Comprehensive Guide to African Clothing: History, Tribes, and Modern Styles

General Overview of African Clothing

  • African clothing refers to the traditional attire worn by the people of the African continent.
  • Different tribes across Africa take great pride in their national dress, which is specifically used for ceremonies and various special occasions.
  • Styles of dress are highly varied, and the specific type of cloth used plays a fundamental role in how a garment is fashioned.
  • Fabric choice often serves as a reflection of the society at large, as well as the socioeconomic status of individuals or specific groups within a community.

Historical Evolution and Sources of Information

  • Tracing the exact evolution of dress in Africa is difficult because of a historical lack of written records and physical evidence.
  • Knowledge of historical clothing is reconstructed using several alternative sources:
    • Traditional robes that have been passed down to current tribal members.
    • Oral history (word of mouth).
    • Theater and cultural performances, such as masquerades.
    • Art and artifacts, particularly sculptural representations that depict dress.
  • For much of history, clothing was not required for warmth or protection in most parts of Africa due to the hospitable and warm climate.
  • Early forms of dress were minimal:
    • Men typically wore a loin cloth or an apron.
    • Women wore wraps around the waist or breasts.
    • Body adornment often included paint (ochres) and scarification.

Early Materials and Bark Cloth Production

  • The first forms of clothing were primarily made from bark cloth, furs, skins, and hides.
  • Men wrapped bark cloth over a belt and passed it between the legs.
  • Women draped the cloth over a belt to cover the front of their bodies.
  • Raffia was used both as a thread to sew separate pieces of bark cloth together and as a material for grass skirts.
  • Bark Cloth Production:
    • Developed by Stone Age humans and continued thereafter.
    • The process involves peeling bark from trees and pounding it with a rock until it becomes thin and malleable.
    • Small pieces are sewn together using raffia or hide to create larger garments.
  • Early 20th-century examples include barkcloth wrappers worn by Ugandan women and cotton-painted barkcloth loincloths used by Mbuti pygmies.

Earliest Evidence of Textiles and Trade Evolution

  • Adornment: Early decoration included jewelry and headgear crafted from bones, feathers, seashells, ostrich egg shell pieces, and ostrich feathers.
  • 9th Century: The earliest evidence of textile manufacture was found at Igbo-Ukwu. Excavated fragments consisted of unpatterned bast-fibre cloth. Bast fiber is derived from the phloem, the inner bark of plants.
  • 11th and 12th Centuries: Funerary sites in the Tellem caves of Mali revealed fragments of cotton and wool fabric dyed with indigo.
  • 15th Century: Shipping routes opened between Africa, Europe, and the East, initiating trade.
    • Local inhabitants began coveting exotic items for decoration.
    • Beads, shells, and buttons were used as embellishments or to create entire garments like beaded shoes, headbands, capes, and aprons.
  • Fibers Used: Cotton, raffia, silk, and wool were used in various weaving techniques across different regions.

Tribal Clothing and Symbolism

  • Traditional and contemporary tribal clothing is centered on woven or printed fabric that is wrapped or draped around the body.
  • Materials for Adornment: Costumes are enriched with beads, silver, gold, leather, feathers, ivory, buttons, sea shells, ostrich egg shell, fur, skins, animal hair, animal tails, bone, wood, grass, bells, and pressed metal.
  • Full Attire: A complete ensemble for adult men and women might include headbands, necklaces, wristlets, bracelets, armbands, anklets, dressed hair, and oiled or perfumed skin. The volume and weight of such dress can be significant.
  • Animal Skins: Chosen for symbolic significance, skins often represent tribal allegiance or personal totems. In some cases, skins are kept intact to bring the wearer good luck and health.
  • Status and Rituals: Garments mark an individual's status or signify a ritual passage or transition from one state of life to another.
    • Young girls or maidens may start with only an apron or skirt.
    • Married women transition to full body wraps and cloaks, which are highly valued.

