Clothing in Ethiopia

{{Short description|none}} thumb|The Ethiopian Fashion Show at the Houston International Festival 2008

Clothing in '''Ethiopia''' includes traditional garments as well as modern fashion styles, accessories and cosmetics. Traditional clothing in Ethiopia is characterized by diverse materials, manufacturing techniques, and regional specializations. While hand-woven cotton, or ''shemma,'' is the most common textile in the northern and central highlands, leather and cowhide serve as essential materials for traditional clothing across various Ethiopian ethnic groups. These materials are favored for their durability, warmth, and symbolic value in pastoralist societies.

== Textile and garment == thumb|Shewa Amhara Fetel dress Ethiopia has a rich history of textile manufacturing due to its extensive cotton production. The Amhara region is the traditional heartland of Ethiopian cotton production and traditional handloom manufacturing of ''shemma'' (white cotton cloth), an essential fabric for the Habesha ''kemis''. Amhara region accounts for 76% of all small-scale cotton farmers in the country[https://cottonmadeinafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/AWS_ABTF-S_Water-Security-scan_FINAL-Aug2021.pdf] . Provinces such as Gondar, Wollo, Gojjam, and Shewa anchor this industry through centuries-old artisan traditions of hand-spinning and weaving, which define the garment's foundational structure. Textile outputs include handcrafted translucent ''shemma'' cloth made of Amhara embroideries. Ethiopia is also influential for international fashion manufacturing.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ethiopia’s most influential fashion designer|newspaper=Selamta|first=Helen |last=Jennings|date=2023-01-10 |url=https://selamta.ethiopianairlines.com/inspiration/ethiopias-most-influential-fashion-designers/#:~:text=Ethiopia's%20fashion%20culture%20is%20defined,to%20finely%20wrought%20Amhara%20embroideries. |access-date=2025-02-21 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Tsion|last=Tadesse |date=2024-08-10 |title=Stitching Tradition To Trend:Ethiopian Fashion Steps Forward |url=https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/41415/ |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=www.thereporterethiopia.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

The production of hand-loomed Cotten textiles is historically centered in the Amhara regions<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Richard |first=Pankhurst |url=https://openlibrary.org/books/OL4722002M/Economic_history_of_Ethiopia_1800-1935 |title=Economic history of Ethiopia, 1800-1935 |last2=Pankhurst |first2=R. |date=1968 |publisher=Haile Sellassie I University Press |edition=[1st ed.] |location=Addis Ababa}}</ref>. These areas provide the environmental conditions necessary for large-scale cotton cultivation and have sustained specialized weaving guilds for centuries<ref name=":0" />. The primary product of this industry is the ''shemma'', which is the base for the traditional attire of the central highlands. The concentration of pit-loom technology in these regions has historically made them the primary exporters of traditional cotton wear to other parts of Ethiopia and globally<ref>{{Cite book |last=Simoons |first=Frederick J. |url=http://archive.org/details/northwestethiopi0000simo |title=Northwest Ethiopia : peoples and economy |date=1983 |publisher=Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-313-23887-1}}</ref>.

== Traditional Attire == thumb|Wollo Amhara dress

=== Habesha Kemis === Habesha kemis is the traditional handwoven cotton attire indigenous to the Habesha ethnocultural sphere, which includes the Amhara and Tigrayan peoples of the Ethiopian highlands. For millennia, cotton cultivation and the production of hand-spun cotton cloth, known as ''shemma'', have been central to the social and economic fabric of Amhara communities. While white, ankle-length dress has been widely adopted as a national symbol of Ethiopia, it specifically reflects the cultural pride and weaving heritage of the Amhara.

Distinct regional variations of the Habesha kemis exist within the Amhara region, distinguished by unique embroidery motifs (tilet), and patterns in areas such as Gondar, Gojjam, Wollo, and Shewa. These textile traditions stand in contrast to the indigenous attire of other groups, such as the leather and cowhide garments of the Oromo<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zeleke |first=Meseret |date=April 20, 2026 |title=Civilisational Framing Shewa Oromo Cultural Clothing: The Living Governance Document Worn Across the Ethiopian |url=https://omirenstyles.com/shewa-oromo-cultural-clothing/ |website=OMIREN STYLES}}</ref>, the ''tilfi'' of Tigray, the brightly colored wraps of the Afar, the white long dress of the Somali knotted over one shoulder<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zeleke |first=Meseret |date=April 14, 2026 |title=The Cultural Clothing of Somali Women |url=https://omirenstyles.com/culture-clothing-somali-women/ |website=OMIREN STYLES}}</ref>, or the distinct purple and red dresses of the Harari community known as the Tey Eraz and Gay Eraz<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zeleke |first=Meseret |date=April 1, 2026 |title=Harari Couture: The Timeless Fashion Codes of a Walled Civilisation |url=https://omirenstyles.com/harari-couture-fashion/ |website=Omiren Styles}}</ref>.

