Somali Clothing

How did people in Somalia dress, and how did the way they dressed change over time? 

Let’s start from the beginning. Most Somali clothes in the early 1900s for women consisted of a long, tight, sheer dress made of polyester or cotton, which is called a “Dirac/Garbasaar.” They also placed a piece of cloth or fabric around their head to cover their hair. For men, they wore a sarong-like garment that they wear around their waists, that is called a “Macawis.” They also wore a long piece of cloth wrapped around their upper body. The way Somali people dressed over time has changed through influences of the history and migration of the Somali people. Let’s look into the traditional clothes first.

Traditional Somali clothing for the women is a “Guutino” which is a long fabric that goes around the waist and over the shoulder. Which also comes in many different patterns and styles. This is usually worn during weddings or special events for Somali women. A “shaash” is a head scarf that married women wear. It’s a cultural symbol showing the union of two for Somali women. Lastly a “Baati” is a long traditional cloth similar to a dress. Somali women wear baatis everywhere they go in Somalia. It is paired with a Garbasaar. It can come in many different designs and colors. 

Traditional clothing for men is a “Macawis”, a long garment that is worn around the waist. Men wear this at causal or non causal events. A “Kamis” is a long white or colored thobe that men wear which also comes from Arab culture. A turban is a male headdress, which is typically paired with the Kamis. A “Koofiyad” is a traditional hat worn as an accessory. These all come in different colors and designs. 

Now that you are familiar with what people in Somalia wear. I can tell you how the way they dressed changed over time. Typically men and women wear traditional Somali clothing mainly in Somalia. Although some Somali people still dress this way in America, most wear “Westernized” clothes like a t-shirt and jeans because of the migration to the United States of America due to the Somali Civil War in 1920. The war caused a lot of issues and horrific deaths so Somalis became refugees. Some had the opportunity to migrate to countries like America, the United Kingdom, Canada, and etc. 

For example in America, fashion has become more modernized and changed quite a bit. Somali diaspora women wear long, flowy, wide dresses that cover the whole body, which is called an “Abaya”. I would say now that a baati evolved into an Abaya. Baatis are now mostly worn at home. Somali women cover their hair with hijabs. The hijab is a scarf that wraps around the head of a woman, which covers the hair, neck, and a bit of the shoulder. They are turned into creative styles. The designs of the hijabs have also evolved into new bright and beautiful designs. Older women wear long jilbabs that go down to their thighs or knees. It is basically a long hijab. This is mainly influenced by learning the Islamic religion. 

The influence of the hijab and jilbab on Somali women is because of the religion Islam. I asked my elderly grandmother and she said “ We used to wear the Garbasaar, which didn’t give us the full covering of our bodies. When I came to America, I had the opportunity to learn more about the Islamic religion.” I began to ask about how she learned about the hijab and jilbab and she said, “A woman teacher who explained the importance of the hijab and jilbab. It states in the Quran that it is important to wear the hijab and jilbab. Once I learned it I made sure my child (my mom) wore it. Now You do and so on. A Lot of my friends and other Somali communities wear it too”. The influence of the hijab and jilbab mainly in America is because of the religion Islam.

Next, most older men wear the macawis but only in their homes. In Somalia, men would wear the macawis everywhere they go. The influence of migrating outside Somalia led to men leaving the traditional macawis at the comfort of their homes. After the migration, the men wore westernized pants and t-shirts. Through my research, I found that the younger generation of Somali boys usually don’t wear the macawis. The older generation of Somali men mostly wear it rather than the young. This could be the influence of different styles of how the Westerns dress. The other clothing accessories such as Koofyaad, Kamis, and the Turban are still a significant part of the Somali attire outside the country. 

Regardless of the changes, many diaspora Somalis still hold onto their roots by wearing traditional clothes during holidays, weddings, and other cultural gatherings, creating a beautiful fusion of Somali heritage and American life. The norm of traditional clothing is a mix of both cultures. Adapting to where you live now and keeping where you come from is a beautiful thing. Exposing the cultural clothes to the American style and Somali culture is becoming a new thing. Such as a t-shirt infused with the traditional Somali designs and patterns of the American style.

In conclusion, the traditional Somali dress code, which was popular among both men and women before, has changed due to reasons such as migration and conversion to Islam of many Somalis. For instance, even though many Somalis wear the Macawis and Dirac in Somalia, the diaspora which includes diaspora in western countries has become more Westernized and modern in their dressing style. The Islamic influences can be examined by the dress code of Somali women today. Even after these changes, the fundamental aspects of Somali dress codes have not been lost, the men wore and still wear the Macawis and the women still wear the Baati which are culturally significant to Somali people. Many Somali people still use their traditional dress code when they stay at home or on special occasions. Such transformations in Somali clothing underline the importance of cultural identity of the people while incorporating other influences. That is how Somali people dress and how the way they dressed changed over time.

Khadija was a fellow in the 2024 Story Gathering Workshop, a program that gives young writers the opportunity to publish an article for our news outlet, Voices.