African Wear

Stylish Traditional Ethiopian Netela

The Traditional Ethiopian Netela is a scarf made from two layers of cotton which are thin and delicate to the consistency of gauze. It has colorful edges known as tibébé which partly frame the faces of the wearers.

The Netela is worn by both Ethiopian and Eritrean women of all ages, both young and old around their hairstyles and dresses. The scarves which are similar to a white veil are worn as part of their religious cultures to church and public gatherings.

In Ethiopia and Eritrea, Netela or Netsela is a name given to a piece of woven fabric with colorful patterns at its borders. The fashion accessory is a women’s wardrobe item that sometimes finds its way to the men’s

The technique used for making the traditional Ethiopian Netela is the Ethiopian cotton spinning process. It is the same method that is used for spinning cotton into Gabi and Kuta cultural clothes.

The long flowing skirt of the habesha kemis dress is a representation of the love and pride of Ethiopia. It marks both the feminine and strong sides of an African woman.

With the numerous ways that you can rock your Netela, we thought to share some pictures that you can take inspos from. Keep scrolling!