Muumuu
Encyclopedia
The muumuu or muumuu (ˈmuːmuː) is a loose dress of Hawaii
an origin that hangs from the shoulder. Like the Aloha shirt
, muumuu exports are often brilliantly colored with floral patterns of generic Polynesian
motifs. Muumuu for local Hawaiian residents are more subdued in tone. Muumuu are no longer as widely worn at work as the aloha shirt
, but continue to be the preferred formal dress for weddings and festivals such as the Merrie Monarch
hula competition. They are also frequently worn as a uniform by women working in the hotel industry. Muumuu are also popular as maternity
wear because they do not restrict the waist.
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an origin that hangs from the shoulder. Like the Aloha shirt
Aloha shirt
The Aloha shirt commonly referred to as a Hawaiian shirt is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. It is currently the premier textile export of the Hawaii manufacturing industry. The shirts are printed, mostly short-sleeved, and collared. They usually have buttons, sometimes as a complete...
, muumuu exports are often brilliantly colored with floral patterns of generic Polynesian
Polynesian culture
Polynesian culture refers to the indigenous peoples' culture of Polynesia who share common traits in language, customs and society. Chronologically, the development of Polynesian culture can be divided into four different historical eras:...
motifs. Muumuu for local Hawaiian residents are more subdued in tone. Muumuu are no longer as widely worn at work as the aloha shirt
Aloha shirt
The Aloha shirt commonly referred to as a Hawaiian shirt is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. It is currently the premier textile export of the Hawaii manufacturing industry. The shirts are printed, mostly short-sleeved, and collared. They usually have buttons, sometimes as a complete...
, but continue to be the preferred formal dress for weddings and festivals such as the Merrie Monarch
Merrie Monarch Festival
The Merrie Monarch Festival is a week-long cultural festival that takes place annually in Hilo, Hawaii. It honors King David Kalākaua, who was called the "Merrie Monarch" for his patronage of the arts. He is credited with restoring many Hawaiian cultural traditions during his reign, including the...
hula competition. They are also frequently worn as a uniform by women working in the hotel industry. Muumuu are also popular as maternity
Maternity
Maternity or motherhood is the social and legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a mother and her child.It is specially related with the protection of the baby and the mother within and after the childbirth.-See also:...
wear because they do not restrict the waist.
Etymology and history
The word muumuu means "amputated" in Hawaiian, and relates to the effects of Hansen's Disease during the Hawaiian missionary period . Originally it was a shorter, informal version of the more formal holokū. Holokū was the original name for the Mother Hubbard dress introduced by Protestant missionaries to Hawaii in the 1820s. The holokū featured long sleeves and a floor-length unfitted dress falling from a high-necked yoke. Over the years, the holokū approximated more closely to European and American fashions. It might have a fitted waist, and even a train for evening. As the holokū became more elaborate, the muumuu, a shortened version, became popular for informal wear.In popular culture
- In the U.S. sitcom Three's CompanyThree's CompanyThree's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....
, the character Helen RoperHelen RoperHelen Roper is a character on the situation comedy series, Three's Company and its later spin-off series The Ropers. In both shows, she is played by Audra Lindley....
is seen exclusively wearing muumuus. - In the comic strip Zippy the PinheadZippy the PinheadZippy is an American comic strip created by Bill Griffith. The character of Zippy the Pinhead initially appeared in underground publications during the 1970s...
, Zippy usually wears a disconcerting polka-dot muumuu. - In the Simpsons episode "King-Size HomerKing-Size Homer"King-Size Homer" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 5, 1995. In the episode, Homer despises the nuclear plant's new exercise program, and decides to gain in order to claim a disability and work at home...
", after gaining 61 pounds in order to claim a disabilityDisabilityA disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
and work at home, Homer wears a Muumuu, as his regular clothes no longer fit him.