from which the entire outfit derives the name agbada,
meaning “voluminous attire”—is a big, loose-fitting,
ankle-length garment. It has three sections: a rectangu-
lar centerpiece, flanked by wide sleeves. The center-
piece—usually covered front and back with elaborate
embroidery—has a neck hole (orun) and big pocket (apo)
on the left side. The density and extent of the embroi-
dery vary considerably, depending on how much a pa-
tron can afford. There are two types of undervest: the
buba, a loose, round-neck shirt with elbow-length sleeves;
and dansiki, a loose, round-neck, sleeveless smock. The
Yoruba trousers, all of which have a drawstring for se-
curing them around the waist, come in a variety of shapes
and lengths. The two most popular trousers for the ag-
bada are sooro, a close-fitting, ankle-length, and narrow-
bottomed piece; and kembe, a loose, wide-bottomed one
that reaches slightly below the knee, but not as far as the
ankle. Different types of hats may be worn to comple-
ment the agbada; the most popular, gobi, is cylindrical in
form, measuring between nine and ten inches long.
When worn, it may be compressed and shaped forward,
sideways, or backward. Literally meaning “the dog-eared
one,” the abetiaja has a crestlike shape and derives its
name from its hanging flaps that may be used to cover
the ears in cold weather. Otherwise, the two flaps are
turned upward in normal wear. The labankada is a big-
ger version of the abetiaja, and is worn in such a way as
to reveal the contrasting color of the cloth used as un-
derlay for the flaps. Some fashionable men may add an
accessory to the agbada outfit in the form of a wraparound
(ibora). A shoe or sandal (bata) may be worn to complete
the outfit.
It is worth mentioning that the agbada is not exclu-
sive to the Yoruba, being found in other parts of Africa
as well. It is known as mbubb (French, boubou) among the
Wolof of Senegambia and as riga among the Hausa and
Fulani of the West African savannah from whom the
Yoruba adopted it. The general consensus among schol-
ars is that the attire originated in the Middle East and
was introduced to Africa by the Berber and Arab mer-
chants from the Maghreb (the Mediterranean coast) and
the desert Tuaregs during the trans-Saharan trade that
began in the pre-Christian era and lasted until the late
nineteenth century. While the exact date of its introduc-
tion to West Africa is uncertain, reports by visiting Arab
geographers indicate that the attire was very popular in
the area from the eleventh century onward, most espe-
cially in the ancient kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, Songhay,
Bornu, and Kanem, as well as in the Hausa states of
northern Nigeria. When worn with a turban, the riga or
mbubb identified an individual as an Arab, Berber, desert
Tuareg, or a Muslim. Because of its costly fabrics and
elaborate embroidery, the attire was once symbolic of
wealth and high status. Those ornamented with Arab cal-
ligraphy were believed to attract good fortune (baraka).
Hence, by the early nineteenth century, the attire had
been adopted by many non-Muslims in sub-Saharan
Africa, most especially kings, chiefs, and elites, who not
only modified it to reflect local dress aesthetics, but also
replaced the turban with indigenous headgears. The big-
ger the robe and the more elaborate its embroidery, the
higher the prestige and authority associated with it.
There are two major types of agbada among the
Yoruba, namely the casual (agbada iwole) and ceremonial
(agbada amurode). Commonly called Sulia or Sapara, the
casual agbada is smaller, less voluminous, and often made
of light, plain cotton. The Sapara came into being in the
1920s and is named after a Yoruba medical practitioner,
Dr. Oguntola Sapara, who felt uncomfortable in the tra-
ditional agbada. He therefore asked his tailor not only to
reduce the volume and length of his agbada, but also to
make it from imported, lightweight cotton. The cere-
monial agbada, on the other hand, is bigger, more ornate,
and frequently fashioned from expensive and heavier ma-
terials. The largest and most elaborately embroidered is
called agbada nla or girike. The most valued fabric for the
ceremonial agbada is the traditionally woven cloth popu-
larly called aso ofi (narrow-band weave) or aso oke (north-
ern weave). The term aso oke reflects the fact that the Oyo
Yoruba of the grassland to the north introduced this type
of fabric to the southern Yoruba. It also hints at the close
cultural interaction between the Oyo and their northern
neighbors, the Nupe, Hausa, and Fulani from whom the
former adopted certain dresses and musical instruments.
A typical narrow-band weave is produced on a horizon-
tal loom in a strip between four and six inches wide and
several yards long. The strip is later cut into the required
lengths and sewn together into broad sheets before be-
ing cut again into dress shapes and then tailored. A fab-
ric is called alari when woven from wild silk fiber dyed
deep red; sanyan when woven from brown or beige silk;
and etu when woven from indigo-dyed cotton. In any
case, a quality fabric with elaborate embroidery is ex-
pected to enhance social visibility, conveying the wearer’s
taste, status, and rank, among other things. Yet to the
Yoruba, it is not enough to wear an expensive agbada—
the body must display it to full advantage. For instance,
an oversize agbada may jokingly be likened to a sail (aso
igbokun), implying that the wearer runs the risk of being
blown off-course in a windstorm. An undersize agbada,
on the other hand, may be compared to the body-tight
plumage of a gray heron (ako) whose long legs make the
feathers seem too small for the bird’s height. Tall and
well-built men are said to look more attractive in a well-
tailored agbada. Yoruba women admiringly tease such men
with nicknames such as agunlejika (the square-shouldered
one) and agunt’asoolo (tall enough to display a robe to full
advantage). That the Yoruba place as much of a premium
on the quality of material as on how well a dress fits res-
onates in the popular saying, Gele o dun, bii ka mo o we, ka
mo o we, ko da bi ko yeni (It is not enough to put on a head-
gear, it is appreciated only when it fits well).
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, new
materials such as brocade, damask, and velvet have been
AGBADA
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