Drop that Dera!!

What you wear speaks volumes about you. According men folk, dera says lazy, unkempt and unappealing to the visually inspired man.

But Dera has become a latest façade in the streets as girls have abandoned their jeans and this has become the new norm of maxi dress. Needless to say, our Islamic sisters wear this piece of clothing as a petticoat inside their buibui and around the house to do chores.

Dera originated from Yemen, where ladies wore it to do house chores and would throw on a buibui on top when stepping out of the house. In Kenya, ladies are talking themselves into styling this little piece of fabric into street looks, however, this transparent, loose fitting dera should be kept indoors.

First, if my interactions with husbands in the popular TV show, Style my Wife, is anything to go by, men do not understand this piece of fabric. One guy even called it a night dress and it baffled him why his wife was wearing it in broad day light, after a shower especially. And do not let the First Lady’s and Ciara’s pregnancy dera fool you. Theirs were definitely made out of the right material because truth be told, they have to be presentable remember and, therefore, would not wear a petticoat in public.

There was a lady who stated that the dera makes a lady look mature. No! The cotton transparent dera does not make you look mature, it makes you look lazy especially when worn with flats.

If you want to wear dera the right way, first ensure the fabric is thick and is detailed with embroidery. Then style it with accessories such a sling bag and sneakers to achieve the punk look out of this traditional piece of clothing, then you can comfortably post pictures of yourself wearing dera like a pro.

There is the pretentious talk from women about dera making one feel free and comfortable hence the preference. However, men interpret this as repelling. Its relegation to an indoor uniform does not make it bearable for the Kenyan man as he has to contend with the shapeless look the dera drapes on your body. Unless you can redesign this free piece of fabric into something more feminine showing off your strong curves and is appealing visually, put it away.