There are numerous and different African dresses because of many different African tribes.
If you are interested in African dresses, you might decide to purchase several dresses within one tribe, or many dresses all from different tribes or countries.
Some dresses are very colorful, while others are more neutral and shopping for authentic African dresses can be very tricky because Africa is a large continent with numerous cultures and traditions.
Therefore you should familiarize yourself with the most popular styles in African dresses
You can choose and embrace the
African culture with its dresses and
there are dresses with Western
feel, designed in Africa, at the
same time maintaining its core
traditions. You can find them in
different shops and online retail
stores, offering wide varieties of
traditional and fashionable
dresses. Here are the Top 5 African
Designer Dresses
1. KITENGE
2. BARK CLOTH
3. MUD CLOTH
4. KENTE CLOTH
5. ANKARA CLOTH
• Kitenge is the top most AfricanDesigner Dress often worn bywomen and comes in a variety ofprints, patterns and colors.
• It can be wrapped around the chestor waist.
• It can also be used to tailor outfitslike skirts, pants and it can also beworn over the head as a headscarf,or as a baby sling.
• Kitenges are commonly worn inKenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Sudan.In Malawi, Namibia and Zambia theyare called Chitenge. In plural, theyare called Vitenge in a Swahililanguage found in East Aftica.
• They can also be used as tablespreads or a throw on the couch andthe printing on the cloth is done by atraditional batik technique.
Bark cloth is a textile originally from southern Uganda. It comes primarily from the back of trees of the Moraceae family. The trees are peeled of their bark and then pounded into uniform mass, out of which clothing and other items are made.
Because it was rare, bark cloth was reserved for the royalty of southern Uganda.
Originally, they were brown, but now they can be dyed white. They have been manufactured in Uganda for centuries, they are soft, thick and slightly textured fabrics. they have a rough surface like that of a tree back.
• Mud clothe is another African
designer cloth which is being
exported world wide for use in
fashion and fine art as well as in
decoration. It is also known as
bologan in Mali. It is a
handmade cotton traditionally
dyed with fermented mud and it
has an important place in Malian
culture and it is associated with
several Malian ethnic groups. It
is normally woven by men and
dyed by women.
• Kente cloth is also known asMwentoma in Akan ethnicgroup of south Ghana. It is atype of silk and cotton fabricmade of interwoven clothstrips.
• It has its origin with theAshanti Kingdom, and wasadopted by people in IvoryCoast and many other WestAfrican counties.
• It is a royal and sacred dressworn only in times of extremeimportance and was normallyused by kings. Nowadays, itsuse has become morewidespread. But itsimportance has remained andit is held in high esteem withthe Akan ethnic group.
• Ankara clothes are vibrant patterns of very rich colorful
designs.
• It is mostly made of 100% cotton or cotton poly material.
• Originally, they were largely produced in Nigeria and
exported over West Africa into Central Africa but
Nowadays they are primarily made in Ghana and have a
strong cultural, social and economic importance in
Ghana.
• The Nigerian custom was for people from the same
family or other relatives and friends to wear
the same Ankara clothes to show they belong
to a certain family during special events.
• Now it can be worn as a uniform for the same
group of friends in a party or more commonly
in African Weddings. The blend of colors in
these events makes it vibrant and fun.
•Africans are very creative. They use their dresses for important
reasons such as telling stories, poems and traditional African
tales.
•Depending on the dressing style, a specific name is given for a
dress. For instance names like Djellaba, Boubou, Dashiki and
Kaftan.
•These dresses more especially
The Ankara, can be used as
Aso-ebi for important functions
Like weddings. You can read more
About ankara and get the newest
Aso-ebi dresses you can use for
Your functions.
African dresses are very interesting. They are unique to the
continent, in their origin and processing.
Kente clothes can be worn on special occasions and there are
several dresses you can use to embrace your occasion.
Nowadays, modern methods and computers can be used to
design and print complex images on their printed dresses.