A kanzu is a white or cream coloured robe worn by men in the African Great Lakes region. [1] [2] 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. [2]
The Kiganda/Ugandan kanzu was introduced to the Buganda Kingdom by Arab traders. [3] Kabaka Ssuuna was the first Kabaka of Buganda to wear the kanzu. After the Kabaka adopted the attire it became the formal wear of all Baganda men. The kanzu spread from the Baganda people to other ethnicities and is a national costume of Baganda men. (The Republic of Uganda has no pan-national costume for men as in neighboring Tanzania).
It is a variation of the Arabic thobe. Originally, the kanzu was made from barkcloth. Today the kanzu is made from silk, cotton, poplin, or linen. Linen kanzus are the most expensive. The main difference between the kanzu and the Arabic thobe is the design.
The traditional kanzu has maroon embroidery around the collar, abdomen, and sleeves. The embroidery is called the omulela. The major center of kanzu knitting and production is Mende, Uganda.
The kanzu is worn at wedding ceremonies during the introduction, also known as the Kwanjula. During the Kwanjula the groom's family is required to appear dressed in kanzu and they must also present a kanzu to the bride's family. [1] [3]
The kanzu is worn with a suit jacket, blazer, or sport coat. It is customary for important persons to wear the kanzu with a black bisht. [1] Traditional attire for women in Baganda is the Gomesi. [1]
In popular culture, Ugandan clothing was featured in the film, The Last King of Scotland . [1]
In Tanzania, the kanzu was introduced by Arab traders and missionaries from Oman who were conducting dawah. [1] The Tanzanian kanzu is identical to the Arabic thobe. Originally, the kanzu was made from silk. Today, due to Islamic restrictions on silk garments, it is made from polyester or other synthetic fabrics made to resemble silk. The distinctive feature of the Tanzanian kanzu is the tassel that hangs from the collar. [4] [1] In some families, the tassel is perfumed with African oils or Arabic attar (oils) before wedding ceremonies. The kanzu is always worn with a kofia, a small embroidered cap. [4]
In the West, and in many Arab countries, the Tanzanian kanzu is sold by merchants as an Omani thobe, Yemini dishdasha, or Emirati thobe. The best quality kanzus are manufactured in the United Arab Emirates. HKT is one manufacturer. Saudi and inexpensive Chinese made versions are common.
Among the Swahili men of Tanzania and Kenya, the kanzu is always worn with a suit jacket, blazer, or sport coat. [5] For formal wear a Tanzanian man will don a kanzu, a suit jacket, and a kofia (cap). [4] Tribal chiefs wear the kanzu with a black bisht when attending a black tie event. A white or ivory bisht is worn to white tie events. In many Western countries, the bisht is sold by merchants as a Saudi abaya or Abayah. According to custom, a kanzu must be crisp, that is dry cleaned and starched, before it is suitable for formal wear. [4] [5]
The kanzu is the national costume of Tanzania, and is the formal wear of most of the tribes in the country. For informal events, a Saudi manufactured thobe with a mandarin collar or the dashiki shirt and a kofia is the traditional attire. Although the Tanzanian kanzu was borrowed from Arab culture, it is worn by all religious faiths, including Christians, Muslims, African Jews, and members of African traditional religions. [4]
In Kenya, the kanzu is worn by Muslims of all tribes. Christians wear the kanzu (rarely)for informal events, including church services, but the dashiki shirt or kitenge shirt is used as formal wear for Christian weddings. Both religious communities wear a kofia, a small cap with the kanzu. In Kenya, it is customary for Tribal chiefs and Muslim Imams to wear a black bisht with the kanzu when attending a formal event. Kenya is unique among African nations in that it is the only country that does not have a national costume. [6] In fact, many Kenyan men wear European suits or tuxedos for weddings and other formal events. Others have started to wear the Nigerian national costume which is called an Agbada. [7] In Kenya, male Members of the Parliament are required to wear a European style suit to sessions. [8]
In West Africa, similar yet highly distinct clothing are worn by predominantly Sahelian peoples. These include the Senegalese kaftan and the Boubou (often worn on formal occasions).
