Across Africa, there is a slight peculiarity with the traditional shirt style worn by the people of the Black continent. For every African wears for men, there is a shirt to complement the beauty of being African or wearing African dress.
Dashiki
From the West Africa to the East Africa, there is a common shirt style called Dashiki. This can be described as a colorful garment predominantly worn in West Africa. Often referred to as Kitenge in East Africa, it has its dominance for being a staple dress in Kenya, Tanzania, and Somalia. It always cover the top half of the body. Dashiki has really been of formal and informal versions, varying from simple draped clothing to fully tailored suits. But, the common type of this wear is a loose-fitting pullover garment, with an ornate V-shaped collar, and tailored and embroidered neck and sleeve lines.
The name dashiki or "dyshque" was coined from Yoruba word dàńṣíkí, a borrowed word from the Hausa dan ciki, literally meaning 'shirt' or 'inner garment' (as compared to the outer garment).
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However, the informal version of dashiki is characterized with an African print or embroidered patterns. And for the formal version, it consists of three types; dashiki suit (dashiki, trouser, and cap); Senegalese kaftan (ankle-length shirt, trouser, and matching cap); and dashiki, trouser, and flowing gown (agbada).
Jebba Shirt
Jebba is made of flax, silk or wool. This clothes which covers all the body, except forearms and calfs, is very famous in Tunisia and other African countries. The jebba is produced in different models:
Harir jebba: this is silk-made, and mostly found in white. It however has reservation for wedding days, celebrations, religious feasts.
Mlifa jebba: this name is derived from a wool imported from East and Europe, especially Great Britain. Woven in classic shades of grey, green and blue, classic colors for winter’s everyday life.
Xhosa Shirt
Xhosa shirt is a piece of outfit that melts the hearts of South Africans. They are simple and classy. Xhosa shirt, in particular, has a unique style that is significantly different from other shirts. This is because most Xhosa traditional shirts have closely spaced stripes that run from the neck downwards until slightly below the lower levels of the chest. The pattern can also run down to the stomach.
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Often times, the upper garment can be worn as a ceremonial or a formal cloth. When paired with a well straightened, black pair of trousers, it can be worn to the office as official wear.
Shweshwe Shirts
Basically, men's Shweshwe shirts are adored by most people in South Africa. The printed geometric patterns on the cloth always give it a unique appearance that can only be found in these upper garments. These shirts can be worn for official functions.
Ghanaian Smock
This is a a plaid shirt that is similar to the dashiki, worn by men in Ghana. It is fondly worn by kings in the three northern regions but is now popular across Ghana. The smock is basically made of hand-loomed strips popularly called Strip Cloths. They are made of a mixture of dyed and undyed cotton loom. The strips are sewn together by hand or machine giving the smock a plaid appearance. Most smocks can be seen having embroidery on the neckline.
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