The Pride of African American Women Dressing!

In West Africa clothing for people of the highest status is made of kente cloth. Tribal kings traditionally wore this silk material, which is notable for its elaborately woven decorative patterns. Kente cloth (and its imitations) has become an important symbol of African pride among descendants of enslaved Africans in the Americas. Whereas weaving has been considered women’s work in most of the world, in West Africa, men weave certain kinds of prestigious textiles. Other well-known textiles of West Africa include mud-cloth of Mali and cotton textiles of Nigeria. Mud-cloth has patterns of gray-brown on an off-white background, which are produced by a special dying process. Nigerian cottons are elaborately decorated with blue dye from the indigo plant.

In southern Africa both minimal and modest styles of dress exist. Among the Himba, a nomadic herding people living in Namibia, men and women wear little more than red body paint and short skirts. These skirts were once made of hide but are now made of cloth as well.

The Himba have elaborately braided hairstyles. For protection from the elements and as decoration, they cover their bodies, including their hair, with a mixture of animal grease and red ochre powder.

Among the Herero, also of Namibia, women wear full-sleeved and full-skirted long cotton dresses, a style introduced by German missionaries in the 19th century. Among the Xhosa of South Africa, unmarried girls wear short skirts and go bare-chested; married Xhosa women wear longer skirts, cover their breasts, and wear elaborate head wraps.

The Zulu people of South Africa, who dress similarly to the Xhosa, also create elaborate beadwork for belts, pouches, jewelry, and other accessories. Zulu chiefs wear leopard skins on ceremonial occasions. Zulu women often wear tall, stiff woven hats.

The African- American Woman Christian

Dressing up for the glory of God is an important aspect of Sunday service in the African American community. The congregation presents the best of themselves for worship. Accessories, such as fine hats, are also worn complementing women’s Sunday outfits.

During the course of live in domestic service, many African American women had to wear specific uniforms for their duties. In the transition to live out domestic service, African American women began to dress very fashionably for Sunday church services.

These fashions consisted of bright colors, double breasted suits, and fine fabrics.

Dressing up in high fashion was a source of pride for many African American women who had to wear uniforms for work 6 days a week.

The fashions African American women proudly wear are symbols of independence and freedom. It is a visual representation of their culture Fashion was important to these women, not only as a display of freedom, but also as a cultural statement.

“The church was a place where black women’s moral character, beauty, style was openly recognized and appreciated. At church a black woman could walk down the aisle holding her head up high topped with a fancy and heavily decorated hat and wearing a style that reflected her African American heritage. White observers to the dress of black churchgoers continued to notice differences between their own dress choices and those worn by African Americans” (Lynch 85).

There is a Biblical reference to the importance of a woman covering her head in church for more than just style. Hats, commonly referred to as crowns, have not only set a style for African American women, but they also have continued as a religious tradition.

As stated in the Holy Bible: Corinthians (I.11.5): “5. But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings shame upon her head, for it is one and the same thing as if she had had her head shaved. 6. For if a woman does not have her head veiled, she may as well have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should wear a veil.”

Covering your head has turned into a fashion statement for African American women. Hats have served a purpose to cover the woman’s head in church, but their styles and fashion have become their own statements.