As soon as you cross the border into Lesotho, you can’t help but notice that nearly every man, woman, and child is wearing a blanket over their clothes.
The “Basotho Blanket” is part of the national identity. There’s a Lesotho saying that you should always travel with a blanket and a knife – then you can sleep and eat no matter where you are. However, wearing the Basotho blanket is much more than just a practicality.
The story goes that in 1860, a trader came to Lesotho and gave the King, Moshoeshoe I, a blanket as a gift. The King wrapped it around his shoulders and wore it often in that manner. Eventually it became a fashion that the population started to emulate.
The temperatures in Lesotho can get quite low – prior to the blanket fashion, the people wore handmade animals skins over other clothes to keep warm.
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| Our friend, Pulani, wearing the buffalo skin wrap given to her grandmother upon the birth of her first child. |
However, there were fewer and fewer wild animals in Lesotho so animal skins became scarce. At the same time, in the late 1800’s, weavers in Great Britain realized that the Lesotho market could be profitable and began to ship wool and cotton blankets to Lesotho.
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| The "Victoria" blanket – in honor of the English Monarch |
One South African company, Frasier’s, was trading with the British weavers and created blankets with their name and label. Before long, the Frasier’s label became a status symbol in Lesotho.
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| This pattern symbolizes the fire that is essential to life in Lesotho. |
The designs of these blankets are only produced with the permission of the royal family of Lesotho. A limited number of each design is produced each year. We were fortunate enough to learn about the history and many of the patterns from Pulani. Some examples:
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| The Seanamarena pattern, showcasing corn, a part of Basotho daily life. |
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| The Morena pattern with playing cards to symbolize the influence of the west on Lesotho. |
The original Basotho blankets are made of 87.5% wool and 12.5% cotton. The wool is not only warm, but doesn’t absorb water – ideal for the climate in Lesotho.
The company that now holds the license to produce and sell these blankets in Lesotho is Aranda.
Aranda also produces a line of blankets in several patterns made of acrylic called Khotso, which means “Peace” in Basotho.
These blankets are much less expensive and make the national fashion accessible to people of all economic means.
The number of blankets produced and sold each year is controlled and demand far exceeds supply. Hundreds of thousands of these blankets are sold in Lesotho each year. People wait for a particular pattern to hit the market each season. Most Basotho own many blankets – on special occasions, they may wear more than one. They are often given as gifts for weddings, births, and other big events. The stores have huge displays offering many patterns while supplies are available.
In addition to the many symbolic patterns, there is a simple grey and black wool blanket, “Aranda grey,” that is often worn by the shepherds as it less expensive and doesn’t show dirt.
This one was my favorite. . .I’m a simple girl!
But, a traditional Basotho wardrobe isn’t complete without the Basotho hat.
The Mokorotlo is Lesotho’s traditional hat – it’s hand woven from local grasses and is worn throughout the country as a sun shade. The shape of the hat is said to be modeled after Qiloane, a conical mountain visible from the mountain stronghold of Lesotho’s first king.
If you see someone walking down the street wrapped in a blanket (pinned over the left shoulder) and wearing a conical grass hat, say “Lumela” (“Hello” in Sesotho) as they are most likely from Lesotho!
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