You don’t need to ask where these ladies are coming from when you see them. They are unique and beautifully adored with ‘Sho-kay’ which is shortening for Aso Ilu Oke. What does this mean? It simply means ‘clothes from the countryside.’ Some people called it Aso-Ofi. The seat of the weavers of Aso Oke is a little town called Ofi in Nigeria.
Aso Oke is hand woven made by the Yoruba and typically sewn together to make a local clothing. Festivals, coronations and weddings are not complete without Aso Oke. This is why fashion savvy ladies go for the best when they are going for Aso Oke. Not even the men are exempted from this lovely fabric. Talk about Aso Oke, talk about Aso Ebi. Ebi is friends or family. When many people wear similar colours, they are referred to as Aso ebi to symbolize solidarity or unity for an event.
The cloth is mainly produced in Ede(Osun State),Okene (Kogi State) and Iseyin (Oyo State) in Southern part of Nigeria.
The Complete Outfit
For the Men
The complete outfit for the men including the following;
Shokoto– loose fit trousers
Agbada– a large robe worn over the Buba
Fila– a soft cap
Buba– a loose fit top/shirt
For the Women
Gele– a head-tie
Pele– a shawl that goes around the waist or over the shoulder
Iborun– a scarf
Iro– a large wrapper tied like a wrap-around skirt
Buba– a loose fit blouse worn on top
Types of Aso Oke
There are three types of Aso oke and they are based on colours.
Etu
Etu stands for guinea fowl. It is indigo and deep blue dyed that comes with tiny light blue stripes often. It is said that the cloth resembles the colour of the guinea fowl’s plumage.
Sanyan
Sanyan is pale brown and woven from the beige silk. The beige silk is obtained from the cocoons of the Anaphe moth. It is often used for funerals and weddings.
Alari
Arari is the deep red colour of Aso oke and is woven from magenta waste silk.
However, Aso oke has been modified to come in various designs and colours. You are not limited to the above the types of Aso oke. You can even customize your design and colour according to your taste.
Are you thinking of looking different in an event? There are choices to be made from Aso oke. It is no longer limited to the Yoruba people. You can wear it and make the difference.
Some designers have gone the extra miles to ensure that they produce some stunning designs you cannot resist. This is the reason why Aso oke is always staring boldly on different fashion magazines and online.
What do you think of Aso oke? Is it that outfit that will make you look amazingly great? Aso oke is proudly Africa! You will surely love it when you get a piece of it.