The kanzu is the traditional wedding attire for men in the Great Lakes region. [1] During wedding ceremonies it is customary for the groom to wear a white kanzu and a kofia. In Tanzania and Kenya, the groom wears a black or white bisht on top of the kanzu. [4] The groomsmen and other men who are members of the wedding party wear the kanzu with a suit jacket. In Uganda, the groom wears a suit jacket on top of the kanzu, and the bride's attire is the gomesi. [1]
In Tanzania and Kenya, the bride's attire is a white wedding dress or the West African boubou. [5] Use of wedding attire characteristic of the Great Lakes region has spread throughout the African diaspora. There are also some locals who prefer to wed in West African attire (see the dashiki). [6]
Buganda is a Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Uganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala. The 14 million Baganda make up the largest Ugandan region, representing approximately 16% of Uganda's population.
Court dress comprises the style of clothes and other attire prescribed for members of courts of law. Depending on the country and jurisdiction's traditions, members of the court may wear formal robes, gowns, collars, or wigs. Within a certain country and court setting, there may be many times when the full formal dress is not used. Examples in the UK include many courts and tribunals including the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, and sometimes trials involving children.
Formal wear or full dress is the Western dress code category applicable for the most formal occasions, such as weddings, christenings, confirmations, funerals, Easter and Christmas traditions, in addition to certain state dinners, audiences, balls, and horse racing events. Generally permitted other alternatives, though, are the most formal versions of ceremonial dresses, full dress uniforms, religious clothing, national costumes, and most rarely frock coats. In addition, formal wear is often instructed to be worn with official full size orders and medals.
A folk costume expresses a national identity through clothing or costume, which is usually associated with a specific region or period of time in history. It can also indicate social, marital, or religious status. If the costume is used to represent the culture or identity of a specific ethnic group, it is usually known as ethnic costume. Such costumes often come in two forms: one for everyday occasions, the other for traditional festivals and formal wear. The word "costume" in this context is sometimes considered pejorative due to the multiple senses of the word, and in such cases "clothing", "garments" or "regalia" can be substituted without offense.
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.
Culture of Uganda is made up of a diverse range of ethnic groups. Lake Kyoga forms the northern boundary for the Bantu-speaking people, who dominate much of East, Central, and Southern Africa. In Uganda, they include the Baganda and several other tribes
African clothing is the traditional clothing worn by the people of Africa.
The dashiki is a colorful garment that covers the top half of the body, worn mostly in West Africa. It has formal and informal versions and varies from simple draped clothing to fully tailored suits. A common form is a loose-fitting pullover garment, with an ornate V-shaped collar, and tailored and embroidered neck and sleeve lines. It is frequently worn with a brimless kufi cap and pants. It has been popularized and claimed by communities in the African diaspora, especially African Americans.
A kufi or kufi cap is a brimless, short, and rounded cap worn by men in many populations in North Africa, East Africa, West Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. It is also worn by men throughout the African diaspora. The cap has strong associations with many Islamic cultures and pan-African pride. In the United States and the United Kingdom, it is also called a "taqiyah".
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.
This is a list of existing articles related to fashion and clothing. For individual designers, see List of fashion designers
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.
The kofia is a brimless cylindrical cap with a flat crown, worn mainly by some men in East Africa.
The Taqiyah, also known as tagiyah or 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 gomesi, also known as a Busuuti or Bodingi, is a colorful floor-length dress. It is the most commonly used costume for women in Buganda and Busoga. Traditional male attire is the kanzu. The gomesi has had many changes in its uses and design since its origination.
A Quadrille dress is a bespoke dress worn by women in Caribbean countries. The quadrille dress is the folk costume of Jamaica, Dominica and Haiti. It is known by a different name in each country. The dress is particularly worn during the quadrille dance, but also other occasions.
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.
A bisht, known in some Arabic spoken dialects as mishlaḥ or ʿabāʾ, is a traditional men’s cloak popular in the Arab world, and worn in general for thousands of years.
Thawb or thobe is an Arab dress for the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula, also called dishdashah, and kandurah, kandoora or gandurah in varieties of Arabic. A long-sleeved ankle-length traditional robe, it is mainly worn by men in the Arabian Peninsula, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, North Africa, and some countries in East and West Africa, with regional variations in name and style. It is also worn by Muslim men in the Indian subcontinent due to its modest appearance, and is referred to as jubbah. Depending on local traditions, a thawb can be worn in formal or informal settings; in the Gulf states thobes are the main formal attire for men. The term "thobe" is also used in some varieties of Arabic to refer to women's attire, such as in Palestine and Sudan.