Meri Blaus

Traditional women’s wear in PNG in the ‘time before’ was topless with a grass skirt (with regional variations). This is still worn for traditional dances and ceremonies, although often with a bra, and can cause cross cultural tension when the postal services of other nations refuse to deliver mail because of the pictures of bare breasted women on the postage stamps.

Traditional women’s wear since the colonial era has been the meri blaus and a laplap (sarong) or skirt. The meri blaus is a long, colourful shapeless top that is all purpose and has been described as ‘the worst of pregnancy wear.’ In fact, it can be worn before, during and after pregnancy, including while breastfeeding a toddler, without showing any extra flesh.

I’ve also heard it said that a meri blaus compliments no-one, yet when three of us went shopping around Kavieng town, each dressed in a meri blaus, we had an embarrassingly constant stream of compliments from strangers in every shop and as we walked along the road. These compliments to me captured what I like about the meri blaus; they do not emphasise what you look like, but who you are.

To wear a meri blaus is not to flatter your body shape, but to disguise it. The statement it does make is that we are here to be part of the culture, not to force it to confirm to our own ways. People complimented our meri blaus because they appreciated us making the effort to belong. With our white skin we will always stand out, but wearing the meri blaus is one way we can choose to belong.

The meri blaus can also express belonging when it is used as a uniform. A ladies guild will all have a matching meri blaus that they will wear for meetings or service activities. Matching laplaps will be printed for special occasions. Meri blaus designs and colours will be patterned on the regional or national flag. In some areas it is important to wear a white or near white meri blaus to church on a Sunday. In some regions the meri blaus is sleeveless, in others it is sleeved…with puffy sleeves to rival the 80s.

Another advantage of the meri blaus, is that you are always appropriately dressed for whatever the day may hold. I was glad to have put a meri blaus on one morning, when in the afternoon I found myself on the Bishop’s VIP guest list for a fancy ceremony to dedicate a fuel pump (more on that another day!). All the other female guests were in their meri blaus, so this way I fitted in with the crowd.

Meri blauses

For all my praise of the meri blaus, I will also admit to mostly wearing it in regional locations and still quite enjoying more fitted clothing when in my own community. I also admit to preferring to match my meri blaus and skirt rather than join in with some of the eye boggling clashes of colour and pattern I have seen along the way. Yet as my wardrobe of ‘village’ and ‘home’ clothes slowly expands (the danger of a sewing machine), I shall continue to value the meri blaus as an item of clothing that does not depend on what people look like, but who they are; a pleasant change from the dress code of my own nation.