Some individuals view modern fashion and certain dress styles as progressive, empowering, and a form of self-expression. They appreciate the freedom to wear what they like, regardless of societal norms or expectations. Civilization and globalization have brought a revolution in dressing and dressing habits . This “modernistic” view of choice in dressing has also done a huge blow on what was thought as modesty and decency. What was formerly considered provocative and unacceptable is today being widely accepted and celebrated.
It is quite understandable that fashion trends evolve over time but we must stand against such trends eroding decency. Every form of dressing is and should be influenced by cultural, religious, and or moral values of the society where such is worn or expected to be worn. This thinking seems, however, to have been be discarded by many today. What was initially thought to be for the bedroom, for rest at home or for the kitchen is now considered appropriate for the business environment or work places. People now wear casual beach and party attire to other formal functions. A lot of people say dressing is an individual choice and personal belief over other social considerations that were instituted to ensure an orderly society.
The critical question we have failed to ask is whether dressing provocatively is a definition of being in a free world? We must understand that no matter how progressive or liberal we think we are or we will become, there are certain social principles that remain timeless and their realities will never be eroded by radical and rebellious modernism. Decency in fashion and dress code remains one of such. Fashion must be built on and into our cultures, norms and values. Discarding this orientation ahead of other thinking is a glaring testimony to the opinion that indecent dressing is caused by low self-esteem or inferiority complex. As such, it only becomes a way of seeking attention and personal validation. As against this intent, revealing or provocative clothing rather encourages others to view individuals primarily as sexual objects than respecting their autonomy, intelligence, or other non-physical qualities.
The consequence is our decadence into the lowest levels of immorality and promotion of sexually themed contents in all aspects of lives including adoption of sex appeals for advertisement and on the social media as tools to increase engagements and followership. The underlying factor lies in our inability to sustain our precious societal values in the changing globalized society starting from maintaining decency in our fashion .
African values include individuality and communalism, personal responsibility and accountability, the dignity and integrity of every person, the intrinsic values of every person, consideration of every person as an end in himself or herself and worthy of respect and equity of the moral worth of all people. These values and norms are what we should preserve and ensure they determine what we do and promote in every aspects of our lives including in our hyper-promotion of “progressive” thinking in fashion and dressing. We must understand that no matter the changes we witness, the collectivity of the responsibility we bear as social beings must not be discarded for any other ideology. This will birth a new thinking that our freedom to think and live in the way we want must be subject to the collective good of the society.
Written WILFRED OBIOTIKA
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