Female Hausa traditional attire
Hausa people have always stood out from other Nigerians with their culture, food and even fashion style. Unlike most ethnic groups, even contemporary Hausa dressing is mostly dictated by tradition and not global trends. If you'd like to learn more about Hausa clothing styles and see some examples, continue reading below!
Hausa traditional attire
The Hausa tribe uniqueness goes far beyond its language. Among all the West African tribes, it probably wields the most significant number of unique characteristics that aren't common to anyone else. The Hausa's belief system, their clothing style, food recipes, and even the wedding ceremony are all fascinating and have been existing for hundreds of years.
Unlike other Nigerian fashion styles, it's essential for the Hausas to have their women wear proper, yet elegant, attires that don't show a lot of skin. When in public, a female has to be completely covered to avoid any judgmental looks. This is due to the fact that the Northern Nigerian Hausa population consists mainly of Muslims. Thus, their religion dictates their approach to clothing.
As a result of that approach, the Hausa have a narrow choice of dressing options. The men's traditional attire includes unique attires called Babban Riga that are commonly paired with jalabia and juanni robes. The majority of the male population also wears color-rich hats known as Fula that vary from person to person depending on the region they live in. The central decorations of men's clothing are the various kinds embroidery ornaments, with gold being the favorite.
Hausa woman can be easily recognized outdoors because of the colorful outfit that are called abaya. However, that doesn't mean that all Hausa tribe people look alike. In terms of color and embroidery choices, you can see that tailors come up with hundreds of exciting designs. It's a classic "we'll work with what we have" approach, as Hausa traditional attires have something to offer every taste.
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What makes female Hausa dressing even more unique is the fact that they are also highlighted by the use of beautiful, authentic jewelry, various ornaments, and body paint art. The decorations can be either traditional tribal images that are mostly done in the facial region or henna drawings that are used both as makeup and to add beauty to a woman's hands. As you can see in the picture above, the floral abstract patterns enhance the bride's look immensely.
Female Hausa attire includes dresses in the mermaid style, which adds elegance to the lady's figure, matching turbans and a long veil that completes the beauty of the wearer. Professional designers do their best to come up with both trendy and historically-accurate attires.
However, seeing as we live in the 21st century, a lot of women aren't strictly following the traditional dressing code. They opt for more open and revealing looks, but they still want to add some Hausa flair and elements to their fashion style. Luckily for them, there are hundreds of choices available that can change the attire with a single detail.
Below, you'll find a woman that is wearing all the traditional pieces of a Hausa dressing, but both the fabric and the azure color ooze a contemporary vibe.
The majority of casual Hausa dresses nowadays are very similar to the Ankara fashion sensation. They come with radiant patterns and colorful prints that always gather attention wherever the wearer goes. If you want to try one out for yourself, just pick a Hausa-styled dress and wear it to the next event you'll go to. You are sure to catch dozens of jealous glances.
Hausa girls in the picture above are wearing beautifully embroidered blouses that go wonderfully with their headbands and face marks.
Now you have a better understanding of one of the Nigerian native wears. As you can see, both traditional and modern female Hausa dresses are a thing of beauty and a great addition to any wardrobe. Be sure to share this article with your friends!
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Source: Legit.ng
