ABSTRACT
An invitation was an opportunity to manifest or stretch one’s own social prowess and connectivity. Its absence could imply a lesser social status than those included. Dress is one of the more prevalent forms of explicit identification among Yoruba people in London, with many dressing in Yoruba textiles and clothing designs in the warmer weather, but especially for ceremonial life, such as naming ceremonies, house warmings and weddings For African women, Dogbe argues that dress is the means by which women ‘construct meaning in their lives and publish their presence in the community’. Clothing and body coverings express ideas to the wearer about herself, to those outside her looking on, and to the connections or disparities between these. The exclusivity of the aso-ebi does not end with the dress; it extends into other forms which materialize levels of social connection.
