[Barley Bird]

What are the weight on these? Are they lightweight or heavyweight? Are they see through? Material? Rayon? Silk?

[Doc Hudson]

Just at a guess, with no actual experience, I'd say that light weight or medium weight would be more likely.

I am fairly certain that while some might be somewhat translucent, the transparent versions would be limited to those intended for harem wear.

Think about it Dread, those things were invented in a region where cold weather starts when the temperature dips below 75* F, and humidity is even worse than it is in the American South. I just can't see the Javanese, or Malays inventing a garment made of 16 oz. wool. 8 or 9 ounce cotton (or lighter) would be more likely.

Like I say, all of this is guess and conjecture, but it seems logical to me. How say the rest of the gentry?

[Barley Bird]

Well, a lightweight sarong is typically 4 to 6 ounce cloth, is rather see through, and kinda flimsy. A heavyweight sarong can be as much as 10, 12, even 13 ounce cloth and is very thick, holds a pleat rather well, and stays on your ass better when it is folded on. Even in hot weather a heavyweight sarong is cool, because of freaky fast evaporation rates for rayon and silk. Men generally shouldn't wear a lightweight sarong... For one thing, that kind of sheer cloth is intended for women, and the other, the whole see through aspect. Women in general tie a sarong, so thinner material is fine, while there are folds for a man and a kind of pleating on several methods of wear. A lightweight sarong will not hold the folds proper, or at least, not as well.

Sarongs and similar garments are a lot like kilts... In general, the heavier the better. Quality matters.