In a country with eleven official languages, you can expect some diversity. In South Africa, however, it is not only linguistic diversity that characterizes its people. With people of different cultures, religions, skin colors and economic backgrounds there will naturally be other differences too. South African clothing, for instance, is as diverse as the people who wear these clothes.
Traditional attire depends on a person's culture. Within each culture, there are also special clothes for people depending on their social status. For example, a young, unmarried woman will usually be seen wearing a very different type of traditional outfit than an older, married woman, while a traditional healer will wear something else entirely.
Today, however, it is unusual to see someone in South Africa wearing traditional attire unless it's at a special event like a traditional wedding. Most people's everyday clothes are Western clothes like jeans and T-shirts. The influence of Western culture is so great that it is even evident in certain traditional costumes.
An example is the clothing that young Xhosa men are supposed to wear to show that they have just gone through initiation. After the ceremony that officially announces their manhood, they dress in long trousers and a shirt, along with a jacket and a 1920s style plaid cap. They have to wear this for three months and are not allowed to take off the jacket when it's hot. Sometime in the past this type of outfit became the symbol of being an adult man and the culture has adopted this as tradition.
In a different twist, elements of traditional attire have made it into mainstream fashion. Beaded designs and splashes of bold color are always popular. This is due to the influence of the colorful beadwork designs prevalent in the Xhosa, Zulu and Ndebele cultures, among others.
A popular design element that has emerged in fashion in recent years is the use of 'shweshwe' in everything from skirts to shoes and bags. 'Shweshwe' is a strong fabric that has white geometric print on a brown or blue background, although a red background is also becoming more common. Traditionally only Basotho women wore this fabric and they only used it in dresses and matching headscarves.
Since the advent of democracy after a long liberation struggle, icons from the country's history have also inspired design. The most popular is Nelson Mandela, whose face is often seen on T-shirts, wristwatches and print fabrics. As the country's people are finally embracing their identity as Africans, no matter what their skin color, the African continent pops up everywhere in prints on fabrics, in jewelry and even tattoos.
The premier showcase for South African clothing, other than the streets of course, is SA Fashion Week. What is shown on the catwalks here makes its way into local retail stores and into people's wardrobes. There is strong support from the retail industry and consumers for young designers, so that creativity is economically viable too.
Traditional attire depends on a person's culture. Within each culture, there are also special clothes for people depending on their social status. For example, a young, unmarried woman will usually be seen wearing a very different type of traditional outfit than an older, married woman, while a traditional healer will wear something else entirely.
Today, however, it is unusual to see someone in South Africa wearing traditional attire unless it's at a special event like a traditional wedding. Most people's everyday clothes are Western clothes like jeans and T-shirts. The influence of Western culture is so great that it is even evident in certain traditional costumes.
An example is the clothing that young Xhosa men are supposed to wear to show that they have just gone through initiation. After the ceremony that officially announces their manhood, they dress in long trousers and a shirt, along with a jacket and a 1920s style plaid cap. They have to wear this for three months and are not allowed to take off the jacket when it's hot. Sometime in the past this type of outfit became the symbol of being an adult man and the culture has adopted this as tradition.
In a different twist, elements of traditional attire have made it into mainstream fashion. Beaded designs and splashes of bold color are always popular. This is due to the influence of the colorful beadwork designs prevalent in the Xhosa, Zulu and Ndebele cultures, among others.
A popular design element that has emerged in fashion in recent years is the use of 'shweshwe' in everything from skirts to shoes and bags. 'Shweshwe' is a strong fabric that has white geometric print on a brown or blue background, although a red background is also becoming more common. Traditionally only Basotho women wore this fabric and they only used it in dresses and matching headscarves.
Since the advent of democracy after a long liberation struggle, icons from the country's history have also inspired design. The most popular is Nelson Mandela, whose face is often seen on T-shirts, wristwatches and print fabrics. As the country's people are finally embracing their identity as Africans, no matter what their skin color, the African continent pops up everywhere in prints on fabrics, in jewelry and even tattoos.
The premier showcase for South African clothing, other than the streets of course, is SA Fashion Week. What is shown on the catwalks here makes its way into local retail stores and into people's wardrobes. There is strong support from the retail industry and consumers for young designers, so that creativity is economically viable too.
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