Yoruba Aso-Oke: Prestige Cloth Weaving

What Is Aso-Oke?

Aso-uke ('top cloth') is a handwoven prestige textile of the Yoruba, the most formal textile in their dress culture, worn at weddings and chieftaincy ceremonies.

Three Classic Types

Etu (guinea fowl): dark indigo with white stripes. Sanyan: wild silk in warm beige. Alaari: magenta or deep red wild silk for vitality.

Weaving Process

Men weave on double-heddle narrow-strip looms producing 4-inch strips. Supplementary weft patterns are added by hand.

Garment Forms

Men: trousers, shirt, flowing agbada robe, and cap. Women: wrapper skirt, blouse, sculptural gele head tie, and shoulder sash.

Contemporary Production

Designers like Deola Sagoe incorporate aso-uke into ready-to-wear collections, making formal textile accessible for everyday luxury wear.