30+ stylish Nigerian traditional dresses and attires (2024)
Nigeria is a country known for its numerous diverse cultures. These cultures have fascinating dress styles and codes. In their most exquisite forms, Nigerian traditional dresses are nothing to pass by or ignore. There is a distinction between traditional and foreign attires owing to the rich and colourful designs that accompany the country's attires.
Source: UGC
Nigerian attire styles have received wide acceptance among Nigerians in almost every part of the world, creating a vast market for highly sought-after designs. This high demand has also increased the number of people in Nigeria's fashion and design industry.
Nigerian traditional wear
Traditional Nigerian attires reflect the elegance in the evolving fashion sense that is in vogue in this dispensation. Over 30 Nigerian dresses and styles represent different cultural heritages in Nigeria.
1. Gele on Ankara
Gele is a strong Yoruba traditional attire that women wear over their heads. They can be folded to form beautiful designs and styles. The fabric comes in different primary colours.
2. Agbada with cap
Source: UGC
Agbada is a four-piece Yoruba attire mainly adorned by male folks, though women wear a modified version. The outfit comprises a cap (though some may rock without one) and a large, loosely fitted over-dress.
3. Buba and sokoto
Source: UGC
Buba is a traditional wear that could fall in the same category as the agbada. Like the agbada, it is loosely fitted with an embroidered neck and chest. The neck could be round or V-necked. There is also a female version of buba.
4. Iro and buba adorned with beads
Iro is a long wrap-around skirt worn by women. It is a rectangular fabric wrapped around the waist to form a tight skirt. It is combined with buba, gele, and another fabric hung over one side of the shoulder known as iborun.
5. Sokoto
Sokoto is loose-fitting trousers with a drawstring instead of a belt hole. These trousers complement Nigerian traditional attires like the agbada, buba, and many more loosely-fitted dresses.
6. Babban riga
Source: UGC
The babban riga is the Hausa version of the agbada attire with four-piece cloths. The top dress of babban riga has flowing sides with wide-sleeved and open stitched sides.
7. Abaya
Abaya is a stylish outfit worn majorly by Muslim ladies. It flows from the shoulders down to the feet and is mostly accompanied by a head scarf or hijab.
8. Fula
Source: Instagram
The fula attire is a style that combines modest colours, mostly found among the Fulani of northern Nigeria. The colours mostly found in the fula dress include red, blue, and green, delicately scantily woven into white garments.
9. Dashiki with beaded necklace
Source: Instagram
Dashiki is a loosely fitted top that comes with traditional designs. It could be worn as a sleeveless top, short sleeves, or long sleeves.
10. Off-shoulders and dramatic sleeves
Source: UGC
Off-shoulder dress style is a Nigerian attire for ladies who appreciate elegance with a bit of quirkiness. You can use different fabrics to make the off-shoulder and dramatic sleeves, especially the Ankara and all types of asoebi.
11. Senator style
The senator style is one traditional attire widely accepted in most parts of Nigeria. It is an evolved type of matching stylish outfit originating from the Igbo culture.
12. Isiagu
Isiagu is a long-standing Igbo traditional dress worn during highly placed occasions and ceremonies. With the evolving fashion sense, the thick isiagu can now be very stylish.
13. Atiku
Atiku is also a variant of the senator-style suit. It comes in the same fine-quality fabric. Most of the Atiku fabrics come in plain solid colours. Multi-coloured fabrics are not conformable to the Atiku dress ideas.
14. Wrapper and long or short sleeve top
The wrapper is a fashionable fabric worn by males who want to go fully traditional. These wrappers have fine checkered lines and come in different colours.
15. Jalabiya
Source: UGC
The jalabiya shouts style in simplicity. It is found in the cultures in the northern part of Nigeria, mainly in the Hausa culture. It is a long flowing gown that reaches the ankles. Its origin is traceable to the Middle East.
16. Kaftan with scarf
Source: UGC
Like the jalabiya, the kaftan dominates the northern Nigeria fashion scene. It is also long with long or short sleeves, has different designs, and is mostly complemented by a cap.
17. Net with Ankara combo
Source: Instagram
Ankara is a popular traditional wear that can easily pass as a unisex fashion style. It is made of cotton and marked with different tribal motifs. Ankara is being used by all and sundry in Nigeria today to sew any clothing style of their choice.
