Bazin (or basin) is a West African fabric with its origin in Europe imported in Mali, made from hand-dyed cotton, resulting in a damask textile known for its stiffness and vibrant sheen. It is primarily recognized as the most commonly used fabric for crafting a Boubou, a long, loose traditional outerwear worn by both men and women, particularly in West Africa. [1]
The process of crafting Bazin begins with cotton damask fabric. Hand-dyeing, a meticulous and often labor-intensive task undertaken by skilled women, characterizes this traditional artistry. The initial steps involve importing materials, predominantly cotton, and occasionally silk or wool from Germany, the Netherlands, or China. Following material acquisition, the fabric is precisely cut to standard dimensions.
To transform the white damask into vibrant Bazin, an elaborate dyeing process ensues. The fabric undergoes immersion in a dye bath, followed by rinsing and draining. This cycle is repeated until the desired color and intricate patterns emerge. Subsequently, the dyed Bazin undergoes a thorough cold water wash to eliminate any remaining products. The final step, essential for preventing fabric tearing, involves sun-drying.
Originally, Bazin was dyed with natural indigo, utilizing ash-based potash and clay in a harmless dyeing process. However, since the 1990s, manufacturing processes have evolved with the adoption of chemical dyes, caustic soda, and hydrosulfate. Upon selecting the desired dye, caustic soda and hydrosulfate are dissolved in water. This chemical reaction enhances the resistance of the dye on cotton, marking a modernization of Bazin production techniques while preserving its rich cultural heritage. [2]
Bazin production comprises three distinct types, each offering a unique appeal and varying in affordability:
Distinguishing between these types is often a skill mastered by women and Bazin sellers. However, a hands-on approach, where individuals see and touch the fabric, makes it easy to identify the premium bazin due to its unique texture that sets it apart from the other variants.
Boubou (also bubu; from wolof mbubbe, bubu or gran mbubu) originates from the Wolof word mbubb, meaning a garment that can be slipped on over the head and used generically to describe long, flowing, ankle length robes worn by both men and women across the predominantly Muslim West African Sahel region from Senegal to Northern Nigeria. The traditional boubou is an ample tunic with open sleeves and a triangular or rectangular breast pocket. Boubou both formal and everyday wear is made in all different materials for both men and women. Aside from being comfortable and practical, it provides covering in accordance to Islamic beliefs. Usually, Boubou is constructed in three parts. [3]
In Senegal, the most elegant boubous are made from high quality cotton damask, the bazin riche. They are heavily embroidered with the same color or contrasting silk thread. [4] Ornate embroidered patterns of circles and swirls adorn the pockets, neck opening, front, back and other parts of the gown depending on the design. [4] [5]
White and light blue are the classic colors and are commonly worn in Mauritania, Western Sahara, Mali and Niger. Bright colors with multicolor embroidery are worn in Senegal and Gambia. Less expensive boubous are made from lower quality cotton damask fabric imported from China or India and usually have no embroidery. [6]
Traditionally the Senegalese boubou can be heavily embroidered, it is also known by various names depending on the ethnic group and the region in which it is being worn. In Senegal everyday wear is a caftan, or boubou with pants for the men and pagne a garment that women wrap around their hips and wear under a boubou.[Madison and Hansen, pg 126, 176]
The formal ensemble for men is a three piece outfit consisting of a caftan, a tchaya (Wolof word for loose trousers), grand boubou and a white embroidered skullcap, pillbox cap, or red or brown fez. In Mauritania and Western Sahara a similar garment is commonly worn with sirwal (Arabic word for loose trousers) in matching damask fabric and hawli (Hassaniya dialect word for a long rectangular piece of cloth that is used as a head wrap or turban). In Niger a similar type of boubou is worn. And Tuareg men commonly wear wrap turbans and face veils. In Mali, traditional clothing made of white mud cloth and associated with the towns of Djenne and Timbuktu was the type of luxury boubou, and the lomasa primarily associated with the Tunka, the ruler of Ngalam, once a Soninke kingdom in present-day Senegal. [7]
The informal sector of trade in dyed fabric also called thioup or thioub in Wolof, expanded in the 1980s. As a consequence fabrics such as bazin revived a boom in the fashion sector. Until 2000s cotton damask used to be worked by local craftsmen to become a noble fabric characterized by its stiffness and dazzling shine. However this craft slowly died out due to cheap competition from neighboring countries. Dyed bazin is now mainly imported in Senegal, they are then designed and sewn by local tailors who in turn export their products in West African countries and other parts of the world. [8]
The first step in this craftsmanship is to dye the white fabric oftentimes with patterns made through a technique called tak in Wolof. When the fabric is soaked in the dye bath, that technique makes it possible to preserve certain parts of the fabric, from dyeing and to form patterns in rings or strips. [9] The fabric is then starched and beaten with wooden clubs by tappeurs until it results in a shiny noble bazin.
