The Ultimate Guide to African Print Clothing

African print clothing is fabric and clothing made using deep, brightly colored patterns that originate from West African textile traditions — most commonly Ankara, also called Dutch wax print, along with Adire, kente, and other regional designs. These prints are made through a wax-resist dyeing process that produces deep, saturated colors and patterns that look the same on both sides of the fabric. Today, African print clothing spans everything from dresses and co-ord sets to button shirts, jackets, and athleisure, worn by people across the African continent and the global diaspora.

If you have ever stood in front of a piece of African print clothing and felt something shift — a kind of recognition, even if you couldn't name it — you are responding to something that has been centuries in the making. This guide walks through what African print clothing actually is, where it came from, the different types you'll come across, how to style it for real life, how to take care of it so it lasts, and where to find pieces that do the tradition justice.

Shop the Farida Smocked African Print Off-Shoulder Puff-Sleeve Ankara Cocktail Party Midi Dress

What Is African Print Clothing?

At its simplest, African print clothing refers to garments made from fabric featuring large-scale, vividly colored patterns — geometric shapes, abstract designs, symbolic motifs, and sometimes figurative imagery — printed using a wax-resist technique. The most widely known version of this fabric is called Ankara, though you'll also hear it referred to as African wax print, Dutch wax, or Holland wax.

Here's where it gets interesting, and where a lot of guides get it wrong: Ankara's history is not a simple, single-origin story. The wax-resist printing technique that produces Ankara fabric actually has roots in Indonesian batik. In the 19th century, Dutch traders attempted to mass-produce batik-style fabric using industrial printing methods to sell in Indonesian markets. The Indonesian market didn't take to it in large numbers but West African traders and consumers did, and the fabric found a permanent home on the continent, where it was adapted, reimagined, and made entirely its own over the following century and a half.

So when you wear African print clothing today, you are wearing the result of a genuinely global story — Indonesian technique, Dutch industrial production, and West African design sensibility, color preference, and pattern-naming culture, all fused into something that is now unmistakably and specifically African. The patterns themselves often carry names, proverbs, and meanings assigned by the communities that wear them — something that has no real equivalent in mass-market Western textile design.

This is part of why African print clothing feels different to wear. It's not just a pattern. It's a fabric with a story, and depending on the specific print, that story might be decades old and deeply embedded in the culture of the people who created and named it.

Shop the Santi Ankara Print Sports Workout Yoga Leggings

A Short History of African Print Clothing

To understand African print clothing fully, it helps to trace the rough timeline of how it became what it is today.

The 1800s — Origins in Batik and Colonial Trade

The story begins with Indonesian batik, a centuries-old wax-resist dyeing tradition. Dutch colonial traders, operating in Indonesia, saw an opportunity to industrialize this process using copper rollers and machine printing — producing batik-style fabric faster and cheaper than the traditional hand method. When the Indonesian market showed limited interest in the machine-made version, Dutch traders began selling it along West African coastal trade routes instead.

Late 1800s to Early 1900s — West African Adoption

West African traders, particularly in present-day Ghana and Nigeria, began purchasing this wax-printed fabric in significant volumes. Local markets developed their own preferences for colors, motifs, and pattern scale — and manufacturers, sensing a growing and loyal market, began designing patterns specifically for West African taste rather than simply exporting leftover Indonesian-style designs.

Mid-1900s — The Golden Age of Naming

This is one of the most culturally significant developments in the history of African print clothing. As Ankara fabric became deeply embedded in West African life — for weddings, funerals, religious ceremonies, and everyday wear — specific prints began to be given names by the communities who wore them. A print might be named after a public figure, a proverb, a social commentary, or even a piece of local gossip. Wearing a particular print could be a way of communicating something to everyone who recognized it. This naming tradition is still alive today and is part of what separates authentic African print culture from prints that simply borrow the visual aesthetic without the meaning behind it.

1960s–1970s — Independence Era and Pan-African Identity

As African nations gained independence from colonial rule throughout this period, African print clothing took on additional symbolic weight. Wearing locally produced or locally associated textiles became, for many, a way of visually asserting a post-colonial identity — a rejection of Western dress codes that had been imposed during the colonial period, and an embrace of something that felt rooted and self-determined.

