Vintage Hawaiian Barkcloth Dress Dresses

1950’s vintage Hawaiian barkcloth dress.
Handmade and one-of-a-kind!
Measurements: Pit-to-Pit: 17″/ Waist: 14″/ Length: 47″

About barkcloth (aka tapa or kapa) fabric:

The creation of Kapa fabric is a labor intensive process. Traditionally made from the bark of a Wauke (Mulberry) tree, it is first stripped of its outer bark and soaked in water for up to ten days. Next, it is beaten and placed in ti or banana leaves in a warm, shady spot to ferment. These fibers require a fermentation stage to allow the fibers to float freely, resulting in a felted, matted, seamless mass. The fermentation process is essential to the quality and texture of the finished cloth.

The second stage of processing requires many more hours of beating, shaping, and stretching the fiber pieces – eventually resulting in a breathable, workable fabric.

Modern barkcloth is made from 100% cotton, textured with a surface that is reminiscent of cushion covers from the early 1950’s.