Thoughts on adopting national attire as our corporate dress code
It is common knowledge that people are often judged by how they dress. Many people say “dress the way you want to be addressed” because they understand that opinions could be formed from a simple appraisal of how we present ourselves. People see you dressed in a certain manner and automatically make assumptions about the nature of the work you do, what and who you represent, and even your religious, cultural, or political leanings. It is for this reason that dress codes exist.
Organisations or groups typically adopt dress codes to ensure uniformity and/ or conformity among their people. Dress codes communicate what they consider suitable work clothing to everyone bound by the policies. Dress codes are often subjective as they are determined based on different criteria expressed by the organisation or group. Some common criteria used in deciding dress codes include:
- the nature of work done eg: surgeons wear surgical gowns made of specific types of material because they deal with internal organs and have to remain germ-free so as not to infect patients
- the organisation or group’s decision about the type of outfits that best represent the profession eg: bankers wear suits and ties
Within these stated criteria are also sub-reasons such as comfort, image, formality, and cultural/ religious expressions. Dress codes make it easier for organisations and groups to strive for harmony in their physical outlook, and some organisations and groups go a step further by adopting uniforms. Whilst dress codes may be a guide towards a type of dressing, uniforms are more restrictive as they specify an exact type of outfit that must be worn.
People in uniform always fascinate me: armed service officials, flight attendants and officials, athletes, etc. To see them so smartly attired conjures an immediate assumption of professionalism before one even gets a chance to engage with them. In secondary school, we had cadets who would dress up in military outfits: I remember how much in awe my father was at seeing them on the first visiting day. He definitely formed an opinion about the school his son was attending!
Many dress codes across the world are influenced by Western culture. Whether in the corporate or entertainment sector, many people prefer to wear Western-style clothing. In the business world, by default, many men wear suits, shirts, and trousers while women wear blouses, dresses, and skirts to work. Even for corporate events, some people would gladly prefer to dress in Western style even when the invitation makes room for cultural wear. We could blame this on our colonial influence, but it may be more unpretentious if many people admit that they prefer Western outfits for whatever reason.
One thing that irks me about our adoption of Western-style clothing is that they are often not even suitable for our local weather. People would wear suits and ties, sweating profusely whilst the sun shines down hard on them. I will admit that people look sharp in Western-style outfits, but they look stunning in traditional wear. It would be lovely if we switched our corporate dress codes. What must be done to get companies to adopt our native wear?
The public sector appears a bit more welcoming to the idea as we see many government officials and politicians adorned in traditional wear. I feel very proud once I see a Nigerian public official wearing our national attires internationally. More recently, I was extremely pleased to see the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo wear a black agbada with fila to match at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. I was so happy that he placed one of our national outfits on display. However, it was also a bit disappointing to see some African leaders wear Western outfits to the same funeral. They missed an opportunity to promote their cultures.
Bringing it back home, imagine my surprise at seeing how some awardees at the recent National Honours Award ceremony were dressed. For an event organised to celebrate people who had rendered recognisable service to the nation, it was a shock to see some awardees dressed in Western attire. Is there no dress code for such events or were the awardees not provided with the dress code? I do hope we have clearly stated dress codes for national events.
Many of these awardees are people who are firmly established within Nigeria’s corporate landscape and should know better. How do you wear a suit and tie or a dress to a ceremony that honours individuals who have displayed the highest level of loyalty to our national ideals? How else do we promote our identity before the world stage?
Whilst our public sector officials have signed up with the programme, our corporate business leaders appear to remain highly resistant to adopting an indigenous dress code. I would like to see the day when we focus more on traditional outfits instead of Western clothes that do not represent our various cultures. It is not difficult to get Corporate Nigeria to have their employees wear native outfits from Monday through Friday. I have heard some people say that it isn’t proper, but they have never been able to give a satisfactory reason for this. One challenge some people have is that they think of native wear as party outfits. They believe that if people wore native outfits to work, they would not be able to distinguish between work and play and this could not be further from the truth.
Another argument is that several of our native outfits are too flamboyant for work. Whilst this may be true to a certain extent, guides could be set around the type of outfits and materials, patterns, and styles that can be worn to work. I love how the Indians have infused their national outfit into the corporate world. It is not unusual to see them wear their traditional saris and sherwanis to work. Some African countries also integrate their national attires into the business world. Nigeria, as the giant of Africa, should be at the forefront of the cultural promotion of our traditional attires.
To the best of my knowledge, no Nigerian corporate entity adopts a full native dress code. We need one of them to bell the cat and review its dress code in favour of the adoption of native wear throughout the week. We would have many other companies following in their footsteps. Even if the dress code is optional, I am sure it would inspire change.
As a people, we should be more conscious in deliberately promoting our cultures as we can also influence behaviour. We have succeeded at some level with music and film, and adopting a more indigenous national dress code across the board is another opportunity for us. Let foreigners see and copy us the same way we have copied them. I am sure more people would work comfortably in Buba and Sokoto, Kaftan, and Boubou: this is the way I see things today.