Traditional Attires For the Curvys

Traditional dresses in South Africa are gaining in popularity. Both amongst the baby boomer and millennial generation. With a diverse range of tribes with in South Africa its no surprise that there is a broad dichotomy of styles to choose from.

many African cultures, age and social standing determines the type of clothes a person wears. This is particularly poignant when it comes to modern traditional dresses for women.

The best traditional dresses are typically made on printed dyed cotton fabric. The most common type are shweshwe dresses. If you’ve ever been to a wedding or birthday function you’d most likely have some

The fabric is manufactured in a variety of different colours and printed designs comprised of intricate geometric shapes and patterns. Some African traditional dresses are woven, such as Kente from West Africa.

Traditional dresses in South Africa have evolved over the last 70 years. Tannery-style leather, woven textiles and printed dress fabrics have replaced the cow hides and big-game skins that were popular in the early 20th century and before. 

Modern traditional dresses have usurped the reed skirts that were worn in centuries before. Traditional wedding dresses are starting to replace many western-style wedding dresses. Here, we take a look at the various types of dresses found in South Africa across the major different ethnic groups.