Collection of Zulu traditional outfit from Nelisiwe Sibiya AKA Dr Mbali Mthetwa.
Nelisiwe Sibiya who is well known for acting on Durban is very proud South African. She loves her culture so much that each and every time she dressed in different style of Zulu tradition. Proudly being Zulu she is not afraid to dress according to her culture. The actress is known by acting as Dr Mbali Mthetwa on Durban Gen but here is her real character.
Traditional Zulu Attire for women
The most prominent adornment in Zulu traditional dresses are iconic circular-shaped hats called isicholo, which are worn by married women.
Ischolo were originally made of grass and cotton. They measured as much as a metre across to protect the women from the sun. Zulu women also wear different attire to indicate the different stages of their lives.
Also read: Khanyi Mbau on whether Kudzai is a fugitive: ‘I literally don’t care.’
Apart from the Ischolo, a married woman also wears a thick cowhide skirt that has been softened with animal fat and charcoal, she is required to cover her entire body to indicate that she is now married and no longer available for potential suitors. Single young women who are not yet married wear their hair short, topless with a short grass-reed skirt embellished with beads. Engaged women cover their breasts and grow their hair.
The grass reed skirt Modern Zulu Dress has now been replaced with the common zulu pleated skirts. Traditionally, Zulu women covered their bosom with a cloth, but nowadays, the simple cloth used to cover their breats has been replaced with cotton vests or beaded bras are which are worn along with colourful beaded necklaces.
This is collection of pictures of Nelisiwe Sibiya dressed in her Zulu culture.
