How to Choose the Perfect African Print for Your Personality

African prints are known for its bright, bold, and beautiful patterns. But do you know that the color and design of each African print are deeply rooted to one’s culture, tradition, and even history? Some African prints reflect one’s fashion personality, while others have special meanings into them that make everything more personal. If you wish to be more expressive on your style, keep on reading for our guide on choosing the perfect African print for your personality.

Your choice of color in African print makes a difference.

African Print Soke Midi Dress by Oludan

We all know that color psychology plays an important role on how others perceive us, but do you know there’s also significance of color in African cloth? Just like how color psychology will depend on the person seeing you, the color variations in African prints will also depend on the tribes and sub-groups of the culture. Colors in African prints can be interpreted differently, but knowing some of the associated connotations will make your style more meaningful.

In many African cultures, white symbolizes purity and spirituality, while gold is often used to represent fertility and wealth. Green is associated with nature, making it the most relaxing color. But do you know that it is also the color that represents health in life and prosperity for African culture? On the other hand, red is a striking color that can represent trouble in the political world or spiritually. According to studies, it’s also a striking color that can stir up aggression.

In African culture, blue represents love and peace. The shade is the most harmonious of all colors—and studies show that blue evokes loyalty, confidence, and creativity, making it the one of the best colors to wear on a job interview. Do you know that it is also one of the reasons why U.S. police officers wear blue uniforms so they can promote trust and peace? If you want to show your strong determination in life, why not think of African print in blue colors?

Know the symbolism of your African print to make your style more meaningful.

Do you know that most African prints reflect local traditions and culture? If you know the meanings of the African print you’re wearing, then you can use them as a non-verbal way of communication. There are lots of African prints that hold special meanings, but some of the known patterns are sugarcane, stool symbol, Nsubra, back of the tortoise and such.

While the stool symbol in an African print means ‘if you want to talk about me, take a stool and sit down,’ the sugarcane design says ‘I love you like sugarcane.’ Nsubra African print is known for its tiny dots in a spiral form, resembling ripples. In fact, it is one of the most stylish African prints that can be seen on dresses, tops, pants, and skirts.

Indeed, incorporating African prints into style will add some individuality to your looks. So, always use fashion to your advantage and go for African prints that can show the world who you really are.