African clothing styles is the traditional clothing worn by the people of Africa. Africa has a diverse and amazing culture rich with heritage and traditions. Traditional African clothing dates back hundreds of years.
African dresses and attires are not only unique, but they also represent history, tribalism, and symbolism. With time the African culture has gone through many changes to fit into the latest trends and fashion, but the unique style of African attires is still there.
African clothing comes in various styles, designs, and colors. Africa is full of cultures, and people here represent their style through clothing. Numerous African clothing styles are available that are loved by people of Africa.
People who want to try traditional African clothes can buy African attire online. Multiple varieties of African clothes can be bought from online stores.
A distinctive feature of African dress is to use various colors and intricate patterns to communicate meanings. Different attires are worn in different festivals and functions that represent diverse sambals.
History of Clothing in Africa
The climate of Africa is warm and hot; therefore, clothing is not required to provide protection or warmth. Due to warm weather, the men used to wear lupin clothing or an apron, while women wrap around their breasts with cloth, and the rest of the body was covered in paints.
The evolution of African clothing is not easy to trace because of the lack of evidence. The Egyptian culture dates back to 30000 BC.
However, evidence suggests that in old tomes that used to wear animal skins and bark cloth. Later the cultures developed, and weaving techniques were introduced, and people used to province beautiful clothes.
The fiber of palm plants known as Raffia and cotton were common materials used to weave fabrics. The clothes were woven by the hands at first, but then looms were created to make complex fabrics.
Men and women worked together to make fabrics for clothing. Men used to make the weave the fabrics while women decorated them.
Folded batik cloth was the most well-known fabric that was used to create wrapped clothing styles.
The decision helps to know the clothing style that African used to wear, but a majority of the African dress form is still unknown to people. The information about the origin of these styles and how they changed is unknown. However, various Africa styles are famous all around the world. People buy African attires online from various stores.
Many of the top designers follow the African styles in their outfits. Over the past decades, noticeable developments have been made in the African fashion industry. It has become the norm to see African models or young people dressing up garments made up of African fabrics.
Whether you are scrolling social media or checking out the magazine, it is very common to see African attires and African style everywhere. It represents the shifting of African fashion according to the new styles and trends.
Meaning of Colors in African Prints
The colors used in African clothes have various meanings. In Nigeria, red colors are considered an intimidating color and are worn by chiefs. It is also worn in celebration as this color is also perceived as the color of success.
In the same manner, white is a peaceful color, and it is used for worship. It also symbolizes success and victory. The gold color symbolizes wealth, and blue shows love.
African Designers
The number of African designers is increasing who are showcasing their designs and works on the catwalks outside Africa.
People are loving new African trends and adopting them. Events like “African Fashion” and “Fashion week Nigeria” are playing an important role in not only advertising and promoting the African fashion designers, but it is also helping to bring together industry experts in one place and helping to form a relationship and share the idea.
African designers have mixed feelings about how Western designers adopt the language of Africa. European designers mostly use the colors without understating and realizing the value of these colors and what these colors and designs symbolize in African culture.
Therefore, African designers are gaining more popularity in recent times for using their heritage in a way that contributes to the evolution of the culture by creating contemporary versions of their traditional crafts.
The designs and styles of clothing manufactured by African designers are different from those produced elsewhere. African designers know the symbolic meaning behind colors and designs, and they put it in their clothing styles. The designers with diverse backgrounds unite their knowledge about African clothing styles into attires they produce.
The work and career of these designers can be seen through their thematic approaches. They want to associate the distinctive African form of garments with Western styles and designs.
African Clothing has Inspired Celebrities
The African designs and clothes are embraced globally. The colors, prints, and designs are unique, and the majority of international celebrities have been spotted on several occasions wearing African attire. Many celebrities have seen wearing these African designs at international events. There is no doubt that African prints are an inspiration to not only Africans but across the globe.
Final Thought
African attires are famous worldwide. The African designs can be seen on handbags, gowns, clothes, and other garments. They have gained popularity worldwide. African clothing styles have gained so much popularity around the globe, and they are loved by everyone alike.
Numerous influential fashion designers are inspired by African fashion, and they are working on African designs and making amazing attires.
African designers are also using their knowledge about African culture and history and applying it to their attires. The African clothing industry has undergone a revolution, and there is a great future for African designs.