10 Ankara Styles You Need to Try
If you have never owned a single piece of Ankara fabric, consider this your official invitation to change that immediately. And if you already have a few Ankara pieces hanging in your wardrobe — this is your sign to go deeper, get bolder, and try something you have not attempted before.
Ankara is more than just fabric. It is a whole mood. A whole identity. A visual language spoken fluently across West Africa and increasingly understood by the rest of the world. The bold geometric patterns, the rich saturated colors, the way it holds its shape and catches light — there is nothing quite like it in fashion anywhere on the planet.
But knowing that Ankara is beautiful and knowing how to actually wear it are two different things. So here are 10 Ankara styles that you genuinely need to try — each one a different way to experience what this incredible fabric can do.
1. The Ankara Wrap Skirt with a White Tee
Start here if you are new to Ankara. This combination is the most accessible, most wearable, and honestly one of the most stylish ways to introduce African print into your everyday wardrobe. A bold Ankara wrap skirt — midi or maxi length — paired with the simplest white tee you own.
That is it. That is the whole outfit.
The white tee does something important here. It gives the eye a place to rest before the print takes over completely. It creates balance. It makes the Ankara skirt feel like a deliberate style choice rather than an overwhelming statement. And the wrap silhouette itself is universally flattering — it ties at the waist, creates natural definition, and moves beautifully when you walk.
Choose a wrap skirt in a print that has at least one warm tone — rust, gold, terracotta, mustard — and it will work with virtually any white tee in your wardrobe. Add white sneakers for a casual daytime look or strappy gold sandals when you want to dress it up slightly.
Why you need to try it: This is Ankara at its most wearable. Low effort, high impact, endlessly versatile.
2. The Ankara Blazer Over Everything
Take any outfit you already love and throw an Ankara blazer over it. Jeans and a tee — better. A slip dress — suddenly incredible. Wide-leg trousers and a fitted top — now a full fashion moment.
The Ankara blazer is the single most versatile African print piece you can own because it works as a layer over practically anything. The structure of the blazer silhouette gives the bold print a framework — it keeps the look sharp and intentional rather than loose and casual.
Right now the most exciting Ankara blazers feature oversized shoulders, cinched waists, or cropped lengths that hit just above the hip. Any of these details take a classic blazer silhouette and push it into genuinely contemporary territory while the Ankara fabric roots it in something deeper and more meaningful.
Why you need to try it: One Ankara blazer can transform your entire existing wardrobe without you buying a single other new piece.
3. The Full Ankara Co-ord Set
Matching sets are one of the strongest trends in fashion right now — and in Ankara fabric, they reach their full potential. A matching Ankara top and trouser set, or a crop top and midi skirt combination, cut from the same bold print creates a look that is completely cohesive and visually striking from head to toe.
The beauty of a co-ord set is that the hard work is already done for you. The colors match because they come from the same fabric. The prints align because they were cut from the same bolt. All you need to do is put them on, add a pair of shoes, and walk out the door looking like you planned every single detail for an hour.
Wide-leg trousers with a matching wrap top. A fitted crop top with a full midi skirt. A relaxed boxy top with matching straight-leg trousers. All of these variations work beautifully in Ankara and each one creates a slightly different energy — from relaxed and casual to polished and formal.
Why you need to try it: A well-fitted Ankara co-ord set is one of the most powerful outfits you can own. It looks expensive, feels comfortable, and photographs like a dream.
Explore stylish inspiration in 13 African Inspired Outfit Ideas.
4. The Ankara Peplum Top with Jeans
If you want to dip your toe into Ankara without committing to a full outfit, the peplum top is your perfect starting point. An Ankara peplum top — fitted at the chest and waist, then flaring outward at the hip in that signature peplum ruffle — worn over your favorite straight-leg or slim jeans is a combination that is both familiar and fresh.
The jeans ground the boldness of the Ankara print and keep the look casual enough for everyday wear. The peplum detail adds femininity and movement. And the Ankara fabric turns what would otherwise be a basic outfit into something genuinely memorable.
This style works especially well in prints that feature warm, rich tones — deep reds, golds, burnt oranges — because they sit beautifully against the dark indigo of classic denim.
Why you need to try it: The Ankara peplum top is the easiest way to wear African print in a casual, everyday context without the look feeling overdressed or out of place.
5. The Ankara Maxi Dress
A floor-length Ankara maxi dress is one of those outfits that does absolutely everything for you. The silhouette is already dramatic. The fabric is already beautiful. The color is already bold. All you have to do is wear it.
The most popular Ankara maxi dress styles right now feature fitted bodices with flared skirts, off-shoulder necklines, or side slits that add movement and reveal just enough leg to keep the look dynamic rather than heavy. Any of these details take a simple maxi silhouette and make it feel current and fashion-forward.
This is the dress you reach for when you have a celebration to attend and you want to look extraordinary without spending hours getting ready. A pair of heeled sandals, some gold jewelry, and a quick headwrap if you are feeling it — and the look is complete in minutes.
