Fashion and Culture – JSS1 Fashion and Garment Making Lesson Note (Second Term)

Fashion is the style of clothes, accessories and hair that people wear, and culture is the way of life of a group of people. In Nigeria, what we wear tells people who we are, where we come from and what we believe in.

Behavioural objectives

1. Define culture and traditional attire.
2. Name the traditional dress of the Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa/Fulani peoples.
3. Identify common traditional accessories and say who uses them.
4. State four reasons why Nigerians wear traditional clothes.

What is culture and how is it linked to fashion?

Culture is the way of life of a group of people, and dress is one of its most visible parts.

• Culture: the language, food, music, beliefs and dress that a group shares.
• Fashion: the clothes, accessories and hair styles people choose to wear.
• Link: a person’s dress often shows the community or tribe the person belongs to.
• Heritage: traditional styles are passed down from grandparents to children and make us unique and proud.

What is traditional attire?

Traditional attire is the dress that belongs to the culture of a people and has been worn for many years.

• Origin: it comes from the history and customs of a tribe.
• Use: it is worn for weddings, festivals, chieftaincy events and visits to palaces.
• Variety: Nigeria has many tribes, so there are many traditional styles.

What are the main traditional styles in Nigeria?

This note looks at three major traditional styles: Yoruba (South-West), Igbo (South-East) and Hausa/Fulani (North).

Yoruba style

• Agbada: a large, flowing robe worn by men on big occasions such as weddings. It makes a man look important and respected.
• Iro and Buba: the standard dress for women. The Iro is a long wrapper tied round the waist. The Buba is a loose blouse.
• Gele: the headscarf of the Yoruba woman, tied in creative and beautiful shapes.

Igbo style

• Isi-Agu: a shirt made from fabric with lion heads on it. Men wear it to show bravery and leadership.
• Double wrapper: Igbo women often tie two wrappers, one shorter than the other, over a lace blouse.
• Red cap: worn by titled men (Ozo) as a sign of authority and wisdom.

Hausa/Fulani style

• Climate: the North is often hot and sunny, so clothes are loose, modest and protective.
• Baban Riga: a very wide, decorated robe worn by men. It is similar to the Agbada.
• Kaftan: a long, straight tunic worn over trousers.
• Abaya and Hijab: the Abaya is a long, flowing gown and the Hijab is a scarf. Muslim women wear them to cover the body and head modestly.

Comparison of the three styles

What are the common traditional fabrics?

Traditional fabrics are cloths that are woven or dyed by hand using methods that belong to a people.

• Aso-oke: a hand-woven cloth of the Yoruba, used for ceremonies such as weddings.
• Adire: a Yoruba cloth patterned by tying or dyeing.
• Akwete: a hand-woven cloth of the Igbo, made in Akwete.
• Lace: a fine, patterned fabric often used for blouses.

What are traditional accessories?

Accessories are the extra items we add to our clothes to make them look better and carry meaning.

• Coral beads (Iyun): worn on the neck, wrists and ankles in many parts of Nigeria, especially Edo and Igboland. They show royalty and beauty.
• Walking sticks: carried by older or titled men to show they are men of substance.
• Horsetail (Irukere): used by chiefs and kings during traditional dances or meetings.
• Hand fans: usually made of leather or feathers and often decorated with the owner’s name.

Why do we wear traditional clothes?

We wear traditional clothes to show respect, to celebrate, to show status and to show national pride.

1. For respect: wearing traditional attire to a palace or a wedding shows you respect the culture.
2. For celebration: we wear our best styles at festivals such as the New Yam Festival, Durbar and Eyo.
3. To show status: some clothes and beads are worn only by kings (Obas, Obis or Emirs) or people with special titles.
4. For national pride: a Nigerian athlete or politician who wears traditional clothes abroad shows pride in home.
5. To keep history alive: each style carries the history of a people from one generation to the next.

Class practical activity

• Identify: look at the pictures shown by the teacher and point out the Gele.
• Show and tell: if you wear a small traditional item today, such as a bead or a hair style, tell the class which part of Nigeria it comes from.

Evaluation

1. What is the name of the lion-head shirt worn by the Igbo?
2. Mention one reason why fashion is important to Nigerian culture.
3. What is a Gele, and who wears it?
4. List three traditional accessories used in Nigeria.

Assignment

Draw or list the traditional dress of one Nigerian group you know. Name two clothes, one accessory and one occasion when it is worn.