Boubou (clothing)

Its origin lies with the clothing style of the Mande, Songhai-Zarma, Hausa, Kanuri, Toubou, and other trans-Saharan and Sahelian trading groups who used the robe as a practical means of protection from both elements (the harsh sun of the day and sub-freezing temperatures at night) while traversing the Sahara desert.

Boubou is usually decorated with intricate embroidery, and is worn on special religious or ceremonial occasions, such as the two Islamic Eid festivals, weddings, funerals or for attending the Mosque for Friday prayer.

Boubou as a full formal attire consists of three pieces of clothing: a pair of tie-up trousers that narrow towards the ankles known as a ṣòkòtò (pronounced "shokoto" in Yoruba), a long-sleeved shirt and a wide, open-stitched sleeveless gown worn over these.

This can include folding the open sleeves of the boubou over one's shoulders, normally done while walking or before sitting down, to ensure the over-gown does not rub against the ground, or by folding/wrapping each side over the other with the hand, narrowing the gown's space toward the ankles (as done by the Tuareg people).

Through this, the boubou was historically worn by chiefs of the Songhai of Niger and Mali, Kanuri, Hausa, Dagomba of Ghana, the Mandinka of the Gambia, the Susu of Guinea and the Temnes of Sierra Leone.