African
clothing is the traditional clothing, often vibrantly colored, worn by the
people of Africa. In East Africa the Kanzu is the traditional dress worn by
Swahili speaking men. Women wear the Kangu and the gomesie. A Kanzu is a white
or cream colored robe worn by men in the African Great Lakes region. The Kanzu
is an ankle or floor length garment. The Kanga is a colorful garment similar to
kitenge, worn by women and occasionally by men throughout the African Great
Lakes region. It is a piece of printed cotton fabric, about 1.5m by 1m, often
with a boarder along all four sides and a central part, which differs in design
from the boarders. In Sothern Africa distinctive shirts are worn, like the long
dresses they wear. South Africa is best known for the Madiba shirt, whereas,
Zimbabwe is best known for the Safari shirt. A Madiba shirt is a batik silk
shirt, usually adorned in a bright colorful print. The guayabera shirt is a
men’s shirt. It is distinguished by several details; either two or four patch
packets, and two vertical rows of tiny pleats; usually sewn closely together
running along the front and back of the shirt. In Ethiopia, men wear the
Ethiopian suit and women wear the Habesha Kemis. An Ethiopian suit is the name
given in American to the traditional formal wear of the men of Ethiopia. It
consists of a long sleeve, knee-length shirt and matching pants. Most shirts
are made with a Mandarin, Band, or Nehru collar. The suit is made of chiffon,
which is a sheer silk or rayon cloth. For informal events, men wear the Ethiopian
dashiki. The main difference between the dashiki and the Ethiopian suit is the
collar. The dashiki is a colorful men’s garment widely worn in West Africa that
covers the top half of the body. It has a formal and informal versions and
varies from simple draped clothing to fully tailored suits. In Somalia, men
wear the khameez with a small cap called koofiyad. The koofiyad is a short,
rounded skullcap and they are often worn for religious purposes.
