Information on African Clothing

African clothing can be a beautiful way to express interest in personal and cultural history. The different types of clothing all have various histories and meaning. Whether you want to purchase African clothing or just want to know more about it, the history can be fascinating.

There are a lot of options when it comes to African clothing. This type of clothing is often made from very rich fabrics of beautiful colors and patterns.

Nigerian Aso-Oke

While a lot of African clothing will pay homage to designs of the past, there are also a lot of modern elements that are thrown in by the designers of today. A garment worn for special occasions in Nigeria is called Aso-Oke. The material itself is woven from a loom. The panels are separated and then sewn next to each other. The way this is done is a lot like a quilt. These outfits for women will often include a blouse type shirt along with a head tie, wrap around skirt and completed with a shawl.

African Dashiki

You can find these outfits to be made for men or in unisex. These outfits consist of very long shirts that have no sleeves. They will go down to the upper thigh and are decorated with several different prints. The necklines are often the most decorated part of the shirt. A Kufi hat is often worn by men that wear a Dashiki.

African Caftan

An Africa caftan is often made with very bright colors and prints. It is another longer garment, like the dashiki, only this may have sleeves. Women will often wear caftans in modern times. History has shown that this used to be an outfit that was more often worn by men. Men may still wear a caftan but it is more popular with women.