The days of the white color job seem to be gone as graduates now roam the streets without one. It is now up to them to create a sustainable source of income for themselves. This is what brings them back to exploring the business of traditional attire, called Aso-oke. Aso-oke otherwise called Aso-Ofi is an intricately woven cloth used as ceremonial garments.
Made by the Yoruba men of Nigeria, Aso-oke is usually decorated with elaborate patterns made from dyed strands of fabric that are woven into strips of cloth. These strips of cloth are sewn to form larger pieces. Some Aso-oke, called “prestige cloth,” has a lace-like appearance with intricate open patterns.
Patterns and colors used for Aso-oke have what it stand for. The red colored dye, called adire is distinctive within the Yoruba entity. Some of those designs are majorly for women’s most time, while some are for men categories.
The clothing materials are used to make numerous garment styles, including skirts, shirts, and trousers. Many of the outfits made from Aso-oke reflect the strong influence of the Muslim religion in the area since the early 19th century, with head wraps and modest gowns being prevalent. The amount of fabric and the patterns used indicate the wealth of the wearer.
However, Nigeria today is faced with daunting developmental and economic challenges. These forced the youth, especially graduates, to make Aso-oke a sustainable source of income. Investing in Aso-oke takes little time and finance, which makes it easy for the young men and ladies who picked interest in the business.
Research has shown that Aso-oke is one of the most widely acceptable traditional attires in the whole world because of its uniqueness in styles, colors, and thickness, which make it differ from other conventional attires. Wise graduates of the 21st century have fully modernized the traditional garment by making it transparent through the use of sophisticated equipment and modern design, which makes it generally acceptable.
The majority consider Aso-oke as “clothes of the upper class,” as it is a special fabric worn mostly by Yoruba people at events, such as weddings, birthdays, coronations, and so forth. It is typically the mark of ‘dressing up’ in traditional attire. Interestingly, the business of Aso-oke is experiencing a rebirth, due to the modernization incorporated into its design by the innovative youth, thus making it a wardrobe staple today.
It should be reiterated that the trend has changed people’s perception of the attire and made it generally acceptable. While people used to saw Aso-oke in the form of Iro and Buba or Agbada, the majority also now have it in blazers by Kenneth Ize, tracksuits by Bearded Genius, skirt suits by Ré, and people all the way here for it and it turns out a reliable source of income for the youth.
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