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Thewrapper,lappa, orpagne is a colorful garment widely worn inWest 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.
InWest Africa, akaftan orcaftan is a pull-over woman'srobe.[1] In French, this robe is called aboubou[citation needed] , pronouncedboo-boo. The boubou is the traditional female attire in many West African countries includingSenegal andMali. The boubou can be formal or informal attire. The formality of the kaftan depends upon the fabric used to create or design it.
InNigeria and other parts ofYorubaland, the wrapper is commonly called aniro inYoruba, pronouncedi-roh. The literal translation is "the act of wrapping." The wrapper is usually worn with a matchingheadscarf orhead tie that is called agele in Yoruba, pronouncedgeh-leh.[2] A full wrapper ensemble consists of three garments, ablouse, called abuba, pronouncedboo-bah, theiro and aheadscarf called ahead tie calledgele in Yoruba. Traditional male attire is called aagbada.
Pagne (French:[paɲ]) designates a certain cut (two by six yards) and type (single-sided "fancy" or double-sided "wax" prints) of untailored cotton textile,[3] especially in Francophone West and Central Africa.[4] Enormously popular in much of tropical Africa, the pagne cloth's usage and patterns may be used to convey by the wearer a number of social, economic—and sometimes even political—messages.[5] It is similar—though distinct in size, expected pattern, and usage—to theKhanga,Kikoy orChitenge of East and Southern Africa. From the pagne any number of garments may be created (theboubou, dresses, or western style suits) or it can be used untailored as a wrap, headtie, skirt, or tied as a sling for children or goods. The word pagne, likely derived from the Latinpannum, was a term introduced by merchants from the 16th Century and adopted by several African societies to identify often pre-existing textiles or garments distinct from a simple cloth. The Portuguesepano forcloth has become the Frenchpagne , Dutchpaan, and others.[6] It appears to have originally referred to East Asian textiles traded in East and West Africa, before becoming a term for a certain length (a yard, later two by six yards) of commercial printed cloth sold in coastal West Africa.[7][8][9][10]
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In the UK and North America,wrapper is also an older term for an informal house garment. Today, words such ashousecoat andbathrobe (US) ordressing gown (UK) are usually employed instead.
The kaftan is always worn with aheadscarf orhead tie. During awedding ceremony, the bride's kaftan is the same color as the groom'sdashiki. The traditional color for West African weddings is white.[13] The most popular non-traditional color is purple or lavender, the color of African royalty.[14] Blue, the color of love, is also a common non-traditional color.[15] Most women wear black kaftans tofunerals.[16] However, in some parts ofGhana and theUnited States, some women wear black-and-white prints, or black and red. The kaftan is the most popular attire for women ofAfrican descent throughout theAfrican diaspora. African and African-American women wear a wide variety of dresses, and skirt sets made out of formal fabrics asformal wear. However, the kaftan and wrapper are the two traditional choices. It is not uncommon for a woman to wear a whitewedding dress when the groom wears African attire. In theUnited States,African-American women wear the boubou for special occasions. The kaftan or boubou is worn atweddings;funerals;graduations; andKwanzaa celebrations.
The men's robe is also called a boubou, seeSenegalese kaftan for further information.[17]
Abuba (pronouncedboo-bah) is atop orblouse. Buba is aYoruba word that means the upper clothing. For women, the buba is worn with theiro (wrapper) andgele (head tie). For men, it is worn withsokoto (trousers) andfila (hat). The buba, sokoto/iro and fila/gele set is the traditional costume of theYoruba people in South Western Nigeria and the other regions of Yorubaland.