Dress styles of Kosrae

The female clothing culture of Kosrae is centered on the dresses women wear. These dresses have evolved and changed over time. This is their Pacific island culture, a proud tradition that is truly unique in Micronesia. The Kosraean women marching in the College of Micronesia-FSM culture day 2009 parade were not just wearing any church dress during the cultural march, they were wearing dresses and hair styles from the past as well as the present. The following two images were captured by Harvey Segal in Utwe, Kosrae, in 1965. Leone Nena wears a style of dress common in 1965.

Julia Nena wears another dress with a hair style more common to that era.

Forty-four years later Pua and Cantina below echo the styles of their forebearers.

In this second shot, Kenye exhibits the style of dress once worn by a Deaconess or Nipasta. Note that the fabric is a cotton and required pressing, today many elderesses wear synthetic fabrics, and modern dresses lack the pleating and lace seen below.

Note the presence of pleating on both the pink dress and flowery dress.

The collar and sleeve detail on Cantina's dress can be seen above. Below is a full length shot of the dress. The cotton print fabric is also evocative of the age in which the dress was made.

Below Robina wears a dress that was in style circa 2005, synthetic fabric, a bolder print.