=== Men's Clothing === {{Main|Ethiopian suit}} thumb|A man wearing a gabi Similar to the female Habesha ''kemis'' outfit, men's garments consist of well-designed embroidered shirt that matches the Habesha ''kemis''. Although the colors vary, the outfit is mostly white and usually cozy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Men|website=Ethiopian Traditional Dress |url=https://ethiopiantraditionaldress.com/product-category/habesha-dress-for-man/ |access-date=2025-02-21 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=whatsout>{{Cite web |author=prologu2 |date=2025-02-01 |title=Ethiopian clothing |url=https://www.whatsoutaddis.com/ethiopian-clothing/ |access-date=2025-02-21 |language=en-US}}</ref>''Eje Tebab'' (Amharic: እጀጠባብ) is a specific type of traditional Amhara men's attire. It consists of a long white tunic that reaches the knee and typically worn with white trousers called ''tenefanef'' (Amharic: ተነፋነፍ).

Bernos is worn by men of the Amhara ethnic group, particularly in the Shewa region. Donald N. Levine wrote that men from Menz wore this type of garment and described men wearing "the ''barnos"'', a tailored cape made of dark wool."<ref name="whatsout" />The ''Bernos'' is also worn by highlander élites and often seen more importantly in social status. The garment is worn by most men in special occasions and traditional ceremonies.<ref name=whatsout />

=== Types of Draped Fabrics === Several types of traditional draped cotton fabric are worn as headwear or shawls.

The ''netela'' ({{langx|am|ነጠላ}}) is a handmade shawl-like single-layered cloth worn by women paired with the Habesha ''kemis''.<ref name="limbo13">{{Cite web |title=Textiles of Ethiopia: Netela and Gabi |url=http://ethiopia.limbo13.com/index.php/netela_gabi/ |access-date=2016-08-21}}{{Self-published source|date=April 2020}}</ref> The name comes from the Amharic word ''netela'' which means 'single', referring to the way the thin fabric is typically worn as a single layer. The kuta is the male equivalent of the female ''netela''. It is a traditional handwoven white cotton shawl typically worn by men over their shoulders or head, especially when attending church or formal religious ceremonies. <ref>{{Cite book |last=Uhlig |first=Siegbert |url=https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Ethiopia/h-g7DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=kuta+scarf+ethiopia&pg=PA150&printsec=frontcover |title=Ethiopia: History, Culture and Challenges |last2=Appleyard |first2=David |last3=Bausi |first3=Alessandro |last4=Hahn |first4=Wolfgang |last5=Kaplan |first5=Steven |date=2017 |publisher=LIT Verlag Münster |isbn=978-3-643-90892-6 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Babu |first=K. Murugesh |url=https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Cotton_Sector_Development_in_Ethiopia/42X8EAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=kuta+ethiopia+men&pg=PA288&printsec=frontcover |title=Cotton Sector Development in Ethiopia: Challenges and Opportunities |last2=Kabish |first2=Abera Kechi |last3=Tesema |first3=Getnet Belay |last4=Semahagn |first4=Bizuayehu Kerisew |date=2024-03-04 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-981-99-9149-5 |language=en}}</ref>

