It is that time of the year again wherever you turn there is a marriage, giveaway, or introduction ceremony taking place. Hotels, event organisers and tailors wait for this period with great expectations.
For many indeed, this is a period to get hold of the most fashionable traditional attire(s), to take them through the function-packed season.
And for many this usually means getting a Gomasi.
The Gomesi is Uganda’s certified traditional dress for women. It is considered the official dress in more than ten cultures in Uganda including the Baganda, Basoga, Acholi, Langi,
Bagwere, Itesots, Banyole, Gishu and several other cultures.
At many traditional or cultural ceremonies such as introductions , women do their best to outdo each other in donning the Gomasi made out the most expensive material.
But achieveing that perfect look in a Gomasi, is not a cup of coffee. It requires some knowhow in the way it’s wrapped around the woman’s body to give someone the authentic appearance required by tradition.
To achieve the genuine look, there are other under garments that a woman must put on first. The Kikoy, a tough form of cotton garment, that is worn before one puts on the Gomasi, is a very important undergarment. One , it helps to hold firm the usually silky Gomasi from falling off, known as Okuggumira is Kiganda speak. But also, it helps to give the person a nice rounded appearance expected of a woman.
Out of ignorance perhaps, many young women from the corporate world these days tend to ignore the Kikoyi, something that makes them look awful and haggard.
Dancehall queen Cindy Sanyu’s awful look at last week’s highly publicised introduction ceremony of Dr. Hamza Ssebunnya by Rema Namakula in Nabbingo, may be a vivid illustration of the importance of the Kikoyi. Besides the apparent outsized nature of the Gomasi,
Cindy clearly violated the etiquette of traditional Gomasi dressing by ignoring the Kikoyi.
Matters are made much worse for these slay queens, when one is not naturally endowed with a sizeable bum.
Our mothers used to keep the Kikoyi a sheet form which they would carefully wrap around before putting on the Gomasi.
Thanks to simple Innovations, it is now possible to get skirts made out of Kikoyi material that one simply pulls on.