2000s–2010s — Global Fashion Crossover

This is the period when African print clothing began appearing on international runways and in global fashion media at scale. Designers from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, and across the diaspora began building brands that placed African print fabric within contemporary silhouettes — fitted blazers, structured dresses, tailored separates — introducing the fabric to audiences who had never encountered it as part of everyday Western fashion.

Today — A Global, Contemporary Category

African print clothing now exists as a recognized category within global fashion — not as a niche or "ethnic" sidebar, but as a genre with its own design language, its own growing customer base across the diaspora and beyond, and its own contemporary innovators. Brands today are working with Ankara, Adire, and other traditional prints while applying modern cuts, sustainable production methods, and silhouettes built for how people actually live now — at work, at celebrations, on vacation, and everywhere in between.

The Different Types of African Print Clothing

Not all African print fabric is the same, and understanding the differences helps you shop and style with more confidence.

Ankara / African Wax Print / Dutch Wax

This is the print most people picture when they hear "African print." Bold, large-scale geometric or abstract patterns in saturated colors, printed using the wax-resist method described earlier. Ankara is incredibly versatile and shows up in everything from dresses and skirts to shirts, bags, and shoes. If you're new to African print clothing, Ankara is the most accessible entry point—widely available, endlessly patterned, and works in nearly any silhouette.

Adire

Adire is a resist-dyeing technique that originated with the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. Traditionally made using indigo dye, Adire often features a more subdued, tonal aesthetic compared to the high-contrast brightness of Ankara — think deep blues, whites, and the soft variation that comes from hand-dyeing methods like tying, stitching, or stencil application before dyeing. Adire-inspired prints bring a different energy to African print clothing — more textured, more artisanal-feeling, often with a swirl or wave quality to the pattern.

Kente

Kente cloth originates from the Akan people of Ghana and is traditionally woven rather than printed — historically on narrow looms, with strips sewn together to create larger pieces of fabric. Kente patterns are often geometric, with specific color and pattern combinations carrying symbolic meanings tied to status, occasion, or message. While true kente is woven, many contemporary African print clothing pieces use kente-inspired printed patterns to bring that visual language into more accessible, everyday garments.

Kitenge / Chitenge

More commonly associated with East African fashion — particularly Tanzania, Kenya, and the broader Great Lakes region — kitenge is a printed cotton fabric similar in production to Ankara but often featuring different border designs, color palettes, and pattern scales reflective of East African aesthetic preferences.

Tribal and Figurative Prints

Some of the most striking pieces of African print clothing feature prints that move beyond geometric patterns into figurative or illustrative territory — faces, masks, animals, and abstract human forms rendered in the same bold color tradition as classic Ankara. These prints often carry their own names and stories, similar to traditional Ankara naming culture, and tend to make a strong visual statement as the centerpiece of an outfit.

Shop the Ifeoma Off-Shoulder African Print Crop Top and Ankara Smocked Two-Step Bell Set

How to Style African Print Clothing

One of the most common hesitations people have with African print clothing is styling — the prints are bold, the colors are saturated, and it can feel intimidating to build an outfit around something so visually loud. Here's how to do it with confidence.

Let the Print Lead

The single most important styling principle: when you're wearing a bold African print piece, that piece is the outfit. Everything else — shoes, bag, jewelry — should support it, not compete with it. A piece like the ÀWỌN ÀYA Tie-Strap Midi Dress with its Cubist mosaic of faces in cobalt, orange, gold, and teal, doesn't need anything else doing visual work. Simple gold jewelry, clean sandals, done.

Pull One Color and Repeat It

A simple trick for tying an African print outfit together: identify one dominant color in the print and echo it once in your accessories. If your print has gold tones running through it, gold jewelry or a gold bag creates cohesion without looking matched-on-purpose. This works particularly well with prints that have a wide color range, like the Omi African Print Ankara Skater Dress, where the navy and white Adire-inspired swirl gives you a clean, restrained palette to build from.

Co-ords Make It Easy

If you're new to African print clothing, a matching co-ord set takes the guesswork out of styling entirely. A set like the Ifeoma Off-Shoulder African Print Set gives you a complete look in one print story — crop top and bell-bottom pants in the same fabric — so there's no decision-making about whether pieces work together. They're designed to.

