The fabric used for Tswana traditional attire has a lot of cultural and historical values and is referred to by several names all around Southern Africa. In Botswana, the fabric is referred to as Leteitse and forms the different parts of the Tswana conventional attire. The Leteitse has always been preserved for important occasions such as official engagements and weddings where women wear clothes made in the conventional indigo blue colour.
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The history of Shweshwe is a synthesis of African and European cultures. Although indigo was used for generations to dye textiles all over Africa, European textile manufacturers created the printing technique to produce delicate designs. The indigo material is designed to fade softly with time, similar to a pair of denim jeans, giving rise to its nickname denim.
Some outfits are made to compliment male Tswana conventional attire, and this article highlights 20+ such outfits. The lovely traditional attire for couples radiates class and uniqueness.
What do they wear in Botswana?
The Khiba, an animal skin blanket (Kaross) worn to conceal the upper torso, is the name for the traditional clothing worn by women in Botswana. Women often wear ornaments, including necklaces, bracelets, armlets, rings, and earrings.
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What is the Tswana traditional attire?
Having learned that the original colour of the Shweshwe was blue-Indigo, people have come up with stylish ways to ensure the traditional attires are a lot more enticing. Even more, people explore various stunning colours aside from blue.
1. Paired with a pair of jeans
This outfit is a mix of contemporary style with a pinch of the conventional attire design. The pattern is mainly placed on the shirt and matches the woman's pattern design. It works when the man is looking for a more casual, easy look.
2. Blue suit
The Tswana love the colour indigo and blue. A blue suit would make a unique but straightforward fit for a couple to pair with a blue dress. The shades matching would make a beautiful statement for the couple.
3. Black and white design
This outfit and pattern bring the Tswana conventional attire to life. Using feathers and beads brings modern designs to a piece of conventional features.
4. Traditional Tswana outfit, but make it stylish
Traditional designs can be helpful in the contemporary world today. The use of beads, fur, and headgear make the cultural Tswana formal attire a fantastic fit for any special occasion.
5. Pattern similar to her dress
This is a lovely conventional attire for couples because it is both stylish and serves a great purpose by bringing some form of unity. Due to the design, a team can stand out at an event or function.
6. Keep it casual
The outfit can be paired with some sneakers if one is not looking to appear very formal. It is hard to go wrong with a swanky pair of white sneaks.
7. Pants match her dress
The attire is known as Shweshwe, and several theories pertain to its origin. One of the most common theories is that it was named after the 19th-century Sotho king Moshoeshoe who was given a bolt of indigo blue fabric by the French missionaries as a gift, and he endorsed it as his cloth of choice. Matching the fabrics of the man and woman never fails. It also looks dapper in pictures!
8. Copy Cat
This fit is similar to that of the woman, they share the same colour scheme, and in some instances, the same fabric is used. It is a stunning way to appear at an event as a couple.
9. Shirt matches her dress
In this design, only a tiny part of the man's outfit has a similar pattern design to that of the woman. This would be the best design for couples who do not want to look like they are trying too hard but want to give a subtle note that they are together.
10. Nothing in common but still cute
As the name suggests, the designs look nothing alike, but the colour scheme is similar, which generally compliments the woman's design. It is a mixture of Tswana modern and Tswana traditional wedding dresses.
11. White shirt print pants
This is also a fantastic fit for men who have a chilled and relaxed personal style. A pair of printed pants matched up with a plain-coloured shirt.
12. Suit it up
This is a very contemporary design, where one put's on a suit, and the inner half coat is the part that has a woman's dress pattern design—making this design very unique and fashionable.
13. Make the pattern similar
This outfit mainly derives its design from the partner's outfit. A simple shirt design paired with striking black trousers makes the design stand out. It is an incredible design for couples, allowing each person to showcase their personal style.
14. Details in the coat
The primary design pattern is on the coat; thus, it upholds both modern and conventional styles in its design. It compliments a woman's design making it superb for couples. A man should consider this design when attending to any vital function.
15. Keeping the traditional attire alive
This is the Tswana conventional attire, mostly worn during weddings and other essential functions known to uphold cultures. The outfits have a mix of beadwork head gears, making it all so African. Here are two excellent ways to pair them.
16. Shirt pattern similar to her outfit
Details are only present in the upper part of the male's outfit, making the design very interesting and easy to dress. This is a very modern design with little to no traditional aspects.
17. Entire fit with a similar pattern
Matching designs for the couple, they have similar designs on both outfits. This fit is effortless to design with tiny design details and is very modern. If you are attending a function with your whole family, everyone can work the pattern into their outfit in some way.
18. Unique shawls
The Tswana traditional wear mostly has shawls. This is one of the designs that these people wear. A unique and fantastic way to dress the shawls as presented.
19. Unique suit design
This is a unique design and also very modern, from head to toe, the theme colour is upheld, and the patterns are present on the coat and hat. This style works best for men who are not shy about wearing bold colours and patterns.
20. Shirtless short suit
This unique design upholds all the parts of the traditional attire except the shirt. This design is very modern but has some features that make it unforgettable. This design is an excellent traditional attire for couples and ideal for the man who could care less about customs.
DaGama Textiles has been producing Shweshwe since 1992 at its facility in Zwelitsha, outside King William's Town within the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The cultural Tswana traditional attire has been won to special events throughout the years.
Young girls wear Makgabe, a skirt composed of tiny Tswana beads. The adults dress in gowns (Seshwehwe) and shirts printed of a cloth known as Toishi in the shade of blue, while the young boys don traditional Slope, which is brown and cut in a certain way.
What is Sotho's traditional attire?
The Seshoeshoe is the customary attire for women to wear on special occasions. The herders, Basotho men, wear woollen headgear or balaclavas to shield themselves from the cold and dust. Men wear animal skin blankets, and little boys wear Tseha, an undergarment.
What is the Tsonga's traditional attire?
The traditional clothing of the Tsonga is a riot of vivid and bright pink, yellow, purple, blue, and green hues. When dancing the traditional xibelani dance, women wear a wrap woven and beaded skirt known as a tinguvu (also known as a xibelani skirt).
This article highlights contemporary and traditional male attires that are stylish and complements their partner's outfits. It can be harder for some men to wear bold patterns, and modern design sees to it that every party is satisfied with their fit.
READ ALSO: 20+ beautiful Tswana's traditional attire for lobola 2022 | Dresses for Makoti
We recently published an article about the top 20 beautiful Tswana traditional attire that can be worn during Lobola in 2022. Here is a chance to see some of the most incredible designs and learn a bit about the history of attire as well.
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