Bilum, Bilas, Bilumwear: PNG Women Loop Stylish Dresses to Create New Identities

• Main Author: Elisabetta Gnecchi-Ruscone
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Bologna 2019-12-01
• Series: ZoneModa Journal
• Subjects: bilumwear; string bags; women; contemporary identities; fashion
• Online Access: https://zmj.unibo.it/article/view/9961

Starting from a succinct introduction to Papua New Guinea and its history, this essay will sketch the significance of string bags (bilums) in traditional and contemporary lives of men and women throughout the country before looping back to considering the country’s colonial and postcolonial history from the perspective of the transformations in bodily attire as a result of mission and colonial influence, leading to a consideration the desires and intentions of contemporary women to wear clothes reflecting their current identity as citizens of a global world, with its implications of modernity, development, and gender. The spread of looped bilumwear garments in the market also represents an opportunity for income and autonomy for the women involved in its production.