Covid-19 | Mar 28,2020
Dec 25 , 2021
By Kidist Yidnekachew
Whenever I find myself worrying about what to wear, Khalil Gibran’s quote on clothes comes to my mind. In his book The Prophet, he describes it this way:
“Your clothes conceal much of your beauty, yet they hide not the unbeautiful. And though you seek in garments the freedom of privacy, you may find in them a harness and a chain.”
Clothes cover but at the same time reveal our bodies perfectly by not exposing our privates and by extenuating what is meant to be seen. We often talk about having the freedom to dress and express ourselves through clothing, but we are also oblivious to how our choices define us.
The same applies to Ethiopia, where people are terrible at following appropriate weather clothing. We could find them walking around wearing a snow coat and big boots in the middle of a hot afternoon. They do not seem bothered by the burning sunlight. They just go about their way without taking off either their coat or one of the layers of clothes they wear inside.
Maybe these people left their homes early or planned to stay up late and left their house prepared for the cold and wind, but what about the heat?
Better hot than cold perhaps for these people. It is mostly women I see with this problem. Men dress pretty much the same in all seasons, although it is common to see men walking around with leather jackets at midday.
I often witness women wearing boots to their knees in the sun. I love boots too, but most are only made for cold seasons. I am guilty of wearing boots all season long too. On the other spectrum of society, we find some folks dressed up in breezy hot weather outfits with short dresses and tops in the middle of kiremt, the rainy season.
And what is it with wearing flip flops in the rain?
Part of the dissonance could be explained due to income. Many people in Ethiopia do not have the luxury of buying, for instance, clothes for the rainy season only to stow them away for the next nine months. If this is the case, then it is hard to blame them for the prices of clothes getting out of hand, especially those considered luxury.
Just the other day, I was surfing through one of the shopping channels on Telegram and what I saw caught my eyes and left me in awe.
Who would spend over 8,000 Br on three pyjamas?
It is insane. Later I was talking with my friend and she was telling me about a person that spent 15,000 Br on shoes and somebody else that spent 25,000 Br on clothes. Most of these items could be well-known brands, but it is hard to believe that they are worth that much, especially in a country where people fight to eat twice a day. Is paying that much on clothes fair? And why did the price of clothes skyrocket when the intrinsic value of luxury brands is virtually inexistent?
It is important in a sense it helps one draw attention to themselves and makes them feel confident. But spending that much on something we do not need is just ridiculous. Then again, we live in a material world.
Here is a word to the wise. There are these things called second-hand clothes. Not only are they better than some new clothes, but they are also unique, and the chances of us running into someone who is wearing the same outfit as us on the road is rare. Here is the best part - they are ridiculously cheap. And in countries like Denmark, people exchange the clothes they wore not to spend money on new ones and it is not like these people cannot afford it, but they know it is not worth spending money over. Do not be embarrassed to assess the market. Buying second-hand clothes does not make us appear any less classy.
PUBLISHED ON
Dec 25,2021 [ VOL
22 , NO
1130]
Covid-19 | Mar 28,2020
View From Arada | Mar 09,2019
Viewpoints | Jul 13,2019
Commentaries | Jun 18,2022
Commentaries | Dec 09,2023
Commentaries | Mar 20,2021
Viewpoints | Nov 23,2019
Commentaries | Dec 24,2022
View From Arada | Jul 31,2021
Sunday with Eden | Nov 05,2022
Photo Gallery | 97077 Views | May 06,2019
Photo Gallery | 89298 Views | Apr 26,2019
My Opinion | 67280 Views | Aug 14,2021
Commentaries | 65796 Views | Oct 02,2021
Feb 24 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
Abel Yeshitila, a real estate developer with a 12-year track record, finds himself unable to sell homes in his latest venture. Despite slash...
Feb 10 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
In his last week's address to Parliament, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) painted a picture of an economy...
Jan 7 , 2024
In the realm of international finance and diplomacy, few cities hold the distinction that Addis Abeba doe...
Sep 30 , 2023 . By AKSAH ITALO
On a chilly morning outside Ke'Geberew Market, Yeshi Chane, a 35-year-old mother cradling her seven-month-old baby, stands amidst the throng...
Apr 27 , 2024
The Prosperity Party (PP) - Prosperitians - is charting a course through treacherous...
Apr 20 , 2024
In a departure from its traditionally opaque practices, the National Bank of Ethiopia...
Apr 13 , 2024
In the hushed corridors of the legislative house on Lorenzo Te'azaz Road (Arat Kilo)...
Apr 6 , 2024
In a rather unsettling turn of events, the state-owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (C...
Apr 28 , 2024
A dire situation unfolds across public universities, where students face the harsh re...
Apr 28 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
A European business lobby in Ethiopia issued a scathing review of the tax system last...
Apr 28 , 2024
The Federal Supreme Court has recently ruled in the prolonged commercial dispute surr...
Apr 28 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
Transport authorities placed blame on driving schools and vehicle inspection centres...