50+ fashionable Yoruba native dress styles for men and women

50+ fashionable Yoruba native dress styles for men and women

The Yoruba people are a West African ethnic group primarily found in parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas occupied by the Yorubas are often collectively known as Yorubaland. The Yoruba people are renowned for their craftsmanship and have always been prolific glassmakers, wood carvers, and blacksmiths. Like numerous other tribes, the Yoruba culture has attires associated with it. While these have evolved over time, some elements of the traditional Yoruba native dress have remained.

Yoruba man's native dress
Some Yoruba attires. Photo: @aitumanrichardosawe, @_laurasbeautypalace, @bapstudiosng (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

A Yoruba man's native dress is known as agbada, buba, or sokoto. These are often accessorized with various types of caps, hats, and beads. Women wear attires known as buba for women and gele, and like their male counterparts, pair them up with wide-ranging accessories.

Trendy Yoruba native dress styles for men and women

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Here is a look at some of the best-looking Yoruba attires one can try out today.

What is a nice Yoruba native dress for men?

Are you looking to delve into the Yoruba culture through their dressing styles? Here are some excellent options to try.

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The classic agbada

If you are looking for a timeless Yoruba traditional attire for a male, you can never go wrong with the classic agbada. This attire is characterized by its free-flowing sleeves and below-knee length.

Agbada with a necklace

yoruba man's native dress
Men wearig agbadas with necklaces. Photo: @iam_djsbeats, @bolamsasooke (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

A bold necklace goes a long way in elevating an agbada's look. Feel free to try a bold-coloured necklace when wearing a neutral-coloured attire.

The textured agbada

Agbadas are conventionally made from smooth materials. However, this does not mean you cannot try out one made from textured material. It looks better and feels better.

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All-white

yoruba native dress for men
All white Yoruba attire. Photo: @casey.edema, @demiflip (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

White has always been one of the most interesting colours in the fashion industry. Feel free to try the Yoruba male attire in all-white for that timeless look.

A touch of cream

Cream is often touted as the perfect colour. It is not too bright, and neither is it too dull. You can pull off the cream look and add an accessory to complement the attire.

The Yoruba hats

Yoruba culture
A man wearing trendy hats. Photo: @madebyjadepm (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

A pinstripe affair

This classic black attire with white pinstripes looks quite elegant.

Tight-fitting trousers

Yoruba traditional attire for a male
Meen in fitting trousers. Photo: @luremzyclothing, @izzylenz_weddings (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

Plain on plain

Yoruba attires have traditionally been known to be colourful and vibrant. Still, one can try the plain variants. The look comes out great especially when one uses complementary colours.

Accessorize with the classic cane

The cane has been part of Yoruba men's attire for long. It is often used as an accessory and a status symbol.

yoruba native dress for men
Yoruba men with walking sticks. Photo: @tenderpluskids, @radiant_protouchphotography (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

Always ensure the colour of your walking stick does not clash with that of your attire. As a general rule, you can never go wrong with a black cane.

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Checked and plain colours

The bold patterns found on checked clothes go perfectly with plain colours. You can try the above concept where you have your shirt designed with a checked front and plain-coloured sleeves.

A black affair

yoruba man's native dress
Black Yoruba attires. Photo: @deejaymassive, @helms_ng (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

Black has always been considered one of the most masculine colours. Feel free to try it out when choosing a Yoruba attire.

Well-fitting agbada

Agbadas conventionally have loose-fitting sleeves. Recently, however, there has been a rise in the number of agbadas designed with well-fitting sleeves.

Full casual

These multi-colored trousers and a hat look amazing when paired with the plain, black t-shirt.

Striped agbadas

Yoruba traditional attire for a male
Striped agbadas. Photo: @sb.photography0, @aitumanrichardosawe (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

Instead of having the traditional plain agbada, why not try these striped variants?

A touch of beads

Feel free to upscale your look by wearing some beads on your neck or hands, as depicted above.

