Scroll down to check out the fabrics I mostly work with:
Bazin Riche
Bazin is a waved cotton with a light tone-on-tone damask effect. It comes in plain colors or locally hand dyed (scroll down to read about Tchoup dye technique).
It is widespread in all West Africa and Senegal especially to make traditional elegant attire for men and women. In Senegal the bazin is often soaked in a starch bath to make it stiff-ish as here people love their dress to almost stand on their own. The result is more textured clothes.
I use bazin in a more unconventional way, I love making casualware with a twist and I prefer the locally dyed type because quality is top notch and colors are more vibrant. Colors and patterns are virtually endless, some extremely “daring” with bright colors and bold matches and other more subtle.
If you are tempted by the starch bath (for more texture) you can give it a try, it washes away in a few washes (or can be renewed if you like it!).
Bazin Léger
Bazin cotton with a light damask effect, lighter and more see-trough than bazin riche (in fact it is always lined).
Very popular among women to amke the very large boubous (sort of caftans, worn with matching long straight skirt -pants for the more unconventional- and headscarf ). Colors are in general less imposing than bazin riche, though patterns can be pretty articulate.
I love bazin léger because it’s light-weighted and keeps you fresh and dry when it’s realy really hot (like it is here in Senegal in September and October)
Bazin Tchup
Bazin thioup is the characteristic white woven cotton with a damask effect that is carefully hand dyed with patterns done with a tie&dye technique or with a wax drip that prevents some parts from getting dyed (the typical white patterns). The process’ length depends on how many colors are used (each color bath require pre and post-production time). Patterns are mostly abstract and virtually endless, as are the colors!
The most famous thioup is certainly the Indigo: the blue background with white/light color patterns. The most used indigo pagnes (pagne means piece of fabric, that usually has standard measures) come from Guinée Conakry
Coton Brodé
Coton brodé is like Broderie Anglaise (also called Sangallo lace in Italian). It’s a light cotton fabric decorated with a tone-on-tone needlework technique combining features of embroidery, cutwork and needle lace. The patterns can be smaller or wider, usually with floral or geometric motives.
In Senegal coton brodé is widely used to make women and girl attire. Friday is the day when people show off the best pieces in their closets (Senegalese people, men and women alike, have lots and lots of clothes) and coton brodé is litterally everywhere. It is not rare to see it also on other days because it is also used for less formal attire.
It can be used alone (like the Nanà Dress) or with other fabrics, as a decorative add-on type of thing.
C’è in moltissimi colori e le Senegalesi li usano tutti!
Pagne Tissé
Thick and warm cotton, hand-woven on wodden looms.
Pagne tissé follows the Senegalese litterally from the craddle to the grave.
When a baby is born, a woman in the family makes sort of a blanket that the mother will use to wrap the baby on her back for a few years. Pagne tissè is gifted for weddings and during the funeral service the pagne (piece of cloth) is used to cover the body of the deceased and then used for a ritual to make sure the family is not haunted but rather keeps the good memories of the departed.
Scarf in Pagne tissé (the Golò Scarf) are all over the place as soon as it gets chilly here, between december and march. Women from all demographics and social status use them, but pagne tissé is also used to make accessories and other garments.