How to Clean and Care for Your Habesha Kemis

I want to talk to you about your ቀሚስ (kemis) — because I have seen too many beautiful dresses come back to us ruined. Not from wear. From washing.

Every dress we sell was made in Ethiopia, thread by thread, by hand. Our head tailor has more than twenty years of experience, and she will tell you the same thing she tells me every time a customer writes in heartbroken: the number one way people ruin a habesha dress is the washing machine.

Please. Do not put this in the machine.

I am not saying it to be difficult. I am saying it because I know the women who made your dress. I know how long it takes to lay down a single row of ጥልፍ (tilet). I know that the ሰማ (shema) — the handwoven cotton — behaves completely differently than the fabric you buy at any ordinary store. It needs to be treated with the same care it was made with.

Let me show you how.

Why Habesha Dress Care Is Different

The ሰማ used in a traditional habesha ቀሚስ is not your regular cotton. It is handwoven, which means every thread was placed intentionally. That also means the weave can distort, shrink, or pull if you treat it roughly. Machine agitation can break down the structure in a single cycle.

And the ጥበብ (tibeb) — the embroidery along the hem and neckline — is done entirely by hand. It is not printed. It is not ironed on. It was sewn, stitch by stitch. If those threads snag or loosen, there is no undoing it. It cannot be repaired to look the same. Once it is gone, it is gone.

These dresses are not fast fashion. Some of the kemises in our collection have been worn at weddings, passed from mother to daughter, brought out for Timkat and Fasika and graduations for thirty, forty years. With the right care, yours can do the same.

How to Wash Your Habesha Kemis

Handwash Only — Cold or Lukewarm Water

Fill a basin or your sink with cool or lukewarm water. Never hot — hot water will cause the shema to shrink and can cause the colors to bleed.

Use a mild detergent. I like something gentle, made for delicates. A small amount is enough. Do not pour detergent directly onto the embroidery.

Wash Gently — Do Not Wring

Submerge the dress and move it gently through the water. Think of it less like scrubbing and more like rinsing. Squeeze the water through softly. Do not twist it, do not pull at it, do not bunch it up and wring it out.

Pay extra attention to the ጥልፍ (tilf) areas. For those sections, just let the water move through — do not rub.

Rinse Thoroughly

Rinse until no soap remains. Leftover detergent can dull the fabric and irritate skin. Take your time here.

Press Out Water, Do Not Wring

Lay the dress flat against the basin and press the water out gently with your hands. Then lay it flat on a clean dry towel and roll the towel up to absorb more moisture. Never hang a wet habesha kemis — the weight of the water will pull it out of shape.

Drying Your Kemis

Lay it flat to dry, away from direct sunlight. Sun can fade the embroidery threads over time, especially on deep colors like navy and burgundy.

Do not use the dryer. I should not have to say this after everything I just told you about the washing machine, but I am saying it anyway.

Give it room to breathe and let it air dry completely before storing.

Ironing

Use a low to medium heat setting. Iron on the reverse side when possible to protect the tibeb embroidery. If you need to iron near the ጥበብ, place a thin cloth between the iron and the embroidery.

Never iron directly over raised embroidery threads. They can flatten, melt, or pull. A light steam from a distance works well if you just need to release wrinkles.

Storing Your Habesha Dress

Fold gently or hang on a padded hanger — not a wire hanger. Wire hangers can leave marks and distort the shoulder. Store in a cool, dry place away from moisture.

If you are storing it long-term, wrap it in a clean cotton cloth or muslin. Avoid plastic garment bags — they trap humidity, which can cause mildew on the shema.

And please, if you spill something on your ቀሚስ, do not wait. Blot it immediately with a clean cloth. The longer it sits, the harder it is to remove without damage.

Quick-Reference Care Guide

A Note From Me

I started EthGebya because I wanted people everywhere to be able to wear a habesha ቀሚስ made with real ፍቅር — real love and care. Every dress in our shop came from Ethiopia. Someone sat down and wove that ሰማ. Someone bent over that embroidery hoop for hours to lay down the ጥበብ along the hem.

When I think about a dress being ruined in a washing machine, I think about her. I think about the hours she put in. That is why I am firm about this.

Take care of your kemis. It will take care of you for a very long time.

Shop Handwoven Habesha Dresses

Each of these is made in Ethiopia, thread by thread, with ፍቅር.

Gondar Habesha Kemis — Bahelawi Tilet

Ethiopian Habesha Dress — Traditional Kemis

Pink Tilf Ethiopian Habesha Dress — Modern Kemis Zuria