In the east of Sumba a length of ikat can take a year or more to make. The cotton is spun, the pattern is bound into the threads by hand, and the yarn is dyed in indigo for the blues and in the root of the morinda tree for the rust reds, bath after bath, before a single row is woven. The finished cloth is worn at ceremonies, given at marriages and laid in graves. To arrive on this island with a suitcase is to arrive somewhere that understands, without needing to be told, what a natural textile is worth.

Sumba lies a short flight east of Bali and resembles it very little. It is roughly twice the size and far drier, an island of limestone hills, open savannah and herds of small sandalwood horses, with a coast of long beaches that are often entirely empty. The dry season runs from about May to October. By its end the grass has turned pale gold, the days stand in the low thirties, and a steady wind crosses the island from the south-east. Deciding what to wear in Sumba is mostly a matter of respecting sun, wind and custom, in that order.

Certified Belgian linen suits a dry heat with wind in it. The cloth lets air through, dries readily after a sudden shower, and has enough body not to cling. For men, the Laos short sleeve linen shirt in Beige Cream or Vanille is the daytime garment, with PP linen shorts in Beige or White on dry land. For the hours of strongest sun, between eleven and three, the Laos long sleeve linen shirt in Oyster covers the forearm and is more comfortable in direct sun than bare skin. The men's linen collection holds each of these.

The villages are the heart of the island and they ask for some care. In settlements such as Ratenggaro, on the south-west coast, clan houses rise under thatched roofs of extraordinary height, built to shelter the ancestors in the peak, and megalithic stone tombs stand between them facing the sea. Many Sumbanese follow Marapu, the ancestral belief of the island, and a village is a sacred space as much as a home. Visitors come with a guide, bring a small gift, and dress modestly: shoulders covered, knees covered. PP casual linen trousers in Oatmeal for him; for her the PP linen blouse in Lemon or Sky Blue, with a full-length skirt or trousers from her own wardrobe to cover the knee.

The coast is a different freedom. Weekuri, in the west, is a saltwater lagoon held behind a wall of rock, clear to the bottom and calm when the open sea is not. The southern beaches take a serious swell and draw surfers through the dry months. In the water, PP natural swim shorts in Oatmeal or Roosewood Pink are the garment; the natural swim shorts are cut for the sea in certified Belgian linen. Linen shorts and shirts wait on the sand. On an island this bright, a shirt for the walk up to lunch is as much protection as dress.

Riding is part of Sumba, at a walk along the beach at low tide, and long trousers in linen are more comfortable in a saddle than shorts. In February and March the west of the island holds the Pasola, a ritual contest between mounted riders that marks the rice-planting season. It is a ceremony, not a show, and guests who attend dress as they would for a village: covered, quiet in colour, hat in hand when asked.

Evenings are simple. The few lodges on the island are built of local stone, teak and thatch, open to the wind, and dinner is taken barefoot or close to it. For her, the ladies linen set in Dubarry or Coral Orange, or the Amelia linen dress shirt in Hibiscus, carries colour well against the grass roofs and the dusk. For him the Vibes linen shirt in Orchid or Dark Blue, worn loose. Linen will crease in a sea wind and nobody on Sumba will remark on it; the natural crease is a material fact, not a failure of care.

Pack lightly. Small aircraft serve the island, laundry dries readily in moving air, and four or five linen garments each are enough for a week. Readers arriving from the neighbouring islands will find what to wear in Bali and what to wear in Lombok in the Journal. Sumba is the quieter of the three, and the one where what you wear is most likely to be looked at by someone who weaves.

What to Wear in Bali  ·  What to Wear in Lombok  ·  How Linen Is Made