Nigeria has more inhabitants than any other African country and a wide variety of ethnic and tribal groups. Most of these communities have developed their own style of clothing.
Men and women alike often don western wear in the south and other parts of the country. Both sexes wear this fashion. Although Nigeria has made great strides toward economic modernization, a sizable portion of the population continues to dress in traditional garb on a daily basis. Some people only break out their traditional garb once in their lifetime, for a ceremony as momentous as their wedding. The three major ethnic groups in Nigeria are the Hausa-Fulani, the Yoruba, and the Igbo. Nigeria has many different cultures, but the Hausa-Fulani are the most numerous.
In this article, we will be discussing major Nigerian tribes and the traditional dress of the Nigerian people.
Traditional Attire in Nigeria
Agbada
Western and Northern African men typically wear long-sleeved agbada.The Hausa Agbada has been renamed by several communities. The agbada is the most common type. It is “darra’a” to the people of Morocco. Their Dagomba and Yoruba names are “agbada” and “mbubb,” respectively (Wolof).
The components of an agbada are a long, loose-fitting dress, a long-sleeved shirt, and a Sokoto headdress (pair of trousers that shorten towards the ankle). The agbada is worn by both sexes (pairs of trousers that narrow towards the ankle).
The Agbada is made from cotton and traditionally embroidered with intricate patterns. Currently, they are fabricated from a synthetic fabric designed to mimic silk.
Hausa-Fulani
Babban Hausa men often dress in Riga. Traditional companions include the jalabia and juanni robes. Men in Fula culture wear bright caps. These headpieces take on a variety of appearances depending on the wearer’s nationality. These hats are traditionally worn by male Fulani. Male Fulanis typically wear these types of headwear.
Agbada is popular among men of many different ethnic groups because of their sophistication. They are known as “wide-sleeved robes” among men of the Hausa culture. “Clothes King” is what the name Babban Riga means in Latvian. Almost everything a man wears these days is adorned with shiny gold embroidery. Many garments now feature these additions.
Gele
It is traditional for Nigerian women to wear gele, which conceals their hair and covers their shoulders.A gele is a headpiece worn for ceremonial or decorative purposes. The more elaborate geles are only worn at weddings and religious ceremonies in Nigeria.
The majority of the time, the bride will wear them so that her hair and ears are concealed during the ceremony. The bride’s face and jewels are visible.
Buba Skirt
Boxy in silhouette, with long sleeves and a rounded or V-neckline is the Buba shirt. A Buba can be identified by its boxy silhouette, long sleeves, and rounded or V-neckline.
The Buba is the most frequent form of headwear in West Africa. The majorMost of the time, it reaches a length oman’s waist. The Buba is a gender-neutral article of apparel that can be worn by either men or women.
Iro
Wraparound skirts, also known as iro irons, are a common piece of traditional clothing in Africa. These skirts entirely encircle the wearer. After draping it over the wearer’s waist, the skirt must then be tucked into itself at the very end. This completes the process of putting the skirt on. The bottom of the skirt, which is of a rectangular shape, is tucked into the draping that is done over the wearer’s hips.
Pants made in the Sokoto style feature an elasticized waistband and a drawstring at the top to prevent the garment from sliding down the wearer’s thighs. This is accomplished by the design of the garment.
Edo
Nigeria’s homes are known as Edo natives. They can also be found in Rivers, Ondo, and Delta states. In a location renowned for its beauty and activity, they decided to construct their home.
Beads are highly prized in Edo because of the widespread belief that donning them grants the wearer a sense of independence and prestige. Raffia embroidery, anklets, bangles, beads, and other forms of jewelry are only some of the items in their trove of accessories.
The men of Edo take great pride in the two types of coral beads that adorn their clothing and traditional robes. These beads symbolize power and prestige that they use to express who they are (ekan and ivie). Men’s clothing used to consist primarily of white button-down shirts and multicolored striped T-shirts.
In addition to the okuku, vividly colored fabric and other accouterments, such as beaded necklaces, are also part of the traditional Edo bridal costume.
Igbo attire
When it comes to population and influence, the Igbo are among Nigeria’s top three ethnic groupings. The Orlu, Aniocha, Ika, and Mbaise are just a few of the smaller tribes that make up this larger one.
Men of the Igbo culture traditionally wear a top known as an isiagu. This top is eye-catching due to the embroidered lion heads that decorate the pattern. The Isiagu shirt is traditionally paired with striped leggings and striped headgear.
The women all wear wraps with two wraps, a headscarf, and blouses with puffy, embroidered two-wrapper sleeves. Women of various Igbo clans display their membership by wrapping a white shawl around their shoulders.
Yoruba attire and apparel
The Yoruba are particularly proud of the fact that their traditional dress is fashioned differently for men and women.
There is a common belief that you can learn a lot about a Yoruba man’s character and stand in society simply by observing the clothes he chooses to wear. Both the Sooro and Kembe pants (which are more traditional) are worn by guys (3-quarter baggy pants). The Gobi, Oribi, Alagbaa, Onide, and Labankada are some things that Yoruba men wear on their heads. Tinko is also one of them.
Men take great pride in the elaborate jewelry they wear with their agbada attire. The agbada, a wide jacket-like garment, is commonly worn by men in lace-based attire. The women’s wardrobe is diverse, featuring styles like the Buba and the Iro. These come with a gele that fits the style of the women’s attire.
What to Wear in Nigeria?
The historical Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa-Fulani wore different styles of clothing than the modern populations. This clothing quickly gained popularity. Buba, Iro, Sokoto, and Fula.
The possibility of receiving additional garments has not been discussed. They can be found in a wide variety of styles, hues, and prints. A scarf can be called either an iborun or an ipele, depending on how it is tied. The sides of an abeti-aja are significantly longer than those of a fula.
Regular Nigerian Women’s Attire
The traditional clothes of Nigeria are characterized by a riot of color. Color by tie-and-die is widely used today. A few examples of popular Nigerian textiles are lace, jacquard, adire, and Ankara.
Authentic, hand-made jewelry is highly regarded in Nigeria. Glass, stones, wood, ceramics, and other natural materials are used to create and wear their jewelry. The wearers have no sense of the jewelry’s individuality.
Final Words
Nigerian people like to wear regular clothes like the outer world. But there are main three tribes and they mostly wear their traditional dresses. In this article, we discussed the tribes and their dressing habit. Now you know how Nigerian people dress in their tradition.
So how do you like their tradition? Let us know.
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