A dashiki is a colorful, loose fitting traditional shirt that range from casual to formal with an easy wear look. This garment is widely worn in West Africa by men. A common form of dashikis is with an ornate V-shaped collar, and tailored and embroidered neck and sleeve lines. The name dashiki is derived from the Hausa word ʼdan ciki, which means shirt. In Ghana, the fabric is commonly known by people as “Angelina”.
The dashiki was made popular in the western parts of the world by Oba (Yoruba word for king) Ofuntola Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi, who was born Walter Eugene in Detroit, Michigan, USA in 1928. The dashiki found a market in America during the black cultural and political struggles in the 1960s. Dashiki has been found in numerous American movies and on many musicians mostly the African-American musicians including famous ones like Chris Brown , Beyonce, Rihanna, Zendaya, Jhene Aiko, Q-Tip and many more. Their obvious admiration of the West African garment with its bold pattern and vibrant colors is something that I love seeing.
Usually I’m a bit on the fence about Americans incorporating African culture as their own when they depict us in such negative light and Africans children are made fun off just because of where they come from. But I actually admire this trend, I see it as African Americans embracing thier roots and Caucasians supporting the movement. I must say, it feels good to see my future being accepted.
Thank you for checking out this post, its only right that I add a picture of me participating in this amazing trend. This Dashiki was a gift given to me by somebody dear to my heart when he visited Ghana last year.
XOXO Bea
BEAUTYBEA 
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