A colorful African Inspired Garment

A dashiki is a loose-fitting, pullover shirt. It is usually made from colorful, African-inspired fabrics or cotton prints. It often consists of a patch pocket and embroidery at the cuffs and neckline. The dashiki was seen in American fashion during the 1960s. They were embraced by the black pride and white counterculture movements.

The dashiki appeared in the American ethnic fashion catalog. It along with other Afrocentric clothing lines became popular. As already mentioned, "Dashiki" has been originated the word danshiki by Yoruba. The Yoruba loaned out this word from the Hausa dan ciki which means "underneath". It refers to a short tunic worn by males under larger robes. African clothing for sale

The Yoruba danshiki was a work garment that was at first sewed from hand-woven strip cloth. It had deep-cut openings with pockets below. It had four gussets to produce a flare at the hem. These tunics are like those found in Dogon burial caves in Mali date to the 12th and 13th centuries (Bolland).

In many parts of West Africa, tunics are still worn with matching trousers as street clothes. These tunics made from hand-or machine-woven textiles. It is a unisex garment these days.

The American dashiki diverges from a common pullover shirt to a sleeveless tunic or Kaftan with short or hanging bat sleeves. Both genders can wear this shirt. Whereas women wear short or full-length dashiki dresses.