Pangis with hand embroidery
A cloth in different colors, in nice patterns and sizes. You may wonder what it is called. It is nothing less than a Pangi. A wrap with a history. Even older than you. This traditional costume is worn by a cultural group, the Maroons in the interior of Suriname. This still happens, since slavery.
It all started in the time of slavery. Every year the slaves received fabrics from which they made the costumes. Sometimes they made these themselves from cotton they stole from the plantations they used to work on. The Pangi was then used for various purposes.
It is originally used primarily as a loincloth and worn around the waist. Preferably in the favorite colors green, yellow, orange and brown. However, there are many colorful Pangi’s on the market. This is because the Maroons have learned that colorful and decorative Pangi’s are most popular with tourists. The figures on the Pangi usually have meanings of notable events.
Sometimes a Pangi is worn over another garment. This has different reasons, sometimes to be able to carry the baby, other times to carry the harvest.
Different ways to wear a pangi; around the waist over a dress, pants but also as a headwrap.
Women wear Pangi’s especially these days as a headscarf. This involves first covering the hair with a satin cloth to prevent dryness of the hair and then making the different models with the headscarf.
Men also wear Pangi’s. It is called a Kamisa. The Kamisa is tied diagonally over the shoulder or worn as a breechcloth.
The Pangi has now become a fashionable cloth with which a lot can be done and which looks elegant on everyone. With the Pangi you can always be creative and develop your own models. You can easily get yours at the Shop Suriname Collection.