It is this bazin that is skillfully turned into luxurious intricate clothing by Senegalese tailors that the entire sub region from Guinea to Nigeria wear. Its high demand, especially during holidays, as well as the many stages of manufacture make it occupy a place of choice in the economy. Senegalese boubous are mainly exported in neighboring countries such as Gambia and Mali. [8] [10]
La grande nuit du bazin or nuit du boubou (the night of bazin) is an event founded in 2004 in Dakar in honor of the popular fabric by Senegalese singer Djiby Dramé who wanted to revive traditional boubous. It's a festival of boubous, brilliance, colors and a delight to watch. Famous Senegalese designers and pioneers of modern Senegalese fashion such as Oumou Sy, Collé Ardo Sow, Diouma Dieng Diakhaté but also other designers from other countries are invited to that event. The success of la grande nuit du bazin lead to other branches in Bamako and Abidjan successively in 2014 and 2018. Djiby Dramé also intended to spread the grande nuit du bazin internationally and within the African diaspora. In this regard, he said "Since 2004, I have been organizing the event outside of Senegal, to introduce it to Africans in the diaspora. This year, after Dakar, we will go to Paris, London and the United States where the event is eagerly awaited by the fans." [11]
A sari is a women's garment from the Indian subcontinent, that consists of an un-stitched stretch of woven fabric arranged over the body as a robe, with one end attached to the waist, while the other end rests over one shoulder as a stole (shawl), sometimes baring a part of the midriff. It may vary from 4.1 to 8.2 metres in length, and 60 to 120 centimetres in breadth, and is a form of ethnic wear in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. There are various names and styles of sari manufacture and draping, the most common being the Nivi style. The sari is worn with a fitted bodice also called a choli and a petticoat called ghagra, parkar, or ul-pavadai. It remains fashionable in the Indian subcontinent today.
A kaftan or caftan is a variant of the robe or tunic. Originating in Asia, it has been worn by a number of cultures around the world for thousands of years. In Russian usage, kaftan instead refers to a style of men's long suit with tight sleeves.
The barong tagalog, more commonly known simply as barong, is an embroidered long-sleeved formal shirt for men and a national dress of the Philippines. Barong tagalog combines elements from both the precolonial native Filipino and colonial Spanish clothing styles. It is traditionally made with sheer textiles (nipis) woven from piña or abacá; although in modern times, cheaper materials like organza silk, ramie or polyester are also used.
African clothing is the traditional clothing worn by the people of Africa.
Bògòlanfini or bogolan is a handmade Malian cotton fabric traditionally dyed with fermented mud. It has an important place in traditional Malian culture and has, more recently, become a symbol of Malian cultural identity. The cloth is exported worldwide for use in fashion, fine art and decoration.
The wrapper, lappa, or pagne is a colorful garment widely worn in West Africa by both men and women. It has formal and informal versions and varies from simple draped clothing to fully tailored ensembles. The formality of the wrapper depends on the fabric used to create or design it.
African textiles are textiles from various locations across the African continent. Across Africa, there are many distinctive styles, techniques, dyeing methods, and decorative and functional purposes. These textiles hold cultural significance and also have significance as historical documents of African design.
Adire (Yoruba) textile is a type of dyed cloth from south west Nigeria traditionally made by Yoruba women, using a variety of resist-dyeing techniques. The word 'Adire' originally derives from the Yoruba words 'adi' which means to tie and 're' meaning to dye. It is a material designed with wax-resist methods that produce patterned designs in dazzling arrays of tints and hues. It is common among the Egba people of Ogun State.
Aso oke hat, known as fila in the Yoruba language, is a soft hat traditionally worn by the Yoruba people of Western Africa. It is made of hand-woven aso oke fabric, cotton, velvet, or damask. They are usually lined with cotton, but can be unlined if crafted to be worn for a single event.
