Aso ebi (

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

), sometimes spelled as asoebi in Nigeria and ashobie in Sierra Leone and the Gambia, is a

uniform A uniform is a variety of clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, ...

dress or dressing code/style that is traditionally worn by

Yorubas The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

and acculturized by some other African cultures as an indicator of cooperation, camaraderie and solidarity during ceremonies, events and festive periods.Olukoju, A. (1992). Maritime Trade in Lagos in the Aftermath of the First World War. African Economic History, (20), 119–135. The purpose of wearing the dress can be to serve as self-identification with age mates, relatives or friends during social occasions or funerals.

Origins

The word ''aso'' in

means cloth and ''ebi'' denotes family, so ''aso ebi'' can be described as a family cloth usually worn during funerals or family ceremonies. However, the practice has now spread beyond family dressing because strangers of a celebrant can wear the aso ebi. Ayodele Olukoju, a Nigerian economic historian, believes aso ebi became a novelty in 1920 during a period of post-

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

economic boom triggered by the higher prices for products such as

oil palm ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm '' Elaeis guineensis'' (the species name ''guineensis'' referring to its c ...

. However,

William Bascom __NOTOC__ William R. Bascom (May 23, 1912 – September 11, 1981) was an award-winning American folklorist, anthropologist, and museum director. He was a specialist in the art and culture of West Africa and the African Diaspora, especially the Yo ...

traced the origin to an earlier period when members of

age grade In sociology and anthropology, an age grade or age class is a form of social organization based on age, within a series of such categories, through which individuals pass over the course of their lives. This is in contrast to an age set, to whi ...

s wore uniform dressing to mark fraternal bonds. In the 1950s, members of women's organizations or egbes turned out to ceremonies and anniversaries of relatives in the same style of dress, sandals, lappa, smock, or necklace; the culture signifies close friendship. The uniform dressing can also be a measure of personal affluence, because aso ebi involves rivalry between various egbes or groups with each group competing to outshine each other in terms of quality, originality and richness of the uniform.

Aso ebi in Nigerian society

From the mid-1960s to the late 1970s, imported

lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...

and george were incorporated into Nigerian fabrics and they became popular items used for aso ebi. Increased demand for handcrafted traditional dresses such as agbada led to a resurgence of tailors and fashion designers specialized in making native attires. The tailors strived to meet the increasing demand and designs of uniform dressing, sometimes with the aid of the fashion pages of magazines to make style choices. The rise of aso ebi also coincided with an intense market of fashion and lifestyles magazines in Lagos; tailors look at designs for inspiration and their patrons buy the magazines to see whether they or their friends are pictured in them. Aso ebi in recent times has become a city phenomenon that has spread to other West African cultures. Dealers of imported and local textile materials have benefited from the boom in demand for uniform dressing. Some textile dealers offer consultation services and bulk rates for the choice and cost of the dress and fabrics. While the price of fabrics in sewing the traditional attire is affordable, the aso ebi practice is still sometimes used as an identification with affluence. Some wear expensive embroidery and extra layers of cloth, whereas others, who cannot afford a whole outfit, add only matching tops and head coverings. Aso ebi has become an attire of class worn by celebrities and elites in recent times, especially Nigerian Nollywood stars. With fashion designers creatively making outfits for special occasions to meet the taste of their rich and wealthy customers, aso ebi outfits have become a regular occurrence today.

References

{{reflist African clothing Nigerian culture Yoruba culture