How to wear a Longyi

For Alex, to prepare for trip to Burma - Merry Christmas from Grandfather

Herewith is an antique longyi, with which to practice wearing.

(It's a lot easier to demonstrate than it is to diagram & describe! Hope this works.)

• pull the 2 sides tightly to the front
• one side goes over the other, and inside and is tucked in, tightly, at the center of the waist.
• this part - the end not tucked in - can then be turned down in front

Normally worn without underwear, so wearer can urinate or defecate modestly, by squatting down (Burmese style: both feet flat on ground, including heels), with lower edge of longyi draped outside legs, on the ground.

One can wash in public, by loosening the waist & holding the longyi up with one hand, while using the other hand inside with soap and water. The bare upper body is washed also. Dry off above, and inside the now-wet longyi, which is fastened at waist as usual, while a dry longyi is pulled over the head and outside the wet longyi, the latter being then unloosened, dropped to feet, while new longyi is tied on.

Reed Sturtevant <reed@sturtevant.com>
Last update: January 1, 2002