The Perfect Ways To Combine African And Western Wear Together

I am always elated when it comes to anything African and that is what your number one trusted fashion blog www.fashionGHANA.com is all about, we are all about promoting the fashion industry in Africa and making sure that the reach is getting to all the right places and most importantly for the people to be proud to be in any African style there is to be in. In 2004 the Government of Ghana introduced the National Friday wear which saw people adorning beautiful African wears on Friday’s to work.  The ‘National Friday Wear Program’, which was launched by the government back in 2004 has taken positive strides towards the promotion of wearing made-in-Ghana clothing. The initiative came about as a result of the government’s aim at promoting a unique Ghanaian identity through wearing locally made fabrics to work, both in the public and private sectors. The demand for locally made clothing has taken a significant surge since the inception of this initiative and thus, has not become just a Friday phenomenon. One significant impact it has had is job creation for both small and large scale enterprises. Many people are now even more proud to be seen wearing a touch of African as part of their style ensemble and for me, that is fulfilling to see manifest.

We have seen a lot of designers across the continent play with different shades of African prints to create different types of styles that transcend to even more men’s suits are now having their suits made with African prints, something that wouldn’t have been normal about 10 years ago. Going to most fashion stores you can clearly see that some of the bags, shoe, jewellery, bags etc are all made with a touch of African prints or they are completely made with such prints.  But truth be told some environments have a specific work outfit they require of you since they are based on the continent you wouldn’t want to defy that rule unless you have another alternative then you would have to stick with the style rule that the company sets, but it’s not all that gloomy you are allowed to explore your African style on Friday’s with that being said we would like to show you how to not only be in African wear but stylishly pair up your ensemble.

The two most common styles which come to mind are a pair of jeans and a top, so either you alternate them by having an African inspired skirt and a long-sleeve white shirt or blue or black jeans and a peplum African top matched with a heel is pure perfection, what a way to blend a touch of Western and African style to create a unique look.  Having said this, we would like to give some few style tips on how to incorporate the African prints and Western wear into one piece so as not to be all over the place.

Use a West African Aso-oke to pull back your hair when it’s unruly, or wear a head-tie as an accessory in itself. Try mixing a Georges fabric with jeans for a pop of colour in the office, or purchase a two-piece wax print set to wear with a dark blazer. If you’re a fan of patterned fabrics, try a vibrant wax print in place of an animal print or flowery item. If you want to go all out with just African prints then a dress or a skirt suit would be the best option for you, Whether you’ve chosen to wear the dramatic geometric patterns or a delicate voile lace style, your outfit isn’t complete without the right matching handbag and pair of shoes. To be perfectly dressed, your shoes and bag need to work well with the pattern you have chosen, bringing out a colour or style you want to highlight. Considering the location and event decide or toning down or just swap the colours from your outfit and go with an earthy look especially if you are going to the office.

For more casual ways on how to mix the two styles, try going for a folded wrapped skirt with a Tee-shirt, plain blouse (any colour of your choice) you can choose to dress it up or down that is, sandals or heels can perfectly work without you trying hard. But one tricky aspect of blending the African / Western wear is that you wouldn’t have enough freedom to actually accessories as you normally do, for this style choice the adage “LESS IS MORE”.

Do you have any other way we can style the African and Western wear which we haven’t put up here, kindly let us know in the comment section we had like to hear from you. In the meantime make sure you are visiting your number one trusted fashion portal fashionGHANA.COM