As a land of culture and vibrance, it’s no real surprise that African fashion, and African inspired clothing, has taken inspiration from that way of life. This has resulted in incredibly patterned and coloured garments that are instantly recognisable from miles off – with incredible primary colours, intricate designs and beautiful fabrics all working together to create a truly amazing final look.

Want to know a little more about the colourful history of African fashion, or are you interested in how Africa brought the colour to the world of fashion globally? If cultural clothing fascinates you, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to find out more about have Africa’s diversity translates into cloth across a full spectrum of colour:

Meaning behind each colour

One of the first things that people want to know about African-style clothing is the meaning behind each thread. While many modern designs are built just to look incredible, there’s a rich history between the choice of bright, eye-catching colour within African designs. To shortlist just a few of the most common and popular themes, here are a few to get you started:

Red – the colour of conflict, the use of this primary colour reflects political and spiritual tension and is widely used with other colours to weave a complete tapestry

Gold – As the colour of wealth and fertility, yellows and golds show prosperity in financial, familial and spiritual value

White – As in western culture, white represents the concept of purity and spirituality; which reflects across multiple faiths as the same concept

Blue – Often referred to as the colour of love and peace, blue represents the sky and is widely considered harmonious with other colours when used in design

When it comes to picking the colours for African garments, there’s far more to each design than meets the eye. So it’s well worth having a longer look into the meaning behind each colour, especially if you can’t quite decide which shade you like the best.

Decades of fashion history

Africa has an incredibly rich and diverse fashion history – something that’s not a widely known fact outside of the immediate culture. Since 800 C.E., empires and settlements across Africa were beginning to diversify their apparel with hand-printed clothing and materials. Adire textiles, first identified in the 12th century, were one of the world’s first examples of tie-dye fabrics, proving that Africa has always been well ahead of the game when it comes to vibrant, exciting patterning on clothing and materials.

Bringing old values into modern design

Today’s designs may not be traditionally African in terms of shape or fabrics, but that same spirit and sense of style remain. Through our modern designs at Grass Fields, we bring the vibrance and culture of African style firmly up-to-date. If you love the history and style of African fabrics, patterns and colours, with a modern fit and flare, then take a look at our range of African-inspired clothing online today. From co-cords to elegant dresses, we’ve got a little bit of everything.