What is the National costume for the Cook Islands?

Answer 1

The Cook Islands do not have a cultural costume, such as the Indian sari or the Tongan taovala. However, the preferred 'cultural' dress for Cook Islanders is a common Pasifika form of attire consisting of an aloha shirt/island shirt for both men and women called a "pona pareu". These shirts are usually printed with different floral or motifs and come in many different colours. Older Cook Islands women also prefer to wear a "muumuu", another commonly Pasifika shared form of dress, mainly for women from Easter Polynesia. Older women prefer to have this dress cover their bodies from their necks to their ankles. Younger women prefer to have fitted muumuu dresses in moderate lengths and cuts.

A local company called TAVS Resortwear create handmade garments that are both a local and overseas favourite for many Cook Islanders at home and abroad. They specialize in handpainted skirts, dresses, shirts and other attire using cultural motifs that are significant to the Cook Islands. They provide new styles each season, as well as continuous production of popular garments. Rarotonga (the capital island of the Cook Islands) also produces some well-known brands among the Cook Islands community, such as the Mareko sarong collection that are popular for their soft materials used to make sarongs.

Cultural performing arts costumes vary within the Cook Islands and abroad. The culture of the Cook Islands welcome creative expressions of Cook Islands costumes to support the notion that their culture is not stagnant. However, the basics of a cultural costume consist of a "pareu"/skirt for both males and females (either made of kiri'au (hibiscus bark fibres), plastic sacks, or cloth), shell necklances, head bands, Bras (for girls, made of coconut shells or decorated plain bras bought from stores) and leg adornments for males called "riri vaevae" (literally leg shakers).