Clothing– a Matter of Place and Time in Sudan

Photo Story

Clothing– a Matter of Place and Time in Sudan

ID # 3061

 

Generally in the United States, a person’s outfit depends on many factors including what’s in fashion, personal morals and values, weather, resources, time, and place. You may not choose to wear the same outfit at school that you would wear at a wedding. Pajamas are most appropriate to be worn at home or at a sleepover. Some jobs require strict uniforms, while others simply require business attire. When we think of clothing people in other countries wear, we may assume that they always wear a certain traditional outfit. By the end of the photo story, students will be able to examine how people in Sudan also dress for certain places and times.

This Photo Story is geared towards students in Grade 8.

 

 

Photo #1: School Uniform

 

Photo #1: Many schools across Sudan require that students wear a uniform to school. High schoolers wear army print pants and shirts in shades of blue or green. High school girls also wear this uniform along with a white scarf on their head. Their uniforms do not restrict them from their learning or from having fun during their lunch break. My cousins sometimes complain that they cannot  show off their new clothes to their schoolfriends.

 

Photo #2: Outings with Friends

Photo #2: Outside of school, kids can express their personal style much more freely than in a school setting.

 

Photo #2: Graduations

Photo #3 – Upon graduating from high school or college, graduates must purchase a cap and gown that is similar to everyone else in their graduating class. If you graduate with honors you are distinguished from others by certain sashes.

 

Photo #4 – Family Gatherings

Photo #4 – At family gatherings, a fusion of tradition and modern is always present. My aunts and cousins who are married like to wear the traditional thobe in a variety of colors and styles.Similarly, many of my married uncles and cousins wear the traditional galabya. The tagiyaat, or hats the men are wearing are each unique depending on each of their personal styles. My brother and my younger cousin are great examples of how many of the younger men dress at these gatherings — in Western clothing.

 

Photo #5- Family Outings

Photo #5 – To grasp a better look at how unmarried women dress, this photo displays an array of dress. Some wear maxi dresses with long sleeved shirts, while others wear pants and tunics or even an Egyptian abaya.

 

Photo #6 – Work Meetings

Can you tell where your parent is going based on what they are wearing?

 

Photo #7 – Weddings

Photo #7 – Is this how you would imagine a Sudanese bride and groom to look? In the United States, the norm is for a bride to wear a white wedding dress and for the groom to wear a suit; that is also what’s traditional. In Sudan, the norm has become the same as in the U.S., but dressing traditionally for your wedding is wearing a red and gold thobe.

 

As illustrated, Sudanese that have the resources dress based on certain occasions or places.