The Nigerian experience has always been characterized by a strong emphasis on fashion.
Let’s take a look at Yoruba fashion: Even since the beginning of time, both men and women in Nigeria have had a deep-seated passion for fashion. They attempted, in their own modest manner, to be stylish by making fashion statements with the outfits, beads, haircuts, caps, and other accessories that they wore.
The Yoruba people have long had a reputation for being particularly fashion-forward. The members of this tribe took great pride in their ability to accessorize, be it with garments, pieces of jewelry, or even the distinctive haircuts that the women sported. They decorate their bodies with henna, beadwork, and cowrie shells in addition to tattoos.
Every ethnic group and cultural community has its own customary modes of dress that serve to highlight the group’s distinct identity. Aso Ibile is the name given to the Yoruba people’s customary attire. In this culture, men and women wear very different types of clothing. Different types of clothing were worn by men and women, and neither gender ever borrowed the other’s garments.
Aso oke is a woven fabric that was traditionally used by the Yoruba people to make their clothing. They wear their traditional garb with an incredible amount of pride. The Yoruba men paired their undergarments, which included the buba, esiki, and sapara, with their outerwear, which included the dandogo, agbada, gbariye, and suka. As bottoms, they wore kembe, gbamu, sooro, kamu, and sokoto elemu, which coordinated with their tops and undergarments respectively. The Yoruba men’s attire was not complete without the addition of a cap. They felt that their attire was lacking something if it did not include the cap. These hats came in a variety of styles, including tinko, abeti-aja, alagbaa, oribi, and onide, to name a few.
On the other hand, Yoruba women traditionally wore iro and buba. They did this to add a touch of refinement to their attire by tying their gele in a variety of different styles. They also wear a shawl that is traditionally known as an iborun, as well as ipele, which are both long pieces of fabric that are often hung from the wearer’s left shoulder.
Beadwork was a huge part of Yoruba culture. They accessorized their attire with an assortment of beads, necklaces, and bangles of varying shapes and sizes. Moreover, beads were utilized to denote royal status and chieftaincy in several societies. Chiefs, kings, and members of royal families are the only ones allowed to wear them.
The manner in which one’s hair was worn was an extremely important aspect of the culture. The women create stunning hairdos by plaiting and weaving their hair, such as shuku, kolese, kojusoko, ajanloso, ipako-elede, and many more. Beads and cowries were woven into their hairstyles to complete the look. The males took the time to tidy up their hair.
The practice of inscribing traditional marks onto one’s face was also a significant component of Yoruba style during the 1980s. It was believed that these marks enhanced their natural beauty. Also, they make it quite evident from where region of Yoruba territory that individual from. When the victims were infants, blades or knives were used to make the marks on their cheeks.
The Yoruba are known for their reserved demeanor. They do not take things to an extreme. Several of these pieces from the fashion scene of the 1980s are still very much in demand today. Several of them have been modified in order to conform to the requirements of the century’s fashion scene.
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