Monday, May 9, 2011

Rock your Heritage

10:43 PM | Posted by African Fashions | | Edit Post
Exploring the many facets of African fashion has led me to the discovery of many terminologies that are uniquely African.  These are the words that have brought meaning and intensified the evolution of African Fashion all over the globe.  I may have mentioned them several times in my previous blogs but I want to put more emphasis now to these words that have rocked the African-American heritage and paved the way for many African inspired designs.
Adire – a tie-dye cloth using a variety of resist die technique
Adinkra cloth - a kind of hand printed fabric divided into squares by dye lines and stamped with traditional symbols
Buba – a set of garment that consists of a loose shirt and elasticized trousers
Bògòlanfini – also referred to as the bogolan or mud cloth, a handmade cotton fabric traditionally dyed with fermented mud and employs a century old process using innumerable applications of diverse plant juices and mud to dye a cloth
Dashiki - a loose-fitting tunic, pull-over upper garment
Djellaba – a traditionally long, loose-fitting outer robe with full sleeves
Gele – a woman’s elaborate head wrap
Gomesi - a floor length, brightly colored woman’s dress with a square neckline and short, puffed sleeves, and tied with a sash placed below the waist over the hips
Kanga – colorful garment similar to a kitenge, about 1.5m by 1m, often with a border along all four sides
Kaftan– also spelled as caftan, a full length and loose dress that comes with loose wide sleeves
Kente – a colorful fabric hand woven on a horizontal treadle loom where strips are sewn together to create a larger piece of cloth
Kitenge – similar to a sarong, often worn by women wrapped around the chest or waist
Takchita – a Moroccan two-piece garment consisting of a fine dress as the first layer and second layer with elaborate embellishments that usually has buttons up closures
These may just be words to you, but from where they come from, these words are a way of life and a source of inspiration. Have a left out anything that’s uniquely African? Please feel free to post a comment so I can feature them next time…
Labels: , , , ,

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • The Fearless Prints
    “I love prints, oh I love them all, and I can’t get enough of them. But how can I pull off a look that is not revolting and a total boo-boo?...
  • Office Fashion Commandments
    1.        Go for the clean and polished look.   Depending on the office setting, you can either go for the smart look, formal look, or casu...
  • Dress to Impress
    Who wouldn't want to make the right impression?  We are sometimes caught in an occasional flight of fancy to dress-up to impress.  Som...
  • Beyond Fashion
    African Fashions : A beautiful reality It’s not just about clothes and accessories that represent Africa… It’s not just about geometric pri...
  • African fashion taking over London
    Flowing unprecedented success of last years event, AWFL (Africa Fashion Week London) has now relocated to London Spitalfields, the recent ...
  • The African Fashion Day: August 6, 2011
    “African Fashion Day is a day to encourage us to wear African attire and to inspire us to be more involved in African attire a step more tha...
  • The Power of a Dress
    The Working Woman Special – Fashion Power While it’s been said that beauty can launch a thousand ships, dresses can make or break impressio...
  • African fashion in new shape
    The days when settling on a skirt that was too baggy around the waist because it fits around the hips may be facing an edge for many Afric...
  • Print Overload that Works!
    I found this picture online at Optimum Media and I am really amazed at how these ladies rocked the vibrant African prints – a classic print ...
  • African Fashion and Its Facts
    The thinking behind African apparel instigates pictures of prosperous colors along with ceremonial costume but, to tell the truth, Afric...