African Shweshwe chocolate

These shweshwe fabrics are preprinted in skirt panels that can be cut along the dotted lines and sewn together to become a wrap around skirt. This is the staple skirt of rural Xhosa women in South Africa. It's the one they use for daily chores around the house and gardens or in the fields. These prints were introduced by German Settler women and then adopted by the local Xhosa women as lighter and prettier than the traditional leather cowhide skirts worn up to the mid 1800s. They are still the main market for Da Gama Textiles Three Cats fabrics.

By the 1940s, South Africa imported most of its shweshwe from England, including the famous brand: ‘Three Cats Shweshwe. A UK clothing brand, Tootal, invested in Da Gama Textiles to produce shweshwe locally. With the benefits of local production, Da Gama’s shweshwe flourished. New colours, such as chocolate brown and burgundy, were also introduced. In the last decade much brighter colours such as the magenta, turquoise, orange and green have become very popular as well.

The Xhosa culture has a complex dress code informed by a person’s social standing, and features beautiful beadwork and printed fabrics. Traditionally, women’s clothing and accessories show the different stages of life. Their main items of clothing include long skirts and aprons in beautiful printed or embroidered fabrics. Elaborate beaded necklaces called ithumbu are worn around the neck, as well as beaded bracelets and anklets. The iqhiya or headscarf is traditionally worn by married women. To complete the ensemble, embroidered capes or blankets are worn around the shoulders.

In the 1840s, French missionaries gifted the Basotho Chief, King Moshoeshoe I indigo-printed cloth. Extremely pleased, the King endorsed the fabric and it spread in popularity throughout the Sotho and Zulu inhabitants of his domain. According to historians, the name ‘shweshwe’ derives from its royal influencer, King Moshoeshoe.

The 2010s marked a trend towards variety, with designers using shweshwe for versatile applications. Swimwear, brogues, necklaces, jackets, clutches, male underwear, and even pocket squares can now be found on the shweshwe market.

Info from Da Gama Textiles, Deluxe Fabrics and The Culture Trip