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…
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