The ''gabi'' ({{langx|am|ጋቢ}}) or ''buleko'' (Amharic: ቡልኮ) is a thicker garment, with four layers of fabric holding significant cultural value in Amhara culture. Worn by both men and women, it is intended for cold weather.<ref>{{cite web |title=Textiles of Ethiopia: Netela and Gabi |url=http://ethiopia.limbo13.com/index.php/netela_gabi/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609195117/https://ethiopia.limbo13.com/index.php/netela_gabi/ |archive-date=9 June 2023 |accessdate=27 January 2013 |work=My journey to Ethiopian culture |publisher=[Road to Ethiopia - Camino a Etiopia]}}</ref> It is a household good in the Amhara ethnic group due to the high altitude of their homeland, especially clergy and the elderly.<ref name=":3">{{cite book |last=Karsten |first=Detlev |author-link= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EmksAAAAMAAJ&q=gabi+amhara |title=The Economics of Handicrafts in Traditional Societies: An Investigation in Sidamo and Gemu Goffa Province, Southern Ethiopia |date=1972 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=9783803900685 |volume=79 |location= |pages=89}}</ref> Amhara women get together for spinning the yarn required to make several ''gabis'' and present the gabis as a gift for their husbands.<ref>{{cite book |last=Karsten |first=Detlev |author-link= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EmksAAAAMAAJ&q=gabi+amhara |title=The Economics of Handicrafts in Traditional Societies: An Investigation in Sidamo and Gemu Goffa Province, Southern Ethiopia |date=1972 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=9783803900685 |volume=79 |location= |pages=125}}</ref>

Key aspects of the ''gabi'' or ''buleko'' in Amhara culture include:

* Wedding and Dowry: The ''gabi'' or ''buleko'' is a crucial part of the dowry. A bride's family is traditionally expected to give a ''gabi'' or ''buleko'' to the groom before the marriage, which signifies the parents' status and strength<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Feleke |first=Beyene |date=June 12, 2025 |title=Symbolism and Social Functions of Wedding Traditions in Hara: A Processual Study in North Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia |url=https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6801769/v1/3027fd6d-b1c5-4723-81c6-98dc3c1587a0.pdf?c=1750524395 |website=Assets EU Research Square}}</ref>. * Cultural Status Symbol: It is worn by adult men and, along with other traditional clothes, is a key component of traditional Amhara attire, often given as a gift during ceremonies<ref name=":4" />. * Significance in Leadership: ''Gabi'' or ''buleko'' are often worn by village leaders or elders during important meetings to illustrate their authority<ref name=":3" />. * Functionality: Due to its heavy nature, it serves as a crucial blanket to protect against the cold in the highlands<ref name=":3" />.

== Regional Leather and Cowhide Variations == In southern and central regions of Ethiopia, leather and cowhide serve as foundational materials for both functional and ceremonial clothing, reflecting a pastoralist heritage.

=== Oromo Traditions === As a predominantly pastoralist people, the Oromo people have a long-standing tradition of cowhide clothing. These garments are often treated with animal fats and decorated with cowrie shells. Leather remains a foundational cultural marker in Oromo history<ref>{{Cite book |last=Beckwith |first=Carol |url=http://archive.org/details/africanceremonie0002beck |title=African ceremonies |date=1999 |publisher=New York : Harry N. Abrams |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-8109-4205-9}}</ref>.

thumb|right|Oromo woman wearing a qollo and a wandabo from Jiren, Jimma, Ethiopia

The Oromo utilize three main categories of skins, each serving specific functional and cultural purposes:

* Cowhide (Gogaa Loonii): The most fundamental material, used for structured garments like the Wandabo (a wrap-around skirt). Its thickness provides essential protection against thorny landscapes<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Zeleke |first=Meseret |date=2026-03-26 |title=Jimma Oromo Women's Dress: A Civilisation in Leather and Beads |url=https://omirenstyles.com/jimma-oromo-women-dress/ |access-date=2026-04-24 |website=OMIREN STYLES |language=en-US}}</ref>. * Goat and Sheep Skin (Haduu/Gogaa Reeyee)): Used for more flexible or intimate items, such as Qollo (a shoulder cloak). These are often treated with butter or oils to maintain softness and act as preservative<ref name=":1" />. * Wild Animal Skins (Gogaa Bineensaa): Skins from Colobus monkey or leopards were strictly reserved for renowned warriors or those in the ruling age-grade (Luba) of the Gadaa system<ref name=":1" />.

Key garments across the Oromo include:

* Wandabo: A heavily worked wrap-around cowhide skirt for women designed for protection in thorny landscapes. * Gorfo (Sadetti): a complete cowhide dress for women, often decorated with beads. * Gurda (Sabaqa): Wide, stiff leather belts heavily encrusted with beads. Specific bead patterns often indicate a woman's clan affiliation and family wealth<ref name=":1" />. * Qollo and Woya: Softened sheep or goat skin cloaks (Qollo) and a toga-like leather robes (Woya) worn over the shoulders. * Woya: A toga like robe, made of softened hide. * Sirra: A layered leather wrap worn by men<ref name=":1" />.

