A taovala is a Tonga

Tonga

Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...

n dress, a mat wrapped around the waist, worn by men and women, at all formal occasions, much like the tie

Tie

Tie may refer to:* Necktie, a long piece of cloth worn around the neck or shoulders* Tie , a finish to a competition with identical results, particularly sports...

 for men in the European and North American culture. The ta'ovala is also commonly seen among the Fijian Lau islands

Lau Islands

The Lau Islands of Fiji are situated in the southern Pacific Ocean, just east of the Koro Sea. Of this chain of about one hundred islands and islets, about thirty are inhabited...

, a region once heavily influenced by Tongan hegemony and cultural diffusion.

According to a Tongan story, a group of Tongans once arrived by boat at the Tui Tonga

Tu'i Tonga

The Tui Tonga is a line of Tongan kings, which originated in the 10th century with the mythical Ahoeitu; withdrew from political power in the 15th century by yielding to the Tui Haatakalaua; and died out with Laufilitonga in 1865...

, but they had had a rough ride and their clothing, if any remained, was not respectable.