Somali Wedding Dress

Somali is the term given to the Islamic African people living mainly in Somalia, apart from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Yemen and Kenya. Somali people have a western influence over their lifestyle, but strongly believe in their traditions as well. Conventional, yet contemporary are what Somalis seek for, as their attire. Their dresses have traits of both the traditional Islamic wear and the western apparel styles. The dresses are usually western in style but are made in such a way that they do not go against the Islamic cultural traditions.

The men of this cult have a specific dressing style and they pertain to it. Their usual dressing comprises of Ma'awis, or checkered knee length garment.  In place of shirt, they resort to embroidered Men's CapKhameez which is a long, dress-like male garment. They also take shawls and wear turban. Some may even wear a Koofiyad i.e. an embroidered cap. While some Somali men stick to traditional outfits, there are others who prefer to wear trousers or western pants, shirts, suits and ties.

 

Somali women wear direh or dirac, a flowing, lightweight dress usually worn over a slip or petticoat. Some may even wear coantino, which is a large piece of cloth draped over the head and shoulder and tied at the waist. Some women wear a head scarf, called hijab, which covers hair, while some wear a simple headwrap called maser. Women also wear a burqa or a jalabeeb on their dress, which is a long garment that cloaks the entire body. Some may even prefer to wear a guntiino, a full-length, brightly colored dress that resembles a sari. Those who follow western style wear skirts, trousers, slacks and shirt.

 

There is no specific wedding dress style followed by Somali people. It largely depends on factors such as personal preferences and familial traditions. The dress does not adhere to a particular norm and is inspired by the cultural and traditional beliefs. The type of wedding attire worn depends largely on the current location and beliefs of the couple. Somali wedding dress traditionally involves a beautiful dirac or Guntiino, a garbasaar head covering, and a googaro slip as the under-dress. The women may use make up for beautification and gold jewellery. It is generally a tradition that henna is applied to the hair and the fingernails. As for men, they may dress in traditional garments or western suits or dress clothes.