Whenever a Japanese, Westerners, Arabs etc dressed and groomed, They are easily identified and appreciated. Their dressing stand them out of others and have greater significance on their way of living and religion. Why is African view of dressing and grooming different?
Many Africans choose other mode of dressing over theirs. That's even the reason for this post because if we appreciate our own like others. There will not be need to talk about it. There are many factors that contribute to that understanding and Influence. One of it is the imperialism and colonialism. Hardly, no part of African soil and people that the Westerners did not rule over them. Remember that before they came, our forefathers have a view of dressing even though it might be primitive and common. Our colonial masters had a way that they dress which is far different from ours and our people dressed to look like that. A fashion trend that still hold till today. It has even influenced other ways of our ways and institutions. Mass media, one of the major agent of orientation prides the western dressing style over ours. And even movies and TV show personalities usually appreciate the western dressing style of suit and tie as the formal attire. Thus, many chooses it and dress alike.
In the formal settings like school, institutions like banks etc, western ways of dressing and grooming are appreciated and our African ways of dressing are mostly looked down which does not supposed to be.
Although I have western dress and shoes but I prefer our cultural ways of dressing and grooming. Not only that I am promoting it as it seem like what many people does not want again but as a best fashion that suit our weather and climate. Having my buba clothes and wrapper tied around my waist region have great cooling effect on my body under the hot sun and climatic influences.
With my African clothes on me, you identify me at just a glance without guessing where I am from. In my country,there is many tribes and ethnicities. The way that we dress is significant difference between us. When I dress like an Igbo man, all my brothers and sisters appreciate me that's one of the roles played by good dressing and grooming.
Dressing stands us out among other things. I believe that it hold great cultural and historical importance. There's a lot of health benefits and importance