Africa is a vast continent in which thousands of different tribes live. Each of these tribes has its own unique language, culture, faith, tradition, and way of life. Similarly, the way the people of these numerous tribes dress up varies a great deal too. So when we talk of traditional African clothing, it can mean anything, right from dresses made of grass to loincloths to intricately designed kaftans.
Clothing for Men
The traditional African shirt worn by men is known as "Danshiki" or "Dashiki". This traditional shirt is very long, ending a few inches above the knees. Its sleeves are elbow length. There are a variety of pattern and designs on these shirts, especially near the base of the shirt and also around the neck. Danshikis are usually paired with traditional men's pants, also known as "Sokoto". Even today Danshikis have not lost their charm and are worn by men with pants or jeans. Traditional men's clothing will be incomplete without the mention of "fila", which is the traditional cap worn by men in Africa. Like the scarf which the African women support, fila is an accessory, without which the traditional African men's wear is considered incomplete.
Clothing for Women
Clothing for women mainly constitutes a variety of "Kaftans", which come in different styles, prints and colors. The free-flowing kaftan is the dressing style of the commoners, while a well-fitted kaftan is worn by the African royalty, queens and women belonging to prominent families. The colors of the kaftans vary greatly, with women opting anything, right from the light earthy tones to the vibrant, striking colors such as red and violet. The prints are usually very large and consist of traditional tribal designs and symbols. Ancient Africans used a variety of tie and dye designs too on their clothes. Indigo plant was mainly used for dyeing the traditional African clothes wear.
If you look at the history, these Kaftans, also known as "Boubou", were actually a men's wear initially. It was only late that the female version emerged. African clothing for women was greatly influenced by the ancient Egyptian clothing. Egyptian queen Cleopatra was especially famous for wearing kaftans made from silk, which had a variety of prints, amulets, mirror work and embroidery on them.
When we talk about for children, it is the same as mentioned above, i.e. small girls wear kaftans, while boys wear danshikis and pants. The way the people of a particular tribe or region in Africa dress, depends a great deal on the weather of that particular region, although culture and faith are equally important deciding factors. When it comes to fabrics, Africans prefer natural fibers which are durable too. Egyptian cotton and silk are especially sought after fabrics. Africans prefer their clothes wear to be both beautiful and comfortable at the same time.
