60+ latest ankara skirt and blouse styles for the trendy woman in 2024
Ankara is undeniably one of the most popular materials in today's African fashion scene. The material's versatility makes it easy to design into wide-ranging outfits, including those of men, women, and children. The Ankara skirt and blouse combination is among the most common outfits made from the material. What are the latest Ankara styles in 2024? Akinyemi Barakat, Content Creator and Social Media Manager at Losode Inc., shares her expertise on the latest trends in Ankara skirt and blouse styles.
Source: Instagram
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The blouse and skirt combination is extremely versatile, making it one of the most preferred among trendy modern-day women. From simple Ankara skirt and blouse styles to sophisticated ones oozing elegance, there is something for every type of woman.
Trendy Ankara skirt and blouse styles for 2024
In an interview with Legit.ng, Akinyemi Barakat, Content Creator and Social Media Manager at Losode Inc., highlighted the most fashionable Ankara skirt and blouse styles for 2024. She pointed out that the fringe set is the standout trend, combining traditional patterns with modern, playful elements. As shown below, the fringe set showcases how Ankara fabric can be both vibrant and stylish.
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General Ankara tips
Beyond style, Akinyemi provides essential tips on maintaining Ankara fabric to ensure its longevity and vibrancy:
Maintenance of Ankara fabrics with delicate stone embellishments
Akinyemi advises the following care practices:
- Handwashing and Gentle Washing: Avoid using a washing machine, as it can remove the stones.
- Avoid Soaking with Detergents: This can damage the fabric quality and cause it to fade. Prolonged soaking can also remove the stones.
- Ironing: Iron your Ankara fabric with stones on it from the reverse side to prevent damage.
Distinguishing Fakes from Originals
Akinyemi also shares tips on how to spot genuine Ankara fabric. She said:
- Texture: The quality of Ankara can often be determined by its feel. High-quality Ankara will have a distinct, superior texture.
- Price: While higher prices can indicate better quality, it's not a definitive marker.
- Weight of the Fabric: Genuine Ankara fabric tends to be heavier.
- Colors: The vibrancy and consistency of the colors are key indicators.
- Inspect the Reverse Side: A high-quality Ankara will have a backside that closely resembles the front. If the back is stark white, it's likely lower quality and should be avoided unless specifically desired.
The latest Ankara skirt and blouse designs for 2024
Here is a look at the latest Ankara styles in 2024 for ladies' skirts and blouses.
The mini skirt
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The mini skirt has been a mainstay of numerous fashion scenes across the world. The short length of the skirt allows the wearer to flaunt their legs and add to their sense of fashion and style. When choosing the ideal short Ankara designs for skirts and blouses, one must consider their body shape.
For a classic look, go for a blouse with bold patterns and vibrant colours and a skirt with more muted colours and patterns.
Bold colours and patterns
Source: Instagram
Much of Africa's fashion industry is made up of fabrics with bold colours and patterns. These include the popular Ankara and dashiki from West Africa, the kitenge from East Africa, and the magnificent robes synonymous with North African fashion.
With the fabric providing visual appeal, one is free to choose from a wide range of Ankara blouse styles for this combination. Some popular ones include the body-hugging blouse, the off-shoulder, single-strap, and the strapless designs. The accompanying skirt can be designed into varying lengths depending on one's fashion preferences.
Peplum Ankara skirt and blouse designs in 2024
Source: Instagram
The latest peplum Ankara skirt and blouse designs are quite simply a work of art. A peplum is a short, gathered, slightly flared strip of fabric attached at the waist of a woman's blouse, skirt, or dress.
Since its inception, this design has continued to gain fans in fashion industries across the globe. The peplum is said to greatly enhance a lady's feminine features, making it one of the favourites in today's fashion scene.
The peplum Ankara designs for the skirt and blouse combinations are among the best looking and easiest to pull off. You can choose to have the peplum on the blouse only, skirt only, or both.
Pencil skirt and blouse styles
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A pencil skirt is a close-fitting skirt that hangs straight down or tapers toward the hem. This style is incredibly popular, especially when it comes to Ankara. When looking for the perfect Ankara skirt and blouse styles for a wedding, the pencil design is among the best to consider.
The wearer's preferences largely determine the skirt's length.
Half Ankara
Source: Instagram
African printed fabric is renowned for its bold colours, patterns, and vibrance. For some people, though, wearing a full printed fabric outfit can be too much. In such a case, the best option is usually the half-Ankara look. This means you have a skirt made from printed fabric and a blouse made from some other plain material or vice-versa. The plain half tones down the printed fabric's vibrance.
Long and medium designs
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While the mini skirt has been known to be incredibly flattering, not everyone feels comfortable wearing skirts that short. For people with such reservations, the medium and long skirt designs become an appealing option.
Anyone looking for Ankara skirt and blouse styles for an elderly woman will also find the long designs quite nice.
Slits and pleats
Source: Instagram
Slits and pleats have been part of the female fashion industry for decades now. In some instances, slits help enhance easy movement, while in others, they are incorporated for visual appeal.
One can choose to have their pleated or slit dress in whatever length appeal to their fashion sense.
All-matching
If you are looking to go all-in, feel free to try the all-matching design. This will have you wear a skirt, blouse, shoes, and accessories in the same colour scheme.
How do you maintain Ankara fabric?
On is advised to use cold or lukewarm water when washing and rinsing outfits made from printed fabric. You can also add a tablespoon of salt into the washing and rinsing water to seal the fabric colours and prevent them from bleeding.
How do you know if Ankara material is good?
You can use the water absorption test to gauge the material's quality. You can try this out by putting a drop of water on your African printed fabric. If the water is easily absorbed, that's a pointer to the material being of good quality. If the water drop remains on the material for a while, then it might not be the best quality.
What is so special about Ankara fabric?
The fabric is known for its colourful African prints and is deeply associated with African clothing.
There are numerous Ankara skirt and blouse designs for ladies to choose from in today's fashion scene. One can choose from the mini, maxi, peplum, pleated, half-Ankara, and medium-length skirts. The versatility of this material makes it suitable for any woman.
READ ALSO: 60+ best Nigerian Ankara styles catalogue for ladies 2022
Legit.ng recently explored the best Ankara styles for ladies in 2022. Ankara refers to the native wear made from African printed fabric. Today, it comprises some of the most popular and versatile outfits for men, women, and children.
Ankara has, for decades, been a favourite for women looking to give their outfits an African touch. Today, one can find Ankara dresses, skirts, trousers, shorts, and numerous accessories. This guide has you covered if you have been looking for an updated Nigerian Ankara styles catalogue.
Source: Legit.ng
Jackline Wangare (Lifestyle writer) Jackline Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng, where she has worked since mid-2021. She tackles diverse topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. Previously, she worked at The Campanile by Kenyatta University. She has more than five years in writing. Jackline graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (2019) and a Diploma in Marketing (2015) from Kenyatta University. In 2023, Jackline finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques and Google News Initiative course in 2024. Email: simwajackie2022@gmail.com.
Adrianna Simwa (Lifestyle writer) Adrianna Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng where she has worked since mid-2022. She has written for many periodicals on a variety of subjects, including news, celebrities, and lifestyle, for more than three years. She has worked for The Hoth, The Standard Group and Triple P Media. Adrianna graduated from Nairobi University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2020. In 2023, Simwa finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her through her email: adriannasimwa@gmail.com