18. Lace and linen
Source: UGC
Numerous lace designs come in plain colours. It is a highly decorated and intricately woven fabric that is see-through. Linen is used reversely to make beautiful blouses and tops for women and men alike.
19. Etibo
Source: UGC
Etibo is predominantly found in the cultures in Rivers State. It is a kind of top design that comes mostly in white colour. Etibo can be worn with trousers or a wrapper, depending on choice.
20. Jioji Wrapper
Joiji wrapper is a high-quality wrapper and fashionable fabric tied by women all over the cultural dispensations in Nigeria. The jioji wrapper has matching gele, bag, shoes and jewellery pieces.
21. Onyonyo
Source: UGC
The Onyonyo is a traditional Efik attire that ladies wear during wedding ceremonies. The stylish dress is a long flowing gown constricted at the waist and broad towards the feet.
22. Ofod Ukod Anwang
Source: UGC
These are short wedding gowns mostly worn by Calabar ladies. The Ofod Ukod Anwang can be modified like every other traditional dress style in Nigeria today to develop a less bogus fashionable style that can be easily worn for all occasions.
23. Ukara
Source: UGC
The Ukara fabric is an intricately patterned fabric that can be tied as a wrapper or used to sow different fashionable styles. Ukara is prevalent in the Niger Delta region among the Igbo, Efik, and other riverine cultural groups in the south.
24. Usobo with waste jacket
Usobo, like the Onyonyo, is a traditional Efik attire. It is in the same class as the etenge, is found in different bright colours, and can be tied as a wrapper or used to sow elegant outfits. It is a unisex dress style that shows elegance and luxury.
25. Bomba
The bomba attire is a traditional attire made of lace materials. It is mostly worn in Urhobo culture by men and women alike. Men's bomba dresses consist of a long flowing tunic and a loin cloth that reaches the ground.
26. Asoebi
The asoebi dress style is a uniform dress for events. Different materials can be used to sew an asoebi dress, ranging from costly lace fabrics to less costly wax or Ankara.
27. Plain and pattern
Plain and pattern is a famous fashion style among Nigerians. These fabrics can also serve as Nigerian outfits for ladies who wish to identify trending styles. They come in two different fabrics, one as a plain strong material and the other as a multi-coloured fabric.
28. Up and down with hat
Wearing a hat is a culture that is as old as the cultural entities in Nigeria. Many magnificent hats and head covers come in strong colours, the most conspicuous being red, black, green and others.
29. Staff
Well-designed staffs are marks of elderliness in the Nigerian cultural scene. This is why many of the enlisted fashion styles are accompanied by fanciful staffs to compliment the beauty and arouse confidence.
30. Beaded kaftan
Beads serve different purposes in the Nigerian fashion scene. They can be used as ornaments and worn on the hands, legs, and neck. At other times in Edo culture, beads can be sewn into a cloth and worn as a full dress. Women mostly do this on occasion.
31. Okuku
Okuku is made from beads and is mostly worn by Edo cultural groups and has been gaining wide acceptance, especially in traditional weddings. Okuku is worn on the head or shoulders to adorn the bride.
Frequently asked questions
Among several questions relating to Nigerian dresses, here are a few of them and the best answer.
1. What is the list of traditional Yoruba dresses?
Yoruba is known to have many beautiful traditional attires that have become accepted almost in all the different cultures prevalent in Nigeria. Some of these include the popular agbada, gele, buba and many more.
2. What is the traditional dress of Nigeria called?
Traditional dresses in Nigeria have no single name, as the country comprises numerous ethnic and cultural groups. This is why different cultures have names for their traditional wear.
3. What are the five traditional dresses in Nigeria?
There is much traditional wear in Nigeria, but some are more prominent than others. The five traditional dresses are Senator suit, agbada, babban riga, Ankara and lace wear.
4. What is the latest dressing in Nigeria?
The latest dressing in Nigeria is the evolving senator wears, into which more and more agbada and babban riga are being incorporated.
Nigerian traditional dresses and attires are taking the world by stun because of their uniqueness and the culture they promote. So, try out any styles above for your next occasion and steal the day.
READ ALSO: 80+ stylish African traditional wedding dresses guaranteed to turn heads in 2022
As published on Briefly.co.za, African traditional wedding dresses have unique elements that make the occasion stand out.
The continent has diverse cultures that continue to gain recognition across the globe. Each country has communities attaching special meanings to their wedding attires. Check out the post for some of the latest styles.
Source: Briefly News
