My Style Heritage
Tags: Nigeria, Style, Heritage, Father And Daughter

I’ve always been an appreciator of clothing and a fashion enthusiast. In fourth grade, I had to complete a list of sentence prompts and one started, “If I had $100, I’d _________” and my answer was “buy lots of clothes and shoes.” That’s not the response you’d expect from a 9-year-old — maybe candy, some toy or game, but not clothes and shoes…and lots of them according to me! In another prompt, I revealed that my favorite possession was “my African jewelry collection from my country” (I was born in Nigeria). So at the age of 9, I already had a clear appreciation for the pillars of any outfit: clothes, shoes and accessories.

Where did I get this from? No, I didn’t dress up in my mom’s clothes and try on her shoes as little girls often do. The person whose clothing and style intrigued me the most was my dad. I didn’t try on his clothes — a part from the occasional hat — but I was fascinated by them and his whole process of getting ready. It always seemed to be quite the event and he took significantly longer to get dressed than my mom, much to her annoyance.

As a kid, I watched my dad get ready. He started by laying his clothes on the bed — creating a frame to work with — and then proceeded to assemble the outfit: he put different ties against a collared shirt; decided on a set of cufflinks and which handkerchief complemented the tie; whether sunglasses were necessary; and then finally came the shoes, which he’d polished himself. I watched his methodical nature as he arranged his outfit and the consideration with which he did it. When he finally put it all on and the transformation was complete, I was fascinated by the look that had been generated from such a process. It hadn’t been accidental, but very intentional. Approaching clothing with intentionality is something I learned early on.

He also took exceptional care of his clothes. All throughout my childhood, he maintained a skepticism and general distrust of washing machines and would never put anything he truly cared about in them. He either hand-washed his clothes — a process that required soaking them at least a week in advance — or took them to the cleaners. He especially took time with his whites, hand washing for hours until they were pristine. From watching him, I understood the importance of valuing one’s clothing.

While my dad has western style clothes, his favorite clothes are his more cultural garments representing styles from Nigeria, but more specifically traditional Igbo — our Nigerian ethnic group — attire. Every time he visits Nigeria he comes back with several pieces. The majority of his clothes are bespoke and he is involved in the design process, from picking the fabric to deciding on the type of button. My dad maneuvers through both style worlds effortlessly, sometimes mixing Nigerian elements in his western attire or vice versa.

He is a fan of accessories because they give an outfit additional character. You are sure to see him wearing a hat — again either Nigerian or western style. He has a red cap, which in Igbo culture is typically reserved for men of authority, power and title. One of his favorite accessories is a Lucite walking stick. Even though he’s 82, he does not need a walking stick and has one only for an aesthetic reason! It symbolizes strength, wealth, longevity and wisdom and is an important part of completing a traditional outfit. He has also accessorized western outfits with his walking stick, imparting that same symbolism.