Women
‘Sagging Is An Irresponsible Way Of Dressing’
Tammy Clarizza, popularly called Tammy Abusi is a dynamic
multi talented lady; who amongst her many skills, loves to build lives and put
smiles on the faces of people especially the helpless.
She is the CEO of Rolling “b” Production Limited and Miss
Blossom Beauty Services.
A mother of two, Tammy Clarizza tells the story of her
childhood, her ministry, the Messy Ms Mysteries as well as her view on the
vogue.
What could you remember about your childhood?
Oh! my childhood, growing up as a child for me was very
blissful. I grew up in Ibadan; I had my mum and dad. I would say I had
everything going for me as a child. I didn’t really have an ugly childhood
because my parents were fairly rich. My dad could afford the basic things that
any child could desire in today’s society.
The only thing for me, about my childhood that is a bit
confusing was that I was in a catholic primary school but we were Anglicans. So
I was mixed up, from Monday through Friday I was a catholic and then Saturday
and Sunday I was an Anglican. So, I didn’t quite understand each time we came
to church on Sunday, the prayers offered and the songs they sang, conflicted
with the ones I recited at school Mondays through Fridays and at a time, I
didn’t really have that bond with my parents, we didn’t have that kind of
relationship most children have as in walking up to mum or dad to ask questions
on issues bugging one’s mind and so growing up as a child I had to stomach all
of those I had to just stay in that confusion and I grew with it.
The conflict in religious doctrines did it in any way affect
your development?
Well to an extent I would say yes. Though after I had
finished my primary school, I didn’t have anything to do with the Catholic
Church again of course that was the formation years of my life and I had
understood the basic things about the catholic religion.
My prayers were a bit muddled up but thank God for God
because he understands us. I prayed, I said the “Hail Mary” even though I was
an Anglican and I tried to read the rosary and it wasn’t making sense and then
I started learning the Anglican confession and all of that.
However, as a teenager when I got into the secondary school
I guess I found my footing and the S.U, (Scripture Union) thing was on and I
became an SU member, that was another dimension of Christianity and I just felt
I should stick to this one and try and make some good out of it and somehow I
was able to stablise.
What is this idea of Messy Ms Mysteries all about?
Messy Ms Mysteries is a ministry, a calling borne out of my
passion and personality. As a person I love the entertainment world and I began
to understand that God needed me to impact lives in that area. And because of
the peculiarity of my person, he needed me to do something very different.
Messy Ms Mysteries is simply the mystery of God in the mess
of a Ms.
Now I say this because at a time in my life I became lonely,
rejected and felt abandoned and just needed God to put things back in place for
me. Of course I got married ’94 and by ’98 my marriage crashed and I was all by
myself thinking I had lost everything.
Of course I had a son then and I just needed God to sought my life out
and in the midst of all of that, He began to speak to me, and showed me his
grace. Ofcourse I delved into all kinds of things within that period.
God reassured me and said “in this mess you have found
yourself, my mysteries can still be unveiled and that was what gave birth to my
ministry so basically it is a ministry that is not popular in the sense that we
don’t handled the regular things that you hear people talk about in churches
and other set-ups.
So, How Does This Ministry Function?
We encourage people that are lesbians not to continue
instead we let them know that God is against it and that they can actually come
out of it no matter how difficult it may pose to be. We talk to the
prostitutes, we talk to women; single mothers precisely, separated women,
victims of rape and those who are lonely, who need a shoulder to lean on and
cry to, alcoholics and different people that are not very popular in the
society. These are the kind of people God has called us to attend to and by his
grace, we are doing the much we can.
What is your experience in the ministry?
Of course you know that when you delve into things like
this, those are the areas that the devil would want to try you as a person. I
wouldn’t say it’s been very rosy, but the grace of God has been sufficient.
Over time, God proves to me again and again that it is what
he will have me do. The truth is that every single individual I encounter, in
the cause of my life, I run a multi level marketing consultancy, and I tell
you, most of the people that come around me may have the original intention of
doing business with me but they end up doing ministry with me. I just realize
that in every function I found myself, young girls gravitate towards me.
I also realize that people that are hopeless are the ones
that come around me.
My office is my church, my home is my church, I don’t have a
particular building for my ministry, but I house people I don’t know their
identities, strangers both male and female. So, everything I do in my life, God
uses it to confirm his calling in my life.
I’m optimistic that someday, sometimes, we are going to have
a building where we can house every person and minister to both their spiritual
and physical needs.
So far, what are the programmes executed by your ministry?
