"Traditional Bahian dress" Bahian dress Tip by toonsarah

Bahian dress, Salvador da Bahia: 4 reviews and 4 photos

Lady in Bahian costume

by toonsarah

All over the older part of Salvador, and especially in Pelorinho, you will see women dressed in the traditional style. Some of these work in the tourist-aimed shops, e.g. crafts, and wear the dress to attract customers, while others pose on street corners and hope to earn money by being photographed. Unlike in Havana, where a similar custom prevails, the women are quite aggressive in their “sales technique”, so I found myself trying to bypass it and take a few shots for free!

The dress, like so much else in Salvador, has its origins in Africa and in slavery – costumes similar to this would have been worn by slave women. It consists of a colourful turban-style headdress, a full dress with starched skirts, a shawl and plenty of jewellery.

Review Helpfulness: 4 out of 5 stars

Written Jan 26, 2008
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Written Jan 26, 2008

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balhannah Sep 5, 2012 at 8:00 PM

Glad you snuck in a photo. A really interesting style of clothing.

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Bahian dress 4 Reviews, 4 Photos

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