Cross River traditional attire
Do you know how beautiful Cross River traditional attire can be? We have prepared an entire article where we talk about it in detail and look at the beautiful pictures of people in their customary wears. If you want to witness the beauty with your own eyes, join us, as we discuss Cross River traditional fashion.
Photo: pinterest.com
Traditional clothes of Cross River State
Now, when we talk about traditional wears of Cross River State, we mostly mean of the Efik people who are the most prevalent in the region. Members of this ethnic group are known for their vibrant and fascinating clothes that are among the most gorgeous Nigerian traditional dresses.
These days, traditional clothing is mostly worn for special occasions, particularly for weddings. Cross River traditional marriage attire for women comes in two types (the bride can choose one or go with both): Ofod Ukod Anwang and Onyonyo.
Ofod Ukod Anwang consists of a short wrap skirt, a short top that usually does not cover the belly, coral beads and other accessories, such as fuzzy ornaments called Ekpa ku kwa worn on the legs and arms. Onyonyo consists of a beautiful flowing gown that is usually worn along with large golden accessories in braided hair. In both cases, the bride often carries a long staff with ruffled fabric at the handle
As for men of Cross River State, they often wear long wrappers and chieftaincy shirts that reach the middle of the thigh (they are quite common in Nigerian culture), along with hats, scarves and sometimes waistcoats. The ensemble is often completed with a walking stick or a cane, which looks quite simple next to the bride’s staff.
All that said, this article would not be complete without examples, so stick around to see the gallery of Cross River traditional dresses.
Cross River State traditional attire for women
Photo: bellanaija.com
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Let’s open our gallery with this lovely Miss Cross River in her Ofod Ukod Anwang. She is wonderfully representing her state in her straw skirt and coral accessories. Even though she did not win the title Miss Nigeria 2016, her outfit was still one of the prettiest among all the other girls.
Photo: iludio.com
Next, we have this beautiful lady, whose look consists of a simple wrapper and top, while all of the attention is drawn to the red and white accessories. Her Ekpa ku kwa match the jewellery and the staff perfectly, and the whole ensemble looks very well put together.
Photo: lavanitaspot.com
We did not think one could pull off the combination of neon green and pink, but that was before we saw this bride. She somehow manages to combine two very vibrant colours without looking like a parrot. In fact, this colour combo suits her well.
Photo: moninkim.blogspot.com
Here is another pretty woman in her traditional Cross River clothes. In addition to the usual elements, she also has a beaded skirt on top of her wrapper and a cute fuzzy collar. Her hair is up in the customary braids, and the face is painted with traditional ornaments.
Photo: pinterest.com
Our last pick from this category is another great-looking girl, whose outfit is probably our most favourite of all. It has a very pleasant colour scheme, and all the elements work great together. The look is made complete with the hair and face paintings similar to the ones in the previous picture.
Cross River traditional marriage dresses
Photo: @antommy3 on Twitter
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We could not mention Ofod Ukod Anwang and not talk about the beautiful Onyonyo styles. Our first lady looks like a queen in her stunning dress and with those large golden accessories in her hair. While brides often choose the colour of the fabric for their staff that matches their dress, this one decided to go for gold, which complements the red of the dress.
Photo: fabwoman.ng
This is another lovely regal dame in her bright red dress that is somewhat reminiscent of the 18th century dresses of the Marie Antoinette era. This one, however, has a distinct Cross River feel to it, as it is accessorised with corals and large golden hair elements, as well as with a long staff that has ruffles of fabric on top.
Photo: shegzbanj.com
Gold is one of the most favourite and popular colours among Cross River brides, so some do not stop at just gold staff or gold hair accessories. They also have gold dresses and gold fabrics adorning the staff. This particular bride looks lovely in her peculiar gold dress, as it does not look like any other dress we have seen before.
Photo: klalaphotography.com
This bride decided to bring a dash of tradition to her mostly modernised wedding look. While her dress looks very contemporary, she chose to accessorise her look with traditional hairpieces and a beautiful staff that looks custom-made.
Photo: @vienstylez on Twitter
We have talked a lot about the traditional hair accessories worn by Cross River ladies but have not shown them properly. In this photo, you can properly see how they adorn the long braid of the bride and add that regal air to her look. Her dress also looks very lovely, and she has decided to exchange the staff for the horsetail.
Cross River traditional wedding attire for men
Photo: @asoebibella on Twitter
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Now that we have discussed the traditional female fashion of Cross River State, it is time to pay some attention to the male wears, starting with this look. Similarly to women, men also seem to like the colour gold, as you can see in the photo above. The groom is pulling off his wrapper and scarf very well, and he is certainly a pleasure to look at. His wife is a lucky woman!
Photo: akwacalabar.com.ng
Photo: iludio.com
While gold is among the most popular colours, this does not mean that nobody wears any other colours. For instance, this gentleman went for the different shades of coffee, from the caffè mocha of his scarf to the cappuccino of his wrapper. Of course, no respectful man would leave the house without his cane and hat.
Photo: pinterest.com
Who said that floral patterns were feminine? Not only is the whole concept of wrappers transcending gender, but the patterns of fabrics have also stopped turning heads when they are on a man. As you can see, this young man is very pleased with himself and his outfit, and he has a reason to be, as this fabric is gorgeous.
Photo: travel.jumia.com
Last but not least is this handsome groom in his patterned dark red wrapper, plain white chieftaincy shirt and cool accessories in the form of the top hat, cane and coral jewellery. He definitely will not get lost next to his undoubtedly beautiful wife, as he is probably just as stylish as her, if not more.
And there you go, today you have learned more about the traditional wears of Cross River State, particularly the Efik people, and seen some lovely examples of said wears. Do you like them? Which style of Nigerian traditional clothing is the most gorgeous in your opinion? Let us know in the comments!
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Source: Legit.ng
