Abstract
This narrative review synthesizes empirical research, industry reports, and sociocultural analysis to examine how young adults in contemporary Nigeria perceive indigenous Nigerian textiles specifically Aso Oke, Adire, and Ankara as acceptable professional attire. The review identifies a gradual incorporation of traditional textiles into formal corporate settings, driven by designer-led innovation, governmental cultural policies, generational identity shifts, and digital media influence. However, adoption remains contested by colonial legacies associating professionalism with Western dress. A threefold conceptual framework is proposed to understand how young professionals negotiate business propriety with cultural authenticity. The review distinguishes between peer-reviewed empirical evidence and media-based observations, and explicitly addresses methodological limitations, including small sample sizes, regional variation, and the non-representative nature of descriptive percentages. The study concludes that the legitimation of indigenous textiles as office wear is an unfinished negotiation, whose advancement depends on the coordinated effects of policy reform, investment in design education, and restructuring of supply-chain costs. Recommendations for policy reform, designer training, affordability initiatives, and institutional support are linked to specific findings and identified gaps in the literature.