Elegance and colour are simply the description of Buganda Kingdom’s traditional garment, the gomesi or bodingi. No traditional function in central Uganda and many other parts of the country is complete without women immaculately dressed in the gomesi — the fabulous floor-length brightly coloured dress with a square neckline and short puffed sleeves.

The traditional marriage ceremony is one such function where the gomesi is a must.

Dressing up in a gomesi is tedious and time consuming because of the different pieces of cloth that accompany it. Before the gomesi, you need to wear a kikooyi, the thick cotton fabric worn underneath.

The kikooyi is wrapped around the body several times. It is tied with a string or belt around the waist to ensure it is firm.

“A kikooyi is worn underneath the gomesi to give it shape, and is worn with a three to four metres sash (ekitambala) made from slightly heavier embellished fabric tied around the waist with a ‘square knot’ to hold the flowing outfit firmly together,”