People in Angola, especially men, usually wear contemporary Western-style clothes today. But some traditional garments are still in use, although mostly in rural areas or for special occasions. One of the last national garments that can be seen in the streets of Angola on a daily basis is a pano, an African batik dress. And even this item had to modernize and Westernize a little to be still popular among Angolan women in the 21st century. Curiously, at the same time, some Angolan tribes traditionally continue dressing in animal skins or not wearing any clothes at all.
Most people in Angola replaced their original folk clothing with modern European garments, like jeans, contemporary dresses, skirts, blouses, etc. But some traditional garments survived and are worn by the locals these days, as well as decades or centuries ago.
For example, Angolan ladies use different aprons and loincloths – such garments were traditionally used in this hot African country. People here didn’t need a lot of clothes, unlike those nations who lived in colder climates. In Angola, a loincloth or a wrap-around cloth was enough. Some tribes traditionally didn’t use any clothes at all, and in the most remote regions of Africa, such tribes still follow this tradition, despite living in the 21st century. It’s their way of life.
Although, most Angolans use clothing, contemporary or traditional. And the most common and favored national garment among women is a pano. This is a dress sewn from African traditional batik cloth. This African batik is very popular and used not only to make panos but a variety of modern accessories, garments, and even household items, like linens. African people love their traditional cheerful prints and use them everywhere, which is great, if you ask me.
The pano dresses are so popular in Angola that there are many shops that sell dozens of different panos and many tailors who take orders and work individually with every customer. If you decide to buy a pano, you get such a wide assortment that your head spins.
It’s interesting that a pano cloth with an African print is the first present to a baby and is often used as a sling to carry the baby. Later, a girl is presented with her first pano dress. And even after she becomes an adult woman, a pano remains one of the most treasured and well-thought gifts. In some regions of Angola, the groom and his family present his bride with different panos as a wedding gift. Therefore, Angolan women usually have a large collection of panos in their wardrobe, not just one traditional dress for a special occasion.
The pano is a perfect compromise between traditional dress and Western-style clothes. You can have any style and design you like but the fabric is traditional cotton with an African print. The dresses are often embellished with lace, ruffles, embroidery, pleats, and other decorations the wearer desires.
Or if you want to add a touch of traditional culture to your contemporary attire, wrap a batik cloth around your waist or wear a headscarf with a traditional Angolan print.
Angolans wear the full traditional attire mostly on special occasions, like weddings, family celebrations, funerals, etc. But separate batik accessories or garments are sometimes used in daily life as well. And on Fridays, when people are allowed to dress casually to work, women often choose one of their panos.
The pano isn’t the only Angolan national dress, just the most popular and well-known one. Also, the local ladies use garments made from batik cloth called “quimones” (a short blouse), “bubus” (a long blouse), various skirts and dresses in Western design. Men wear shirts made of batik fabric.
Angolan ladies love their handmade beaded jewelry – necklaces, bracelets, head adornments – even more than their panos. They add some beaded jewels to practically every apparel. Very often, the traditional necklaces are huge and include hundreds of rows of beads. These necklaces can be real masterpieces, magnificent, colorful, and can cover the shoulders and even chest of a woman. They look somewhat similar to Greenlandic yokes, by the way. Only the patterns are different.
