THE ARTIST JOURNAL (TAJ) VOLUME. 7, NO.

1, APRIL, 2024

STYLISTICS OF ANKARA AND LACE FABRICS IN CONTEMPORARY SOUTHERN

NIGERIAN FASHION

Adeola Abiodun Adeoti

Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology,
Ogbomoso, Nigeria
[email protected]
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2196-4015

Abstract
Ankara and lace fabrics are widely used in southern Nigeria. The fabrics are usually taken to a
tailor or fashion designer to make into desired garments for both men and women. Though Ankara
and lace fabrics are not originally African, they are unique fabrics in Africa because the creativity of the
two fabrics makes them admirable. Researchers in the past concentrated on sculptural art forms. There
had been serious neglect of textile tradition, giving room for the dearth of literature on textiles and
fashion trends, especially on Ankara and lace fabrics facing serious competition in fashion trends. This
paper is an art historical analysis aiming at giving a descriptive analysis of the dressing culture of
southern Nigeria with design production of the two fabrics, fashion styles, and accessories used. The
study adopts a descriptive research design with a qualitative method of analyzing the data. Findings
show that both fabrics can be creatively turned into various styles with other accessories to complement
the wearer's dressings.
Keywords: styles, contemporary, fashion, aso-ebi, dressing culture, clothing

Introduction
Fashion is referred to as the clothing, footwear, or accessories that are currently popular
in style. This is the current trend in the look and dress-up of a person that could change when
there is contact with different societies. Venkatasamy (2015) opined that people tend to change
fashion when there are changes in attitude and values. Espinosa (2022) believes that people
willingly follow certain styles because they agree with the values and attitudes they express.
Popular fashion usually changes in society as the styles of clothing and accessories evolve with
time. Fashion may change, but there may not be changes in styles. The difference between
clothing and fashion is that clothing is the garment, wear, and outfit or attire in covering the
body, whereas fashion is the style used for the garment (Maxey, 2022).
Fashion showcases the rich cultural heritage and creativity of any region, southern
Nigeria inclusive. There are unique traditional attires for each of the areas of southern Nigeria
such as Iro and buba for women and Agbada for men in Yoruba land, the Igbo are rich in Kaftan
attire for men while the Edo people have their traditional wears. Ankara and lace fabrics are
staples and used for traditional and contemporary clothing. The designs and colours in the two
fabrics make fashion designers create and incorporate international trends into their designs. This
makes southern Nigeria have a beautiful blend of tradition with unique styles and creativity.
This study is expedient as there is a dearth of literary materials on textile art tradition
especially in southern Nigeria. The early writers concentrated on sculptural art forms of southern
Nigeria and neglect was being done to textile tradition, coupled with the fact that many other
fabrics are competing with Ankara and lace fabrics that are just coming up in the fashion trend of
southern Nigeria. The concept of aso-ebihas greatly influenced and sustained Nigerian textile
industries, especially in the production of Ankara and Lace fabrics. It has improved the theme,

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forms, and designs. The study therefore needed to be researched to identify various roles Yoruba,
Edo, and the Igbo in Nigeria are playing to ensure the continuity of the production with various
sales and usages. Through their patronage, the two fabrics have vibrant look, making them to be
admired to conform to the taste of the wearers in the contemporary fashion trend. The study will
therefore bridge the knowledge gap ignored by early art historians. In other words, the research
contributes to the growing awareness of the importance and relevance of textiles as a genre in art
scholarship.

