Boubou (clothing)
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The Boubou/Bubu is one of the names for a flowing wide sleeved robe worn in most of West Africa and to a lesser extent in North Africa, related to the Dashiki suit. It is known by various names, depending on the ethnic group wearing them: Agbada (Yoruba, Dagomba), Babban Riga (Hausa), K'sa (Tuareg) Grand Boubou (in various Francophonic West African countries) and the English term of Gown.
Its origin lies with the clothing worn by the Islamized peoples of the historic 8th Century Ghana Empire and 13th Century Mali Empire who had in turn adopted the clothing of the nobility of the early Islamic Empire via the Tuareg people. (see Bisht and Kaftan for information on these). Comparing the Boubou to the various styles of Arabic Thawb suggests the Boubou follows a more archaic template to the contemporary male clothing of the Middle East and North Africa.
The Boubou's use was historically limited to the Islamized peoples of West Africa who had inhabited the Sahel and Sahara but through increased trade and the spread of Islam, had historically spread to the nobility of most of the Islamized peoples in the forested regions of West Africa, and was historically worn by Chiefs of the Yoruba of Southwest Nigeria, the Mandinka of the Gambia and the Susu of Guinea. Even today, the Boubou is mostly worn by Muslims , although it is gaining popularity as a fashionable form of attire by Christians in Southern Nigeria and Ghana, and to a lesser extent, the Swahili people of East Africa and various Bantu speaking groups in Central Africa.
The Boubou as a full formal attire consists of 3 pieces of clothing: a pair of tie-up trousers that narrow towards the ankles (known as a Sokoto in Yoruba) and a long-sleeved shirt (known as a Dashiki in Yoruba) and a wide, open-stitched sleeveless gown worn over these. They are generally of the same colour, and historically were made from silk, but increased understanding of Islamic restrictions on clothing meant the Boubou is now mostly made from cotton and synthetic cloths made to resemble silk.
There is a set etiquette to wearing the Boubou, primarily in place to keep the over-gown above the ankles at any one time, in keeping with Islamic traditions of avoiding impurity (see Najis). This can include folding the open sleeves of the Boubou over one's shoulders, normally done while walking or before sitting down (as the man in the yellow Boubou in the picture to the right is displaying) to ensure the over-gown doesn't rub against the ground, or by folding/wrapping each side over the other with the hand, narrowing the gowns space toward the ankles (as done by the Tuareg nomads of the Sahara). Thus, it is rare to see the Boubou's square shaped gown completely unwrapped.
The Boubou is usually decorated with intricate embroidery, and is worn on special religious or ceremonial occasions, for example the two Islamic Eid festivals, weddings, funerals or for attending the Mosque for Friday prayer. It has become the formal attire of many countries in West Africa. Older robes have become family heirlooms passed on from father to son and are worn as status symbols.
The Boubou has female versions in Mali, Senegal, Gambia and Guinea, whereas in other regions of West Africa, the female formal clothing has been the kaftan or wrapper.
