The ever-growing popularity of African fabrics has seen it inspire international fashion brands like Supreme and Dior and even celebrities like Rihanna, Beyoncé and Tracee Ellie Ross have taken a likeness to Ankara as they have been pictured on several occasions rocking it in their own unique way.
Fashion is ever evolving so it is only natural that traditional African fabrics have been swept up by the winds of change. Gone are the days where a simple blouse design paired with wrappers made a style statement. These days, fashion influencers and designers have discovered new and more audacious ways to create iconic looks using traditional fabrics.
Fashion enthusiasts have also gotten quite adventurous with their choice of design for African print. It has now become common to go to an event, film premiere or any high society event and see fashion-forward dressers clad in unique new Ankara designs ranging from jumpsuits, off -shoulder gowns, dresses with thigh-high slits and so much more.
The African print has found its way into many people’s wardrobes. Women, especially, are embracing the print in a variety of styles, ranging from dresses to blazers and pants, and even shoes! It doesn’t matter if it is a casual Friday at the office, or a small dinner party hosted by friends, the African print, can be worn anywhere, anytime!
Below are tips on how you can rock the African print:
- Head wraps
Head wraps aren’t new. Today we’re seeing more and more women in our society donning these head wraps as both a fashion statement and ‘protective’ style to church, parties and even official occasions.
Head wraps like this one right here, can be used as fashion accessories, for hair protective styles, as a hijab, as a shawl, and so many more. The vibrant African Print Colors allow you to stand out from the crowd.
- Mix and match
Did you know that you can match your African print with other fabrics, from denim, lace to raw silk? Mixing patterns artfully can be super tricky, it’s all about what prints balance each other. It can feel like a daunting task or that you need a stylist eye, because on its own African print is already colorful, bold and full of patterns. So how do you mix two already busy prints?
The African ‘native print’ skirt for instance, can be matched with a plain top like this. It can also be paired with a plain top, preferably a colour tone on the skirt. It can also be paired with a raw silk top or even denim.
- Blazers
It’s no secret that Ankara jackets are becoming a huge part of western culture. Only a few years ago, you would have gotten weird stares at your African print attire.
Now, we spot these magnificent prints on the red carpets, in movies, and music. You’ll probably get a compliment or two about how unique your outfit is. And that, my friends, is a stride in the right direction.
A Kitenge blazer for instance matches with almost everything; for example, jeans, a dress, and even maxi skirts.
- Jumpsuits
African print jumpsuits are one of the print styles that African fashion and it is great to see how designers are being creative with it and designing them in various stylish ways which are worth having.
Jumpsuits in actual facts add a touch of class to your look no matter who is rocking it and a perfect fit for any occasion/event.
And with the gorgeous styles these African print ones can be designed into, they are absolute stunners.
Jumpsuits give one a killer look. However one must consider her body shape to have the right fitting so as to pull off a fabulous look.
- Skater dress
An African skater dress can be worn at many occasions, but in most cases, to create a more noticeable look to the outfit, an elastic band can be used in the waist area.
