Five-piece attire
The original version of the outfit consists of five pieces:- The Iro are long, rectangular, large wrap-around skirts tied around the waist and knotted.
- The Buba is a long-sleeved, loose-fitting blouse.
- The head-tie Gele is famously known to be worn by many Nigerian women.
- The Ipele is a shorter fabric tied around the waist on top of the Iro.
- The Iborun is a scarf that’s strategically placed on the shoulder.
The evolution of Iro & Buba
The Iro and Buba trend was famous in the 50’s into the early 80’s. In fact the Iro was worn as a mini-skirt back then, as a symbol of the liberation of women. At some point, however, the style became seen by young women as “old”. By 2013-2014 the well-known regalia sprang back into fashion and became modernized into various chic styles. Trendsetters took the garb up a notch by doing away with the Iborun and Ipele. Also, rather than using the common Aso-Oke fabric, chiffon, cotton, or lace fabric are instead used nowadays. Today, the Iro and Buba have a fashionable twist to it as they come in various styles and fabric. From the usual African print fabric to satin and chiffon.
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Photo credit: ameriestyle.blogspot.com
Photo credit: blackhairstylecuts.com
