ANKARA AND THE MODERN MAN
Thursday, November 20, 2014
African wax print popularly known as Ankara now is a ubiquitous and widespread material for clothing in Africa, especially in West Africa, According to Yinka Shonibare a Nigerian Artist he said that “An image of “African fabric isn't necessarily authentically (and wholly) African”, African prints gained tremendous popularity in the fashion industry since the year 2010.
Ankara is associated with Africa because the patterns on the fabrics is similar to that on African textiles such as Kente, Kanga, Kitenge etc. Since its emergence in the fashion industry, it has exerted a lot of influence on the international world of fashion and lifestyle. A few brands such as ABC wax made in Ghana, Vlisco also known as Dutch Wax which is made in Netherlands and HI target dominate the market.
When it comes to styling Ankara inspired outfits for men, there are different dimensions, which encompasses the fusion of Ankara and Western fashion which gives a touch of African ethnicity to outfits.
Since Ankara gained popularity on African and International Runways, Designers have made Suits, blazers and waist Coats out of Ankara materials to grace the Runways of fashion events. Ankara blazers and waistcoats can be complemented with black trousers and matching shirts even though different colours can be used based on the colour of the Ankara Outfit.
Ties and pocket squares; A pocket square is one the most indispensable tools for defining a gentleman’s style, A tie goes a long way in the transformation of an outfit from informal/ casual into a formal one. Great pocket square and ties are made out of Ankara materials which goes a long way in making an outfit unique.
Scarfs; Ever heard of scarfs for men, great scarfs are made out of Ankara material for men, which can be to style shirts and blazers.
Trousers and Shorts; A man seen in the streets without trousers or shorts would be regarded as a mentally deranged fellow, Ankara inspired trousers are regarded as a fashion statement in the world pf fashion.
Shirts and T-shirts; Ankara Inspired t-shirts and shirts are designed in various manners ranging from Shirts made sole out of Ankara material to patchworks on shirts.
NB: All images were sourced from pinterest
4 comments
Great post and great images. Ankara is just timeless.
ReplyDeletemissymayification.blogspot.co.uk
Woow i love this. especially the sweater.
ReplyDeletewww.thatnigeriangirl.net
That pocket ankara and the scarf ankara is a cool trend
ReplyDeletefashionitazbybuiti.blogspot.com
Can men ankara t-shirt and pants be worn with boots??
ReplyDeleteThank you for making out time to read my blog, Your comments are appreciated.