The Aso ebi headache – part 2: How to slay without ‘aso ebi’ and ‘gbese’

Disclaimer: This is my opinion and  I am giving it. So whether you have similar or different opinions, scroll down, have a good read and then LIKE, SUBSCRIBE AND COMMENT(let me know what you think and if there is anything I have left out please let me know).

Before I start dishing out tips on how to slay without the ‘aso ebi’ headache, we need to get somethings straight.

1. Not buying ‘aso ebi’ for a wedding does not always mean that you cannot afford it. It could be that you did not budget for aso ebi that month or you just don’t feel the celebrants deserve for you to buy their aso ebi – yes! except for close family and friends, I do not belive that anyone is obligated to buy your ‘aso ebi’. So stop feeling entitled, my dear it’s a privilege!
2. Not wearing ‘aso ebi’ does not mean that you are not cool or that you are out-of-place. So, stop feeling that way – its in your head. And if you know you will feel that way, just don’t go for the wedding.

Now that we have gotten that over with, lets move to the main business of today. Here are some tips on how to slay without ‘aso ebi’ and ‘gbese’

1. The standby white or silver lace – I find that the gele part of the ‘aso ebi’ can be quite affordable compared to the main fabric and the truth is that most of these geles can tend to go very well with white or silver. Dear sisters, GO and GRAB your Copy now!!!!! Get your white lace made into simple ( I say simple style because those hardly ever go out of style) custom-made dresses. The key to maintaining white is in numbers, so make sure you have a couple and so you can swap them.
2. Colours in style – fortunately, I find that during some period you find that almost all the weddings have a certain colour running as theme. So, if you have a good eye for this kind of stuff, you may like to get a fabric custom-made into a dress for the weddings you attend in that period.
3. Re-use and Recycle your old ‘aso ebis’ – I wonder who got it into people’s heads that you cannot wear your ‘aso ebi’ after the occasion it was picked for – don’t be deceived people it is not a crime. There is no crime in doing this, but if you don’t feel too comfortable doing this, you can change the style for the fabric – it will have you feeling like its new.
4. Matching with the colours – Instead of buying the new aso ebi, you can buy similar colours as the aso ebi. I know of someone who had ‘aso oke’ made in every colour so she can avoid having to buy the ‘aso ebi’. So if the ‘aso ebi’ colours are pink and champagne. She would either use her pink or champagne ‘aso oke’ with a lace fabric in the other colour.
5. Go English – Aso ebi is our traditional wear and so if you don’t mind standing out, going totally opposite in a regular ready to wear dress could be a great idea. To do this successfully, you need to make sure the fabric is brightly coloured and styled appropriately.

And that’s it!

Now you don’t have to declare bankruptcy just because you want to wear ‘aso ebi’ because you definitely can slay without it.

Glossary 

Aso ebi – uniform fabric worn at Nigerian ceremonies

Aso oke – Woven fabric used to make ‘aso ebi’ head gear

Gele (plu. geles) – Nigerian head gear

Gbese – debt

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Thank you for reading. Hope you had a good read?