Traversing elegance and simplicity with a positive outlook

Nigeria being blessed with diverse cultural heritage puts one at risk of identifying with many as the opportunity arises, and thus, I just escaped having to incur extra expenses by providing a tangible excuse as to why I could not show up for a ceremony. Being a civil servant here in Nigeria, there are ranges of clothes and fashion you are expected to oblige to, and though this looks more like a restriction but better saves me, particularly the headache of filling my wardrobe with clothes I would rarely use.

It is common for Nigerians to size an individual and place their worth on him based on the attire he is adorned with. There are people particularly gifted or obsessed with rating an individual and could give you a rundown of how cheap or expensive an attire is. This probably pushes some people to buy what is perceived as expensive and quality rather than settling for affordable and simple. So, if there's an occasion to celebrate, dressing in Vogue is often a competition, and your status would be weighed by how elegantly dressed you are. As much as these clothes are fashionable, they are not my regular wears and would probably be infrequently worn, thereby staking huge money in an asset I would not use regularly. Are some people inconsiderate?

A good number of times, they are inconsiderate, especially as regards a simple lifestyle. So, recently we had an occasion to attend and the organizers presented an outrageous cost for the attire; thankfully I am a man and I could already identify my convenience, the cap. And so, unless there is serious need and no escape route, I settle for caps for occasions, which usually range between ₦1000 and ₦4000; this way, I get to identify with some sort of class for the occasion. So, I own quite a number of these caps that I am not a fan of but definitely saved me from the exorbitant cost of purchasing clothing materials for different occasions. And sometimes, I just do not buy any, may not show up, but could send a token fund as a support to the occasion.

"You look like a student." This was my first address in 2017 when I went visiting my brother in Lagos. The police officer was surprised to see me casually dressed with a claim of professional status. Don't get me wrong, I'm not short in height and not on the heavy-build side, but because of the simplicity of my dressing, you could mistake me for any class other than my profession. Do I love such simple dressing? Yes, beyond inexpensive, I feel more at ease and free to fly.

I have maneuvered my dressing with few mix-able attires such that I get colors that can match with other colors. And my fashion designer has been impressive, perfecting my body physique in simple but classy fashion designs. Of course, I don't like elaborate and too-attractive fashionly designed clothes, but I love to be addressed as 'smart' when you see me. So, when the clothes fit to my body size, I get the confidence to live through the day.

When it's all said and done, I try to keep an optimistic view of life by wearing as much real a smile as I can muster. Do I get destabilized and troubled? Quite often, but smiling more by staying positive has been my greatest elegance as fashion. Here, you could easily approach me and share your troubles while I send out a joke to relieve the tension before getting at finding a solution.