Dressing Culture of the Southern Nigeria

The dressing culture of contemporary southern Nigeria is unique, practical, and elegant.
There are three regions in southern Nigeria, these are, the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria, the
Igbo of southeastern Nigeria, and the Ijaw of south-southern Nigeria. Traditionally, dresses for
women in southern Nigeria include Iro, Buba, Gele, Kaba, Iborun, or Ipele, and mostly used by
women in southwestern Nigeria. Buba is a loose blouse that reaches down a little below the
waist. It usually has a simple round-shaped neckline and loose long sleeves (Figure 1). Iro is the
bottom part of clothing, a rectangular piece of cloth wrapped around the waist. One long edge is
wrapped tightly around the waist and tucked in at the end to hold it in place. Iborun or Ipele is a
scarf tied around the waist or draped diagonally or straight on the body (Oladipo, 2016).
Another fashion peculiar to the Yoruba women is a one-piece dress and robes. This one-piece
dress is called Kaba (Figure 2). This is a one-piece traditional dress, which can have different
styles. This always resembles the buba in shape, but it is long enough to hit at the ankles. The
dressing for a typical Yoruba with a headpiece or headgear for both men and women, no matter
the occasion. It is always a part of the whole sense of fashion. Women wear a rectangular-shaped
cloth traditionally known as a gele.Gele is a headgear. This rectangular piece of the fabric is
folded stylistically either half-lengthwise or into a triangle as the case may be and wrapped
around the head. It takes creativity to wrap a gele to result in a beautiful look. Men on the other
hand wear a cap called fila that sits on top of the head, or an abetiaja which is similar to the fila
except that the sides are created or designed to be longer and shaped into a triangle over the ears.
The triangle sides are turned upwards when the abetiaja is worn making it look like the ears of
the dog in its literal meaning. The men do not have additional scarves but use a long robe called
agbada on special occasions.
The Yoruba men dress in Buba, Sokoto, Fila, and Agbada attire (Oladipo, 2016; Fakunle
2022). Buba is a loose shirt that goes down halfway down the thighs. Adeoti, (2015) and Oladejo
(2022) buttress that sokoto is the pant or trousers, covering the lower part of the body. It is a
baggy pant with a drawstring to hold it up, andagbada is the flowing gown worn over buba and
sokoto to make a complete dress for men(Figure 3).
The dressing among Igbo shows culture and identity. They wear a traditional garment
that reaches the ankle. Kaftan and boubou are most common among men, while the women
usually wear lace blouses on double wrappers (Figure 4). The traditional clothing is called
“Isiagu” meaning lion‟s skin or leopard skin symbolizing strength and bravery. The fabric
features designs like the head of a lion or leopard pattern and geometric shapes, worn with
matching hats. Modern designs have been incorporated into the attire, thus making it more
versatile and fashionable (Chudi-Duru, 2021).

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Figure 1: A woman wearing Yoruba Figure 2: A woman wearing Figure 3:A man wearing buba, sokoto
Traditional iro and buba kaba outfit agbada, and fila. Yoruba man outfit

Figure 4: Igbo men wearing lace top and tied wrapper

The dressing for ladies in Igbo of Nigeria generally consists of little garments as their
purpose of clothing originally was to conceal private parts, though, the elders were fully clothed.
Children were usually unclothed from birth until they became full-fledged youths, but sometimes
ornaments such as beads were worn around the waist for spiritual reasons. In most cases, the
Igbo maidens do not cover their breast areas. They usually tie a short wrapper with beads around
their waist and other ornaments such as necklaces and beads, (Ndubisi, 2019). The Igbo men and
women in Nigeria tie wrappers (Chuku, 2005:135; Masquelier, 2005:40).
The south-southern part of Nigeria has its rich traditional attire called “ofiong” meaning
„beautiful‟ or „fine‟ in the Efik language, especially in Cross Rivers State. The designs usually
have intricate patterns like geometric shapes and symbolic floral patterns. The attire is worn on
special occasions like weddings, festivals, and cultural events. Modern designs and brilliant
colours are now incorporated into the attire with matching hats (Akinbileje, 2014; Ekpe, 2016).
Ankara and lace fabrics are known throughout the whole world. These are fabrics that
portray African tradition in contemporary society. Though Ankara and lace fabrics are not
originally African, but they are widely used by Africans and the creativity born out of the two
fabrics is making them more popular. The fabrics are used to produce different types of dresses

