Zimbabwe recently launched its National Dress under the theme Zimbabwe, My Identity, My Pride, a development that triggered mixed feelings amongst Zimbabweans. A number of countries in the world have their own unique traditional clothes, from which people are able to distinguish one country from another. We present below some of the countries that have unique traditional or national dresses.
- Dhoti is the national dress of India. A dhoti is from four to six feet long white or colour strip of cotton. This traditional attire is mainly worn by men in villages. It is held in place by a style of wrapping and sometimes with the help of a belt, ornamental and embroidered or a flat and simple one, around the waist.
- The Hanfu, Zhongshan suit (Mao suit), Tang suit, and cheongsam (qipao) are the four most distinctive types of traditional Chinese clothing.
- The smock and Kente cloth are the national dress of Ghana. Kente cloth originated in the southern region of Ghana. The smock is made of hand-loomed strips popularly called Strip Cloths.
- Namibia. The ‘Ohorokova’, the traditional Herero dress, is A-lined, with colourful, vibrant patterns and several petticoats. This creates a wide, structured skirt. The attire is topped off by a cow horn-shaped hat.
- There are typically two types of clothing worn in Japan: traditional clothing known as Japanese clothing, including the national dress of Japan, the kimono, and Western clothing, which encompasses all else not recognised as either the national dress or the dress of another country.
- The agbada – a men’s robe that is worn over the other clothes. It is used for formal events; sokotos – loose-fitting trousers with a drawstring to hold them up; gele – the traditional Nigerian headdress.
- The shalwar kameez is the national dress of Pakistan and is worn by men and women in all Five provinces Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa And Gilgit Baltistan in the country and in Azad Kashmir.
- In East Africa, the kanzu is the traditional dress worn by Swahili-speaking men. Women wear the kanga and the gomesi.
- In Southern Africa, distinctive shirts are worn, like the long dresses they wear. For instance, South Africa is known for the Madiba shirt, whereas Zimbabwe is known for the safari shirt.
- A yarmulke. While not Biblically enforced, a yarmulke is worn by all men, Jewish or not, when they enter the Temple or Synagogue. Most Israeli men also wear the yarmulke during any religious celebration or event. Reformed Jewish men also wear the traditional yarmulke during Sabbath or when entering the Temple.
- There is no Official National Dress of Italy. But They Have Traditional Dress For Man And Woman. The Women Of Italy Wear colourful Embroidered skirts and bodices over light-weight chemises or blouses.
- A kilt is a piece of tartan, worn around the waist. However, a ‘proper’ kilt is usually accompanied by: A sporran – a small bag worn around the waist, over the kilt. Sporran is the Gaelic word for purse. It’s worn in Scotland.
