Dashiki, kaftan, agbada: which one you actually want

These three names get used like they mean the same thing. They do not. Here is the short, useful version so you buy the right one.

Dashiki: the everyday one

A dashiki is the pullover top with the embroidered neckline. It is the most casual of the three and the easiest to wear - you can pair it with jeans or match it with drawstring trousers as a two-piece set. Reach for it when you want to look put-together without looking like you are attending anything.

Kaftan: the smart middle ground

A kaftan is a long, straight robe, cleaner and dressier than a dashiki but lighter than a full agbada. A printed kaftan set works for church, a naming ceremony, or a wedding where you want to look sharp without the extra layer. If you buy one heritage outfit and want maximum range, this is often it.

Agbada: the grand one

The agbada is the three-piece with the wide flowing outer robe over an inner top and trousers. It is the most formal and the most photographed, which is why it owns the traditional wedding. A classic embroidered agbada or a navy three-piece is the move when you are a groom, a groomsman, a father, or a guest who wants to be dressed at the top of the room.

How to choose in one line

Everyday or casual, dashiki. Smart but not heavy, kaftan. Wedding or big ceremony, agbada. When in doubt at a Nigerian wedding, size up to the agbada - nobody has ever been mad about being too well dressed there.

Finish it

One strand of coral beads at the chest reads as traditional and lifts any of the three. Browse the full menswear range at ARINZE, quality-checked with 30-day returns, shipped anywhere in the US from New York.