Weaving and Printing Techniques by Region

  • Yoruba, Nigeria:
    • Aso Oke: A narrow strip weave cloth that is sewn together.
    • Adire: Cotton fabric featuring designs made using wax-resistant dying or cassava paste. Adire Eleso specifically refers to indigo resist-dyed cloth.
  • Uganda: Known for continued traditions in bark cloth.
  • Ghana (Asante and Ewe):
    • Kente Cloth: A woven strip cloth. There are two levels of Ashanti weaving: cotton cloth for general use and silk cloth (or cloth partially made of silk) for courtly applications.
    • Adinkra Cloth: Fabric printed using stamps or stencils.
    • Gonja or Batakari: Also known as "fugu," it is a woven strip cotton cloth.
  • Mali (Bambara):
    • Mudcloth (Bogolanfini): A mud resist-dyed cloth.
  • East Africa (Maasai, Swahili):
    • Kitenge and Kanga: Printed cloths. Kitenge is an informal, inexpensive fabric with a distinctive border design, often featuring political slogans or leaders (e.g., Liberian women wearing kitenge with the national flag).
    • Kikoi: A woven cloth.
  • Nigeria (Kuba or Shoowa):
    • Kuba Cloth: Fabric woven from raffia.

Colonial Influences and Adaptations

  • Traditional dress has often been influenced or replaced by colonial impact and Western popular dress codes.
  • Herero Women of Namibia: They adapted the Victorian dress of German settlers into a unique style, featuring full, magnificent gowns and a signature cowhorn-shaped hat.

Modern African Clothing and the Kaftan

  • Modern garments are rooted in traditional styles and are worn by millions for both every day and ceremonial use.
  • Kaftans:
    • Originally men's attire, kaftans are now worn by both sexes.
    • They can be a simple one-garment robe or a three-piece ensemble including a scarf and hat.
    • Kanzu: A long, usually white kaftan with long sleeves worn specifically by Swahili men.
    • Boubou: The term for a kaftan in Central and Western Africa. Men wear the "boubou," while women wear the "m'boubou."
    • A woman's m'boubou consists of an overflowing large gown worn on top of a wrapper and paired with an elaborate headscarf.

Specific Nigerian Garments: Agbada and Aso Oke

  • Agbada:
    • The Yoruban version of the boubou.
    • It is a long, loose-fitting, embroidered gown with wide sleeves and a center hole for the head.
    • Traditional set: Worn over a "buba" (long-sleeved tunic) and "sokoto" (long tie-up trousers), accompanied by a matching "chechia" (hat). All three items are usually the same color.
    • Modern version: Modern men use lighter fabrics, shorter lengths/widths, and tighter-fitting pants (worn over a short-sleeved buba) for a stylish effect.
  • Aso Oke (Prestige Cloth):
    • There are three main types: Alaari (red), Sanyan (brown or light brown), and Etu (dark blue/indigo).
    • Historically made from natural beige silk, deep indigo, or imported magenta silk.
    • Modern threads include cotton, rayon, polyester, silk, acrylic, and lurex, woven on narrow strip looms into shimmering fabric.
    • Embellishment often includes artistic embroidery on the sleeve ends and bodice.

Ankara and Dutch Wax Fabrics

  • Ankara (Dutch Wax):
    • Frequently used for elaborate ensembles (hats/scarves) or simple wraps around the waist (wrappers are also called kanga, lappa, futa, pagne, or capalana).
    • It features vibrant, rich, and colorful patterns used to express marital status, religious beliefs, political views, and popular culture.
    • Although known as the quintessential African fabric, it was originally manufactured by the Dutch for the Indonesian market before being diverted to West Africa.
    • Producers: Vlisco (manufactured in Holland) is considered the top-tier producer. Other producers include Ghana, Tanzania, and China.

Dashiki and Madiba Shirts

  • Dashiki:
    • A loose-fitting, unisex pullover shirt with an ornate, embroidered V-shaped collar.
    • Available in many colors, lengths, and forms; can be formal or informal for both men and women.
  • Madiba Shirt:
    • Named after and popularized by Nelson Mandela, who made it his signature dress.
    • It has roots in Indonesian wax-resist fabric but is now fully adopted as an African garment symbolizing elegance and heritage.