DISCOVER NIGERIA: NIGERIA FASHION SINCE INDEPENDENCE.

Fashion In Nigeria

Nigeria’s fashion industry plays a big cultural role and considerably boosts the nation’s economy. Although formal and traditional styles are also worn, casual wear is most frequently seen. Numerous hues, materials, and embellishments (often beads)are used in clothing. Many of Nigeria’s constituent cultures dress in ways that are specific to their tribal societies and traditions. Nigeria is renowned for its stylish textiles and apparel as well as for its up-and-coming fashion designers, who have scaled globally.

Nigerian Fashion Development Since Independence

Nigerian fashion has a long history of being distinctive and very defining. The Nigerian fashion industry has seen numerous transformations through the years and decades, reinventing itself, absorbing elements of the old and combining them with the new, while maintaining its own attractiveness and flavor. It is now a global leader in fashion, not just in Africa. It would be an understatement to say that Nigerians have always been stylish people given the magnitude of our way of life and elegance. Over time, Nigerians’ sense of style has changed.

Nigeria Fashion Since Independence.

In The Sixties

Long skirts and caps were the norm for Nigerian ladies. According to their preferences, the women wore both fitting and baggy clothing, which was complimented by permed and well-sprayed Afros. The illiterate populace merely donned their native attire and fashioned their hair in basic regional fashions. Mini skirts and dresses were another style that swept the business back then. At this period, males started wearing bright colors, and printed and patterned clothing became very popular. Men wore garish, colored, and pattern-filled shirts, while women wore tiny dresses with ladylike silhouettes. Moreover, slender ties were fashionable. Despite not being as tall as they are now, platform and wooden shoes were quite in. Furthermore, stiletto heels were extremely popular at this period. Men wore boot-legged pants, shirts with loud designs that were tightly fitted and had the first two buttons undone, and killer afros.

In The Seventies

For women, the style was known as oleku, which consisted of a baggy-sleeved buba worn over an iro that ended somewhere between just above the knees and mid-thigh. Agbadas and danshikis, two fashions that have made a dazzling reappearance, were worn by men. It was all about the colors for a more western appearance. A man may, for instance, look dapper in a blue jumpsuit and coordinating shoes. Jerry curls and perms for both sexes also became popular in the 1970s. Around this time, the practice of “to match”—wearing accessories that matched the hues of dresses—became widespread, and males were not exempt.

In The Eighties

Everything was enormous in the 1980s, and bigger was better. The trend of the day was maxi skirts for women, oversized suits for men, heavy jewelry, massive perms, and wild afros. Some of the raves’ fashion trends may seem silly to us now because some participants wore leg warmers, a sweater, and a miniskirt all at once, all in vivid colors.

In The Nineties

Subtle changes began to occur in the fashion industry; it grew more vintage, pop, and hip with a strong American influence. The capri pants started to appear, along with miniskirts, scousers (a combination of shorts and a skirt sewed together), and many other new styles. The most common native clothing during this time was the boubou. The trend for men changed as well. As the waist grew looser and the hips became more comfortable, the hems of the trousers became ever-narrower. Men chopped their hair short; buzz cuts and fades became popular as they gave up using relaxers and curl activators. Actually, American hip-hop, movies, and lifestyles had a significant influence on fashion at the time, which was reflected in the clothes, shoes, and hair. Every trend was essentially retro, drawing inspiration from an earlier time. The little black dress, bellbottom jeans, cropped tops, pants, ballet flats, and oversized glasses are a few trends that returned bigger, better, and sexier.

Most of these patterns are still prevalent in this decade. Additionally, Ankara textiles began to be seen and gained popularity during this time. As soon as people began utilizing them at events, “aso-ebi” became famous and quickly skyrocketed in popularity, which it continues to enjoy today.

In The Year 2000 – Present Day

Sadly, American fashion continues to influence a lot of people’s attire. Thankfully, many Nigerians are adopting native attire and wearing it to social and professional events. Despite the current popularity of trendy weaves like Brazilian, Peruvian, Bone Straight, and Chinese, the natural hair appearance is becoming more popular as more women give up using relaxers and embrace their natural hair. Shoes are a combination of several ages, with Nigerian footwear designers creating western shoe styles while incorporating traditional textiles like aso-oke. Lightening creams are also very popular right now. Another fantastic development is the resurgence of many ‘old school’ appearances. Afros and even turban-style headscarves are back, while skinny jeans and bell-bottoms have come and gone. Young men and women in Nigeria during the period of independence favored a wide variety of exquisitely detailed threading and weaving, which occasionally resembled cobwebs or waves. Along with the huge afro, puffs and cornrows were also often worn. Nigerian fashion is no exception to the fact that fashion is a repeating process.