Women in Zimbabwe traditionally wear brightly colored wraparound gowns and elaborate headdresses. These garments are accompanied by elaborate hairstyles. A breastplate crafted from animal hide is worn by the men. Beads are used as an embellishment on women’s clothes, and the ladies themselves wear ornaments of various shapes and sizes. These ornaments are an essential component of the women’s traditional attire, and they serve to convey information about the woman’s age and position within her society. Over their shoulders, married ladies wear a blanket that is known as a Nguba and a large number of thick beaded hoops made of twisted grass that are known as Isigolwani. They also wrap rings made of copper or brass around their arms, necks, and legs; these are known as Idzilla rings. Iporiyana is the name given to the armor made of animal hide worn by males. They further wrap a karos across their shoulders and wear headbands and ankle bands made of animal hide. Because each Ndebele group is linked with a distinct animal, the skin of the animal plays an essential role in the traditional clothing of Zimbabwe. This enables people to visibly show their loyalty to their own group.