=== Southern Traditions === Southern people of Ethiopia relied on leather, animal skins, and fibers from the ''enset'' plant (false banana) due to their environments. By the end of the 20th century, the adoption of cotton that was once exclusive to northern communities came to be worn alongside ancestral leather traditions by Gurage, Silte, Sidama, Gamo, Dizi, Gugi, Wolayta, and Hadiya<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weedman Arthur |first=Kathryn |date=March 12, 2007 |title=The Gamo hide workers of southwestern Ethiopia and Cross-Cultural Comparisons |url=https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/az2008n1a4.pdf |website=Science Press}}</ref>.

Before the widespread adoption of cotton, southern communities utilized materials dictated by their agro-pastoralist lifestyles.

* Gurage and Silte: These groups were historically known for specialized leather handicrafts. Because they lived in high-altitude, cold regions, heavy cowhide cloaks and mats provided essential insulations<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Ahmed |first=Kederala M. |date=2017-05-15 |title=Clothes and ethnic identity: (re)constructing identity through cultural clothes as ethnic markers. The case of Siltie nationality of Southern Ethiopia |url=https://www.academia.edu/107478279/Clothes_and_ethnic_identity_re_constructing_identity_through_cultural_clothes_as_ethnic_markers_The_case_of_Siltie_nationality_of_Southern_Ethiopia}}</ref>. * Sidama and Hadiya: In these societies, clothing often communicated social rank. They used cowhide as daily functional wraps. Warriors and elders wore wild animals or specially treated sheepskin to signify bravery.

The proliferation of cotton in the south was catalyzed by increased trade and the expansion of the Ethiopian state during the late 1800s.

Following the shift to ethnic federalism in 1995, groups like the Silte have intentionally designed "new" traditional costumes that use ''shemma''<ref name=":2" />.

==== Harari Traditions ==== right|thumb|Harari Women wearing Tey Eraz Harari women traditionally wear distinctive dresses such as ''Tey Eraz'', a dark indigo or black gown with a characteristic red chest motif, and ''Gey Eraz'', a more elaborately decorated ceremonial dress in deep colors that reflect long-standing South Asian influence.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Zeleke |first=Meseret |date=2026-04-01 |title=Harari Couture: The Timeless Fashion Codes of a Walled Civilisation |url=https://omirenstyles.com/harari-couture-fashion/ |access-date=2026-04-30 |website=OMIREN STYLES |language=en-US}}</ref> These garments are typically paired with ''Gay Gannafi'' trousers, the ''melfota'' headscarf, and the ''siyassa'' metal chain headpiece worn across the forehead<ref name=":5" />. Their attire is complemented by silver jewellery including long necklaces and cylindrical pendants<ref name=":5" />. Harari men traditionally wear a rounded hat often cortched in geometric patterns. The hat is worn with long shirts and trousers and is a distinctive marker of Harari male clothing<ref name=":5" />.

== Cosmetics and personal care == In October 2022, the Ministry of Finance issued letter to the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) to ban 38 unwarranted imports of perfumes and cosmetics for indefinite period. The ban was effective starting on 17 October.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HKTDC Research |url=https://research.hktdc.com/en/article/MTIwNDU1Mzk5Ng#:~:text=ETHIOPIA:%20Import%20Ban%20Imposed%20on%2038%20Items%20Including%20Furniture%20and%20Cosmetics,-26%20Oct%202022&text=Ethiopia%20has%20banned%20the%20import,available%20on%20a%20Twitter%20announcement. |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=research.hktdc.com}}</ref>

In 2023, Ethiopia's cosmetic and personal care industry was challenged by ongoing unrest and conflict. As of October 2023, as 29% of high inflation hit Ethiopia's economy, the cosmetics industry met with obstacle due to lack of affordability and availability.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Beauty and Personal Care in Ethiopia |url=https://www.euromonitor.com/beauty-and-personal-care-in-ethiopia/report |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=Euromonitor}}</ref>

== External links == * ''[https://www.madeinethiopiafilm.com/ Made in Ethiopia]'' - film about clothing made in Ethiopia

== References == <references />{{Ethiopia topics}} Category:Ethiopian clothing Category:Ethiopian fashion Category:Fashion by country