Colorful clothing during Keti Koti: ‘Women could communicate with each other this way’

It has been 151 years since slavery was abolished in the Netherlands. Every year, large groups of people come together to celebrate and commemorate this.

During the event, several women wear traditional clothing called ‘koto’. “The koto originally comes from Suriname,” says Andy Arduin, owner of the Afro and Surinamese costume brand Sanisa. “The costume consists of a five-piece dress: a headscarf, jacket, skirt, shoulder cloth and a cloth around your waist that functions as a belt.”

“The Afro-Surinamese were very creative,” Arduin continues. “They adopted different styles from each other.” Although the traditional costume also has a word-of-mouth advertisement that describes a darker edge about the origin of this traditional costume. “It is said that the white woman was jealous of the curves of the dark woman, and that is why the slaves had to wear this clothing.” However, it has not yet been scientifically proven that this is actually the case.

Communicating with each other through clothing

Arduin further explains that the dress can also be used to communicate with each other. “Through the different patterns on the dress, women can express that they have a certain identity. It sometimes looks like a kind of comic strip.” Certain figures on the costume can say something about the place where someone comes from, for example. And the color of the dress can say something about their age. “A 60-year-old woman wears purple, for example.”

The shape of the headscarf, also called ‘angisa’, can also have certain symbolic meanings. The National Institute for Dutch Slavery History and Heritage describes that there are different ways in which enslaved women folded the headscarves. This way they could share certain hidden messages with each other, such as: ‘Wait for me on the corner’, or: ‘Let them talk.’

More color after the abolition of slavery

The pieces of cloth of the enslaved women were often white or blue. It was only after slavery that costumes became more colorful. “Then more people could afford it,” says Arduin.

According to Arduin, the costume is mainly worn during festive events. “During Keti Koti or a birthday, for example.” But according to him, it can also be worn more often. “As far as I’m concerned, they wear it every day. Just like, for example, a woman with a headscarf wears it every day.”