Look good in kitenge

In the past, when one mentioned the kitenge, what came to one’s mind was the boring clothing usually donned by our mothers and other elderly women. However over the years, the kitenge has become a popular trend in the fashion world, and is worn by both the young and the old.

The kitenge comes in different fabric types including the tie and die, wax, batick, and kanga.

Unlike in the past when it was meant to be worn in one formal fashion, today, the kitenge can be designed in many different ways including little dresses and jumpsuits!

One however has to beware that the designs differ, depending on one’s body type and age, for instance the short dress or skirt and blouse with frills may be suitable for the younger woman while the long dress with embodied bottom will look suitable for the older woman.

Stella Atal, a fashion designer, who majorly deals in African fabrics, says that one has to choose the designs carefully depending on their body type and the occasion to which the attire is being worn to.

Different ways to wear
“The kitenge of today has been greatly evolved as, it can now be tailored into any design, from shorts to office wear to coats,” says Hussein, a tailor at the Fashion Designers Boutique.

He adds people now incorporate many of the western designs into the kitenge and in a way, blend the two. He says for one to have their kitenge tailored into any desired fashion, the labour fees would start from Shs50,000 and increase depending on the material being used and the designs of the garment being made. Hussein points out that the office wear and traditional kwanjula bitenge are the ones ordered for usually.

Accessories
Zitah Khayiyi of Mirembe collections points out that accessorising the kitenge depends on the design of the dress, for instance, the chunky jewelry can work best with sleeveless out fits while the simple jewelry should be worn for sleeved attires.

She also adds that other accessories like the waist belts should also be worn but depending on the design of the dress.

“It can be worn if one wants to make their look more stylish, however it doesn’t work for any design,” she adds.

The kitenge also blends well with a nice purse or clutch especially if it is being worn to a function.

The kitenge today can also be tailored in different way to make it more attractive and stand out, Stella Atal says that one can step away from the traditional form of designing the kitenge and supplement it with other fabrics like linen, satin and many others.

This creates a more creative and outstanding look, since two cultures, western and African are being merged.

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