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African Cloth

Africa is a vast continent with different cultures and styles of clothing that reflect the people, the place, the status, and the religions of these diverse peoples. When you choose to wear African clothing, you are stepping back in time and offering a celebration of the culture it was made in, as well as the concepts that inspired the clothes.

Below is a look at several types of cloth which are commonly used, as well as the cultural and regional influences of the various regions of Africa:

Korhogo Cloth: Made by the Sunofo people on the Ivory Coast, this type of cloth is designed by using mud to paint the cloth in various geometric designs. The mud is typically black, brown or rust and it is taken from various parts of western Africa. The cloth is used for clothes, as well as pillows and home furnishings.

Mud Cloth: This beautiful cloth originated in Mali and at one time was worn by hunters of that region. Nowadays, it is used for a large variety of African clothes. The cloth is made from hand-woven cotton and carved bamboo is used to apply mud to the cloth to create designs on it. The mud is taken from the river banks. After it is used to decorate the cloth, it is allowed to dry to achieve richer color. The process is repeated until the design is complete. The most popular colors are purple, white, beige, yellow and rust.

African Tie-Dye: This style of cloth is very popular in Senegal, Gambia and Yoruba. The colors are modern yet traditional. There are various methods used to tie-dye. Whatever the method, though, the African tie-dye is a prominent feature in African clothing.

Ewe Cloth: Similar to the Kente cloth, this type of material originates in the southeastern area of Ghana. Usually made of silk or rayon, the ewe cloth is frequently worn by those of a high status. The cloth bears symbols that represent knowledge, ethics and morals which are supposed to be used in everyday life. Other ewe cloth designs are more humble and simple in texture and design, but they are still quite beautiful.

The style and culture of African clothes can be worn and displayed in any place or time and make a distinctive statement about the person who chooses to wear them. Making yourself aware of the rich history and culture behind the clothes adds even more depth to your choices.

How to Accessorize any Outfit with African Designs

Whatever fashion statement you want to make with your African designs, you are sure to be a hit if you use African accessories to add some flavor to your wardrobe. There are a host of choices ranging from colorful African jewelry to stylish African handbags and African hats. Something is here for everyone.

If you want to start slowly in your inclusion of African styles in your wardrobe, there are several key accessories that will help you along the way. For women, you should think about trying an African handbag. A nice choice would be a sisal bag. Sisal fabric is woven and heavy-duty, therefore, it stands up to the test of time. Because the fabric is so durable, you can keep the sisal bag for years to come and even pass it along to your daughter when you are ready for a new one. The sisal bag comes in different colors and styles, all woven into a beautiful design.

Another excellent African accessory for women is the cowry belt. You can choose from ornate cowry designs or simple ones. The beautiful cowry shells are creamy white in color and provide a great accent for jeans or black slacks. These belts can be worn by any woman—young or old—and they make a dynamic statement.

The rasta hemp belt is also a fun African clothing accessory choice for you if you are looking to accent your outfit. The belts are made of soft hemp and the rasta design is colorful and unique, usually featuring stripes of red and green.

The ruana poncho is another fantastic accessory for ladies who want to infuse bold colors and geometric shapes into their wardrobe. The ruana poncho is worn over any outfit, whether casual or dressy, and adds a dynamic African clothing enhancement to your style. The ruana ponchos are elegant, warm and beautiful.

For the gentleman who wants to add flavor to his African clothing, the rasta-colored kufi cap is a great addition. These caps are colorful and unique with a yellow, red and green stripe woven around them. You are sure to stand out when you don this kufi cap.

Whatever your style or your budget, a great way to enhance your wardrobe is to add an African accessory, such as an African handbag, an African hat or African belt, to your outfit.

African Attire Creates Unique Styles

African clothing has a rich history and the designs still reflect the uniqueness and depth of the culture. When you wear an African clothing choice, you are carrying with you all of the history and beauty of that culture. Evolving over time, the clothes show much about the people and the climate of Africa. The colors and choices of beads used in certain items were used originally to distinguish one tribe from another. Also, the types of material used were those available in different geographic locations of Africa.

In Ghana, Kente cloth was used and was designed with rich and vibrant colors. The Mali tribes were known for their beautiful mud cloth with identifiable brown and beige patterns. And, there was the Kuba cloth worn frequently by those in the Congo.

Because of the climate, all of the designs have an almost toga-like and flowing shape to them. The heat has always been a factor in the design of African clothing. In Nigeria and Senegal, the women and the men wear boubous, loose-fitting wrap-like robes that are easy to wear and comfortable. They are colorful and pretty, but they are also functional.

When you want to create a unique style, African clothing provides you with the options to create your own style. The style will reflect both who you are and what heritage you are celebrating.