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and accessories. This is why (Sinha, 2002) mentioned that “fashion is all about creativity;
creativity is all about innovations; innovation is all about uniqueness; uniqueness is all about
being outstanding; being outstanding is sourced from critical thinking”. It is the creative
uniqueness of the fashion designers that makes the two fabrics to be outstanding. Ndekwu (2011)
buttresses this that Ankara and lace are known to symbolize African fashion, and when a non-
Africa fashion brand uses them, the design is labeled „African-inspired‟. This shows that the
theme, designs, colour, styles, and totality of Ankara and lace make the fashion world feel the
impact of the fabrics (Suhartini, et.al 2018). Nigeria cannot be left behind in the fashion world
because of the fascinating ways Ankara and lace are designed. Adeokun (2013) opined that
people from within and outside the Nigerian shore use Ankara and lace fabrics.

Design production of Ankara fabrics

Okafor (2013) referred to Ankara as Dutch wax because it migrated from Dutch. Ankara
was then of very high quality at a price unaffordable for the poor. The Turks from Ankara (the
name of the capital city of Turkey formerly called Angora) produced another type of Ankara that
is cheaper and less in quality to be affordable to the would-be buyers. So, therefore, the fabric
was changed from Dutch Wax to Ankara. Adeoti and Kalilu (2022) state that the fabric was
produced for West African markets in the nineteenth century; it is referred to as „African fabric‟.
Designs and motifs made by the Dutch were mostly acceptable. So most of them were
usually given names, proverbs, and slogans attached to them by the traders in all the
communities in which the clothes were being sold. However, the names had nothing about the
designs or motifs on the fabrics. But because of this incorporation of Dutch wax prints (Adeoti
and Kalilu, 2023), the fabric is being referred to as “authentically African” (Fairhead, 2013),
even though they were produced and designed in Europe, presumably by Europeans with little or
no African input in terms of designs and motifs at the production stages.
Ankara fabrics are of two types, these are genuine prints called „wax‟ and roller prints
called „fancy‟. A wax-printed textile otherwise known as Ankara in Nigeria is one in which wax
has been used as a medium for blocking the penetration of dye into the fabric in certain areas to
create a design. This is a resist dyed cloth, or a wax resists printed cloth. Instead of wax, the resin
is applied to engrave copper rollers in a repeat pattern. Before the cloth is dyed, it is crinkled,
making cracks in the resin. The cracks appear as thin lines after the cloth is dyed and are known
as “crackles”. Areas covered by the resin do not accept the dye. Other colours may be applied
using hand-stamped wood blocks. The finished cloth is characterized by slight overlapping of
colour areas (Adeoti and Kalilu, 2024); this characteristic of wax prints is seen as an asset,
making the cloth “sparkle”. The patterns in Ankara have bold and sometimes unusual colour
combinations. However, the slight misalignment of colours and design and the distinctive
crackled effect sets Ankara cloth apart from other factory-produced printed cotton to achieve the
crackled effect. The process of producing genuine wax cloth is complicated and time-consuming
when compared to other printed fabrics, and thus, very expensive (Adeoti and Kalilu 2022).
In the roller print process, a design is incised into a series of large brass rollers, one for
each colour to be printed. These rollers are then attached to the printing machine one after the
next. As the fabric passes under the rollers, dye is applied on a single side in progression from
the lightest to the darkest colours. This expedient technique results relatively in inexpensive
prints that are fewer colors faster, and fade more quickly than dye-saturated wax prints.
However, because the process does not use resin or blocking, it allows for greater details,
more colour variety, and the inclusion of photo-silk screen images. While the fancy design may
imitate wax, the special characteristics of roller printing have also led to a burgeoning of design
potentials that go far beyond the imitation of wax. They are also known as “fancy prints”, printed

