St.Lucia’s Original National Wear | The Wob Dwiyet

Before the current national cultural wear, the Madras, there was the Wob Dwiyet. It is from the Wob Dwiyet that the Madras national dress was born.

Pictured members of Les Fleurs Sessenne (Royalty)

So what are the origins of the Wob Dwiyet?

In the18th century, French women wore a similar outfit. So on feast days, the slaves who were free ditched their uniforms and used the little money that they made from selling their small garden alottments to make these beautiful French inspired dresses. They wore it with lots of jewelry –long necklaces and large earrings or ‘glanglan’ as the older folks would say.

The Wob Dwiyet has a:

• zepeng twanblanc – brooch on head piece
• zanno chinil- earrings
• kolye chou – neck collar
• gwan wob – grand dress
• jupon akodyon – accordion skirt
• latje jwanwob – hem/ overlap over arm
• foula – scarf
• tet anle or tet kase – head dress

So Manmay LaKay if you’re wondering where these beautiful dresses stemmed from, there you have it. Now you’re in the know.