Traditional African Clothing
Hot Shot From Head To Toe

During my research on traditional African clothing, I found this amazing book "African Art and Culture" written by Jane Bingham, who explains exactly how traditional African clothing developed.

According to her, bark cloth was probably the first type of cloth that humans made and it's still made by the Mbuti people who live along the Congo River.

When the inner layer of bark from the pongo tree is removed, a thin layer of tissue remains. This is pounded for about two days with a bone mallet, until the material is pliable and all the sap has evaporated. Then the tissue sun-dries for five to six days.

Some Interesting Info On Traditional African Clothing

In the Central African rain forest, people produce textiles from trees and plants, using tree bark to make a strong cloth. Another process is weaving fibers from raffia palms, pineapple leaves and bamboo plants. Once thoroughly dry, it can be painted.

The Mbuti use a blackish-blue pigment made by blending crushed charcoal and the juice of gardenia flowers. These paintings are often geometric, abstract shapes.

Thicker lines are formed using fingers dipped in paint; finer ones are drawn with a twig or a plant stem. The decorated bark cloth is worn as women's aprons and men's loincloths.

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Raffia, More Than Just Decoration

Raffia fibers come from the raffia palm, with its wide, flat leaves. These leaves are stripped to leave only the stems, which are then dried in the sun. They may also be woven into fabric squares, which are then stitched together to make larger pieces of cloth.

Oftentimes raffia cloth has patterns sewn on to it. This type of decorated raffia is commonly referred to as cut-pile. The Kuba people of the Congo traditionally make a luxurious cut-pile cloth known as Kasai velvet.

To start, fibers of raffia are woven to form a base. Then, raffia threads are stitched in various patterns onto the base. The threads are trimmed close to the surface, thereby creating a velvet-like texture.

Kasai velvets are most often beige (the natural color of raffia) with black geometric patterns. The cloth is then used to make robes, cushions, and bags, and is an essential ingredient of Kuba ceremonial dress.

Traditional African Clothing

Throughout Africa, craftsmen and women weave cloth from cotton, wool, or silk. But the difference in each area is the selection and integration of patterns and decorations with the material.

While some weave patterns directly into the cloth, others use dye in exciting ways, such as tie-dye or printing right on its surface. Traditional cloth makers utilize embroidery or appliqué work to add an extra layer of elegance to their cloth.

Men And Women Crafting Clothing

In several West African societies, men do the weaving, and boys begin by learning on small looms at a young age. Different from the women's wide looms, the men have narrow looms that are easily transported.

These produce long strips of cloth that are then sewn together to create a uniform broad piece of cloth. The most famous strip cloths are known as Kente cloths are made up of bold, multicolored strips.

Yoruba patterns for traditional African clothing are used when Nigerian women create dresses made from brightly colored cotton cloth, which are dyed using natural dyes such as indigo.

Before the cloth is dyed, it's painted with designs using a paste made from the cassava root with the paste-covered areas not absorbing the dye.

Each particular pattern has a specific meaning, and the women get inspiration for their designs from the world around them, including nature or local sayings. They have learned how to express their worldview in a personal and significant way!

African American fashion has developed thanks to African fashion and the African crafts that created them. We can thank author Jane Bingham for helping to know and understand a world that is now a little bit less mysterious.

• Bingham, Jane (2005). African Art & Culture (World Art & Culture), Illustrated Edition. Heinemann/Raintree. ISBN 1844210448.

I'm very grateful to Jane Bingham for inspiring me to create this page on the traditional clothing of Africa.

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