Yoruba Women in Clothing: Textiles as a Bridge to Memories and Identity

Abstract

Yoruba women’s clothing and fashion are not only artistic expressions but also living records of cultural heritage, communal identity, and social values passed from one generation to another. A theoretical approach was adopted for the study. This paper investigates the pivotal role of Yoruba women in Southwestern Nigeria in the cultural utilization of textiles as fashion items, emphasizing their significance as a medium for collective memory and cultural identity for future generations. Through a critical analysis of the continuous use of textile materials such as adire (resist-dyed fabrics including Adire Eleko, Oniko, and Alabere) and Aso Oke (handwoven cloths such as Etu, Sanyan, Alaari, and Shanishani) among Yoruba women in Southwestern Nigeria, these textiles have become enduring cultural hallmarks. The paper also highlights their symbolic functions in fashion and ceremonies such as: funerals, naming ceremonies, traditional festivals, chieftaincy installations, and other social celebrations, where they signify status, spirituality, and communal values. Drawing from historical, ethnographic, and anthropological frameworks, the study explores the evolution of textile use in Southwestern Nigeria by tracing the intersection of textiles, fashion, memory, and identity. The study concludes that textiles are indispensable elements of material culture and symbolic cultural heritage, appreciated beyond local boundaries.

Keywords: Yoruba women, textiles, cultural identity, fashion, memory, material culture, heritage.