Embracing the African Cultural Fashion

The generation we see ourselves is engrossed with trends and mass-produced fashion which causes the cultural heritage not to be preserved and embraced anymore, particularly for Africans.

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Every continent across the globe comprises diverse cultures, each with its unique traditions, customs, and styles of attire. However, in this recent time, Western culture has superseded every other, causing a gradual loss of traditional fashion. This happening has also affected the African continent intensively and has resulted in undermining the economic and social potential of our fashion industry. For example, I can recall wearing cultural attire to school, but I was addressed as a “local boy” by my colleagues – meanwhile majority of them are in my cultural tribe.

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From the above-mentioned incident, there is a need to retrace and embrace our cultural attire, and below are a few reasons to do that:

Preservation of Heritage:

Earlier on I stated that cultural fashion preserves the heritage of a community; additionally, it serves as a tangible expression of a community's identity. As I grew up I got to understand that some fabrics, patterns, and designs have some cultural representation of history and tradition. Therefore, when cultural fashion is embraced, it is an indication that Africans honor their ancestors, preserve their legacy, and ensure that their heritage continues to thrive for future generations.

Fostering Cultural Pride:

Wearing cultural attire instills a sense of pride and belonging in individuals and communities, let me give an instance, the Japanese have a unique dress and hat they often wear which gives us a visible reminder of who they are. Likewise in Africa, Cultural fashion serves as a visible reminder of African resilience, creativity, and diversity. So, embracing fashion will bring about self-confidence and self-expression, promoting a more inclusive definition of beauty.

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Despite these reasons, the journey towards embracing cultural fashion in Africa is not without challenges. Several things have contributed to the marginalization of this traditional fashion namely Western education, globalization, and socioeconomic. Oftentimes, African fashion is seen as being primitive or outdated causing low self-esteem among the African youths.

However, education plays a crucial role in overcoming these challenges because raising awareness about the cultural significance and value of African fashion will change the mindset of the African students. Furthermore, government policies should support local artisans just like the cultural day we had in my locality that lasted for 31 days (December), it will cause growth and development of the African fashion industry.

Conclusion
Embracing cultural fashion is an indication of cultural pride, economic empowerment, and sustainability for Africans. By reclaiming their cultural identity through fashion, Africans can celebrate their heritage, empower their communities, and inspire the world with their creativity and diversity.

Here is my post for today's March Monthly Prompt.

This article is written in InLeo

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