AGBADA! Just the sound of the style is enough to evoke respect. It’s not a look for the lily-livered. The ‘flowing garments’ have a way of making even the most uninspiring person glow. From Nigeria’s early fashion times, agbada has been the reserve of those who know exactly what they are about. Even better, it cuts across, irrespective of ethnic background. Interestingly, there are men who haven’t the heart to rock the look. It’s undeniably one of the seven wonders of the male fashion world.
However, Makeover insists that every real man should embrace the agbada, even if it’s once in a lifetime. Below are a few things to note when considering stepping into the folds of the agbada:
Fabric
Not all fabrics can withstand the glory of the agbada, so, ensure you’re working with an expert when it comes to choosing the fabric for an agbada. Take into consideration that you’re not getting extra when it comes to support for the agbada, so you need to find the perfect balance between flow and weight to get the best from the outlook.
Shoes
The agbada is not an outfit to be ‘casualised,’ however simple you claim you are. The rule is simple: Wear amazing shoes or let the agbada be. For instance, it is a personal insult to the agbada to wear sneakers, palm slippers, and even sandals, as the accompanying shoes. That’s a complete No-No. If you are feeling too uninspired to wear the right shoes, do tradition a favour and turn a blind eye whenever the allure of the agbada is in your vicinity.
Cap
Then there’s the cap. Anyone, who tells you the agbada look can be done without a cap is an enemy of your fashion glory. If you take the cap out of the mix, you have successfully ‘derepped’ the look and it will take a long time for your designer to forgive you for that blunder. It’s simple. If you’re not a cap person, you’re, most definitely, not an agbada person.
Poise
When you finally step away from the league of the faint-hearted and choose to join the agbada train, remember that one thing you must not do without: confidence. There is no room for slouching, stuttering or loafing about. It’s the agbada. The only business you should be doing is parading yourself like the king you have chosen to be. Whatever the colour you choose to rock your agbada, ensure that you’re pairing right. No clowning effects or oversabi swagger will work with agbada, unless you’re choosing to make a laughing stock of yourself. And if you dare to ridicule the look, interestingly, it’s you who people will remember as the clown, not the agbada.
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