Okrika things are durable. And there’s the sheer variety the market offers. You can get anything from your graduation clothes to your new born baby’s clothes. But then, there is a point where we need to draw the line.
1. Underwear.
The idea of used underwear feels strange to me. If you have ever been to Katangua market and you see how these traders (men especially) take a special delight in advertising these things, then you’ll understand why.
In this category are the following:
2. Boxer shorts.
3. Panties.
4. Brassieres.
I usually picture something like this: imagine I bought boxers from a trader last month. And then on my next market waka, I happen to pass by that same trader while he’s convincing a customer that he sells the best underwear. So he sees me and says, “Ehen! See that bros wey dey go so? Na from my hand e buy the boxer wey he wear for yansh.” The customer does not believe him, so the trader drags me to come and then says, “Bros abeg pull ya trouser. I wan make you show this customer say na from my hand you buy the boxer wey you wear.”
Imagine all that.
5. Towels.
Does it feel like a good idea to you? To me, it’s like stealing hotel towels that have been used by countless guests and poorly dry-cleaned.
6. Dinner gowns.
Oh yes. They sell dinner gowns there. Sadly, it’s not always fashionable, especially if you patronise the mallams and the Igbo women on the outer parts of the market. Their own dinner gowns look like something Mount Zion slay queens wear. Sadly, it’s what they give to corpers at Mammy Market for their Miss Camp pageant. Ruffles and haphazard cuts with an awful lot of pleats.
BONUS: Baby clothes
This one is put as bonus, because I can’t exactly estimate how much baby clothes cost. And a lot of people go for okrika because it is cheaper. So.