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on one side only either by engraved metal rollers or printing screens mounted on rollers. It is
cheap and also results in differences in quality (Adeoti 2022).
The patterns often incorporate representational motifs. While the appearance of African
printed cotton may be aesthetically pleasing, the imagery chosen for patterns usually adapts
symbols, proverbs, and slogans, and permits the integration of African motifs, such as those used
in adire eleko, this is indigo-dyed cloth produced by Yoruba women of south western Nigeria
using a variety of resist dye techniques. The fabric is made from 100% cotton or a cotton-
polyester blend (Adeoti, 2023).
The designs on Ankara prints are not limited but depend on demand by its customer‟s
request. Customers play a vital role in the development of textile industries all over the world
and of which Southern Nigeria is not left out. When a design sells well, it will be “recycled” and
given a new look, by incorporating new ground designs, colours, and often additional motifs
drafted by a set of dynamic designers in the industry. For example, the ABC alphabet design
created in 1920 has a favourite concept and has continually been reworked in numerous
variations. Along the selvage edge, one usually finds the manufacturer‟s code, including such
phrases as “Veritable Rotary Java Print”, “Guaranteed Dutch Java Hollandais”, or “Real English
Wax” etc. It is used for various purposes such as fashion, home decoration, and accessories. The
common patterns and designs include plants, animals, abstracts, and geometric shapes with
vibrant colours in a combination of red, yellow, blue, green, and white (Adeoti and Kalilu,
2022).
The process of production involves both traditional and modern techniques. The
designers create concepts and sketch them either by hand or through computer-aided design
(CAD) software with their choice of colours, the patterns are transformed into repeatable patterns
to allow continuous printing, and printed onto screens or rollers using wax or dye resistance
materials, and the fabric such as cotton or polyester is prepared for printing by dyeing in vats and
the wax is removed, this makes the colours to be fixed and the excess dye is washed out
(Adeloye, et.al 2022). The fabric is chemically treated to enhance durability and texture. After
drying, it is taken to a tailor or fashion designer to cut and sew into the desired outfit, accessory,
or home décor.

Design production of Lace Fabrics

Lace is an openwork fabric, decorated with open holes in the work, made by machine or
by hand. The holes are formed by the removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven
fabric, but more often open spaces are formed as part of the Lace fabric. In the production
technique, the needles are threaded once and the ground pattern of the all-over embroidery
remains the same for the whole fabric. This type of embroidery is expensive because of the stitch
density. Lace fabrics have no selvage edge like Ankara but they have scallops at the edges Kalilu
and Adeoti, 2020).
At first, the producers adapted the usual patterns of European white work, by enlarging
them and by producing coarse versions. The white work patterns represent an important source
of inspiration and are used repeatedly for African Lace in arrays of variations. This also explains
the different aesthetics from the wax prints, as in the embroideries floral motifs, paisley shapes,
and abstract patterns abound that are quite distinct from the textile patterns otherwise common in
Africa; these tend to be multi-coloured, large-format, and often figurative motifs. Embroidery
patterns by contrast are normally small-sized and rarely occur in large renderings. The main
reason for this is the cost of production, as the machine embroidery of large motifs is more
expensive than the production of small format patterns (Plankensteiner, 2013). After sketching,
the designs are transformed into repeatable patterns through the technique of either needle,

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bobbin, or crotchet lace making. The fabric to be used such as silk, cotton, polyester, or nylon is
prepared for the application, and lace is applied to the fabric with the use of embroidery,
applique, or printing technique, the lace is cut and shaped to create intricate designs and
thereafter packaged to retailers or wholesalers.
Colour ways are also markedly different from those usual for the printed cotton textiles
called Ankara fabric, which is normally extremely colourful. By contrast, the costly lace textiles
are preferred in subdued tones, the so-called “cool” colours considered in Nigeria to be more
classic and durable. Lace or embroidered fabrics in southern Nigeria are of different quality
bearing different names such as Plated Lace, Organza lace, Voile Lace, Dry Lace, Guipure Lace,
Sequins Lace, Net Lace, All Lace, Cord Lace, (Kalilu and Adeoti, 2020) etc.
The patterns on embroidered fabrics were mostly typical floral patterns, in recent times,
the motifs now embraced animals, fruit, geometric shapes, ornate details, and everyday objects,
as well as prestige items such as high-heeled shoes, watches, logos of expensive car brands, plus
those of airlines, all the way to dollar bills. These fancy textiles, also dubbed “letter fabrics” in
Lustenau, were mainly crafted from cheap cotton weaves with loose stitching, and astonishing
quantities were sold. The guipure fabrics involve the use of large amounts of yarns with
elaborate production processes, thereby making the fabric to be extremely costly.
Swarovski crystals, usually called “stones” in Nigeria, were added to lace fabrics around
the 1970s (Halley, 2010). Initially, these stones were affixed to the material with metal claws.
Later, a new technique was developed, the stones were bonded to the fabric with adhesive, and
also smaller stones could now be used. Stones are now sprinkled loosely over the fabrics even
without regard for the embroidered pattern. Along with the density of the stitching and the
quality of the base material, the number of stones dictates the price. On average in recent times,
at least 150 to 400 stones are affixed to a one-yard piece of fabric; it may even be as many as up
to 1,500 for the North American market and the expatriate Nigerians who are the customers
there.

