Simple is best (rocking Traditional attire on Fridays)
Hello!
You may have casual Friday in the US and other western countries, but in Senegal, we have what I call "Friday best". Senegal is a country with a majority of Muslims. Every Friday afternoon, there is the big event of the Friday prayer. The city just stops and thousands of people (mostly men) rush to the mosques. Many prefer to dress up in traditional attire for the occasion.
Friday is actually one of my favorite day of the week, just because I like to admire Senegalese men and women all dripped in finesse, rocking their best attire. Funnily enough, even the most blah person becomes a stud rocking Senegalese traditional attire. And women! Oh my! I am such in awe with so much elegance and style.
However, dressing up on Fridays have become a pressure I am trying to avoid. It seems like it is compulsory to wear Senegalese traditional attire on Fridays for work. If we do not, strangers on the streets look at us funny. And family or friends judge us. I cannot count the numerous times, my own mother (who is not even Muslim) or my coworkers asked me why I was not wearing my Friday best.
As much as I love Senegalese traditional attire, it can be a hassle to wear. Some of the fabrics used for it are not suitable to the heat or too light for the colder days. Furthermore, even the style are cumbersome sometimes. I like wrap around skirts or mermaid skirts (the latest trend) but they do not allow me to walk freely and fast. Kaftan like dresses are my favorites for they are roomy and comfortable. However, you do not want the sleeves to get caught on a door knob or something. Basically, what I am saying is that one should be prepare to sweat or be cold, and not move freely when rocking a Senegalese traditional attire.
On top of that, Senegalese traditional attire are mostly custom made, which means I have to go to the market and buy the fabric, take it to my tailor with a picture of the model I want him to reproduce and hope it will turn out great. The process can be lengthy and expensive. And I ain't got time for both.
Yet, today, I felt like a princess rocking my latest Senegalese traditional attire.
My mother gave me this fabric last Christmas. I knew right away that I wanted a maxi dress with bell sleeves to be made out of it since it was the fashion. But I kept changing my mind so many times that the fabric ended up stashed in my closet. Until recently, when I was introduced to a new tailor (my former one was getting on my nerves). The fabric was so beautiful, I wanted something simple made of it. So I chose this style of a baby-doll dress with a wrap around skirt.
I was an instant success at work. I styled the outfit with my favorite teal platform sandals and gold accessories. I went so far as to do my face (I rarely wear make up for work) and added my new matte lipstick. Even if the skirt made it hard for me to walk super fast, I still enjoyed the lightness of the outfit. Eyelet is one of my favorite type of fabric. I could have a closet full of it and it would not be weird at all. It is just such a beautiful and breezy fabric. Actually I liked the outfit so much, I rocked it the next day for a simple wedding.
At the end of the day, even if I am totally in love with my new Friday attire, I am still not going to wear these kind of clothes every Friday. Sometimes a girl just needs jeans and sneakers to feel great. So expect me to be rocking just that some Fridays.
You may have casual Friday in the US and other western countries, but in Senegal, we have what I call "Friday best". Senegal is a country with a majority of Muslims. Every Friday afternoon, there is the big event of the Friday prayer. The city just stops and thousands of people (mostly men) rush to the mosques. Many prefer to dress up in traditional attire for the occasion.
Friday is actually one of my favorite day of the week, just because I like to admire Senegalese men and women all dripped in finesse, rocking their best attire. Funnily enough, even the most blah person becomes a stud rocking Senegalese traditional attire. And women! Oh my! I am such in awe with so much elegance and style.
However, dressing up on Fridays have become a pressure I am trying to avoid. It seems like it is compulsory to wear Senegalese traditional attire on Fridays for work. If we do not, strangers on the streets look at us funny. And family or friends judge us. I cannot count the numerous times, my own mother (who is not even Muslim) or my coworkers asked me why I was not wearing my Friday best.
As much as I love Senegalese traditional attire, it can be a hassle to wear. Some of the fabrics used for it are not suitable to the heat or too light for the colder days. Furthermore, even the style are cumbersome sometimes. I like wrap around skirts or mermaid skirts (the latest trend) but they do not allow me to walk freely and fast. Kaftan like dresses are my favorites for they are roomy and comfortable. However, you do not want the sleeves to get caught on a door knob or something. Basically, what I am saying is that one should be prepare to sweat or be cold, and not move freely when rocking a Senegalese traditional attire.
On top of that, Senegalese traditional attire are mostly custom made, which means I have to go to the market and buy the fabric, take it to my tailor with a picture of the model I want him to reproduce and hope it will turn out great. The process can be lengthy and expensive. And I ain't got time for both.
Yet, today, I felt like a princess rocking my latest Senegalese traditional attire.
Eyelet fabric - Christmas gift from my Mother
Whole outfit - Tailored made
Shoes - thrifted (Saturday market)
Bucket bag - Ouakam market
My mother gave me this fabric last Christmas. I knew right away that I wanted a maxi dress with bell sleeves to be made out of it since it was the fashion. But I kept changing my mind so many times that the fabric ended up stashed in my closet. Until recently, when I was introduced to a new tailor (my former one was getting on my nerves). The fabric was so beautiful, I wanted something simple made of it. So I chose this style of a baby-doll dress with a wrap around skirt.
I was an instant success at work. I styled the outfit with my favorite teal platform sandals and gold accessories. I went so far as to do my face (I rarely wear make up for work) and added my new matte lipstick. Even if the skirt made it hard for me to walk super fast, I still enjoyed the lightness of the outfit. Eyelet is one of my favorite type of fabric. I could have a closet full of it and it would not be weird at all. It is just such a beautiful and breezy fabric. Actually I liked the outfit so much, I rocked it the next day for a simple wedding.
At the end of the day, even if I am totally in love with my new Friday attire, I am still not going to wear these kind of clothes every Friday. Sometimes a girl just needs jeans and sneakers to feel great. So expect me to be rocking just that some Fridays.
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