For fashion lovers, Burundi has a large number of young fashion designers who are highly inspired by our ancestral clothes made of tree bark with a slight touch of modernity.
Most Burundian women use “Igitenge”, an African printed fabric. Women usually wear them to wrap themselves at home or to carry their baby on their back. They also wear it as a complete set, sewn by a tailor. Many women also use this piece of fabric as a wrap shirt, paired with a t-shirt or other type of top.
Women and girls are even more eager to dress up for weddings. Finding the right “Imvutano” which is the traditional dress of Burundian women is essential. Very simple to make, the imvutano is a three-piece outfit made of an average of 3 meters of lightweight fabric. Imvutano is a symbol of pride and status. It is a magnificent sight to see a line of beautiful Burundian women performing their ceremonial duties dressed in their traditional costume.
When it comes to men, most of them opt for brand new tailored suits. It may seem like a sin for a man to attend a wedding without fully dressing up in his Sunday best. They have at least one suit or jacket in their closet, which they wear to the important ceremonies mentioned above. Worthy of mention are the elaborate collars and bow ties of all colours, shapes and sizes. Matching shoes sometimes take on a whole new dimension with men, young and old, sporting alligator shoes, leather shoes and sneakers; these in a rainbow of colours. Teenagers in the capital prefer to don popular branded T-shirts and jeans.