So you just received a wedding invitation and naturally, you say to yourself “I don’t have anything to wear”. Hold on to that thought for a while. Having nothing to wear is the right reason you need to wear a smashing kente style as a wedding guest.
Kente is not only the most widely recognized African wear but has a way of making anyone wearing one stand out and make a great impression. As a wedding guest, the last thing you want to look for is “Just okay”. You need to look pretty, colorful, and “Traditional”. No better outfit to make you assume the perfect look for a Ghanaian wedding than a Kente Kaba and Slit-style dress.
As ladies, our brains will search through our wardrobe for the single perfect dress or piece of clothing for the wedding. This search leads to frustration then we conclude that we have nothing to wear. But that isn’t true at all. Kente is widely admired and accepted for all manner of Ghanaian events and a wedding is one of those events where kente shines.
But what style? Then you ask. “I don’t want to be boring”. “I want to stand out and be the centre of attention,” you say? Kente is the right choice. And these kente-inspired wedding guest styles are some of the best designs we could find for 2021.
2021 has seen an unprecedented number of weddings. Largely because large gatherings were banned in 2020, to-be couples had to postpone their nuptials to 2021.
To help you decide, reflect on the significance of weddings in our Ghanaian setting.
Significance of Weddings
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The history of Kente is full of significance and meaning. As a piece of cloth, kente has become more than it was ever meant to be. Kente designs have meanings that can enhance your traditional wedding with a connection in meaning. It is typical that proverbs, wise sayings, and proverbs are used for kente designs. Choosing a kente design with a meaning that relates to your marriage can greatly add more meaning to your marriage experience and grow your love for your partner.
Kente is special. It has always been the case where kente was reserved for “special people” such as royals and members of the king’s court. To date, new kente designs are to be presented to the king before the public has access to it.
As a wedding guest, you are special. Wedding gatherings are unique and the couple would only invite you if they considered you a special part of their lives.
Whether you are male or female, wearing a kente fabric for wedding ceremonies as a guest means you value the event. We only dress well, and sometimes expensively for only the things we see as worth it. Dressing with the best kente styles for wedding guests will express that sentiment and make the couple happy to have you.
To make sure we are specific with the styles we recommend, we have two sets of kente styles for wedding guests in this article; for men and for women.
Smashing Kente Styles For Male Wedding Guests 2021
Men typically have less options when it comes to kente. But that doesn’t give you permission to dress in a boring manner. These styles will surely get your creative juices flowing to come up with even better designs.
[ 10 Images of Kente Styles ]
Smashing Kente Styles For Female Wedding Guests 2021
From Kaba and slit to gowns, kente is a very flexible fabric for women. There are literally hundreds of styles that you can wear to a wedding as a guest. These are some of the best kente styles for female wedding guests in 2021.
[ 10 Images of Kente Styles ]
10 Facts about Kente
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1. The Word Kente Has Origins in Both Ewe and Akan
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Most African histories were transferred through folklore. The story of kente is based on folklore, at least from the Ashanti folklore. Kente is woven in Ghana by the Ewe and the Ashantis. Both have words that are said to be corrupted to “Kente”. For Ewe, they have “ke na te” which means to open (“ke”) the weft, pass the waft through it, and the press (“te”). In Akan, they have the word “ke te” which means “Basket Cloth”.
Kente Is Handwoven
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One of the wonders of kente is that it is entirely handwoven. There are 2 to 3 towns among the Ewes and Akans where most men in the communities engage in weaving kente for a living.
The Origins of Kente are Disputed
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Both the Ashantis and Ewes claim the origins of the kente cloth. However, other theories posit that the cloth may have originated from northern Ghana, Mali, and some other countries.
The First Kente Cloth Was Made 400 Years Ago
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There is evidence of weaving kente cloths dating back 400 years ago, in 1697.
Kente is Used to Make Not Only Cloths
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You may know kente for making beautiful clothing. However, it is also used for making stoles, jackets, shirts, hats, jewelry, scarves, ties, shoes, sandals, sneakers, bags, table runners, furniture, scarves, and earrings.
Kente is said to be the fabric with the most complicated weaving in the world
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Kente is made up of patterns woven onto the strips which are sewn together to create a full piece of cloth. The patterns are carefully created by skilled weavers who learn the art from their ancestry. Some families pass down the skill for generations.
There are over 300 Kente Pattern Designs
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Kente designs are basically unique based on the patterns, colors, and meanings attached to them. It is said that the first kente designs were in black and white. More recent designs feature a wider variety of colors some of which are mainly very bright. It is said that there are more than 300 such kente pattern designs some of which are very suitable for making kente styles for wedding guests.
The Method Used in Making Kente is Called Strip Weaving
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Strip weaving involves warps and weft with a bobbin and a thread used to weave them together. The setup is done using a loom made of wood. Strip weavings achieve a strip of fabric which are then combined and sewn to create a full piece of fabric or cloth.
Kente is the Most Influential and Known African Fabric
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Kente is widely used in politics, for social events, as a means of connecting with African heritage, and fashion.
Kente was inspired by the spiderweb
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Ashanti legend has it that Ananse, the cunning and wise spider taught two hunters to weave. This was inspired by Ananse’s spider web. As Ananse, he asked for a favor before giving them the skill fo weaving cloths.
Conclusion
Kente styles for wedding guests are in abundance. If you want to stay in the trends, go for a brightly colored kente pattern. And you won’t regret it. In 2021, kente is still very relevant and influential in the lives of Ghanaians.