Fashion Styles of Ankara and Lace fabrics in southern Nigeria

These two fabrics can be styled in various ways to create different fashion looks. There
are two main types of usage in fashion styles Ankara and Lace fabrics. These are single usage
and combined usage. Single usage is when the fabric is used alone without the mixture of any
other fabric to make an outfit (Figure 5), while combined usage is when the fabric is mixed with
another fabric to make an outfit (Figure 6). Ankara and lace fabrics are now enjoying the favour
of contemporary fashion styles with the skills of creative designers when the fabrics blend with
other matching fabrics and are made into endless styles and designs for both office and formal
occasions (Nkoro, 2021; Adeoti, 2024). The fabric is mixed with other textile fabrics to make
simple but attractive attires (Lasisi, et. al., 2022). The designers in southern Nigeria usually study
the nature, texture, colours, and patterns of the fabrics, and if this is well understood and able to
mix and match with contemporary fabrics properly, it will produce creative designs that expand
the creativity of the designer.
[Figures 5 and 6 here]

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Figure 5: A woman wearing Ankara outfit Figure 6: A woman wearing an outfit

of single usage of Ankara combined with lace fabric.

Ankara fabrics could be mixed up with other fabrics like sateen, chiffon, lace, hand-
woven aso-ofi materials, Guinea brocade, and even plain coloured cotton fabrics to make a
complete and attractive outfit. Ankara is a fabric that is meant, adorned, and useful for all and
sundry – men and women, young and old even the children are not left out in the fashion trend.
In Southwestern Nigeria, women wear it as a wrapper, buba top (iro and buba), and gele (head
tie) making 6 yards (5.49 meters) to complete this type of style. The fabric is also worn as a long
or short skirt and blouse with a head tie using the same measure depending on the style chosen
by the wearer Kalilu and Adeoti, 2022).
The men use between 4 and 6 yards to make Yoruba buba and sokoto for men. Men‟s
buba is similarly cut like the women‟s except it is longer and may be of various styles.
Combined with men‟s buba and sokoto is fila, caps of various traditional forms which men could
make out of Ankara fabric or even otherwise using aso-ofi for making the cap worn on Ankara
fabric as a complete dressing for men. One other clothing attire men wear is called the agbada.
The production of agbada needs another 6 yards of fabric apart from the 6 yards used for the
buba and sokoto making 12 yards for complete men's outfits. The agbada is a big piece of fabric
that may have embroidery around the neck opening. The embroidery extends to the front part and
extends to the navel level. The agbada is a big flowing gown worn over the buba or other
moderate-sized men‟s top.
The South-South and the Southeastern Nigerian women wear double wrappers with lace
blouses to make an outfit (Figure 7), while some tailor their Ankara fabric in a long skirt and
blouse, using 6 yards or 5.49 meters. The men in the South-South and the Southeastern region do
not tailor their Ankara like the Southwestern men, but tie their wrapper on special occasions
using George fabric, Ankara, or velvet fabric as a wrapper or at times trousers. But most of the
time, lace fabrics are used as buba tops to make a complete outfit. The Igbo traditional dress is a
kaftan, a long, loose-fitting top like the Yoruba men‟s buba. The Igbo cap used to complete their
outfit is different from the caps used in Southwestern Nigeria. The cap is either a traditional title
holder‟s hat or the striped men‟s hat known as Okpu Agwu in Igbo (McCall, 2000:53; Isichei,
1977:113).
Clothes fashioned out of embroidery textiles are considered „traditional dress‟ and it is
usually worn on occasions such as naming, weddings funeral ceremonies, festive occasions, or

