The most prominent adornment in Zulu traditional dresses are iconic circular-shaped hats called izicolo, which are worn by married women. These hats were traditionally made of grass and cotton and measured as much as a metre across to protect the wearer from the sun.
In Zulu culture, women also wear different attire to indicate the different stages of their lives. A single young woman wears her hair short and only a short grass-reed skirt
embellished with beads, while engaged women will cover their breasts and grow their hair. The grass reed skirt 
has now been replaced with the common zulu pleated skirts.
A married woman is required to cover her entire body to indicate that she is now married and no longer available for potential suitors. She wears a thick cowhide skirt that has been softened with animal fat and charcoal. Click here to see Modern Zulu Dresses