3. Hair Beads
Most people remember having beads in their hair since their childhood. However, a lot of them do not know where this style originated from. This style is known to have originated from the Wodaabe and Fulani tribes that can be found in West Africa and the Sahel Region. For centuries, these tribes have embraced hair beads, and this style was most commonly used for tribal and aesthetic purposes.
4. Headwraps
According to Historians, wearing headwraps can be linked to the Pharaonic times where members of the royal families used to wear headbands or cover their heads with wigs designed from specific materials. On the other hand, in the upper parts of Africa, materials such as feathers, beads, and shavings from the baobab tree were used in the designing of head coverings. Up to this date, headwraps are still commonly used by women in order to represent both their marital and social status. They are also most commonly used in spiritual events, ceremonial occasions, and also as a fashion accessory among the young women to symbolize their African heritage. Another reason why most young women love wearing headwraps is due to the fact that they can be tied in a number of ways to ensure they suit the intended occasion.
5. Makeup
Contrary to what people think today, makeup has been in existence for centuries. The first type of cosmetics can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians. This is because many of the tombs that were discovered in Egypt contained makeup kits and canisters. Both men and women in ancient Egypt used ointments and scented oils to mask body odor and soften and clean their skins. Kohl, a mixture of copper, lead, metal, ash, and burnt diamond, was also commonly used by both men and women to paint around their eyes. The purpose of this mixture was to ward off dangerous spirits, and it also came in handy to deflect the harsh desert sun.
Conclusion
African fashion has become the key to modern-day designers when looking for unique designs that are likely to be embraced across the world. It has also gone a long way in helping to change the styles of some of the biggest couture labels out there to enable them come up with more designs that tend to also create social awareness. When it comes to ingenuity and style, the African continent has played a big role with its unique techniques of creating unique textiles that are rare to find in any other part of the world. Today, it is even seen as a fashionable thing to wear African-inspired clothing, thanks to the vibrant and rich culture that has been maintained in the African continent for the past centuries.
