Dress for Success: Kenya Style

Each day, I get to pick from my collection of skirts and shirts to make an outfit; no one ever wears shorts here. A few of the “skirts” are actually just giant, printed pieces of fabric called “kanga” worn by the Swahili women along the coast. You basically wrap it like a sarong and I like it because it’s just a simple piece of cotton so even if you’re sweaty [which is always], it’s pretty light. I’ve also found a local tailor who has been fashioning a bunch of the kangas into shirts for me and that’s what I’m wearing in the photo above.

The women from the coastal areas typically dress in a similar way but women from “up country” as they call the area near Nairobi will typically dress in more “modern” (their word, not mine) styles like pants or jeans and t-shirts. They believe this modernity is superior but I’m not sure wearing jeans in 90 degrees is progress.

No matter what they’re wearing, Kenyan women dress more modestly than American women of similar ages. Even in “modern” clothes that are fairly form fitting, you don’t see cleavage, upper thigh, or midriff on anyone. Actually, I don't even think I've ever seen a Kenyan woman's knee or shoulder either. To be honest, given the obesity problem in America, we might want to consider Kenyan fashions…but I digress.

To my ensemble, I usually add a hat and sunglasses, copious amounts of sunscreen, and my flip-flops to complete the look. The hat really does scream tourist but since the choice is skin cancer or being passé, I just go with the hat. Plus, it’s not as if I’m a fashion maven in Cleveland so this is all really par for the course.

I’m doing my best to blend in and be respectful, wearing mostly one piece bathing suits except in very touristy parts of the beach. M doesn’t have such problems (other than the need for a hat) since American and Kenyan men wear the same clothes except when some Kenyans are wearing ceremonial dress. I do draw the line, however, when working out. The mwanamke mzungu (white woman) running with M every morning isn’t blending in anyway and there are few people out that early anyway so I wear my regular running clothes then. A few of my roadside “friends” have said they saw me looking “powerful” running with M in the morning and I’m just going to assume that’s a compliment.

Below are two kangas which are always printed with a Swahili proverb or expression. The blue one roughly says "don't tempt fate" and the pink one roughly says “always take care of each other”. The blue kanga used to make my shirt above. We spot new patterns and colors every day and I'm brainstorming other shirt designs that are modest and comfortable.

Tukumbukane siku zote!