This is the 7th year of the ministry, it was inaugurated in
2005, I run programmes from time to time, I’ve had conferences, I have also had
offshoots of our ministry, eg: Miss Blossom Beauty Pageant, a pageant that
started in 2009. We call it “Mentoring the girl-child.”
You know the pageantry has been abused; people now use it as
a way of indecent exposure and all of that.
So in 2009, I began to look at that area of ministry because
if you look at pageantry it actually started from the Bible, it was the process
through which Esther emerged Queen in the bible and God began to speak to me
that these young girls need to be mentored. So, we run the pageantry we don’t
do the Bikini. We try to teach them how to dress decently.
We also bring fashion designers together, we make them
interprete their fabrics in a decent way. For those that don’t know Christ we
try to get them born again in camp, we bring in multivational speakers as well
as undertake career counseling and at the end of the day a queen emerges.
This queen works with us in the ministry, we go to secondary
schools to talk to girls about sex, relationship, how to choose their friends,
their expectations, emotions and things like that.
You’ve just mentioned your involvement?? with
fashion designers, what exactly is fashion?
Fashion is a general term that people.
You’ve just mentioned your involvement with fashion
designers, what exactly is fashion?
popularly used for a trend, it could be clothing, shoes,
make-up. It is seasonal. In short, it is a general term.
As for me, I think fashion is relative to the person
involved.
Is everything en vogue fashionable?
Of course everything en vogue must not be fashionable and
when you talk about people trying to key into the vogue, I think there is a bit
of challenge there. For me it has a
little question on the person involved.
Like the guys for instance, when you talk about the way they
were their trousers, “sagging” is a very irresponsible way of dressing if you
ask me, and they call is fashion so what are we talking about, they are trying
to emulate somebody of course somebody starts a fashion and they want to be
like that person. So for me, it is a question on your character, it means you
are not an individual of yourself.
You don’t have a personality of your own and you try to want
to use this fashion to become something so that people will take note of you
that’s the way I see it.
Does your fashion
define your person?
Of course there is a popular saying that you are addressed by the way you are dressed.
But for those who just want to identify with the vogue, for me that’s a bit
shallow. It is not because I don’t wear what others wear but I feel it is not
compulsory at the instance of the fashion.
Sometimes they might say short skirts are en vogue and
everybody is crazy about it. At that time for me it is not fashionable because
everybody is doing it. But I could have an event where I think oh1 I think I
need to wear something short, with a high shoe and I go ahead and wear it.
Do you think that what you wear has any impact on the
upcoming generation?
Ofcourse definitely, if you are a known person, it is only
natural that people look up to you and when you dress or carry on in a
particular way, people want to believe that, that is what is right because they
see you as a symbol and they believe that whatever you do is what ought to be
so definitely people will look up to you for that.
What’s your advice to known names in the society?
Well I would say that people who have made names in the
society should try to be moderate and know that there are a lot of young people
that are looking up to them ofcourse I know that there are different
professions which also determine fashions like those in the entertainment
industry, there is a particular way they believe they should dress depending on
what they are trying to portray and the kind of image that they stand for. In
all, I think moderation should still be applied.
Seven Years Down The Line, How Would You Assess The Impact
Of Messy Ms Mysteries?
The impact of my ministry I would say, is basically what has
kept me going, it has given me hope and fulfillment. As an individual, I have a
lot of challenges ofcourse I have my children that I tend for, the financial
challenges of my business and that of my extended family, but these young girls
and ladies that have come in contact with me within this period, I have seen
people that literally could not stand to talk before three persons, they have
become presenters. I have seen hopeless young girls, today they are standing
and they are able to say this is who I am. I have seen young girls who have
metamorphosed in my eyes and become some bodies because they came in contact
with me. I have indeed seen God in action in these seven years.
IVY-K Fashion by Igiebor Daddy Lucky, a Nigerian-born designer now based in the UK, has launched the latest menswear line, Dapper Man.
One of the collection’s strengths is its classic, clean aesthetic. Dapper Man delivers sharp, structured suits in a timeless black and white color scheme that exudes a sense of luxury and professionalism. The use of high-quality fabrics like wool and silk ensures that the suits not only look high-end but also feel luxurious to the wearer. The designer’s focus on detail is evident in the meticulous tailoring, with fitted blazers and crisp trousers forming the foundation of the collection.
Where IVY-K Fashion shines is in the subtle yet elegant touches. The inclusion of beads as embellishments on lapels and cuffs adds a unique flair, blending traditional craft with modern tailoring. This nod to African heritage gives the collection a distinct identity, offering something more personal and culturally significant than your standard menswear line.