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even public appearances of politicians or celebrities at home and abroad thus defining the image
of Nigerians worldwide. The traditional dress styles of both men and women fashioned out of
lace materials are also significant like their use with Ankara fabrics. In Southern Nigeria, Lace is
a fabric that is useful for all and sundry. Women wear it as wrappers and buba tops, kaba, or
even blouses to be worn over other fabrics as wrappers or skirts with iborun or ipele (shawl) to
complete the dressing (Figure 8). Therefore, Lace could serve a social function and also day-to-
day clothing. From the social function, there is a specific use called „commemoration‟.
Usage in Ankara or lace fabrics in southern Nigeria involves commemoration which
could be customized or general. This is found in the use of aso ebi (cloth of the family), a
practice that has endured despite modernization in Southern Nigeria. This practice happens to be
one of the attractions that add colour, elegance, glamour, and sophistication to any social event
which is usually common among women. People attach a lot of importance to this piece of fabric
no matter how less or costly the fabric may be. There is always preferential treatment for people
who wear lace aso-ebi chosen for any social event (Figure 9).

Figure 7: An Igbo woman wearing Figure 8: A Yoruba woman wearing iro, buba,
double wrapper George with lace blouse ipele and gele (headgear)

Figure 9: Group of women wearing lace aso-ebi at a party

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Lace fabrics in aso ebi attire give a spectacular sight when there are a group of women
sitting together or dancing through the streets in identical wrappers or head ties and this has
spread in the widespread use of Ankara and Lace fabrics. This practice is a common
phenomenon among women and it attracts glamour to the social gathering. The celebrant or
people in such gatherings treat this set of people with a difference. Makinde et.al. (2009:3)
explained that aso-ebi connotes the wearing of a chosen or commissioned cloth as a uniform
dress to commemorate or celebrate an event or occasion. Aremu (2006) and Judith (1999) in
Makinde et. al. (op cit.) reiterated that aso-ebi is seen as a strong expression of communal,
solidarity and love. This practice has led to the development of the genre of printed textiles
known as commemorative cloth. The genre according to Picton (1995:28) combines the
widespread West and Central African practice of commemorating specific people or events
through the running of a textile motif with a European score of design that includes realistic
portraits and the inclusion of text (Figure 10).
The fashion trends in contemporary Nigerian fashion are the oleku fashion style and
Euro-American fashion styles. This is a style that is also adopted by the youngsters in Southern
Nigeria whereby, the lace fabric is used at times for the buba top of oleku style. This style of
dressing is common with the ladies who are classic in dressing. Although other fabrics could be
used for the buba blouse, mostly French lace is common for the blouse worn as a top on velvet
wrappers or Ankara wrappers. The buba is usually a short sleeve over the wrapper tied above the
knee. The rectangular piece of damask is used as gele for a head tie at least to make the dressing
more elegant and most of the time with high-heeled shoes (Figure 11).

