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Introduction

In the novel “Things fall apart” by

Chinua Achebe He explained what the

women wore and what the men and

children wore as well.

The women’s attire

The women would paint their bodies with temporary traditional makeup. They would use nzu (white chalk),uri or uli. This was used to draw ornamental patterns on their bodies.

• For example on”Things fall apart”pg.71: “She wore a coiffore wich was done up into a crest in the middle of the head. Cam wood was rubbed lightly all over her skin. And all over her body were black patterns drawn with uli.”

Uli and ufie wre not used for decorative purposes only. Women rubbed these substances for medicinal reasons. It would rejuvanate the body.The uli was used around the eyes for someone with measels or chicken pox. As well it was used for joint pain.

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Art on bodies for women

Womens wear continued……

They wore jigidas and in most cases the women would not clothe their breasts.

• For example on pg.71: “She wor e a black neckalace wich hung down in three coils just above her full succulent breastsand onhe waist, four or five rows jigida. Or waist beads.”

• Pg.103: “She began to run, holding her breasts with her hands to stop them flapping noisily against her body.”

The mens attire

Both men a women would wear native wrappers. Native wrappers were basically clothes that would be tied on one shoulder.

• For example pg.10: “He then ajusted his cloth, wich was passed under his armpit and tied above his shoulder.”

Men wore loin clothes in place of wrappers to cover their private parts.The loin clothes would go under the crotch and was tied together with a rope around the waist.

This type of clothing provided much needed freedom of movement due to the jobs. Such as hunting and palmwine tapping. Also why it was an imporatant piece of wear because of their social activities such as wrestling and etc.

Men’s wear continued….

• For example pg.82: “Okagbue was in is underwear,a long and thin strip of cloth wound round the waist like a belt and then passed betweeb the legs to be fastened to the belt behind.”

Ozo men wore special treads on their ankles. In the book it mentioned that men carried goatskin bags wich kept

their things to drink palm wine, as well a snuff-bottle and it’s spoon.

Childrens attire

Children are believed to have nothing to hide and are usually naked.

A child may wear a sting of beads around the waist for medicinal reasons.

What Ibos wear today:Men

Men wear things called rigas wich is something like embroided garments.

For formal occasions they’d wear a long shirt , often decorated with tucks and embroidery with shoes and a hats like the isiagu(shown in picture).

What Ibos wear

today:Women

Women wore wrappers for informal and formal occasions the major diference between thes is the quality of fabric.

Women also wear head tie(some sort of hat) a rectangular piece of cloth that can be worn in numerous ways.

Women wear wrapped skirts and nice fitted. blouse.

Similaraties and diffrences between Ibos and Americans

Americans The diffrence of americans

and ibos is that we wear boots and sneakers also clothes with brands.We also wear coats and mittens in the winter and sometimes wearbright and dark clothes.

Also americans can wear things and can be judged by what they wear, whatever it tells.

Americans on weddings brides wear white dresses and a veil. Grooms wear tux’s with a white shirt, and vest with a black tie.

similaraties

American and ibo women both wear dresses or skirts.Also women wear jewlries.

Also What men of america and men of ibo

Culture share is that theyThey wear khaki jeans. What else that share is that

both men and Women wear bright colors in

warm weather andUse hats or hair accessories.They also both use sandals.

Ibos

What ibos have diffrently is that the women wear only dresses or skirts.

Men are sometimes topless or have outfits.

They wear long shirts th look like dressses.

Both men and womenOnly wear sandals and always

wear caps or hats. Last but not least

both dress super formal. Ibos in weddings the brides

wear a puffed Sleeved blouse and a 2 wrappers

known as the george and a gele tie. The groom would wears a top called the Ishi Agu.

Whats important

Whats important is that they respect their culture they don’t have a “different” style from everybody else in their country to say this is me by the way they dress. By the way they dress tells what their trying to say is who we are as a whole and as Ibo people .

Bibliography

www.umuigboalliance.orgculture.chiamaka.com/

igboclothing.htmlprezi.com/dxvrh4fiv5ca/ibo-

clothing/ achebe, chinua. Things fall

apart. new york: Anchor books, 1959. 10-30.