“Sharon has come again with some aso ebi related rant!”

I know that’s what you’re thinking.  Oya, deny it!

Ehen.  Didn’t think so.

But, here’s the truth:  This post has been sitting in my draft folder for over a year and e don taya me to dey see am every time.  So today, it got promoted from “Draft” to “Published.”

Somebody shout Hallelujah! Give Jesus a wiper!

*vigorous wiping commences*

Oya, sit down and let’s talk.

As you know, I wrote a series of novellas titled “The Aso-Ebi Chronicles” and in the process of writing, I had to do some research on the topic (“aso ebi” not “chronicles”).

Of course, 90% of anything aso ebi related was either written for or written by Nigerian women.  I’m sure that by now, you’ve seen, heard or had your Instagram feed bombarded by pictures of contenders for Aso Ebi Bella.  I personally think the “Aso Ebi Bella” series is a genius idea.  I can’t imagine Bella Naija without it. It’s like bringing all those pictures you could only find in Ovation, to the internet.  Free.

One of my favorite things to look for on Aso Ebi Bella are the pictures of young children wearing aso ebi.

Simply adorable!

Plus, they look clueless half of the time, like they don’t know why or how that outfit got on their bodies, and that just makes the cuteness factor go through the roof!

You better believe that by this time next year, that cap on the little boy’s head will not fit the same head, and that tiny wrapper on the little girl’s waist can practically be used as a handkerchief.

Or bandana.

Same difference.  😀

But this post is about Nigerian men wearing aso ebi.

If you’ve ever gone in search of aso ebi pictures for whatever reason, you’ll rarely find pictures of men wearing aso ebi, compared to the tons of pictures of women wearing different styles of aso ebi.

Why?

To answer this question, we have to first of all look at the reasons people, women especially, wear or pick aso ebi for events.

Here are my reasons (feel free to add yours):

1. Wearing Aso Ebi gives Women a Sense of Identity

Aso ebi is considered a sort of uniform.  Typically, the Ore-iyawo (friends of the bride) wear it to show support for bride.

*singing* “Solidarity, forever!”

That’s not to say that you don’t support your friend (the bride) simply because you refused to buy her ridiculously priced N 100,000 naira aso ebi. Do you even earn that much? Abeg, cut your cloth according to your size.

2. Women Wear Aso Ebi because of Peer Pressure

I know it sounds ridiculous that we can talk about grown women (or young ladies) and peer pressure, but it’s true.  They don’t want to be the only ones aso ebi-less on the D-day because it will look somehow.

I beg to disagree.

But what about the other non-aso ebi wearing guests?

I think it’s overrated.

3. Women Sew Aso Ebi to have New Outfits to Add to their Wardrobes

Yes ke!

If the material for the aso ebi is to your liking and is different from the clothes in your wardrobe, you might choose to kill two birds with one stone: gain a new outfit and participate in the wearing of aso ebi for that occasion.

Until the day it doesn’t fit again …

Ghen ghen!

4. Women Sew Aso Ebi to Experiment with New Dress Styles

By now, we should all be aware that getting a tailor to sew your aso ebi into a style you like, especially if its couture, is a way to get a couture style gown or outfit for a lot less.  Definitely cheaper than the original outfit you saw in that fashion magazine.

Just find a good tailor.

A bad tailor is bad news.

A bad tailor will make you shed tears at the utter “bad-ness” of the tailoring.

A bad tailor will make you wish you didn’t fall asleep in Home Economics or C & T (Clothing and Textiles) class.

A bad tailor will make you think an Obioma could have done a better job.  For far less money.

A bad tailor will …

I think you get the point.

Get a good, tried and tested tailor.

Okay, I’m done with my list.

So, what does this have to do with men?

For starters, men’s outfits, especially for trads are pretty one-dimensional compared to women’s fussier styles.

Women can have a wide range of aso ebi styles, from conservative to flamboyant, while men’s aso ebi styles tend to be pretty much the same: a buba (shirt) that is either long-sleeved or short-sleeved, a pair of trousers (because I am yet to see guys wearing aso ebi shorts), and finally, a fila (cap) usually made from aso-oke or another material.

The flowing agbada is usually reserved for older gentlemen, though I have seen a few younger men swimming in agbadas.

The classic Naija guy aso ebi style, and in my opinion, the one that works for most guys regardless of size, build, looks, taste or shape of head (mango, coconut, agbalumo, eba, bitter leaf, etc) is the white (or cream or gray or similar neutral color) brocade (or similar material) for the shirt and trousers, and of course, aso oke for the cap.

That’s about it.

I can see guys wearing aso ebi for the 1st reason I listed (sense of identity / to show solidarity), but it’s not a must. While some brides will take offense, and in fact, some friendships have scattered because their friends did not buy their aso ebi, most guys (I hope) are not petty.

I think it’s just a woman’s thing.

I also find it hard to picture a Naija guy excitedly buying aso ebi for the sake of acquiring a new outfit (reason #3).  But I can definitely picture Naija women doing this.

Don’t forget that for women the aso ebi is just the beginning.  There’s also the matching shoe and bag, jewelry, and of course, the gele (head tie).

A poorly-tied gele is an eye sore.

And in today’s world, there are too many YouTube gele-tying tutorials to have any excuses.

Practice, Practice, practice.

I also have to mention that Nigerian men wearing ankara trads or ankara aso ebi is rarely a good thing.  It just looks too busy especially when they wear the same fabric for the buba (shirt) and sokoto (or “shokoto” if you like = trousers).

In conclusion, I think it’s rare to find Naija guys especially wearing aso ebi because men don’t really concern themselves with these matters.

Chances are even when men wear aso ebi, the material/fabric was chosen by a woman.

What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Don’t care?  Share your thoughts!

*Image Credit: NigerianWedding.org via Pinterest