Mixing Prints — Proceed With Intention

Mixing two different African prints in one outfit is a more advanced move, and it works best when both prints share a color family. If you're going to try it, start small — a printed accessory alongside a printed garment, both pulling from the same two or three colors. Until you're confident, one print per outfit is the safer and often more striking choice.

For Men: Let the Shirt Do the Talking

Men's African print clothing — particularly button shirts — works best with simple, solid-colored bottoms. A piece like the Igba Unisex African Print Button Shirt paired with plain black trousers or shorts puts the print at the center without anything competing for attention. Clean white or black sneakers finish the look without adding visual noise.

Dressing It Up vs. Dressing It Down

African print clothing moves across occasions more easily than people often expect. A structured piece like the Mona-Mari Long Sleeve Ankara Wrap Dress, with its fat lapels, waist sash, and A-line flare, can go from a daytime event with flat sandals to an evening occasion with heels and a structured bag, all without changing the garment itself. This kind of versatility is one of the most underrated strengths of well-made African print clothing.

How to Care for African Print Clothing

African print fabric, particularly Ankara and wax prints, is generally durable—these fabrics were designed to hold up to regular wear in warm climates—but a few care habits will keep colors vibrant and garments in good shape for years.

Washing

Hand washing or a gentle machine cycle in cold water is generally the safest choice for African print clothing, especially for pieces with vivid color contrasts. Turn garments inside out before washing to reduce friction on the printed surface and help preserve color vibrancy over time.

Drying

Avoid high-heat tumble drying when possible. Air drying — ideally in shade rather than direct sunlight — helps prevent fading, particularly with deeply saturated colors like the cobalt and orange tones common in many African prints. Direct sun exposure over time is one of the most common causes of color fading in printed cotton fabrics.

Ironing

Most African print cotton fabrics can be ironed on a medium setting, ideally with the garment turned inside out or with a cloth between the iron and the printed surface to protect the print from direct heat contact.

Structured and Embellished Pieces

For pieces with more structure — smocking, embroidery, or mixed fabric construction — always check the specific care instructions for that garment, as these details may require gentler handling than a simple cotton wax print piece.

Storage

Fold rather than hang heavier African print pieces where possible, particularly anything with structured shoulders or embellishment, to maintain shape over time. For lighter dresses and separates, hanging is fine and helps prevent creasing.

Shop the Igba Unisex African Print Button Shirt

Where to Buy African Print Clothing

The growth of African print clothing as a global fashion category means there are more places than ever to find it, but quality, authenticity, and design intention vary enormously. The best pieces come from designers who understand both the textile tradition and how people actually want to dress today: clothing that honors where the prints come from while fitting naturally into a modern wardrobe.

At ASAKE-OGE, every piece of African print clothing is built around original prints — many with names rooted in Yoruba language and culture, continuing the naming tradition that has always been part of how these fabrics carry meaning. The collection spans the full range covered in this guide: bold Ankara-style dresses and co-ords in the Women's Collection, matching sets for effortless styling in Sets & Separates and African print button shirts, shorts, and athleisure for men in the Men's Collection

Whether you're looking for your first piece of African print clothing or adding to a collection you've been building for years, the goal is the same: fabric that carries meaning, made well enough to last, in a silhouette that fits how you actually live.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Ankara and African wax print?

They are largely the same thing — "Ankara" is the most common name used in West Africa for what is also called African wax print or Dutch wax fabric. The terms are often used interchangeably.

Is African print clothing only for special occasions?

Not at all. While many people first encounter African print clothing through weddings or celebrations, the fabric works just as well for everyday wear—co-ords, casual dresses, button shirts, and athleisure are all part of how African print clothing is worn day-to-day.

How do I know if African print clothing is good quality?

Look for fabric weight, color saturation that doesn't look washed out, and clean printing where the pattern is consistent on both sides of the fabric (a hallmark of true wax print). Construction details—finished seams, quality smocking, and properly aligned prints at seams — also signal a well-made piece.

Can men wear African print clothing?

Absolutely — African print button shirts, shorts, and athleisure are some of the most versatile pieces in the category, and men's African print fashion has its own strong tradition and growing contemporary presence.

About the Author

This guide was written by the ASAKE-OGE editorial team—dedicated to exploring the history, culture, and styling of African print fashion, and to building a collection that honors the textile traditions behind every piece.

Have a question about African print clothing or want styling advice for a specific piece? Reach out through asakeogewoman.com