Aso Oke is a traditional fabric handwoven in the southwestern part of Nigeria. The name Aso Oke has its roots in the Yoruba language and culture. “Aso” means cloth, and “Oke” means top or high status.
When pronounced together, the name depicts a regalia-type fabric worn mainly for important occasions and by high-calibre people in society.
Aso Oke is one of the most desired fabrics at events and ceremonies among the southwestern people of Nigeria, the Yorubas.
Aso Oke is not just an ordinary piece of clothing. It is an exotic fabric that has a thick and rich texture. It is strong and woven in narrow strips on a traditional loom.
These strips are later joined together to form larger pieces that can be sewed to different styles such as the iro and buba, agbada, sokoto, soro or sharo.
It is woven on a traditional handloom, and the materials used to make Aso Oke fabrics are usually high-quality yarn.
The fabric goes through a special weaving method. This weaving method has existed for many generations. It reflects skill, patience, and cultural memory passed from one family to another.
Aso Oke was traditionally made using locally available fibres. Early weavers used hand-spun cotton and wild silk. Today, the fabric is also made from imported silk and other accessories such as shiny threads to create richer patterns. Both traditional and modern materials are used for weaving Aso Oke today. Despite these changes, there has not been much change in the weaving pattern.
Speaking of quality, Aso Oke differs in terms of how it is used. Traditionally, a particular Aso Oke is not always used repeatedly for different events. This is because, at first sight, people can often tell the type of event you are attending from the Aso Oke you wear. Of course, even foreigners now enjoy wearing Aso Oke.
Aso Oke is closely linked to traditional cultural ceremonies. It is worn during weddings, naming ceremonies, chieftaincy title ceremonies, festivals, and funerals. In Yoruba culture, clothing speaks before a person speaks. The quality and style of Aso Oke can show respect, celebration, or social position.
How To Create An Aso Oke Clothing Style
As stated earlier, Aso Oke is a neatly produced fabric specifically for events. However, there are four major steps involved in making it.
Step 1: Planting Cotton
It is well known that cotton is a raw material for producing cloth. For Aso Oke, cotton plants are usually harvested between 4 to 8 months after planting. This harvested cotton is then collected for further processing.
Step 2: Selecting the Cotton
The cotton is selected manually using bare hands. Most times, experienced workers use a native material called the “Orun”. The cotton is rolled several times until the shaft is removed.
Step 3: Removing the Shaft
The shaft is one of the unwanted components of harvested cotton. It is usually removed manually using bare hands. Although it takes time, it is necessary for proper processing.
Step 4: Dyeing the Fabric
This is the stage where the cloth is dyed into several designs. After this process, you can give the fabric to a fashion designer for styling. As you can see, the process of preparing Aso Oke for styling is not difficult.
Aso Oke (Style & Fashion)
Aso Oke is a popular fabric for special events. Most times, men style it by making an Agbada top and Fila cap. On the other hand, women often style it into a wrapper called Iro.
Thanks to the southwestern people of Nigeria, this fabric has been in circulation for many years. Recently, Aso Oke has also been worn by prominent foreign citizens at fashion shows around the world.
It will interest you to know that there are different types of Aso Oke. These include Alaari (red in colour), Sanyan, and Etu (blue in colour). Aso Oke is one of the most distinguishable traditional fabrics in the world. It can be styled for many occasions. Also, Aso Oke has formed the foundation for many clothing designs in Nigeria.
