“Fashion is part of our culture, and it’s about more than just a pretty dress.” – Joan Smalls

Every time I find an opportunity to wear my Ethiopian dress, what we also call “habesha kemis,” I feel like a queen and it is definitely more than just a pretty dress.  It’s the kind of dress when I put it i can walk in and light up a room. It’s graceful and colorful. I usually wear my dress for special occasions or holidays. Whenever I do wear it and I am walking down the street I get so many compliments and also get asked to explain how it’s made and the history behind it. And, usually, (at least for me) when you grow up with a certain culture you just learn the basics and not really go too much into the history of it. Having been asked to explain how my dress is made several times, I thought I’d educate myself a little more about it.

Here’s some background:

The habesha kemis or the Ethiopian traditional dress is often made from cloth called shemma.  The shemma is a cotton cloth woven in long strips later sewn together. Shiny threads can also be woven into the fabric for an elegant effect. It takes about two to three weeks to make enough cloth for one dress, so as you can see it’s a lot of work.

In addition to the actual dress, women wear shawls – what is called the netela. The shawls are worn in a different style for different occasions. When going to church, women have to cover their hair with the netela (but more on this later!) For church purposes, they pull the upper ends of the netela to their shoulders reproducing a cross, with the shiny threads appearing at the edge. During funerals, the shawl is worn so the shiny threads appear at the bottom. That is believed to show loss, sadness or grief.  The habesha kemis or dresses are usually white with some colors or design above the lower hem.

You can add beauty to your beautiful habesha kemis by accessorizing with jewelry. Like you can see in these pictures, I have on a bracelet, ring, necklace, earrings and even a head accessory. You can wear either gold or silver – whatever matches best with your outfit. Makeup is optional, of course!

I’m sure you’ve visited countries where the people of the country wear their traditional attire on a non-special day. In Ethiopia, however, unless it’s in the countryside, western clothing is what is frequented. I think that’s why I never took the time to learn about the clothes.

I hope this little background on my traditional attire gives you a glimpse of the Ethiopian culture.

I’d love to hear from you, feel free to send me a question or leave a comment.

Until next time,