Women
Celebrating Marriage Anniversary
In spite of the harsh
economy and the looming insecurity challenges in our environment, residents of Port Harcourt and its environs still see reason to wine and dine and probably play down on issues that make their blood pumb harder and faster to the detriment of their health.
This was exactly the case last weekend as Port Harcourt was dotted with pockets of celebrations, capable of spurring every inquisitive mind for a “why” project.
At Rumuodomaya, a suburb of Port Harcourt City, The Tide’s Women’s Lens captured one of the celebrations and guess what? It was a golden jubilee marriage anniversary.
At 25, couples are considered to be getting bored of each other and probably considering other options of spicing up their lives rather than still savouring the euphoria of an aged-same-old tune relationship.
On the contrary, Rev and Celestine Ndukwe have just begun to explore the juice of their relationship at 25.
Of course in a clime such as ours, with jaundiced attitude towards marriage relationship, every iota of success, or what could be summarised in today’s religious jargon as breakthrough calls for celebration, especially when such initial fears and skepticisms of making it to the next level with an entirely strange partner were allayed and one sees himself braving through terrains that hitherto posed insurmountable.
Couples could treat with levity every other date in their relationship except the date they knotted their nuptial tie. To them, it was a date they took an oath to tread on a terrain the ‘saints’ or others dread to tread. A decision to damn the consequences of their action while taking the bold step to forge ahead.
This date of deciding “for better and for worse”, has become so remarkable that it now serves as a drawing board from where couples assess themselves as to evaluate their degree of focus and deviation from their vows.
All over the globe, couples from time to time invite friends and well-wishers for a get-together in honour of their union. It is not in any way a display of affluence, elegance and flambouyance No! It is indeed an appreciation to God for seeing them through the hurdles and storms synonymous with the union within the number of years so celebrated.
This is why some couples even celebrate one year marriage anniversaries. To those couples, going through those twelve calender months that make a year was no less a success hence the need to show gratitude.
For Rev and Mrs Ndukwe of Assemblies of God Church, Akwaka in Rumuodomaya, 25 years in marriage is well over due for gratitude. Flanked by their male and female children, Rev and Mrs Ndukwe, adorned in light – cream coloured suits danced to the admiration of their invitees as they recounted what they described as God’s faithfulness in their marriage.
Any couple could celebrate for any reason, but for this couple, a major reason for their celebration stems from the fact that critics of their marriage were proven wrong at last as their evil predictions came to naught . More so, for life, love, children and sustenance, Rev and Mrs Ndukwe would forever remain thankful to God.
Dr Glen O. Jenson of the Department of Family and Human Development, Utah State University once said that if a marriage was worth celebrating and it has not ended in divorce or separation, then it ought to be celebrated. Hopefully, for couples blessed with good marriages, which get better with time, each year calls for celebration of making something that was good and meaningful into something that is even better.
Marriage anniversaries awaken consciousness to rethink commitments made in years past while reconsidering setting new commitments with each other that are in keeping with the growth and development of the marriage.
This same occasion affords couples opportunity to appreciate each other for service rendered, joy experienced, care given, love extended, hopes shared comfort given in terms of need, acceptance of weaknesses as well as strengths and feelings expressed and promise delivered.
Anniversary time provides an avenue to evaluate how the marriage is meeting the needs of the partners. It would be a good time to do a report on the profits and losses to the marriage relationship during the past years.
Meanwhile, the journey through the 25 years was not without storms and woes, disagreement and misunderstandings . However, the Rev. & Mrs Ndukwe owe their compatibility to God whose grace was sufficient to weather the storm of life at every daunting point in their relationship.
The couples called for love among couples while charging the singles to always consider the will of God in marriage as that could be the only propelling factor in times of storm.
Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi
Women
Nigeria Deserves Stylish, Sophisticated Designs-Igiebor Daddy Lucky
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
Women
Women Can Curb Indecent Dressing
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.