Sexualising Fashion: Pushing Modernity To The Brink

Nigerians are largely fashion victims. We indigenise the fashion blunders of half-naked Hollywood celebrities. Our uncritical adoration of everything Euro-American has made us bad emulators. We fondly ape the good, the bad and the despicable.

Recently, the video of a certain young female pastor dressed in a very suggestive manner went viral on the internet. Though it is not an isolated case, it was considered bizarre and triggered open censure, perhaps because, she was preaching to a mass audience via electronic platforms. Also, and more important, her calling presents her as a model of nobility, preserver of positive conservative values and moulder of impressionable minds. So, her flowing with the tide enraged many.

Many young Nigerians flaunt their bodies in attention-seeking outfits, which scream: Look at me; I am a godlike symbol of sex. Even many professionals dress to workplaces like club-persons with the manners of Essex girls. Some years back, some “harassed” lawmakers decried the trend. But it has not abated.

Traditionally, people dress to cover their nakedness, protect themselves from inclement weather conditions. In addition, they dress to gracefully enhance their beauty and highlight class distinction or moral pedigree.