However, despite the elegance of the Dapper Man collection, there is a lingering sense of missed opportunity. The black-and-white color palette, while classic, feels overly safe. In a fashion landscape where bold colors and daring patterns often make the strongest impact, the collection could benefit from incorporating more vibrant hues or experimenting with unconventional fabrics. Pushing the envelope with color or texture could elevate these designs from simply elegant to truly memorable.
In addition, while the tailoring of the blazers and trousers is immaculate, the collection lacks a sense of playfulness or modern edge that many contemporary menswear lines are embracing. The suits are undoubtedly stylish, but the collection as a whole leans heavily on tradition. Experimenting with asymmetrical cuts, bold patterns, or even layering could add an exciting dimension to Dapper Man. The challenge is to maintain the sleek sophistication of the collection while infusing it with a fresh, innovative spirit.
Another area that could use improvement is the overall cohesion of the collection. While the suits are well-crafted, there is a feeling of repetition across the pieces. More variation in design, such as different lapel styles, pocket configurations, or even bolder accessories, would give the collection greater diversity and visual interest.
In conclusion, Dapper Man by Igiebor Daddy Lucky showcases the designer’s strong grasp of classic tailoring and elegant design, but to truly capture the attention of a broader audience, IVY-K Fashion would benefit from more daring choices. By infusing the collection with bold colors, unexpected textures, and a more modern edge, Dapper Man could move from a well-crafted line to a trendsetting force in men’s fashion. With such a solid foundation, there’s no doubt that Igiebor Daddy Lucky has the potential to lead his brand toward greater heights
The trend of indecent dressing all in the name of fashion is fast becoming a norm in our generation and society at large. Most married women embrace this fashion as competition with single ladies.
Different scholars have given an in depth insight about dressing as a tool of communication. Non-verbal communication has been asserted as the communication between people by the means of signs or symbols. It conveys what we wish to disseminate to the public as either intentionally or not.
According to Paul Ekman and Michael Argyle, communication is carried out through what has been classified as “Presentational Code”. He listed nine codes of non-verbal communication, as body contact, facial expression, gestures, postures, eye movement, proximity, orientation, head nods and appearance.
This, being stated, married and single ladies should understand that their mode of dressing is communicative be it directly or indirectly as such body parts we call “private” are now being made public because of the trends or wearing of transparent dresses and this in turn calls on the attention of men who are weak and prone to illicit thoughts thus, resulting to most rape cases in our society.
This indecent dressing by most ladies has denied many their future husbands. The truth is that a man is attracted to his kind; his desires in marriage. It is often asserted that decency and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder, yet, in trending times of this 21st century, dress code and fashion in nudity form is gaining popularity.
This has become complicated as most men tend to toggle between their emotions (lust) and sanity (rationality) in terms of marriage, thereby setting a wrong foundation upon which most marriages are consummated.
On the other hand, most married women have embraced the trend of indecent dressing nipping it on the state of it being the choice dressing, approved by their spouses, leaving society with the question of what “responsible” man would prefer that the secrecy of the benefit of his marital vow has become the centre of attraction and viewership by the general public.
Hence, communicating with their dressing gas given licence to every male gender who is interested or attracted to what they see to make unsolicited sexual passes at them, which might be considered embarrassing.
At this juncture, it is important to state that ladies should dress decently knowing that they are the epitome of nation-building, they are nation-builders, character moulders and pacesetters not just in the lives of their families but to the society at large.
In most occasions, there are no clear border lines between the married women and the single ladies because of the rate of scanty dressing which has close the gap of differences.
Women and girls should embrace this call awakening to decent mode of dressing. Dresses that are meant to be worn indoors should remain indoors.
It is worrisome to see ladies wear shorts that are supposed to be worn in the living room on the streets without shame. This is an awakening call to our ladies, married and singles that the opposite sex do not expose their private body parts for the public. Sometimes, the ladies go about in the streets without wearing brazziers as to showcase their nipples.
The society should be sanitised of the menace of indecent dressing that is lurking and taking over the entire nooks and crannies of the society and the nation at large.
Let it be known that he or she is addressed in the manner he or she is dressed. There may be no room for a second impression. To the single ladies, your dressing decently will not stop you from meeting your Mr Right rather, it will increase your stake and place you on the list of most valued women in the society.
Dressing speaks louder than words.
Kate Chisom Isiocha
Isiocha is an OND final year student of Temple Gate Polytechnic.
