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Sañse: Dressing for Success
Sañse, pronounced "sahn-say," is a Wolof concept derived from the French term changer -- to change or transform -- referring to the many times a woman changes outfits at an important event. Beyond its basic definition of "dressing up," sañse also alludes to the presentation of an extraordinary public self -- an extreme performance of elegance and sophistication that typically includes the embroidered boubous, gold jewelry, elaborate coiffures, and headscarves representative of a woman's finest ceremonial garb. Head to toe, everything must be perfect and complete -- down to the flapping of leather sandals and tinkling of gold bracelets.
Underneath this physical appearance are layers of localized implicit knowledge and networks of gift giving. Through their ensembles, some Senegalese women powerfully manipulate fashion for sociopolitical and economic ends in the changing and fractured urban centers of Senegal. |