I decided to get a longyi when I realized how prevalent they were; almost everyone wears the long traditional skirt and as a solo traveler I thought it would help blend in. Stepping out of my hostel on my 2nd day, I took out a map to figure out where the market was. Within seconds, shadows cast over the map and I looked up in surprise to find 5 women standing there with beaming smiles. “How can I help you?” one of them asked. I explained I wanted to find myself a longyi, and the next thing I knew I was holding hands with two of the women and on my way to the fabric store. Parading me around the store with bolts of fabric on my shoulders, each had a differing opinion about what colours suited me best. I ended up choosing an Indonesian batik in a thin fabric, with deep purples that matched the 2 tops I had in my possession.