Kitenge Report

I promised to report back on the kitenge dresses that Anna and I ordered during our Christmas shopping excursion (which you can read about here). We picked them up today, and they are so cute! The tops on all three were a bit different than we expected. For two of them, it was a nice surprise. For the third, alterations were quickly accomplished and everything is good.

Here are pictures of the finished dresses. We thought we'd try some of the dramatic, fashion magazine poses that are popular here in Tanzania when you take pictures of your friends (or pictures to post on Facebook).

 

This pose, in addition to being dramatic, shows off my car. I was expecting short sleeves, a v-neck, and no ruffle at the collar. But I love it anyway! The skirt is just as ordered. I asked them to shorten it a couple of inches (the hem was hitting the ground), and they took care of it while we waited.

Anna's car was in the shop, so she posed with her Christmas tree, which has strawberry-shaped flashing lights.

Here's a better look at her dress. The top turned out to be ruched with rows of elastic stitching, which was a total surprise. But she loves it! I think she is stunning in this dress.

She picked this one up on Christmas Eve. It had huge puffy short sleeves cuffed with blue ribbon. She thought the sleeves looked "too '80's." She brought it back today and asked them to change the sleeves, which they did while we were out at lunch.  Now she loves it!

That's all for now. Happy New Year everybody everywhere! I hope to see you here again next year.