How To Style an African Wax Print Dress: Thrift Inspiration
Welcome to the Old World New presents: “Cultural Appreciation, Not Appropriation” Series, Installment 2! (See Installment 1 here)
Diversity is the spice of life. I love pulling influence from different cultures. The easy access to knowledge of different peoples’ heritage has helped shaped me to be who I am today. Therefore, practice love, not hate. Practice cultural appreciation, not cultural appropriation. Learn about and have respect for the cultures that you seek to emulate – you’ll be happy that you opened your mind to “a whole new world” (I hope you sang that in your Jasmine & Aladdin voice, because I did!).
Culture: Influence
“African,” “Wax,” “Native” prints… what does that even mean? Let’s learn a little about fabric print history. Before the times of the industrial revolution which made manufacturing products, namely fabrics and clothes, very easy – there were hand crafted fabrics and prints or woven designs. I love all types of prints, and as they have evolved very much throughout history, they leave a lot to draw inspiration from. When fabric making was a laborious task, fabrics and their prints had more meaning to the people that made them and who they made them for. For example, Navajo prints are imitated a lot in southwestern (U.S.) interior design and on “rugged” clothing items such as boots or backpacks. According to Wikipedia (fancy research, I know), Navajo prints were originally woven, and they played a role in the Navajo people’s understanding and belief about the creation of the world.
Since Africa is the largest continent in the world and is full of large countries, the prints and histories vary so much! Some popular prints with African origins and/or strong African influence have been integrated into modern style.
Kente cloth, which reminds me of cloths my family uses when celebrating Kwanzaa, and can be seen in Afro-centric graduation stoles. The colors of each cloth have special meanings; pink symbolizes the female essence of life, black symbolizes intensified spiritual energy, and yellow symbolizes wealth, fertility, beauty and more.
Style: African Burkina/Wax Print Dress
Luckily for this particular dress, someone saw it on a previous post and said it looks like Burkina or Ankara print, so I researched it and it does look very similar to those styles! I found this dress at a thrift store, and got it for 30% off by donating clothes that day, making the final price about $7. It seems to be home made and fits me just right!
Photos by Challie Rene
I’d like to end this post by encouraging you to support one of the many companies that benefit people from the culture that they emulate and from people who craft them by hand. Companies like fashionABLE help women in Africa develop crafts and personal skills while selling beautiful goods to people world wide. Alero Jasmine takes traditional African inspired prints to a new level with beautiful design created and often handmade by a British/Nigerian student. Support the companies of cultures we love to look like! And let us not forget, this look is thrifted. Give second hand clothes a chance, they can positively impact the way you dress!
The Comments
Karen Patten
Yes! I’d love to go from cultural appreciation, one step further – to cultural celebration! Life is so much more interesting if we can evolve from fear of differences, violence against differences, ignoring differences, appreciating differences, to finally celebration of differences with joy and love! Oh, and the dress is beautiful, BTW. $7???? That’s awesome!
Addie
Karen PattenKaren, I absolutely love that. Cultural Celebration, it is! Life is truly wonderful when we accept the beauty in everyone and their differences. Thanks for this lovely comment and for stopping by!
Reginia Cordell
Your dress is absolutely gorgeous. I was recently in Zanzibar and saw many gorgeous prints. I bought some material and hope to make a few items. The dress is really stunning.
Addie
Reginia CordellOh goodness, I bet you found some great fabrics! Thank you, Reginia 🙂
Tiffani
I love everything about this post from the variety of tribal print, to the CTA to buy handmade, to practicing cultural appreciation to your stunning blue dress! Gorgeous! We have a few special African pieces we brought home from a visit to Cape Town that we permanently keep up in our house to remind our children of the beauty Africa offers. Great post! 🙂
Addie
TiffaniThank you, Tiffani! I bet Cape Town was beautiful, and seeing authentic pieces up close had to be refreshing!
Natasha
Love love love, the lesson in this and you look fab in this printed dress! Love it!
-Natasha
Addie
NatashaThank you, Natasha! I’m so glad you love the lesson as well as the fashion! 🙂
FabEllis
I have always loved African prints. I absolutely love thrifting too so this outfit is a double win to me. Love the print on you and the price was unbelievable!
Addie
FabEllisThank you, Ashley! I love finding such unique pieces like this while thrifting! 🙂 Isn’t that price awesome?!
Vee
That dress is gorgeous! I have been loving tribal print clothing. I can’t wait til I can sit down and learn to sew. I think that would be one of the first fabrics I’d use.