The front pattern

Yoruba dress pictures
Front-patterned attires. Photo: @abu_shattima, @demiflip (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

A distinctive pattern on the front makes your attire stand out from similar ones that have the same material all round.

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What is a nice Yoruba native dress for ladies?

Women from Yorubaland traditionally wore dresses. These would come in numerous designs, colours, and sizes. Here are some elegant Yoruba dress pictures.

Matching it all

To pull of this look, your headscarf, dress, and necklace need to be of the same colour.

A headscarf affair

yoruba native dress for ladies
Trendy Yoruba headscarves. Photo: @briaasignature, @real_kemioladapo, @estefunkystores (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

There are few, if any, things that look better than headscarves in Yoruba fashion. These layered pieces of clothing add a touch of style and sophistication to what one is wearing on the rest of the body.

Bold patterns

You can try out this bold-pattered look. Feel free to try out the oversized top or go for a tight fit to make it better.

Plain colours

yoruba native dress for ladies
Plain-coloured dresses. Photo: @fymo_empire, @izzylenz_weddings (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

While Yoruba attires are usually colourful and with bold patterns or floral prints, you can always try the plain-coloured variants.

Black and flowers

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This amazing look is achieved by having a two-tone dress with a black upper section and a bright, floral, lower section.

Long dresses

Yoruba dress pictures
Long dresses. Photo: @izzylenz_weddings, @yemvisuals_photography (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

These long dresses have been the staple of Yoruba fashion for decades. If you are looking for the perfect Yoruba wedding dress, feel free to choose among the straight, mermaid, or circular designs.

The medium-length dress

This is the perfect dress for people who do not like short dresses but are also uncomfortable with the super long ones.

The necklace affair

yoruba native dress for ladies
Trendy looks with necklaces. Photo: @itstpfotography, @dir. jtyme (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

These bold necklaces enhance your overall look and bring out the best in the rest of your outfit.

Jungle green

Feel free to try out this jungle green look.

Vertical and horizontal stripes

Yoruba wedding dress
vertical and horizontal stripes on attires. Photo: @styled.by.ade, @dhkan_zam (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

The vertical and horizontal stripes in these attires create the perfect balance.

A little drum

The little drum in this outfit serves both a visual and functional purpose. The 'drum' is actually a little bag. It gives your overall look a touch of Yoruba culture.

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Matching dress and headscarf

yoruba native dress for ladies
Beautiful Yoruba women. Photo: @_laurasbeautypalace, @gamezoophoto (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

This is among the most popular looks among trendy women from Yorubaland.

Purple and green

This purple dress with a touch of green floral prints looks extremely lovely.

Beige and orange

Yoruba wedding dress
Attires using the beige and orange colour schemes. Photo: @kehindeolorunyomi, @imwphotography01, @bolamsasooke (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

These attires look amazing with their orange-beige colour schemes.

The simple, long dress

This simple dress is made from a patterned material, with the ends of sleeves made from plain material.

Pencil dresses

Yoruba dress pictures
Elegant Yoruba pencil dresses. Photo: @bapstudiosng, @nifeteni_fabrics (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

The pencil dress is among the most common designs across the world.

There are numerous Yoruba native dress styles one can choose from today. The Yoruba traditional attires still exist, though they now have significant influence from dress codes derived from western culture.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Jackline Wangare avatar

Jackline Wangare (Lifestyle writer) Jackline Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng, where she has worked since mid-2021. She tackles diverse topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. Previously, she worked at The Campanile by Kenyatta University. She has more than five years in writing. Jackline graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (2019) and a Diploma in Marketing (2015) from Kenyatta University. In 2023, Jackline finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques and Google News Initiative course in 2024. Email: simwajackie2022@gmail.com.

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Adrianna Simwa (Lifestyle writer) Adrianna Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng where she has worked since mid-2022. She has written for many periodicals on a variety of subjects, including news, celebrities, and lifestyle, for more than three years. She has worked for The Hoth, The Standard Group and Triple P Media. Adrianna graduated from Nairobi University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2020. In 2023, Simwa finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her through her email: adriannasimwa@gmail.com