African Clothing (2024)

African clothing commonly refers to the traditional clothing worn by the people of Africa.

Different tribes throughout the continent pride themselves on their national dress which they use for ceremonies and special occasions.There are many varied styles of dress and the type of cloth plays an integral role in fashioning the garment. The fabric often reflects the society in general as well as the status of individuals or groups within that community.

In some instances traditional robes have been replaced or influenced by foreign cultures, like colonial impact or western popular dress code.

HISTORY OF CLOTHINGIN AFRICA

Theevolution of dress in Africa is very difficult to trace due to the lack of written wordand actual historical evidence. Much is pieced together from various sourceslike traditional robes being handed down to present day tribal members, word ofmouth (oral history), theater (masquerades) and from art and artifacts whichshow sculptural representations of dress.

Clothing was not generally needed for warmth or protection in most areas of the African continent due to the warm and hospitable climate and many tribes did not wear much at all. The men wore just a loin cloth or apron and the women wore wraps around their waist or breasts, often adorning the rest of their bodies with scarification and paint ochres.

Adornment of clothingcame by way of fashioning jewelry and head gear from seashells, bones, ostrichegg shell pieces and feathers.

Theearliest evidence of textile manufacture appeared at Igbo-Ukwu and consisted ofexcavated fragments of unpatterned, bast-fibre cloth dating from the 9thCentury. (Bast is the plant fibre madefrom the phloem, the inner bark). Discovery of the Tellem caves in Mali exposed11th and 12th Century funerary sites which revealed fragmentsof cotton and wool fabric dyed with indigo.

And thenaround the 15th Century, trade occurred in Africa with shippingroutes being opened up between Europe, Africa and the East. Exotic itemsarrived on the continent and began to be coveted by the local inhabitants fordecoration of their local cloth. Beads, shells and buttons began to appear ongarments, either as embellishment or making up the entire garment like beaded aprons,capes, headbands and shoes.

Variousweaving techniques were developed in different areas, some more progressivethan others. Fibres used were cotton, raffia, silk and wool. Woven anddecorated textiles used for African clothing became a reflection of the tribe’sstatus, its socioeconomic standing, its culture, its environment and its climate.

TRIBAL CLOTHING

Traditional and contemporary woven and/orprinted fabric, wrapped or draped around the body forms the nucleus of tribalclothing. Adornment of the body with headdresses, bags, belts, collars, girdlesand capes made from beads, feathers, leather, gold and silver, sea shells,ostrich egg shell, ivory, buttons, fur, skins, bone, animal tails and hair,raffia, wood, grass, bells and pressed metal all contribute to a rich andembellished costume used for tribal purposes.

Combinedwith the wearing of headbands, necklaces, bracelets, wristlets, armbands andanklets and oiled, perfumed skin and dressed hair, adult women and men could besplendidly worn down with the weight and volume of their dress.

The skin of an animal was often chosen forsymbolic significance and showed tribal allegiance or personal totems.

Sometimes it needed to be kept intact to bring good health and good luck to thewearer.

Colours and patterns, created in printed and dyed cloth, woven fabric strips or beaded attire distinguish one ethnic group from another. Tribes pride themselves on the quality of their hand-made cloth using techniques that have been handed down, generation by generation, for centuries.

These clothes can be used as wraps and capes or sewn into garments for both males and females.

Kitengecloth has a long history in East and Western Africa but nowadays has expanded to many other countries on the continent.It is an informal and inexpensive printed fabric that features a distinctive border design and sometimes has political slogans printed on it.

Here, Liberian women wearkitengedresses depicting the Liberian flag and political leaders for National Commemoration Day.

Ashanti weaving has two levels, cotton cloth for general use and cloths partly or wholly made of silk for courtly application as seen opposite.

This is widely known as ‘Kente’ cloth.Sadly, Ashanti weaving is falling past its prime as the demand for high standards and complicated pattern designs has declined.

MODERNAFRICAN CLOTHING

Today, African garments take their roots in traditional dress and are worn by millions of peoplefor both ceremonial occasions and for everyday wear. This makes for a vibrant and colourful scene wherever you go in Africa.

African dress may consist of a single item or a fully composed outfit and range from simple to complex.

Kaftans

Ankara (Dutch wax)

ladies wearing capalana wraps, Mozambique

Ensembles are very often made from Ankara or Dutch Wax fabric.

They can be elaborate outfits with hats and scarves or they can be simple wrappers which are worn around the waist with a Westernised shirt, frequently acquired from the secondhand clothes business that has swamped the continent in recent years.

Throughout Africa, both men and women wear variations of the wrapper(also calledkanga, futa, lappa,capalanaorpagne).

Dashiki and Madiba shirts

A Dashiki is a loose fitting pull-over shirt, long or short sleeved with an ornate embroidered V-shaped collar that is uni-sex and comes in many lengths, colours and forms.

Both of these shirts can be both formal or informal depending upon the application of cloth, the style of the garment and the embellishment of it.

men's dashiki shirt

A very modern take on a sixties fashion statement and embracing African heritage in an elegant and distinguished way.

Nelson Mandela made theMadibashirt his signature dress and whilst this shirt also has its roots in Indonesian wax resist fabric, it has since been adopted as an African garment, celebrating the style and elegance of theex-South African president.

* ContemporaryAfrican clothing and designerscan be viewed on this page