A Senegalese kaftan is a pullover men's robe with long bell sleeves. In the Wolof language, this robe is called a mbubb or xaftaan and in French it is called a boubou. The Senegalese caftan is an ankle length garment. It is worn with matching drawstring pants called tubay in Wolof. Normally made of cotton brocade, lace, or synthetic fabrics, these robes are common throughout West Africa. A kaftan and matching pants is called a kaftan suit. The kaftan suit can be worn with a kufi cap. Senegalese kaftans are formal wear in all West African countries. In the United States, some merchants sell this robe as a Senegalese style dashiki pant set or a full length dashiki pant set. Men who are members of the Hausa tribe, wear these kaftans to formal events like naming ceremonies and weddings. In the United States, a kaftan is one of three formal suits, equivalent to the tuxedo, that African-American grooms select for their weddings. The other styles being the dashiki pant set, and the grand boubou, pronounced gran boo-boo. There are various other formal robes that are worn throughout West Africa, and with the exception of the Yoruba Gbarie robe, pronounced barry, most of these are a form of Islamic dress, see sartorial hijab. The kaftan is worn by Christians, African Jews, Muslims, and followers of African traditional religion. Furthermore, Senegalese kaftans are common among men of African descent in the African diaspora. The Senegalese kaftan is men's attire. In West Africa, and the United States, this robe is not worn by women. The women's robe is called a kaftan.
Shisheh, Kawan jo kam or abhla bharat embroidery, or mirror-work, is a type of embroidery which attaches small pieces of mirrors or reflective metal to fabric. Mirror embroidery is common throughout Asia, and today can be found in the traditional embroidery of the Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan, China, and Indonesia.
Pakistani clothing refers to the ethnic clothing that is typically worn by people in the country of Pakistan and by Pakistanis. Pakistani clothes express the culture of Pakistan, the demographics of Pakistan, and cultures from Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir regions of the country. The clothing in each region and culture of Pakistan reflect weather conditions, way of living, the textiles and embroidery used and its distinctive style which gives it a unique identity among all cultures.
The taqiyah, also known as araqchin, is a short, rounded skullcap worn by Muslim men. In the United States and the United Kingdom, it is also referred to as a "kufi", although the Kufi typically has more of an African connotation. Aside from being an adornment, the taqiyah has deeply ingrained significance in Islamic culture, reflecting the wearer's faith, devotion, and sometimes regional identity. While the taqiyah is deeply rooted in Muslim traditions, its use varies based on cultural context rather than strict religious guidelines.
A kanzu is a white or cream coloured robe worn by men in the African Great Lakes region. It is referred to as a tunic in English, and as the Thawb in Arab countries. The kanzu is an ankle or floor length garment. It serves as the national costume of Tanzania as well as the Comoros, where it is called/pronounced 'Kandu' as well as thawb. The robe is also worn in some coastal Muslim regions of Tanzania and Kenya. The men of Uganda consider it their most important dress. Kanzu is a Ganda word of Swahili origin, which means "robe" or "tunic". In Tanzania, the term is used interchangeably with kaftan.
Kazakh clothing, worn by the Kazakh people, is often made of materials suited to the region's extreme climate and the people's nomadic lifestyle. It is commonly decorated with elaborate ornaments made from bird beaks, animal horns, hooves and feet. Although contemporary Kazakhs usually wear Western dress, the Turkic people wear more traditional clothing for holidays and special occasions.
Mughal clothing refers to clothing worn by the Mughals in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries throughout the extent of their empire. Much of them were already being used in the past centuries before their arrival in Indian subcontinent. It was characterized by luxurious styles and was made with muslin, silk, velvet and brocade. Elaborate patterns including dots, checks, and waves were used with colors from various dyes including cochineal, sulfate of iron, sulfate of copper, and sulfate of antimony were used.
The boubou or grand boubou is a flowing wide-sleeved robe worn across West Africa, and to a lesser extent in North Africa, related to the dashiki suit.
Weddings in Mali involve various important customs and celebrations spread out through a number of days. Usually, the groom and the bride do not personally know the attendees that come to the wedding festivity, because Malian families tend to be very big due to polygamy. Thus weddings are a perfect occasion for all the extended family members of the couple to come for the big day. During this time food is given, and family from the village come to say goodbye to the bride-to-be and celebrate with the family.
A tanmono is a bolt of traditional Japanese narrow-loomed cloth. It is used to make traditional Japanese clothes, textile room dividers, sails, and other traditional cloth items.
Yoruba women’s clothing is the traditional attire worn by women of the Yoruba ethnic group in parts of Nigeria, Benin and Togo in a region called Yorubaland. The clothing reflects the rich culture, history and aesthetic preferences of the Yoruba people.
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