Addie
VeeI bet it will turn out gorgeous, Vee!
Andele
What a great post! I love learning about other cultures and trying to show them respect how they would receive it best:-) I believe we could all live together more effectively and more peacefully if we tried to get a better understanding of one another. I personally hope to continue gaining more friends from multiple cultures and backgrounds! And that DRESS! Just gorgeous! It was like it was made for you! Anyway, thanks for sharing!
P.S. I think we all use Wikipedia that way from time to time;-)
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
Great post! Your dress is so pretty – I love the vibrant blue color, and you’re wearing it well!
Samantha
OMG I love that bag!! I want it lol
Gemma
In love with that dress!!!! It look gorgeous on you…. such a great post 🙂
Cynthia @craftoflaughter
That dress is absolutely beautiful! I want, no NEED, that bag!
Lisa K
You are rocking that dress have included some other great prints as well! Can’t go wrong with $7 for a dress like that!
Sarah Noel
I love tribal print! It’s so cute and a great way to add some color to an outfit.
Sarah Noel | http://www.sarahsmirks.com
Iryna Bychkiv
That dress and romper are awesome! I love those prints. Although usually I’m very careful about wearing printed clothes on myself, but these ones are really cool. I could definitely wear them.
Taylor
You look stunning girl!! I love tribal print but sometimes I find it hard for me to pull off. This print and the colors look amazing on you!!! and your heels are to die for!!
xo
http://www.styleiseverythingblog.com
Ramona
Your cultural appreciation series is a great concept. Thanks for the sharing the history and origin of the prints. Your outfit look amazing!
~Ramona #sgbc
Elle Spann
I LOVE this dress!! You look fabulous in it. I love hearing stories and origins of clpthing, so I ate this post up!
elle
Southern Elle Style
Mary
Loving this print and dress on you! The blue is so beautiful!!
Sportsanista
dani
I love the dress and the short two piece. The prints of of the make these items unique. That dress is fabulous on you!
xoxo Dani
http://www.glamrme.com
Sarah
Absolutely love this. That dress looks so great on you. Great post!
Kayleigh @ Sugar in My Texas Tea
Bright colors always look so pretty on you! Love the vintage cut of this dress. Beautiful!
Darcy
Loved this dress when I saw it on your Insta!!
http://www.amemoryofus.com
Adaleta Avdic
I love that you’re sharing cultural fashion inspiration with the group as it’s very unique & not something I know too much about. Excited for all of your posts! xx
Molly Moon
What a great post! That dress is gorgeous on you—the colors are fantastic, too! Great, great look, lady.
Molly | Hey There Sunshine
Valery Brennan
You already know I love this series AND this dress! So gorgeous!!! You’re totally inspiring me to want to go thrifting more <3
Addie
Valery BrennanThank you, Valery! I’m always down for a thrifting date lol – Let me know if you want me to tag along ☺️
Samantha
This dress is amazing! And I am loving this series!
Cultural Appreciation: Indian Sherwani Style | Old World New
[…] Welcome to the Old World New presents: “Cultural Appreciation, Not Appropriation” Series, Installment 3! (See Installment 1 here, 2 here) […]
Victoria
I love that you took the time to explain the history behind the print. I think a lot of people really overlook history like that, and it is important to understand the story behind the textiles and be respectful of their significance. Plus, that dress looks AMAZING on you!
xx, Victoria
memphismadeblog.com
Cultural Appreciation: Modern African Fashion by Alero Jasmine | Old World New
[…] Appreciation, Not Appropriation” Series, Installment 4! (See Installment 1 here, 2 here, 3 […]
Best Thrift Stores | 2 DFW Locations
[…] Hand-sewn Tribal Print dress: Texas Thrift (see entire look) […]
Black Panther Cosplay with Thrift Store Finds — Old World New
[…] because it is filled with items donated by people from so many different cultures. I have found handmade African clothes and traditional Indian pieces, and I’ve even talked about African head wraps, Indian saris, […]
#NationalThriftShopDay — Old World New
[…] this post to learn about the blue dress […]
David Norriss
I think it’s cool how in kente cloth and graduation stoles different colors symbolize different things. I hope more people can learn about this and apply to their cultures. I love the idea of mixing cultures from around the world so if mixing graduation stoles with different colors from other cultures is possible then I say people do it.
How To Celebrate Kwanzaa — Old World New
[…] Related: Styling a Thrifted African Wax Print Dress […]