Plain or striped fabric generally served as daily or work clothing in the past. A weaver applies a decorative technique such as warp ikat, warp float, supplementary warp, discontinuous supplementary weft, slit-tapestry, and weft twining to create complex designs. 

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Warp Ikat

Women from the Alurung ethnic group are the primary users of warp ikat or warp resist-dye technique in Alor Regency, but some women of other groups also produce warp ikat textiles such as some coastal Adang villages. Weavers apply this technique to the warp threads before weaving. The warp ikat designs appear as the cloth is woven. Warp ikat decorates both men's and women’s tubular garments.

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Complementary Warp (Warp Float)

This technique requires two different colored warps to be set up in complementary sets. These threads are part of the structure of the fabric. Each warp has its counterpart on the opposite face of the cloth, and the design is achieved from the two sets of warps interlacing with the weft. The result is a design with the colors in reverse on each side. This technique, called songket in the regency, is used by weavers from various ethnic groups such as Alurung of Baranusa, West Pantar, and Buaya and Ternate Islands; Kui of Southwest Pantar; Kiremanng of South Alor; and Taruamang of East Alor.

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Continuous Supplementary Weft

consists of floating extra wefts over the ground weave and does not disturb the ground fabric. Extra weft threads are inserted along the same passage as the main weft and then worked backward and forwards from one selvage or side to another. It is rarely used in Alor, but it is found on some men’s clothes from East Alor.

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Discontinuous Supplementary Weft

creates a design by floating extra wefts over the ground weave in specific areas without disturbing the ground fabric. Extra weft threads are inserted along the same passage as the main weft and then worked backward and forwards in specific areas to create the design. The supplementary yarn is cut when the design is finished and reinserted in another area when beginning a new pattern. 

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Slit Tapestry

Multi-colored threads used as the primary weft are manipulated to form designs. These threads are interlaced with warp yarns in specific sections and turn around at adjacent warps, creating a slit or hole in between the different-colored areas. Different colored weft threads do not interlock. Weavers of Kolana and Maritaing of East Alor District apply this technique near the ends of men’s textiles.

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Weft Twining

Two or more threads interlace or twist around each other while enclosing warp threads to resembles a braid. Weft twining is often applied near the ends of a man’s cloth to prevent the weft threads from coming loose.