Are there actually people who prefer wearing something else over a baati? Like when that option is in front of you and you pick something else? If so, how and why? On a serious note, it is really fascinating that the Somalis back home and in the diaspora, have the baati/sheed as a common article of clothing that identifies us as people from the same community, folks of the same nation.  

It is a piece in every luggage we pack, an item in every clean laundry we stack, and a gift we often bring back when we visit home. It is something that you invite your guests to change into when they visit. Its one-size-fits-all makes it accessible to all, perfectly adorning anyone who wears it, no matter the size or height. It is our familiar dress, comforting and comfortable to wear.  

Recently, when attempting to write a blog piece for loungewear around the world, it occurred to me that there truly was not a clothing item like the baati. Somali women and girls, no matter where they are in the world, no matter what their outdoor clothing style is, pretty much all wear a baati at home. For a cultural piece of clothing to be kept alive is well… rare. What began as a simple observation, subsequently turned into a question. Why do we still wear them? And are there other cultures that have preserved their traditional loungewear? 

Once upon a time, cultures stood distinct in architecture, food, and particularly in how they dress. The world was filled with various hues, patterns, and textiles, and while traveling through the lands, the distinction of clothes could help identify groups of people as belonging to the same community. But in the current age of globalization, what of that remains? If globalisation has caused the extinction of a marker of culture and identity, it is the loss of traditional cultural wear. How often do you see traditional cultural clothes in professional settings? Or as part of daily streetwear? 

Modernisation somehow meant dressing the same and we could go into how that came to be, but that’s a different topic. Traditional clothing has been relegated to the sidelines, reserved only for weddings and cultural festivities. The clothes that stood the test of time and have persisted in being worn daily are few and far between. The most notable being the Gho and Kira of Bhutan, the Arabian Thobe, the South Asian Sari and Salwar Khamees, and our very own Baati (not an exhaustive list). As a traditional loungewear, the baati does not get much recognition as it is not visible outside of the home. But it is a staple piece worn by millions of women in the Somali peninsula and adopted by many in east Africa. It is a piece often gifted, introducing new people to the Somali culture, and is gaining popularity as a result. 

Why do you think we have kept the culture of wearing a baati alive and why has it survived when so many cultural clothing from around the world did not make it? What other cultural clothing survived globalisation just like the baati? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below or with the hashtag #baatiappreciation. Also keep an eye out for our upcoming short video series on Instagram, Tiktok, and YouTube where we will be following the day in the life of baati wearers around the world!