TraDiTionaL MadaGAscaR cL0thInG .. The LAmbA

Lamba for man

     In Diego, the lamba is rarely seen on men outside of ceremonies such as ‘joros’ (offerings) and ‘burials’ etc. although it is not so uncommon to see old men wearing it in rural areas. In rural areas on the plateau area of Madagascar, I saw more men wearing them as a matter of course. This man is a village chief from the North of Madagascar.

Lamba for woman

     Unlike the men, about half of women in Diego town can be seen wearing lamba. Older women and women from the countryside who are visiting the town almost always wear it. Muslim women of Malagasy origin also tend to wear it.There are no hard and fast rules to which women wear traditional lamba and which wear Western clothing. Many women wear a lamba one day and not the next or just for part of the day. Younger more fashion conscious women may wear lambas around the house and just for special occasions but not to go into town. On the contrary, other women wear western clothing at home and put the lamba on to go into town.
Nearly all women will wear a lamba if there is a death or an occasion where prayers are said to the ancestors. If you see a large group where every single woman is wearing a lamba, it almost certainly means there has been a death

Reference: http://vazahagasy.wordpress.com/2007/12/06/traditional-madagascar-clothing-the-lamba/