‘Naija’ Babes, In New Fad, Shun Underwears

If the current fashion trend continues in the country, many of those who sellss’ underwear and other lingerie may begin to close shop.

The underwear sellers may be thrown out of business because of the change in fashion as they are now being patronised by only few women.

It is now a common to see ladies, including some married women, expose the hitherto hidden parts of their bodies like their buttocks and breasts as a sign that they are not left behind in the fashion trend.

As if that is not enough, many are proud to say that wearing underwear is no longer fashionable. Some claim women who wear underwear are not conversant with fashion trends largely influenced by western culture. Their argument is that women express confidence by dressing that way even though critics see it as portraying them as being promiscuous.

There was a mixed reaction from the ladies and married women who spoke to P.M. NEWS on this issue.

While some attributed the trend to allergy, others said they prefer to be freer around their lower region by not wearing underwear. Yet, others maintained that the way female jeans trousers are designed had made it easy for them to do away with panties.

A married woman, who simply gave her name as Mrs. Josephine told P.M.NEWS that her two daughters learned not to wear underwear from her.

According to her, “the only time I wear tights is during my monthly menstrual circle. I prefer the freedom down there,” she said.

But her major challenge now is that her daughters do not even like to wear the tights.

“For the eldest who has started witnessing her menstrual periods, what happens is that she prefers to remain at home throughout the period and I and I am not comfortable with it because of her future,” she added.

She said her husband was not bothered about it and that she is always conscious not to expose herself in public since she prefers to wear long garments and jeans trousers.

For Amaka Ugoka, the idea of wearing underwear is discretional. She says: “I wear underwear but not every time, because I have some clothes that do not need them-like my tight fitted gowns and my pant trousers. If I wear pants underneath my gown to club it makes the dress awful and my panty lines show. That’s the reason I do not wear underwear.”

Anabel Umonda, in her response to the question said though she has some underwear, she does not often like wearing them. She explained that she has pant trousers that are too light and could make underwear and panty lines visible.

She also said she prefers wearing the G-string because it creates room for more comfort.

“Do you know how it feels to have this big panties sink into your anus especially in public? It is not always a pleasant experience, just ask any woman,” she stated as part of her reasons for not using underwear regularly.

Umoke Agboola explained that her lack of interest in wearing underwear results from discomfort. According to her, “it causes heat and I feel so uncomfortable when it sticks into my buttocks. So I stay away from underwear to avoid that.”

Felicia Nzeribe said she does not use underwear because “I itch in my private part any time I wear them, especially net pants.”

Bukky Fagbade said she prefers not using underwear because she likes wearing jeans trousers “and as you know, jeans is thick , so why would I wear underwear under something thick again?”

A married woman who gave her name as Mrs. Shehu said she uses tights as underwear instead of panties under her wrapper.

“So wearing underwear is not necessary because I am covered already,” she says while another married woman, Mrs. Iyoha says she does not wear them because she uses two wrappers each time she is going out.

Jennifer Azubuike, while responding to the question, said she stopped wearing underwear to please her boyfriend. She is now very comfortable without it that whenever she wears one, she feels heat underneath

Binebi Duncan said: “I am not just a fan of underwear, they make me feel heavy and that bothers me a lot. They make me feel too conscious of myself which I do not like.

“Also in a situation where I want to wear a short top and a low waist jeans, underwear are obstacles, and G-string are worse because no matter what you do it still tends to show. So underwear are a no go area for me.”

Osereime Osagie told P.M.NEWS that she stopped wearing underwear to avoid infections which she had suffered previously.

“I practically stopped wearing underwear because I used to have an infection which I treated. But I had it again after I wore underwear only to realise that they were the same ones I wore while suffering from the infection. And my doctor confirmed it. So I decided to stay off if underwear could be the reason for my travails,” she added.

For Yori Emuveyan, and some others in her category, wearing underwear is an invitation to bruises in her private region.

According to her, anytime she wears one, she suffers bruises on her private part and upper thigh region. “Even during my period I place my sanitary towel on my jeans or pant trousers,” she said.

A professional dancer, who did not want her name mentioned, said: “I skip out on underwear while dancing and for the rest of the day. If I’m wearing tights or leggings to school, then I might not wear underwear, and at home, I usually don’t wear underwear, but most pants are not designed to deal with vaginal discharge and I don’t want my stuff to wear out quickly in the crotch area.”

Defending ladies who do not use underwear, Victoria Samson, a business woman, said some of them do get infected.

It is always advisable to use hot water to soak your underwear before washing them, she said, but maintained that not all ladies know this fact.

“Some women are prone to yeast infections and claim the airflow is better without underwear. I, personally, wear underwear. “Sometimes they get all folded up in a bunch down there and they don’t feel very comfortable. When that happens a girl can get pretty grouchy,” she said.

Bukky Sam, a student the Lagos State University (LASU) said to some people, it is comfortable wearing underwear, but it irritates her and constantly folds into “my ass. I don’t wear them because they are irritating as hell and uncomfortable to run and workout in. You get used to the feeling of not wearing them, less laundry to do too.”

A woman, who gave her name as D. Opeoluwa, when asked why ladies no longer like to wear underwear, said: “To allow their asses to shake freely without restriction, but most ladies wear G-string panties which is also as good as not wearing anything at all.

“The more the asses shake, the more attention they think they get from men. It’s more an avenue of ‘yansh’ advertisement.”

A 26-year old lady who refused to give her name lamented this trend in fashion. She added that it had become common to see women bare their nudity in public for fashion sake.

According to her, “I beg let breeze blow my thing!’ that’s what most women say. Some others say it’s easy to have quick sex when the need arises. Others would say such a place with high humidity need high air to get good performance.

“One lady who did not wear underwear before leaving her house recently got her trousers torn by the seat of a commuter bus. It was so big one could see her light skin buttocks. So I wonder why some women like to dress without underwear when going out.”

However, not all those who spoke with P.M.NEWS agreed they do not wear underwear. Bola Ajayi, a staff of a new generation bank, sees it as immoral for any lady to go out of the house without her underwear on.

According to her, any woman fond of not wearing underwear must have an ulterior motive which includes hunting for men.

“These days when men have become scarce, dressing without it may be an option to entice the few ones in town. But for the average female banker who is mandated to always wear very short skirts, she cannot do without underwear because it is even better for people to see flashes of the underwear than for them to see the actual cherished zone,” she said.

A lingerie seller in Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos state, who gave his name as Kingsley, confirmed that sale of underwear has dropped in recent times as women now prefer to wear soft clothes and jeans which accentuate their figures.

The businessman maintained that the only set of underwear that still witness some level of sale are the G-strings and underwear that only cover half of the female buttocks, adding that this is because of the types of clothes now in vogue.

—Eromosele Ebhomele, Oguntade Omolabake & Anuoluwa Jegede