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The costumes of the Ethiopian people are as varied and interesting as the
population itself, reflecting ancient and modern trends in decoration, the
fanciful as well as the practical.
Broadly speaking, the basic garment of the highland Ethiopian is the
shamma,
a length of cotton that doubles as a body and headcovering and is often worn in
addition to items of modern dress such as a skirt or trousers.
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In
the streets of Addis Ababa the traveler will see the
shamma
in all its permutations. Other common items of apparel include the
netela,
a light cotton showl; the
kutta,
a heavier version of the
netela; a the
gabi,
a coarse, blanket-like cloth worn for warmth; and the
barnos
or cape. The
kemis
is a dress of varying length worn by women and decorated with embroidery and a
coloured woven border. Children, depending on the family's income, sometimes
wear hand-me-downs from the parents or short dresses, trousers, and shirts. The
very young often make do with a single garment, sometimes of animal skin.
The costumes of the Ethiopian people are as varied and interesting as the
population itself, reflecting ancient and modern trends in decoration, the
fanciful as well as the practical.
Broadly
speaking, the basic garment of the highland Ethiopian is the
shamma,
a length of cotton that doubles as a body and headcovering and is often worn in
addition to items of modern dress such as a skirt or trousers. In the streets of
Addis Ababa the traveler will see the
shamma
in all its permutations. Other common items of apparel include the
netela,
a light cotton showl; the
kutta,
a heavier version of the
netela; a the
gabi,
a coarse, blanket-like cloth worn for warmth; and the
barnos
or cape. The
kemis
is a dress of varying length worn by women and decorated with embroidery and a
coloured woven border. Children, depending on the family's income, sometimes
wear hand-me-downs from the parents or short dresses, trousers, and shirts. The
very young often make do with a single garment, sometimes of animal skin. A love of ornamentation ruled by a natural affinity for beauty leads the Ethiopians to adorn themselves in memorably dramatic fashion. Timeless symbols such as the cross and the lion's mane have long been used in decoration. Tattooing of the face, neck, and hands, and elaborate traditional coiffures, though no longer the rule with sophisticated city dwellers, are still seen every where among country folk. A profusion of jewelry, whether crafted by skilful smiths of gold and silver or made in the villages of cowrie shells and leather, base metals and colorful beads, is an integral part of the national dress. And rain or shine, umbrellas richly covered with embroidery and brilliants are held above the heads of priests and deacons.
Briefly,
in dress as in political, cultural, and religious traditions, the Ethiopians
follow a heritage that is vital, colorful, and unique. One of the great treats
awaiting the visitor is the ever changing pageant of costume that will pass
before him as he walks through the cities or drives about the countryside,
witnesses a religious ceremony or takes part in a public celebration. To know
something of the history and significance of the garments that will catch his
eye should add immeasurably to the tourist's enjoyment and understanding of
Ethiopian society.
HISTORICAL BACKCROUND
Cotton
is said to have been imported to Ethiopia in earliest times. At the Red sea port
of Adulis in the first century, during the heyday of the Axumite Empire, cotton
was the chief import. We do not know, however, just when local cultivation of
cotton began, or when the practices of weaving and spinning became widespread.
It has been suggested by various writers that only gradually did cotton replace
animal skins and vegetable fibres as the basis for clothing, and that the use
of cotton garments was for. Centuries restricted to members of the aristocracy.
Today in southern Ethiopia women still wear garments made of skins, as do
shepherds and workers in many rural areas of the country; and now that the
National leather Processing Industry is producing a large variety of skins
suitable for high-fashion wear, leather garments in the modern mode are seen
widely among city dwellers. Nevertheless, cotton remains the fabric of choice
among the bulk of the population, which clings to traditional costumes. 
In
the past Ethiopian weavers, potters, tanners, and other artisans have gathered
in communities under the protection of Royal or ecclesiastical rule, where they
were assured of a ready market for their wares at church or court. Thus centres
of arts and crafts developed in widely separated areas Gonder, Hauar, Ankober,
Adwa, and Jimma for example. The fine cloth produced at Harar and at Gonder has
long been renewed, and according to a nineteenth century explorer, the coarse
cotton fabric for which Adwa was noted was uunrivalled in any other part of the
country"
Today Ethiopian Spinners and weavers practise their ancient occupations in much
the same manner as their forebears. In the capital city, Addis Ababa, many male
weavers of the Dorze nationality from the southern regions of Garno Gofa and
Sidamo are employed in large workshops, where they produce not only materials
for the traditional costume but also up-to-date suiting and decorative fabrics.
In addition to these enterprises, some of which are cooperatively owned, there
is the Rehabilitation Agency, where disabled persons are tallght the arts of
loom and needle as well as a variety of other ways to earn their livelihood.
And in homes throughout the country lone weavers and family groups continue to
spin and weave, cut and sew, using the same methods employed by their
ancestors.
