Colour Blocking And The Nigerian Woman

Fashion comes and goes, but it never dies, so the popular saying goes. It is said to revolve  and recycle.

Often times, a current  fashion  can easily be identified  in the designs of our mothers and fathers. Some  of our parents even tell us  of what style was  en vogue from what we wear today.

Like the  high waist skirts, afro-hair-do, pencil jeans, belly belts, and wedges, of those days, today, it is the colour blocking that is en vogue.

Colour blocking is a technique  in which  blocks of various  fabrics are sewn together  to  create clothing with a few different colours. It is a combination of different colours that support and compliment each other.

In Nigeria today, both men and women are into colour blocking  in the craze for fashion.

However, it is more noticeable among the women folk, sometimes even when girls do not know the a,b,c, of how to colour block to match an occasion, they still do it, just to “belong.” At  the end of the day, while they succeed in colour blocking, they fail in colour blocking to suit  either themselves or the occasion.

This is why it is important to note that  colour blocking implies bringing complimentary colours and natural  opposite  colours together. Complimentary colours are pairs of colours that are of opposite hue in some colour model.

The exact hue complimentary to a given colour depends on the model in question, and perceptually uniform, addictive and sustractive colour models such as those that have  differing  complements for any given colour.

Many of our youths today who do not understand this basic  principles  about colour blocking have even taken  it to another level.

Some of them do not seem to view themselves  in the mirror after dressing up, most probably because they  had  already created a mental picture of what they  ought to look like in  the colour blocked  attire.  At the  end of the day, some of them end up looking as beautifully ughly as they never intended in the eyes of those who know what they had created for themselves  in their quest to look en vogue.

To 22 years Angela, “colour blocking is the latest trend this season. I think  it’s very interesting that people could come out boldly to express themselves through colours.

For me, I just want to look good and trendy, so I can mix my colours as much as I want as long as I know that it makes me feel good”.

According to Uche, 28, “what fascinate me about all of this  (colour blocking) is  that no matter which angle  fashion chooses to go, the traditional fashion  never looses its value. It  is a traditional/African  material with a combination of art, colour, design and history”.

“For me”, Igbiki, 25, said,  “I don’t want to know  what it is, as long as it is reigning fashion. All I want is to look good and belong to the crowd, and if putting on colour blocked attire what it will take, who am I to say no?

But for 40 year old Susan, ” I take what I wear very serious . even when it is en vogue,  I like to look unique, without just been among the crowd. I am aware that what one  wears tells a great deal about who one is, so even when I colour block, I like the type that would make others want to go back home and copy me. This is why  I pick my colour and styles specially to suit my personality when I colour block”.

Colour blocking is famously known  as Ankara  fabric (Dutch wax), or is general traditional/African contex, it is a combination of colour, history, art and design intended to portray a given people.

The graphic  statement in these designs in most cases mingles with colours and sometimes creates a bold shock in designs.

Most Ankara designs  are inspired by tradition, history, culture, colours etc. In order words, they usually have a story or two behind them.

Colour  blocking could be in cloths, shoes, bags, Jewelry, hats and interior  design. In what ever form it takes, it is done with the intention to present one as being classy.

This  is why it could be fun and may seem not to follow  any rule. But it sure does has tips if you really want to look trendy in colour blocking.

The key thing is to have at the back of your mind  that what ever  you do while colour blocking, you look classy  and not trashy.

The secret to pulling off a classy colour  blocking is  sticking  to solid colours and choosing  shades that  give direct opposite on the  colour  wheel.

Think of simple styles such as maxis, flowing gowns, and pencil skirts. You may  also need to choose shades that have the same intensity to give a balanced look.

However, for a more conservative look, you may need to try colour  toning such as colour blocking, which uses shades within the same family. For instance, purple  and royal blue.

As had always been with previous fashion, colour blocking  will stay with us for many more seasons. So if you want  to bee trendy without being a follower,  take  it up a notch by doing  a mix and match with your  favourite African prints.