Have you ever wondered how Obroni W’awu, the secondhand clothing Ghanaians have come to embrace came to be? What warranted its introduction into our society, and how did we come to know of it?
Let me take you back in time to uncover the history behind Obroni Wawu.
They arrive in tightly packed bales, wrapped, sealed, and shipped across oceans before landing on the streets of Ghana.
Once opened, the pile of secondhand clothes popularly known as Obroni w’awu unravels; shirts, skirts, trousers, dresses – each carrying a story from a faraway place. Some still hold traces of their past owners, a lingering scent of detergent, perfume, or even age.
No two pieces are ever quite the same, and for many, that’s part of the appeal.
But the journey does not end there. These clothes find their way into bustling markets, spread out on cut-open sacks or hung on makeshift racks, ready to be dug through, bargained for, and worn anew.
From corporate offices to construction sites, from schools to Sunday services, Obroni W’awu has become a part of everyday Ghanaian life. It is no longer just thrift shopping, it is fashion, identity, and the Ghanaians way of life.
But this wasn’t always the case.
A VISIT TO HISTORY
Once upon a time, historians say the Ghanaian ancestors wove their own stories into fabric. Kente, Gonja cloth, Ntoma, and the Batakari carried tradition, identity, and heritage.
Clothes were sewn, not shipped. Fashion was local, not imported. Even flour sacks were stitched into shirts.
So how did Ghana transition from locally made attire to secondhand imports?
Some believe Obroni W’awu was first introduced to Africa by Nigerians before spreading to Ghana. Others think its popularity grew when leaders increased imports due to economic benefits. Some simply know it as clothing that has always been part of their family tradition.
THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM ‘OBRONI WAWU’
Historian and lawyer Yaw Anokye Frimpong traces the origins of secondhand clothing popularly known in Ghana as Obroni W’awu or Bend Down Boutique. A phrase that translates to “dead white man’s clothes.
He explains:
“It was the Fante people along the coast who first met the Whites around 1481, whereupon the Elmina Castle, St. George, was built. The Fantes say that beyond the waves, the high seas “entsi Ebir nekyir nyi, bronyi, Ebir nekyir fo abrofo.”
That’s how it became. The moment you wear African clothes to signify that you don’t wear a suit to work and you want to marry somebody’s daughter, they will ask the Fantes, ‘)y3 krakyi nyi benyin anaa )y3 fratam nyi benyin?’ meaning, ‘Are you an illiterate?’ And this is a man who is not educated yet still dressed like the white man. If that’s the case, he probably inherited the clothes of a deceased white man.”
THE HISTORY BEHIND OBRONI WAWU
“During the independence struggle, when Nkrumah went there, he discovered that the people were just like when Azambuja in 1481 met Nana Kwamina Ansah and the Fante people. They were barely naked. The women, in those days, had something to cross between their legs. And the men wore a little something called kyokoto. Nothing else on their bodies.
It was the CPP Women’s Organizer, Hannah Cudjoe, who officially asked Nkrumah that we should import this white man’s clothing on a large scale to give to the people of the North, just to clothe them.”
WHY THE TERM HAS REMAINED IN USE OVER THE YEARS
“The name would remain because people were importing and selling European clothing. At first, it was given freely, but later, when the economy worsened, those who imported it started making money out of it.
To kill their business, those who were importing first-class, original fabrics, those making fabrics here in Ghana, would tease you and make you feel inferior for wearing it, just to create a market for themselves. And then, they made it so that if you wanted to buy it, you would hide to do so.
The Nzema people call it Butu S3la, Bend Down Boutique, meaning you have to hide and buy it to cover your shame.”
WHAT NEXT?
For many, Obroni W’awu is more than just secondhand clothing, it is a reflection of the Ghanaian economy and the choices made as a society. What began as a necessity has evolved into a culture, shaping the way Ghanaians dress, shop, and express themselves.
Ghana’s fashion identity is constantly evolving. But perhaps the real challenge is finding a way to merge the old with the new.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/MATILDA SENA ADZATOH
