Tribal Talk: Nigerian Iro and Buba

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Iro and Buba | A contemporary spin on the traditional Nigerian Buba and Iro worn effortlessly

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Hope your week is winding down to a terrific end? Wanted to share this contemporary Iro and Buba outfit with you. I am quite excited for Halloween this Friday and Iโ€™m ecstatic to see what costumes my coworkers will have on. As for me, I plan to keep my look rather low key by dressing up as a Nigerian. Yes, Nigerian!!

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Iro and Buba | A contemporary spin on the traditional Nigerian Buba and Iro worn effortlessly

Every now and then my coworkersย ask me about the kind of attire we wear in Nigeria. This Halloween will be a great opportunity to show them how itโ€™s done in Nigeria without being out of place and it will serve as a great excuse for not buying a costume ahead of time. Score!

Iro and Buba | A contemporary spin on the traditional Nigerian Buba and Iro worn effortlessly

This outfit, Iro and Buba, is traditionally worn by the Yoruba womenย of Nigeria. The original version consists of five pieces. Theย Iro is a large wrapper tied around the waist. The Buba is a loose-fitted blouse. The Gele is a headwrap for which Nigerian women are famously known for. The Pele is a shorter fabric tied around the waist on top of the Iro. Lastly, the Iborun is a scarf strategically placed on the shoulder.

Trendsetters took thisย well-known regalia and took itย up a notch by parting ways with the Iborun and Pele. In addition, rather than using the usual Aso Oke fabric, cotton, chiffon, or lace fabric are now commonplace for this ethnic wear.

Iro and Buba | A contemporary spin on the traditional Nigerian Buba and Iro worn effortlessly

The version I have on is a trendy take on the ethnicย Buba and Iro. Mine was made out of printed silk fabric but they come in various styles and fabric. From African print fabric to chiffon, satin, and color-blocking of different patterns. See below for some amazing styles. What ever styleย you can imagine, you can probably find a Buba and Iro style in that pattern.ย 

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The fabric and sewing pattern were carefully chosen by my sister, the designer behind Boriah Clothiers. She was nice enough to makeย not one but three sets of Buba and Iro for me! You can check out her store for a uniqueย selection of African print dresses, skirts, and tops.

You may also like: 50+ Best African Print Dresses | 20+ African Print Ankara Jackets |

I am wearing:

Zara patent court heels (similar)

Boriah Clothiers Iro and Buba (similar)

Custom-made jewelry set (similar)

9 Comments

  1. First of all, is that snow I see on the ground?!?!
    Secondly, I love the accessories you used to bring the outfit together~
    Have fun tomorrow at work! I'm not big on dressing up for Halloween neither so I'll be home,lol.

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