If you know anything about me, you know that I absolutely love
Umbaco.AmaXhosa wear Umbhaco which is durable cotton that lasts from
generation to generation – We are known for our incorporation of beadwork
that adds that extra spark to the attire and our white dotted faces. I
appreciate the ways people have modernized it to fit both formal and
informal events – you can tell which sub-group a Xhosa person is from by
how they wear Umbhaco and the colour of their beads. Contrary to how
modern women are rocking Umbhaco, another differentiating factor is that
an unmarried woman wears umbhaco without the doek/headwrap and a married
woman is always seen in a headwrap. However, I write this post to inspire
you to see the beauty in what we inherited from those who walked before us
and not to police the manner in which each item is worn
Fun Facts!,Our legend and global icon Nelson Mandela who
was Xhosa speaking and wore the full traditional umbhaco on 22 October
1962 to his first day of trial for having left the country without
permission and inciting workers to strike. It was not the first nor the
last. His wife Winnie Madikizela Mandela chose her outfits strategically,
allowing them to speak when she could not, letting them become both acts
of resistance and nodes of African pride through the political struggle
times of South Africa. Today umbhaco features in many prestigious events
and global stages; and in 2015 a South African designer showcased a single
U mbhaco inspired piece at the African Fashion Week London which sold
immediately. It is exciting to know how much the attire is embraced out
there in the world and will continue to.
