As the leading online retailer for traditional African clothing and accessories, we take pride in selling beautiful, handcrafted mud dashikis for women and men.
Native to the African country of Mali, where it is known as ‘Bògòlanfini,’ African mudcloth is a handmade cotton garment dyed with fermented mud.
Similar to the African wax print headwraps traditionally worn by women to signal information about modesty, spirituality, and societal status, the symbols embellished on mudcloth also convey meaningful messages about tradition, family, and life.
For example, a symbol of a circle featuring a dot in its middle can symbolize family and community, while a horizontal zig zag line known as the Iguana’s elbow can symbolize good fortune and African people’s history of warfare with foreign powers.
How African Mudcloth is Made
Traditionally, African mudcloth is handmade by the men in a community. The process of making mudcloth usually begins by dying a piece of cloth with a mixture of mashed and boiled tree leaves and branches, which turns the cloth yellow.
After the yellow-stained cloth has been sundried, fermented mud is applied to the cloth in intricate detail and patterns. Next, the mud-stained cloth is dried and excess mud is removed. To deepen the mud-stained patterns on the cloth, this process is repeated numerous times until the desired contrast is reached.
Any remaining yellow parts are coated in bleach to turn them brown, and the entire piece of cloth lays out in the sun for a week. When the bleach is rinsed at the end of the week, the mudcloth is complete and ready to be adorned.
Akin to a lightweight blanket, African mudcloth feels thick and sturdy on the body and can be worn on its own, or thrown over other clothing as a vest or pull-over.
Our handmade mudcloth dashikis are imported directly from Africa and feature intricate and eye grabbing details made with 100% cotton fabric.
Ready to purchase your handmade mudcloth dashiki? We want to help you reclaim your African heritage and incorporate it into your daily fashion. Shop our line of products and accessories today at megglam.com