pasos and their equivalent for women, the htameins, as "the most important article of local production", employing a large proportion of the local population. The silk was imported from China. He wrote:
However, with the onset of colonial rule, Lower Burma and urban areas more readily adopted the longyi worn in the Malay and Indian style, which was considered more convenient to wear.
The Myanmar longyi originated from India. Similar garments are found in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Malay Archipelago. In the Indian subcontinent it is known variously as a lungi, longi, kaili or saaram.
Design and style
In Burma, longyis worn by males are called pahso (), while those worn by females are called htamein (, or htamain). Strictly speaking, they are not unisex attire, as the way they are worn as well as the patterns and makeup are different between the genders.
Men wear the modern paso by making a fold on either side in front and tied by tucking them together at the waist just below the navel. Women, on the other hand, always have a three cubit one finger span length but again unsewn in the old days like men's. They are worn wrapped around with a single broad fold in front and the end tucked in on one side or folding back at the hip and tucking into the opposite side of the waist, usually topped with a fitted blouse worn just to the waistband.
Hemlines rise and fall as the fashion of the day dictates although they are unlikely to go up above the knee. Longyis are generally sold unsewn but nowadays they are available ready to wear; htameins may even be sewn like Western skirts. Untying and re-tying a longyi is often seen in public with both genders, women much more discreetly than men.
Patterns and fabrics
Men's pasos are generally stripes or checks apart from plain colours and may be worn upside down or inside out with no difference. Women's htameins have a black calico band called a htet sint (, ) for the waist; they wear more multi-coloured and floral patterns, too.
Cotton is the basic material but all sorts of fabrics, both imported and home-grown, may be made into longyis. Tootal, georgette, satin and crepe have been made into htameins. Indonesian batik, although very expensive, have been very popular for decades; outfits of batik () of the same design top and bottom were very popular in the 1980s.
For ceremonial and special occasions wearers use their best silks; the most elaborate ones are known as a cheik (, lit. hook), a beautiful and intricate wave or houndstooth pattern in several colour combinations from the weavers of Amarapura. They are worn especially at weddings, almost invariably by the bride and groom in matching colours. The poor may keep aside some traditional silks for special occasions.
In ancient times silks generally were worn by royalty and courtiers, the royal pasos and htameins richly embroidered with gold, silver, pearls and precious stones. Modern reproductions of these may be seen on the stage at zat pwès (theatrical performances).
Ethnic and regional weaves and patterns are plenty and popular. There are Rakhine longyi, Mon longyi, Kachin longyi, Inle longyi, Zin Mè (Chiang Mai) longyi, Yaw longyi, Seikkhun longyi, Dawei longyi and more.