ASOOKE--YORUBA FASHION

#History

YORUBA: THE HOME OF ASO-OKE

Aso-Oke is the prestigious hand-woven cloth of the Yoruba, a major ethnic group in the southwest of Nigeria.

It is said that cloth weaving started predominantly among the Iseyins in Oyo state Yorubaland in the 15th century, hence it was called “Aso ilu oke” which along the line was shortened to Aso Oke. From there, it spread to other Yoruba towns.

In the olden days, Aso Oke, is considered as clothing materials for only the royals, yet it provided sustainable income for its weavers.

The type of Aso Oke worn by a person in the ancient Yoruba society not only instantly communicates the status of the person, it also reveals hidden details about his culture, particularly the belief system and level of affluence.

It will be recalled that initially Aso Oke was mostly used in Yoruba funeral activities, chiefly as the uniforms for children of the deceased and other immediate family members. But in modern times, it has evolved into a formal dressing norm for other events such as weddings, naming ceremonies, birthdays, church events, and political gatherings.

Even now we see other tribes using asooke for their events as it seems to be the only fabric that stands well for the popular gele.