Dressing up for Independence

Despite the economic circumstances, there is always a reason to celebrate and with the recent declaration by the Federal Government of a public holiday tomorrow, families can take the opportunity to engage in celebrating Nigeria’s 56th independence.

With many events, including religious services targeted at the celebration of Nigeria’s 56th independence anniversary, there are a variety of opportunities available and it is important to dress appropriately for the outing. For those celebrating Nigeria’s democracy, below are a few   style tips to follow:

The outfit

The best bet for this celebration is traditional designs with touches of green and white. They provide the right platform for pairing accessories, and can work for as many occasions as possible – church thanksgivings, beach outings, children parties, red carpet events or family visits.

Switch between Ankara shorts or skirts to full/knee-length dresses. For children, pure white traditional outfits could go for those who are relatively older. And if your aim is to win Democratic Family of 2016, let the family come out in matching traditional outfits.

The feet

For women, heels or flat strappy sandals go wonderfully with traditional dresses, shorts or skirts. For men, shoes or sandals go well with Ankara outfits. One can also take advantage of the variety of Ankara-themed shoes available in sneakers, strappy or block heels, sandals, shoes, among others.

The eyes

The colours, green and white are hard colours to work with on the make-up palette. For green eyeshadow, know the varying shades of green available and pick the ones that will work well with your skin tone.

White eyeshadow does not go well with very dark complexions. Instead, you could go for a lighter shade of ash. And if you can’t make green/white work, go for traditional makeup colours. Throw on a pair of sunglasses to complete the look. For women, use the sunglasses to hold back your hair and the look is nothing but classy.

The lips

The lip colour should depend on the general theme of the party. You could go gothic by using black lipstick for an informal club party. Red, pink or purple also work well with traditional outfits. The key is moderation.

The hair

Especially for women, up-dos are a great combination with dresses, especially for those with sleeves. For tube dresses, let the hair be long and should cascade down the shoulders to ensure some sense of decency.