The Politics of Dress in Somali Culture

The universal act of dressing -- shared by both men and women, young and
old, rich and poor, minority and majority -- has shaped human interactions,
communicated hopes and fears about the future, and embodied what it means to be
Somali. Heather Marie Akou mines politics and history in this rich and compelling
study of Somali material culture. Akou explores the evolution of Somali folk dress,
the role of the Somali government in imposing styles of dress, competing forms of
Islamic dress, and changes in Somali fashion in the U.S. With the collapse of the
Somali state, Somalis continue a connection with their homeland and community
through what they wear every day.