Fashion
African fashion – fabrics, patterns, and styles to discover
We dedicate this article to African dresses for women, which is highly inspiring. It represents the joy of living in its pure state. Its vibrant colors and the fantasy of its patterns are impressive in their depth and playfulness. Each detail is like a word from a mysterious ancestral language. The long clothes and their movements on the silhouette are a eulogy to femininity, grace, and fecundity. Nothing is left to chance. Each element derives from a ritual passed down from generation to generation, which is typical of a tribe or region. The pictographs tell the stories of the tribes. The fabric of Ghana is similar to silk and rich in colors and shades, which speak to us of corners of paradise. The geometric symbolism of the outfits charms all our senses.
African fashion in Europe: between national identity and urban modernity
Fashion designers are revisiting the clothing styles of Africa, to adapt them to European clothing tastes. The values of the two continents are very different. In Europe, we are rather cautious, as far as colors are concerned. Yes, we like them in principle, but too many colors and too many superimposed patterns are generally scary. Europeans are too concerned about possible faults of taste. African women, on the other hand, breathe the joy of living, with their cheap wholesale clothing in mind-blowing colors and patterns. Their smiles are ingenuous and frank.
By adopting African fashion to the European continent, the materials have become less exuberant and the cuts more classic. Africa has also changed. Many women now live outside traditional villages. So current African fashion seeks to balance tradition and modernity. She seeks to discover the current tendencies in the mores and in the clothing styles of Africa today.
The scarf and the turban
In its origins, it was used to protect women from evil spirits. Tying an African scarf is a beautiful gesture that requires a few tricks. With its bright colors, it highlights the beauty of the female face. It is also an aesthetic way to tame an overly blooming mane and protect yourself against the sun and dust. In African traditions, the headscarf goes with typical clothing – the loincloth, the small loincloth, and the camisole. It allows creation looks of different styles according to its patterns, the way of attaching it, and the type of fabric which is more or less easy to model. The hair may or may not go beyond the scarf. There are wonderful creations in the style of Nefertiti, rolled up in height. Or with the knot at the back. Or by forming a large flower in the front, on the forehead.
Harper Harrison is a reporter for The Hear UP. Harper got an internship at the NPR and worked as a reporter and producer. harper has also worked as a reporter for the Medium. Harper covers health and science for The Hear UP.
