Àdìrẹ is an indigo-dyed cloth traditionally produced by Yoruba women in south-western Nigeria. A range of resist-dye techniques are used to create àdìrẹ patterns, often incorporating more than one technique in a single cloth. The ground-cloth cotton is folded, stitched, tied or otherwise worked-upon in preparation for dyeing – these areas resist the dye, creating the cloth's distinctive blue and white patterns. The precise origins of àdìrẹ are unknown, though indigo-dyeing has been seen across West Africa for centuries. Àdìrẹ has an enduring presence in the region, becoming a popular, everyday cloth, with many women dyeing àdìrẹ of their own design within the home. Once dyed, àdìrẹ cloth can be wrapped or stitched to create garments, such as a woman's ìró (wrapped skirt). From the 20th century onwards, factory-woven cloth began to be used – this cloth accepted the dye more easily, creating a finer clarity of design. Whilst factories are now able to mass-produce imitation àdìrẹ, the popularity of the traditional hand-worked cloth remains, made by local artisans in historic dyeing centres such as Ibadan.

Àdìrẹ is subcategorised according to the method of resist-dyeing used, each of which carries its own history and produces its own recognisable effect. This is an example of àdìrẹ alábẹ́rẹ, which́ relies upon stitching as the means of resist-dyeing. This is achieved by folding and stitching down the cloth, or by stitching designs directly onto it and removing the thread after dyeing. Stitching can be done by hand, using either raffia or cotton thread. In more recent times, machine-stitching with cotton thread has become more common. In this particular example the cloth has been folded to make long narrow pleats which are then machine sewn together so they receive no dye. Both diagonal and horizontal lines have been stitched down, producing a tartan effect after dyeing.

As with many example of àdìrẹ, it is composed of two panels stitched together along the long edges creating one whole piece. This would be worn by women wrapped around the waist with the seam running horizontally, forming an ìró (wrapped skirt). Àdìrẹ cloths were not particularly prestigious, but they were extremely popular during the early 1960s when this example was bought for the museum in the city of Ibadan in south-western Nigeria.