Figure 10: An aso-ebi outfit with Figure 11: Group of ladies wearing oleku style with lace buba
(blouse) Realistic picture and inclusion of text Courtesy: BellaNaija Collection

Fashion in Africa has been combined with designs, and so it is while using Ankara or
lace fabrics for Euro-American fashion. African fashion in recent times marries African design
with modern design as Areo (2007:13) opined. Most of the time, they want to look African in
their fashion and still have European influence. This would be seen in the dressing of both men
and women who have incorporated the use of Ankara or lace fabrics for the construction of Euro-
American fashion elements and forms such as suits, jackets for men (Figure 12), skirt suits, and
different styles of blouses for ladies with matching skirt or trousers for everyday wears, either to
the office or to social functions, or even for fashion parade.
The people of southern Nigeria are traditionally social people who love to celebrate their
joy with remarkable parties. Such of these parties mostly attract large crowds where

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commemorative use of fabric is often required. This was mentioned by Akinwumi (2008) where
affordable materials could be used. Commemorative fabrics that are specially commissioned are
always cheaper, according to the survey carried out, in price compared to the regular fabric sold
at the open market, because of, the fact that the materials will be mass-produced, there is a ready
market, the sales will be in bulk and there would be instant marginal and maximum profit level
that gets to the account of the producer‟s company.

Fashion Accessories in Ankara and Lace Fabrics

As fashion accessories, Ankara and lace fabrics have infinite creative applications like
shoes, bags, bangles, hair clips, bibs, and earrings especially for Ankara fabrics to match the type
of dress worn on an occasion (Figure 13). The use of Swarovski crystals in lace fabrics is also
elegant in the making of hand fans, shoes and bags, laces for the underskirt, braziers, pants for
ladies, veils, and appliqué on ladies' dresses especially, (Adeoti and Kalilu, 2023) etc, which is
making everyone to love and admire the fabric. Styles and designs available for both fabrics are
endless which makes all people, men and women, young and the aged become glued to it.

Figure 12: A man wearing a jacket and Figure 13: A bag made of Ankara fabric.
Bow tie made of Ankara fabric

Sustainable Development of Ankara and Lace Fabrics

African fashion nowadays marries African design and fashion with modern design and
fashion as Areo (2007:13) opined. Most of the time, the people of southern Nigeria want to look
African in their fashion and still have a bit of European influence. This would be seen in the
dressing of the women wearing skirt suits made from Ankara fabric. The hot climate of Africa
paved the way for this fabric to be more popular. The hot climate makes southern Nigeria prefer
Ankara and Lace fabrics so that it will be easier for all occasions – office wear, casual wear,
work dress, ceremonies, pleasure, important occasions, traditional festivals, etc.
The Ankara fabric in recent times is beautiful, colourful, and vibrant. The soft texture and
light nature help the designers make it more trendy and stylish. All the styles made of Lace

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fabrics could adapt to Ankara fabric, thereby making Ankara fabric more popular. Through
Ankara and lace fabrics, the fashion industry can reduce environmental paths, encourage proper
labour principles, and ensure a more responsible and recyclable future for the two fabrics.

Conclusion
The Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria favoured mostly blues and green prints, while the
Igbo and Ijaw people of southeastern and south-south Nigeria favoured mostly deep red and
yellow colours for their Ankara prints. The light texture nature of Ankara makes it preferred by
many in southern Nigeria because of the hot climate in the sub-region. Ankara fabric has become
a symbol of African identity and pride, while lace fabric adds a touch of glamour, elegance, and
sophistication.
Lace fabrics are either single thread or double threads made by machine or hand-made
and consist of networks of yarns formed into intricate designs. Majorly, the designs in laces are
not vibrant but it has horizontal motifs and one-way designs. The production of lace does not
allow for greater details like Ankara fabrics and so the designs are rendered in smaller motifs. It
is made mainly from higher-quality fibers such as silk or linen, nylon, rayon, polyester, wool,
cotton, etc. Some come in lightweight but some have thick thread outlining a floral design. In
most cases, laces are usually reserved for high-class events. The stylistics of Ankara and lace
fabrics are a testament to the beauty and richness of African fashion, and their legacy will
continue to inspire future generations of fashion enthusiasts.
There are a lots of developing pool of gifted young designers pushing the limits of
fashion and creativity, improving daily with ground-breaking designs, making them influencing
other African countries to produce rich cultural exchange and variety in fashion. Fashion in
southern Nigeria is an attractive mixture of tradition, culture, and modernity which showcases
unique styles and creativity for each of the regions.

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