A lapa is the krio word for a cloth that is wrapped around the waist and worn by girls and women in Sierra Leone (and most African countries); boys/men also wear lapas, mostly in the rural areas though. It can be tied with the cloth itself, but I prefer lapas that have strings on them because I feel that it is more secure than the bulky cloth tied. After wrapping, it looks just like a skirt and is very comfortable. I do not wear it often, but when I do, I LOVE it! I love wearing *Africanas but sometimes they tend to be too extravagant, so what I've been doing is wearing regular shirts/tops with lapas; lapas usually come with their own Africana tops. The pictures below were what I wore to my university's African Students Association cookout this afternoon. I didn't want to go all out, but still represent. In case you can't tell, the orange "skirt" is THE LAPA.
Tip: There are some people that complain that when they tie lapas, they find it difficult to walk. When I was younger, the trick my lovely grandma taught me is that when you are about to wrap it around your waist, one must stand with their legs wide open. Therefore, after it's wrapped, there'll be a lot of space with the lapa and one can walk freely with whatever large or average strides one walks with. Brilliant right? I know, you're welcome :)
*Africana: Sierra Leonean word for African clothes/prints
P.S.: September is African Heritage Month.
Lady Felicia - My President
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