Smashin' Fashion

The first thing I notice everyday about the Micronesian people are not their clothes, but the smiles as bright as sunshine they wear. I am amazed at the smiles here. People smile at us for no reason. We receive smiles for walking, crossing a path at the grocery store or passing someone on the street. We lived in Moldova for ten months last year and saw very few smiles on the stoic, Eastern Eurpoean faces we encountered. I am sure the smiling here on Pohnpei seems so surprising because of this contrast, but regardless, it is pretty great to get a full smile from someone.

People here on Pohnpei do wear more than just a smile, it is not that primitive and is the island nation’s capital after all.

I like wearing skirts. It makes me feel feminine and in this hot weather, a skirt (unless hiking) is the only way to go. Skirts are cooler because they allow for airflow. I don’t mind a bit of modesty either. I like to draw the kind of attention that I feel comfortable with. This is not to say that I would be the only person dressed in a Turkish bath. When in Istanbul, right? When in Pohnpei, Micronesia it is culturally appropriate for women to wear a calf-length skirt, so here I am flowing in the breeze with a frequent desire to twirl.

There are a myriad of hand-made skirts for about $20 dollars and these are what 90% of the women here wear. The material these skirts are made of is a kind of polyester blend and not very breathable, so I am glad I brought several cotton skirts that are not see-through when wet.The skirts are either worn with a t-shirt or pulled up over the breasts as a kind of dress. We are told that up until a few years ago it was common to go topless with the skirts. Showing the thighs is unseemly and to a much lesser extent, the breasts. Sunday Best are dresses in a style that I know as a muu-muu.

Men wear pants when doing business and on Sundays. Some younger people wear sleeveless tops and you’ll see girls in knee-length shorts, but this is seen by as showy and flaunting. Many people have hand towels or clip large banana leaves that they wear over their heads in direct sunlight as a kind of makeshift hat. Many people wear flowers in their hair, but there is more to follow on this topic as it is related to traditions of social hierarchy I have yet to fully understand.

Flip flops are the choice by almost everyone who chooses to wear footwear. I have seen makeup on some people, but I notice it because it is in the process of running off. It is too hot and humid for more than waterproof mascara and lip-gloss. All in all, people here are beautiful, not because of a meticulously manicured presentation but resonating beauty from warm, generous smiles and true kindness of spirit.