Ethiopian Traditional Cloth

Habesha Kemis


Habesha Kemis

Habesha Kemis( Habesha dress)is a traditional clothing that has been worn in Ethiopia and Eritrea for centuries. It is handwoven and made from cotton and is especially worn during celebrations and holidays.
When making a Habesha dress, the cotton is first spun into yarn by the Dewari. Then it goes to a Shemane (weaver), who makes the traditional clothes. And then there is the hand sewing of the different types of colorful patterns or Tibeb into the dress.This entire process, depending on the discipline of the workers and the design, takes about 20 – 25 days to make one Habesha dress. Customers appreciate that the traditional dress is hand-made, and the material used to make the dress is usually of high quality.The material is cotton and there are different kinds such as saba, fetil, menen, weldeyes, etc.
Mostly the peak season to buy Habesha dresses is during holidays and weddings. Many of the sellers said that New Year is not a high season; however, during Timket (Ethiopian Epiphany), Christmas and Easter there are way more customers.Habesha dresses are also selling on the international market. For instance, people can order their Habesha dresses from online stores like Etsy.

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