See also
Tailored Clothing
Introduction:
 The dress code for Gambia is very important so you should at
least take some tips below regarding acceptable types of
clothing particularly when out in public.
Take along
lightweight woolen jumpers or a jacket for the cool evenings
during the months
of November to March. Although dress in the beach hotels is very
informal, ladies should avoid wearing bikinis or going out
topless outside the hotel grounds or beaches.
Tourist Advice:
 A modest
dress code is advised in all public places and you should
preferably at least wear a sarong or other wrap that comes down
to your knees and cover your top half at least up to the elbows
though there is no need to cover you head. In the hotels resorts
and beaches
you can wear a bikini as this is acceptable but not out and
about in public. Gambia is predominantly a Muslim country. One
interesting point of note is that whereas European men find the
exposure of the female breasts provocative it is much less so in
Gambia. That doesn't mean to say women walk around topless
though it is not uncommon to see a topless woman working
uncovered in a village setting for example. Therefore topless
sunbathing isn't seen as such a big deal. Thighs however, are
provocative to Gambian males so do cover down to you knees at
least when in public. As a toubab, its best to be more
conservative than you would at home in the summer time. Men
should refrain from walking the streets bare-chested, as men
going around half-naked are mostly thought insane (toubabs might
be excused on the basis that we are though crazy anyway). As
general rule for females, the more you reveal, the more
(unwanted) attention you’ll receive; it's best to wear skirts or
(capris/pants as a second option) that extend to the knee or
below, except when exercising or at the beach. Above the waist,
use conservative judgment, and observe the how Gambian women
wear Western clothing—it’s rare to see Gambians in spaghetti
straps.
Traditional Dress Code:
 The traditional kind of
clothing for Gambian women and men tends to be long and free
flowing clothes. For women they tend to wear clothes down to
their feet as well as up to their wrists. This is called a
grandmuba which comes with an under garment called a malan
which is a couple of metres of cloth which is wrapped around the
waist as an underskirt. Such traditional apparel tends to come
in a multitude of vivid
 colours, waxes and designs. The
essential point is that such clothing should cover most parts of
your body except for the hands and feet. Ladies should cover
their heads with a headdress called a musorr or Tiko. African
women in the homes, doing chores or cooking, often wear a
combination of Western and Africa styles, with tee-shirts or
other blouse plus a wrapper. When out in public, women are more
often seen in traditional garb (blouse and skirt from often
brightly coloured fabric, plus head wraps) than in Western wear,
though many businesswomen will wear Western-style dresses with
an African flare. As with men,
 young women and girls are seen in
American-style clothing more often than the older ladies do. For
special occasions, such as weddings or naming ceremonies, both
men and women usually abandon the plain cotton and opt for
African clothing made from beautifully coloured and embroidered
fabric, sometimes interwoven with strands of glimmering threads.
Keeping in line with the Muslim faith many men tend to
 wear the Kaftan
(pronounced Haftan) which is worn
in a very similar way to the grandmuba. It is a full-dress,
ankle-length, long-sleeve clothing which is also known as the
fataro, jalabe or shabado. A variation of this is the 3 piece
suit called nyeti abdu which comes with trousers called a chaya
or the waramba. Such dress for men is very often embroidered in
elaborate gold coloured thread on the chest area and sometimes
the end of the sleeves and back area. This male attire is topped
off with a skull cap which is also usually embroidered in
elaborate designs along the rim. African men are most often seen
in Western-style clothing, especially the younger crowd, but
there are some that always wear African style clothing of pants
with matching, lengthy top, called a halftan. Many males wear a
halftan or waramba (a more loose-fitting robe) on Fridays,
dressing up for the customary visit to the mosque. One of the
most notable things about men’s fashion is the colour of the
clothing. While few American males would feel comfortable in
magenta or baby violet, clothing for men is perfectly acceptable
in any colour in The Gambia, pastels and all shades of pink not
withstanding. Live it up, guys! Before such clothing can be
worn it is usually waxed and beaten with wooden mallets to
create a stiff shiny cloth.
Schoolchildren wear uniforms
to classes, whether they receive a private or public
education—girls in dresses and boys in shirt and shorts, both
with the name of their school featured on a breast pocket.
Hair
Hairstyles come in a
large variety of styles and patterns
 and
is akin to a work of art. The styles come by the names jerreh,
duni-bally, armandija, berti and so on. Traditional hairstyles
of the Jola tend to include beads and other jewellery tied into
the hair itself. Hair extensions are de rigueur for most young
women who will often be seen without any headdress. Rasta and
straight hair extensions are the most popular among women and
can be found for sale in cosmetic shops, street hawkers and
tailor's shops.
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