Ever since its existence the continent of Africa has been inhabited by creative and fashion-forward individuals. Discover from Africa historical fashion items, outfits & trends!
In sub Saharan Africa food and fashion hold an important spot. Its culture has had grand impact around the world. There has been an undeniable African influence on fashion as we know it. Types of African clothing like the dashiki, the kanzu and the busuti have traveled into the wardrobes of people from all kinds of cultures, globally.
This article is about a selection of African historical fashion items, outfits and trends. Because if we classed traditional African clothing by country wayyy over half of African historical fashion would be missing! All sorts of different African styles of clothing have existed since time immemorial and what a great chance we have to learn about them!
The role of clothing in African culture put simply: past and present Africans, just like you, had certain types of clothes worn daily and others worn for special occasions. Traditional African fashion is spectacular and through the images in this article you will learn about east, south, north and west African clothing history.
ULIJUA?
Ulijua means did you know? in Swahili so be on the look out for the fun facts in the purple text!
Photos of Africa Historical Fashion Items & Trends
SONGHAI HEADDRESS
Here is a photo of a Songhai woman wearing her traditional headdress. Songhai women are known for their elaborate headdresses and hairdo’s. It is evident that art and culture was (and still is!) an important aspect in the life of Songhai person. Their headdresses must have been a great part of 15th and 16th century African clothing of the region. People from this culture once belonged the great Songhai Empire. Unfamilliar with this subject? Read A Brief History of Africa. Today the Songhai people are spread across West Africa, namely in the countries of Niger, Mali and Benin.
In African historical fashion female and male wore impressive and diverse clothing. As you will see later in the article, other peoples adorned themselves in fabulous wear and hairdo’s!
Taarifa
Location: Gao, Gao, Mali
Country/Region of Origin: West Africa
Year: 2022
Image: CC BY-SA 4.0 @franslemmens
SWAHILI WOMEN’S FASHION
In this painting are two Swahili women in Zanzibar over 100 years ago! Traditional African clothing for female persons, like these women, incorporated elements of Islam. For such women their African clothing symbolized wealth and status, but they also had a spiritual meaning. The fetish the women are holding in the painting was believed to have powers to keep evil spirits away. In Zanzibar, upper-class women resided in grand palaces like The Sultan’s Palace or the House of Wonders – as seen in 23 Ancient African Houses and Structures.
This painting is by F. Seth and can be found in “Customs of the World vol. 2”. A great deal of the history of fashion in Africa can be seen in photographs and paintings of people with all sorts of African clothing styles throughout the volume.
ULIJUA? * East African Fashion Facts *
- The Swahili culture is a mix of African and Asians heritage which makes Swahili fashion a unique blend of worldwide cultures with strong Bantu, Arab and South Asian influences.
Taarifa
Current Location: Central Archaeological Library, New Delhi, India
Country/Region of Origin: Zanzibar, Tanzania, East Africa
Time Period: 1912
BANARA SHARPENED INCISORS
This photograph dates back to 1938 near Lake Chad. Photographed is a Banara man showing his sharpened front teeth. Sharpening teeth has been a common practice in many parts of the world. And in Africa historical fashion trends of the sort have been quite pronounced like in West and Central Africa.
The history of African fashion incorporates many bodily modifications like teeth sharpening but also tattooing, piercing and scarification. One young person named Ota Benga (b.1883) was unjustly paraded around by people from Europe and America in human zoos for his appearance. He had sharpened teeth like the Banara man photographed above..
Taarifa
Current Location: Wellcome Trust Corporate Archive, London, UK
Country/Region of Origin: around Lake Chad, West Africa
Time Period: c. 1938
Image: CC BY 4.0 https://wellcomecollection.org/works/ftawzm9z
XHOSA WOMEN’S WEAR
Pictured above is traditional Xhosa female attire. It is currently on display at the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery as part of a permanent collection from the “Fashioning Africa” project (2015-2018). The dress is part of the Township Journeys display at the museum. Township Journeys was curated by Tshepo Skwambane.
In South Africa historical fashion was suppressed and at times even eliminated during both colonialism and Apartheid by the white ruling minority. Though now, in South Africa attire from peoples from around the country have been re-emerging. People have been leading projects like “Fashioning Africa” by showcasing South African embroidery history through cultural items and outfits.
Taarifa
Current Location: Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove, United Kingdom
Country/Region of Origin: South Africa, Southern Africa
Time Period: early-mid 1900s
Image: CC BY-SA 4.0 @John Reynolds
QUEEN NENZIMA’S NAILS
Pictured above is the Queen Nenzima of Mangbetuland. She was an influential person in many ways, and today her fashion would still be considered trendy! Look at her nails; do you recognize the style from people in your life.
