Toana Dei & Meri Blouse

On April 28 1978, the government declared that Friday should be set aside as a national dress day.  Citizens were encourage to wear their cultural wear to work or school. The day was referred to as Toana day. The thinking behind that day was to encourage cultural embracement and initiate a national wear which in time will take on its style and become the national wear for contemporary PNG.  Toana is from the motuan language 3rd widely spoken language in PNG and it means a symbol or a sign. A fitting word to signify the day. I am taking up this space again to feature one piece of unique clothing that has come to make its mark in PNG known as the Meri Blouse.Little did they envisage what the meri blouse would become to PNG woman.And meri blouse was introduce by Missionaries to help cover bare breast woman in the colonial days. Highly criticise as shapeless and without form created to hide the beautiful curvy body of Melanesian woman meri blouse has stood its time and held it's head up high till today. As I quote "meri blouses are an abomination. Shapeless body drapes introduced by sexually-frustrated missionaries and Colonial Colonel Blimps (who had probably never seen their wives breasts) to cover their guilt at seeing women's breasts so openly displayed." I am applauded at this statement and the so limited brains of those long ago people who could not see what good this piece of clothing will be come. But history is known to be quiet brutal and not a bad thing to look back and appreciate the present...here's the link if you want to read more on how meri blouse was viewed through the eyes of the foreigners https://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2014/01/the-melanesian-fashion-atrocity-that-is-the-meri-blouse.html

But in today modern contemporary PNG my word meri blouse is TRENDY coming back in style and fashion. Simple light easy to throw over a skirt or a trousers and the styles that PNG women are cooking up is boundless. It has come to make its mark in our society a toana a symbol of PNG woman who are resilient, strong, and courageous and beautiful arrayed in many colours a sign of respect and dignity one that is not look down upon but cherish and embraced by its men folk. So in honor of toana day every Friday we will be posting a different meri blouse for the next 12 days. Encouraging young females to continue with that tradition of wearing meri blouse and inspiring you to pick up one from the many talented female SME who sells these beautiful pieces. You could one up from any local market or craft shop and their prices range from 10-50 kina depending on their styles. #Meriblouseiscomingbackinstyle# #Toanadei#