Communicating cultural knowledge through Nigerian clothing

Abstract

Clothing is increasingly used in communicating cultural knowledge because it offers significant potential. It communicates the context of cultural knowledge within which the cultural groups in several countries, including Nigeria, manage and perceive appearances. In this article, clothing has been used to establish significant connections with the values, customs and symbols, constructions of reality as well as world-views of four cultural groups in Nigeria. These cultural groups had interpreted their perceptions and the reality of their clothing through modesty, immodesty, adorning and protective functions. The article concluded that there were significant connections between culture and the clothing of the Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo. It suggested that communicating such cultural knowledge could lead to less misunderstanding and mutual respect among cultural groups.