The Dinka tribe of
Southern Sudan have been inspiring the fashion scene with their renowned Dinka corset.
The Dinka corset, called the
Manlual, is worn by men to indicate their wealth in the (usually counted by the
size of their herd). The female version of the corset is called the Alual and
isn’t a corset at all, but a necklace.
The corsets are
made of colourful beautiful beads and are sewn around a young Dinka boy at a
very early age. He never takes it off. As he grows older and richer, more beads
are woven at the back while he’s still wearing it. The richer he is, the higher
the back of the corset. The Manlual can be taken off after marriage, so the man
could wear it for about 20 years before he ever takes off his corset.
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| Manlual corset |
The female equivalent, the Alual, is made up of tiny glass beads with
cowries woven in to increase fertility. The Alual also is an indication of the
wealth of the woman’s family – the fuller it is, the richer she is. Like the
men, she wears the corset from when she is a little girl till her wedding,
never taking it off.
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| Alual |