For men, a beautiful and elegant dashiki is a great choice with matching pants. The traditional dashiki is loose-fitting and displays fine colors and styles. For women, a gorgeous mud-print dress is an excellent choice. These African clothes are well-made and durable, but they are also going to give you a look that others will admire and want to emulate.

Adding jewelry to your African clothing ensemble is also a nice way to give your style more flavor. The jewelry is mystical looking and will make you feel that you are somehow connected to the rich spiritual aspects of African culture when you wear it. From the beautiful cowry-bead necklaces to the mysterious crescent-moon necklaces and earrings, African designs are a splendid choice. The jewelry worn in ancient times in Africa was almost always worn for religious or spiritual practices, thus the designs still reflect these qualities.

African clothes and jewelry will make you a stand-out on any occasion. Diversify your look and add some of the great designs here on our site.

Stylish African Unisex Clothing Styles

If there is one thing that can be said definitively about African clothing it is that these clothes are versatile. You can see the versatility in the many unisex options that are available for your selection. So many of the African clothes you might select can be worn on any occasion and worn by men or women, depending on tastes.

One of the African clothing options you might choose is the unisex pantsuit made in gorgeous mud-print fabric. The fabric itself is durable and holds color well, so it’s easy to wash and wear these stylish outfits. In addition to versatility and functionality, the designs are fabulous. These great African clothes come in an array of colors and designs ranging from the simple to the more elaborate. Unisex outfits like these make a serious statement about your fashion-forward outlook and you can match outfits with your spouse for even greater effect.

Another nice unisex choice in African clothing is the dashiki. These gorgeous tops come in many colors and reflect the vibrant beauty of western Africa. You can still see many people in that region of Africa wearing these garments, and they definitely set you apart as someone who has good taste and also understands the heritage. The dashiki is comfortable and stylish, offering up the best of the traditional and the contemporary in its design.

If you are interested in a far Eastern flavor, you might try one of the unisex Thailand dashikis. The colors are typical of that island region with beautiful blues, whites and lavenders. Another nice option would be the unisex Ethiopian cross dashiki. Made in a lovely cream color and accented on the front with an Ethiopian cross, these dashikis are elegant and stylish.

And, finally, you might try a hat on for size. Though the kufi is traditionally worn by men, you can see women wearing these stylish hats more often than you would think. The kufi comes in many colors ranging from simple white or black to the more colorful rasta-inspired colors. Another option would be a nice Fulani straw hat. With the summer months coming soon, you might add one of these gorgeous and distinctive hats to your wardrobe. Not only are they beautiful, but they are practical for those hot afternoons when you need some shade.

African clothing is as diverse as the continent of Africa, and there is sure to be something that appeals to almost every taste. Check out the many unisex options and get your wardrobe amped up today.

African Clothing: Colors and Symbols

African clothing has a rich history going back thousands of years, and more often these days you can see African-Americans choosing to enhance their style and celebrate their heritage by donning these garments. The designs of the clothes are one reflection of African culture, but the colors and symbols that decorate them are also important to understand.

African clothes that are made of the combined colors of red, gold and green represent the colors of the stripes of the Ethiopian flag. Also, black, green and gold combinations represent the colors of the African National Congress’ flag. Kente cloth is known for its brilliant colors and designs and this cloth is frequently seen as a symbol of the African continent.

The Fulani women wear bright flowing robe-like garments and gold hoop earrings to mark their style and their region. And, in each region of Africa, the style and colors of garments are a reflection of whom you are and where you are from.

The colors of the garments hold various meanings depending on the village you are from. For instance, in certain parts of Nigeria, red is seen as a threatening color which can only be worn by chiefs. The color is believed to keep evil away. In other regions, red is the color of achievement or success. Adinkra cloth is worn typically at funerals and farewells. Dark colored adinkra cloth in brick red, brown or black symbolizes death. Alternately, bright colored adinkra cloth in white, yellow or blue is worn for festive or happy occasions. Adinkra cloth is still very popular in Ghana today.

Kente cloth made by the Fante of Ghana has many different designs and colors with various meanings. Red is the symbol of bloodshed and is frequently worn for political meetings and rallies. Green represents fertility and you can see it worn often during a young girl’s adolescence. White symbolizes purity or victory. Yellow represents maturity or glory and chiefs frequently wear this color. Blue symbolizes love, and black represents aging.

Knowing the symbolic meanings of color and design in African clothing helps you to have a greater sense of the culture and the rich history of the African styles you can find today. Whatever your ethnic heritage may be, you can find an African style that reflects your identity and your good taste too. There are a lot of choices, but the variety and the quality are there for you, so enjoy.

Black History Month: The Thirteenth Amendment

To celebrate Black History month, AfricanClothingShop.com is dedicated to exploring the contributions of African Americans to American society. This includes looking at the good, the bad, and the ugly. Undoubtedly, one of the darkest aspects of American history is slavery.

