The universal act of dressing -- shared by both men and women, young andold, rich and poor, minority and majority -- has shaped human interactions, communicated hopes and fears about the future, and embodied what it means to beSomali. Heather Marie Akou mines politics and history in this rich and compellingstudy of Somali material culture. Akou explores the evolution of Somali folk dress, the role of the Somali government in imposing styles of dress, competing forms ofIslamic dress, and changes in Somali fashion in the U.S. With the collapse of theSomali state, Somalis continue a connection with their homeland and communitythrough what they wear every day.