What Kind of Clothes Do They Wear in Mali?

Located in the heart of West Africa, the Republic of Mali is a landlocked country, half of which sits in the Sahara Desert. Styles of dress in this country vary significantly, based on both cultural identity and occasion.

Men's Formal

The grand boubou is worn by men and is reserved for formal occasions. The garments consist of a brimless cap, drawstring pants, long-sleeved shirt and an embroidered, open-neck gown.

Women's Formal

Women wear a variation of the men's boubou, known as an m'boubou. The m'boubou usually is made similarly but is more colorful and is worn with a head tie or head scarf.

Indigo Cloth

The Tuareg people are called the blue people for their indigo cloth (whose dye often is absorbed into their skin as a result of the dyeing process). The Tuareg are most famous for their tagelmusts: a long piece of fabric that acts as both turban and veil.

Bogolanfini

The Bambara people hand weave bogolanfini, or earth cloth. Made from cotton, the fabric is soaked in leaves, dried and dyed using fermented mud before caustic soda is applied to bleach designs.

Most Common

Most common in Mali are clothes that might be found anywhere in America. A skirt or pants along with a T-shirt, shirt with a collar or blouse are common.

References

• Mali: Land of Gold and Glory; Joy Masoff; 2002

Resources

• Malian Embassy and Info