Independence Day: 3 fashion fads from the 60s that should come back

Fashion is one big cycle and we look back on the past 58 years, these are the 3 trends we would like to see make a comeback.

Fashion is one big cycle and we look back on the past 58 years, these are the 3 trends we would like to see make a comeback. Check out the fashion fads from the 60s that should come back.

Although the past has some fashion eras that we would rather forget, the 60's gave us these gems that we think should make a comeback. Take a look!

The Hairstyles

 

To say Nigerians have always been a fashionable people is to put it mildly. The fashion sense of Nigerians has evolved over the years to become something entirely different but that doesn't mean we cannot borrow from the past.

In terms of hairstyles, young men and women of Nigeria’s Independence era obviously fancied a variety of beautifully intricate threading and weaving that sometimes look like cobwebs or waves. Puffs and cornrows were popular too and of course, who would ever forget the omnipresent afro.

On Nigeria’s Independence eve, hairdressers in various cities of the country would probably have gone through a lot of hassle contending with the abundance of customers, who wanted to look their best on the most important day in the land.

For men, the low-cut look has now become a fad among men in present day Nigeria but it was far from fashionable in the Independence era. In fact, if you had a head that had been scraped clean of hair, you were probably a servant to a king or a chamberlain to a noble man.

A well coiffured hair, afro or hair given a befitting parting, was as important as every other part of the ensemble which Independence era fashion lovers would have chosen for the October 1 celebration.

Iro and Buba

 

Looking at pictures of Independence era fashionistas, there was no doubt that women’s iro (wrappers) going beyond the knee must have been a rarity at the time. The top part, called buba in Yoruba, equally had shorter sleeves as well. In fact, this attire has become the symbol of a beautiful era in Nigerian fashion.

This is perhaps why modern day Nigerian fashion enthusiasts continue to go back to the style in what has become known as “Oleku”.

As far as the young women of the 60s were concerned, attire such as iro and buba, gowns and even school uniforms were mostly knee-length. Certainly no Nigerian woman was likely to have worn trousers at the time as it was considered a rather English way of dressing.

Middle-aged and older women of the 60s used more elaborate iro, some actually tied theirs around the chest rather than around the waist. In fact, many used up to two wrappers at a time, which were feet-length.

Flares

 

One of the popular clothing associated with the 60s fashion period was the boot-cut trousers and large flares. Even though this style was popular at the time, it still survived into the following decades.

By the 00s, modern day designers had begun to adapt them to the modern tastes and make them for women too.

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