African dress is the term used to describe the traditional clothes worn by Africans Costume.

Various tribes across the continent take pleasure in their traditional attire, which they wear for rituals and important events.

There are many different types of clothing, and the fabric plays an important part in the design of the garment. The fabric frequently reflects both the overall state of society and the position of people or groups within that society.

Traditional robes have been supplanted or affected by other cultures in certain cases, such as colonial influence or western popular dress code.

Due to a lack of written word and real historical data, tracing the history of African clothing is extremely difficult. Much is put together from a variety of sources, including traditional robes passed down through the generations, oral history (oral history), theatre (masquerades), and art and artifacts that depict sculptural depictions of costume.

History Of Clothing In Africa

Due to the warm and friendly environment, most regions of the African continent did not require clothing for warmth or protection, and many tribes did not wear much at all. The males wore only a loincloth or apron, while the women wore wraps around their waists or breasts. With the scarification and paint ochres decorating the rest of their bodies costume.

Clothing adornment came in the form of jewelry and headgear made from seashells, bones, ostrich eggshell fragments, and feathers.

Excavated remnants of unpatterned bast-fiber fabric dating from the 9th century were the first indication of textile production at Igbo-Ukwu. (Bast is a plant fiber produced from the inner bark’s phloem.) The discovery of the Tellem caverns in Mali uncovered 11th and 12th-century burial sites. Including remnants of indigo-dyed cotton and wool fabric.

Then, around the 15th century, commercial routes between Europe, Africa, and the East were established, allowing for commerce in Africa. Exotic objects came on the continent, and the locals began to crave them for use in the decorating of their native fabric. Beads, shells, and buttons began to appear on clothing as adornment or as part of the garment itself, such as beaded aprons, capes, headbands, and shoes.

Different weaving techniques were evolved in various locations, some more advanced than others. Cotton, raffia, silk, and wool were utilized as fibers. African attire made of woven and adorned fabrics became a representation of the tribe’s position, social standing, culture, surroundings, and climate.

Ankara (Dutch Wax) 

cloth is commonly used in Ankara (Dutch Wax) ensembles.

They might be elaborate ensembles with hats and scarves. Use simple wrappers worns around the waist with a Westernized shirt. That commonly obtained from the continent’s burgeoning secondhand clothing industry. The wrapper is worn by both men and women throughout Africa (also called kanga, futa, lappa, Capalaba, or page).

Dashiki 

A Dashiki is a unisex, loose-fitting pull-over shirt with an elaborate embroidered V-shaped collar that comes in a variety of lengths, colors, and styles. A highly modern twist on a 1960s fashion statement, embracing African ancestry in a sophisticated and classy manner.

The Madiba shirt 

This was made famous by Nelson Mandela, and while it has its origins in Indonesian wax-resist fabric, it has since been embraced as an item of African clothing, honoring the ex-South African president’s flair and elegance.