Lap-lap

A lap-lap is a waistcloth or loincloth worn in Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific. This item of clothing has three parts: a front flap, a back flap, and a thread to tie them around the waist. The sides are generally open. How much is covered by the front and back flaps varies.

Not to be confused with Laplap.

Related to the lap-lap is the lava-lava, which is an all-round rectangular cloth worn like a kilt or skirt by Polynesians.

This description refers to the traditional, pre-colonial period, costume. The current usage is broader than this: 'Laplap: a waistcloth, a loincloth, any cloth material or dry goods, a rag'.[1] It is a Fijian word that is also used in Western Melanesia.

References
  1. Mihalic, F 1971, The Jacaranda dictionary and grammar of Melanesian Pidgin, Jacaranda Press, Milton, Qld
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