President Abraham Lincoln issued The Emancipation Proclamation in 1865 stating that…

“all persons held as slaves within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.”

Slavery was still practiced even after that. Lincoln pushed the Thirteenth Amendment through Congress, which passed the Amendment on April 8, 1864. The country was still scarred by the Civil War. North and South experienced a long and difficult road towards reconstruction and unifying the country.

The Thirteenth Amendment states:

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

This amendment, along with the fourteenth (civil rights to States) and fifteenth (banning race-based voting restrictions) amendments, were radical amendments their their day and represented dramatic changes to the issue of civil rights in American history.

Even after slave owners around the country released their slaves and after North and South began to unify, the dark seeds of America’s history had been sown. To say that African Americans have some a long way is an understatement. Even so, race is still a touch subject in the United States. Though segregation may be illegal, we still segregate ourselves by choice. For example, it has been said that Sunday morning is the most segregated time in our society. Even so, we take this time to reflect on the freedom that was granted to Black slaves by the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment.

African Clothing History 101

African clothing in earlier times was not a necessity.  The heat made it more convenient to wear no clothing whatsoever.  Men and women decorated their bodies with painted designs and marked their skin with tattoos. The earliest type of clothing in Africa was primarily used to cover the intimate areas of the body and was simple in design.

Eventually, the people of Africa made use of cotton or the fiber of palms to sew together clothes. Cloth was mainly hand-woven.  However, with time, the weaving looms were used which allowed them to create more stylized patterns. The men wove the fabric and the women decorated it.

The most widely-known fabrics are:

• Mud Cloth: this cloth is textured and has brown and beige designs. Mud cloth comes from Mali.
• Kente Cloth: From Ghana, this type of cloth comes in both silk and cotton.
• Tufted Kuba: Cloth: From the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this cloth originates.

Each region of Africa has its own type of cloth that it predominantly uses. Almost all of the styles of the various regions are loose-fitting robe-like garments designed for coolness in the hot weather. Often, African styles resemble the Roman toga. The many toga-like robes can be seen in the various areas. For example, in Nigeria and Senegal, the boubou is popular. In Nigeria, the agbada and riga are worn. And, the dansiki is worn in western Africa. In northern Africa, the Muslim influence is seen in the style of dress.

Like all cultures, Africa was influenced by trade with other nations and the clothing styles reflect that. When traders began to come from other continents, there was an influx of different materials and jewels to use in the clothing designs. New types of beads were brought in and these beads began to decorate the various garments. As more contact with Europeans emerged, they too introduced Western clothing to Africa. Nowadays, it is commonplace to see jeans and t-shirts as often as the traditional African clothes others wear.

Knowing about the origins and evolution of African clothes helps us better understand our heritage and how these dynamic clothes have stood the test of time and are still as beautiful today as they were in yesteryears. The choices are vast when seeking African clothes, and the history only makes the choices more fascinating to make.

African Clothing: Five Must-Have Styles

African clothing offers a wide array of styles for your wardrobe. It’s easy to accessorize with African purses, African jewelry, African handbags, ethnic jewelry styles. The diversity and richness of the clothes and accessories are part of the reason why they are so very desirable. Whether you want to spice up your look and add a dash of color and African style for effect, or you want to dress from head to toe in African clothes, there is something for everyone.

Although variety and styles are abundant, there are five must-have African clothing styles that you need to get your hands on for the best look.

Kaftan: In West Africa, women wear colorful and beautiful kaftans. These are pullover dresses called wrappers and they are made in vibrant colors with various degrees of ornamentation. The kaftans are typically worn during the hottest part of the year because of their comfort and coolness. The kaftan is traditionally worn with a headscarf to match it. The style is most commonly worn at formal occasions nowadays, but there are informal versions of the kaftan as well. When paired with African jewelry or an African handbag, the Kaftan is a great choice and a must-have for ladies.
The Dashiki: The dashiki is traditionally worn by men in West Africa, but the style has evolved now and both men and women wear the colorful dashiki tops. These tunic-like garments come in rich and beautiful colors and can be worn with jeans or casual pants to complete any African outfit.
Kufi Hats: For men who want to get into African clothing, the kufi is a must-have. These beautifully designed hats that fit close to the head create a fashion statement wherever they are worn. They come in many different colors and designs and are very stylish.
Cowry Necklaces: Cowry shells were once used as a form of currency in Africa, but now they are used as one of the most beautiful choices for African jewelry. You should definitely include a cowry shell necklace in your list of African clothing must-haves.
Mudprint Pant Set: Any African clothing wardrobe should include a mudprint pant set. These beautifully designed sets can be worn by men and women. This choice of attire is great for couples who want to wear matching outfits.