Why you need to try it: Every woman needs at least one Ankara maxi dress in her wardrobe. It is the African print equivalent of a little black dress — reliable, beautiful, and always exactly right.
6. The Ankara Shirt Dress Belted at the Waist
A relaxed, oversized Ankara shirt dress worn loose is lovely. The same dress belted at the waist with a wide leather or fabric belt is a completely different and arguably more exciting outfit. The belt creates structure, defines the waist, and transforms a casual silhouette into something that feels intentional and polished.
Choose a shirt dress in a print with a strong geometric pattern — one that has clean lines and bold color blocking — and the belted silhouette will look incredibly sharp. The contrast between the relaxed, oversized cut of the dress and the defined waist created by the belt is where the visual magic of this style lives.
This works beautifully for daytime events, creative workplaces, and casual dinners where you want to look put-together without feeling overdressed.
Why you need to try it: Learning to belt an oversized dress is one of the easiest styling skills you can develop, and in Ankara fabric, the results are consistently stunning.
7. The Ankara Mini Skirt and Matching Crop Top
Bold, playful, and completely unapologetic — the Ankara mini skirt and matching crop top combination is for the woman who knows exactly who she is and dresses accordingly. The mini length shows off your legs. The crop top shows a sliver of waist. The matching Ankara print ties it all together into a cohesive look that feels young, energetic, and completely alive.
This style has exploded on social media recently and it is easy to understand why. It photographs beautifully, it moves well, and it carries that unmistakable Ankara energy in the most direct, fearless way possible.
Wear it with strappy heeled sandals for maximum impact or chunky white sneakers if you want to lean into a more street-ready, casual vibe. Either direction works and both are genuinely exciting.
Why you need to try it: This combination celebrates confidence and joy — and Ankara fabric was made for both of those things.
Discover popular designs in 11 African Print Styles Trending Now.
8. The Ankara Kimono as an Outer Layer
Take any simple, neutral outfit — black jeans and a white tee, a plain slip dress, a basic bodysuit and trousers — and layer an Ankara kimono over the top. The transformation is immediate and complete.
An Ankara kimono adds length, movement, color, and personality to any outfit underneath it. It frames the body beautifully when worn open. It creates a sense of occasion without requiring a formal silhouette. And because it is a layer rather than the main piece, it gives you the freedom to style it differently every single time you wear it.
The most exciting Ankara kimonos right now feature fringe at the hem, bold border prints, or contrasting fabric panels that add extra visual interest to an already beautiful piece.
Why you need to try it: An Ankara kimono is one of the most versatile pieces in African print fashion — it works over everything and transforms any outfit it touches.
9. The Ankara Jumpsuit
Everything great about Ankara fabric — the color, the pattern, the personality — delivered in the most effortless silhouette in fashion. A jumpsuit. One piece. No decisions about what goes with what. No wondering if the top and bottom work together. Just bold, beautiful Ankara from shoulder to ankle in a single, confident garment.
Wide-leg jumpsuits in Ankara are the most popular version of this style right now, and the proportions are everything. A fitted or slightly cropped bodice paired with dramatically wide legs creates a silhouette that is both striking and comfortable — which is exactly what great fashion should always feel like.
Wear it with heeled sandals to elongate the leg and let the wide-leg silhouette do its full dramatic work. Add a thin gold chain belt at the waist if you want additional definition.
Why you need to try it: An Ankara jumpsuit is the fastest route to a complete, fully styled African print look with absolutely zero effort required.
10. The Head-to-Toe Ankara Moment
Save the best and most adventurous for last. The head-to-toe Ankara look — dress or outfit plus matching headwrap, all in the same print — is the fullest, most complete expression of Ankara style that exists. It is maximalist. It is bold. It is deeply rooted in African dressing tradition. And when it is done well, it is absolutely breathtaking.
The key to pulling this off successfully is proportion and fit. Every piece needs to fit perfectly because when the print is this consistent and this overwhelming, there is nowhere for an ill-fitting garment to hide. A beautifully fitted Ankara maxi dress with a matching gele tied dramatically above the head, finished with gold jewelry and simple heeled sandals — that is not just an outfit. That is a statement. That is a celebration. That is culture worn with pride.
Why you need to try it: Because there is nothing in fashion — anywhere in the world — quite like a perfectly executed head-to-toe Ankara look. It is one of those rare style moments that transcends clothing entirely and becomes something close to art.
Your Ankara Journey Starts Now
These 10 styles are not just outfit ideas. They are invitations. Invitations to explore a fabric with centuries of history behind it. To wear something that carries meaning beyond its pattern. To participate in a fashion tradition that is simultaneously ancient and completely contemporary.
Start with the style that feels most accessible to you. The wrap skirt and white tee if you want ease. The co-ord set if you want impact. The head-to-toe look if you are ready to go all in from day one.
However you begin — begin. Because once Ankara is in your wardrobe, it has a way of taking over in the most wonderful way imaginable. And you will never look at plain fabric the same way again.