ULIJUA? * Facts About African Fashion *
- History has a way of repeating itself, and yes even fashion history. Notice the Queen’s nails? Stiletto nails have been a trend for ages!
Note that the Queen Nenzima of Mangbetuland was a powerful and wise woman. She was strong debater and multitudes of people would follow her to hear her speak. Queen Nenzima was much loved by her people, as their leader, whilst being a massive contributor to historical fashion in Africa and beyond.
Taarifa
Current Location: American Museum of Natural History Research Library, New York, USA
Country/Region of Origin: Mangbetuland, present-day Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa
Time Period (of the volume): c. 1900
KUBA HEADDRESS
This headdress belongs to the Kuba tribe of present-day Congo-Kinshasa (DRC). It was made out of raffia and wood and adorned with cowrie shells and blue and white beads to create one awe-inspiring headdress. At the front of the headdress are two chin bands.
The headdress dates back to either the late 19th or early 20th century. It is now part of the “Arts of Africa” collection at the Brooklyn Museum.
Taarifa
Current Location: The Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA
Country/Region of Origin: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa
Time Period: late 19th or early 20th century
Image: CC-BY-3.0
FULANI FASHION
Appearing on this postcard is a young Fulani woman in the Nigerian city of Abuja. Fashion is an important part of the Fulani people of West Africa. Both Fulani women and men are known for their colourful and exquisite fashion. They have wonderful traditional clothing, makeup and hairstyles.
The country of Nigeria is enormously diverse of cultures. There are nearly 400 ethnic groups in Nigeria. One of such cultures are the Fulani which generally reside in the north of Nigeria and across the continent of Africa. Fulani people are spread out in West and Central Africa in the Sahara and Sahel regions. Among the other ethnicities in Nigeria are the Igbo made famous with the great Chinua Achebe’s novel: Things Fall Apart found in 7 Enlightening Novels about Africa Book List for the Cultured Reader.
Taarifa
Current Location: The John Hinde Archive / Mary Evans Picture Library
Country/Region of Origin: Abuja, Nigeria, West Africa
Time Period: c. 1850-1990
© The John Hinde Archive / Mary Evans Picture Library
BARA WARRIOR WEAR
This is a photograph of a Bara warrior in present-day Madagascar wearing the traditional African clothing male warriors wore. The Bara people are an ethnic group native to the south of the island of Madagascar known to be great herders of zebu cattle.
The Bara warrior is wearing one type of traditional African tribal clothing. This is an important part of the types of clothing in medieval Africa. Many cultures and tribes across Africa and the world clothed themselves just like the warrior above, for example the Kikuyu of Kenya used to dress with a skin covering their genitalia.
Taarifa
Country/Region of Origin: Madagascar, East Africa
Time Period: c. 1900
YORUBA MEN’S WEAR
These are Yoruba drummers in Kwara State Nigeria. They are wearing West African clothing native to the Yoruba ethnic group of Nigeria. Around the world Nigerians have the great reputation for beautiful, elaborate and elegant style. Both Nigerian women and men traditionally wear clothings such as the Aso-Oke or the Adire.
ULIJUA? * West African Clothing Facts *
Wrappers, made from African pattern fabric like the Bogolanfini (Mali) are a great part of West African historical fashion.
Taarifa
Location: Ijomu Oro, Kwara State, Nigeria
Country/Region of Origin: Nigeria, West Africa
Time Period: April 2004
Image: CC BY 2.0
SUDANESE WEAR
This is a Sudanese man in African male dress. He was photographed in the Khalifa’s house some 87 years ago. The history of African clothing particularly in Sudan is generally comprised of flowing clothing for both women and men. However, many types of African dresses exist in and out of Sudan.
Sudan was once a place where great and powerful kingdoms flourished. Today we can discover many objects that belonged to Nubians from the ancient African Kingdom of Kerma. One of those are daggers of bone and copper some 4000 years old!!! Read more about them in 7 Medieval and Ancient African Art History Objects.
Taarifa
Location: Omdurman, Sudan, North Africa
Time Period: 1936
BERBER FIBULA
Pictured above is a Berber fibula. It was an important clothing accessory for people from the Berber ethnic group of North Western Africa. This type of jewelry was mainly worn by women.
The Berber people are predominantly found in the countries of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. In Berber culture jewelry holds a significant spot. They usually made their jewelry out of materials like silver and iron.
Taarifa
Current Location: Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, France
Country/Region of Origin: Algeria, North Africa
Image: CC BY-SA 4.0
This post was all about Africa historical fashion
[…] The men pictured above are Bao, or Mancala, players on the semi-autonomous province of Zanzibar in Tanzania. Bao is a game widely played in the Swahili regions of Eastern Africa. For some more Swahili cultural aesthetics examples see how certain Swahili women once dressed in: 11 Photos of Africa Historical Fashion Items & Trends. […]