Agbada is back in vogue

By Kolawole Bamidele
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Gone are the days when agbada was seen as the most expensive attire among the Yorubas, it’s either worn by rich people or noble people.

With smart fashion designers taking over the market, Agbada has become a piece of art it has changed game of fashion for men in Africa. There was a time, it was only left for the wealthy and was considered as a huge investment to make.

Agbada is a four-piece male attire found among the Yoruba in Nigeria. It consists of a large, free-flowing outer robe (awosoke), an undervest (awotele), a pair of long trousers (sokoto), and a hat (fìla) It’s now worn by both males and females.

Your agbada can be in any color depends on how you want it but make sure it compliments your complexion. While it is trendy, the outfit comes with its own fashion sense, which involves specific types of things to be worn beneath like trousers, accessories, shoes, and material.

Agbada should be worn with its complementing trouser. Sokoto is the name of the Agbadas trousers. The length of the trousers should be appropriate. Many people have their preference when it comes to the trousers; regular or fitted. However, whatever you choose, do not allow it cover your shoes or long enough for people to see it.

It is vital that you select and choose a material that will look good on you. There are different materials in the market for you to choose from, every material is unique in its own way and can be transformed to whatever you want it to be if you are creative. However, an inferior material will destroy your Agbada outfit.

How you want your agbada to looks depends on your material. If you are looking for a material that will stand for a while, then the material should be very thick or starched. The thicker the material, the better your Agbada will look.

Agbada without starch is not complete.  When an Agbada is not properly starched, it will make the wear looks tiny inside the massive robe. You and your Agbada should have a blend of closeness but, it can only happen if you starch it properly.

The head gear or cap that is worn is called Fila. Fila comes in different designs and colours. It is important that you choose a cap colour that will not conflict with your Agbada’ s colour.