I got a comment after the last blog post about one of my stylish shirts I was wearing in my photo with Winsome. It came from a friend who knows how much I disliked the shirt I was wearing so it was all in good fun. But this made me think that I might want to point out that the stylish and fashionable ensembles I wear in Jamaica are tailored to the local trends rather than those we are familiar with here in the States.

Back in February I visited my sister and we went to Goodwill one afternoon to see what conservative, durable, comfortable, and colorful (or if you are spelling it in a Jamaican school: colourful) clothing I could find for a good price. The key here was cheap and conservative if truth be told.

Goodwill happens to have sales on particular days so I was on the hunt for clothes with a red tag (the were only $1.00) and I found a number of items that would help me look both professional at the school as well as meeting my CDCC (conservative, durable, comfortable, colorful) requirements.

One note before the fashion show begins. You will notice in almost any photo take of me in Jamaica, I am wearing some sort of headband or fabric to pull my hair back. This is *not* how I wear my hair on a daily basis, unless I am in Jamaica.


My natural curl is stubborn and insistent that it do wild things when I reach the tropical climates and having a shorter hairstyle guarantees that I will either look like Kramer, Lucille Ball, or Little Orphan Annie. None of which are all that pretty. Then again, my attempts to control my hair through the restraint of a headband isn't pretty either. But I do try.

So, fashionistas, fashion police, and those of you who think you have some style....here it is. My Jamaican fashion show along with commentary. (Note that these photos were taken here in the U.S. for the express purpose of showing the awesome outfits I donned. These photos were not take "on location.")

The Teacher Dress

I have to admit that I really like this dress and would actually wear it in my everyday life. I just need to find the right shoes to go with it. My driver to school said "You look very nice today. Just like a real teacher." Encouraging words from a man of fashion about town.

The Orange Blossom

When I saw this shirt at Goodwill, I knew the color would be a perfect jolt within the Jamaican color palette, but I didn't realize how nicely it would fit me. Another item I may wear here in the U.S. This shirt has a built-in safety feature which may not be obvious to the Jamaican-traveling novice. It is perfect for "being noticed" on the road, thereby avoiding being hit by a car.

The Rural Teacher Shirt

This red linen shirt was clearly a more Americanized selection and it reminds me of some of the teachers I have worked with who are from rural areas (here in the U.S.) that seem to select a softer, muted color palette. This is actually the shirt I chose to wear on my plane ride home so as to better blend with the home country after getting off the plane.

The Rural teacher shirt has one accessory which I didn't notice during my travels. The "pricing" tag that came with it at the Goodwill store.

The Rural Teacher skirt is featured here with the Urban Trotter Skirt, a skirt which I personally embellished.
The Urban Trotter Skirt features a zig-zag stitching pattern in hyacinth thread providing a unique design and practical mend to unfortunate splits on some seams.

The Kool-Aid Shirt with Black Broomstick Skirt
The Kool-Aid shirt was what prompted the comment on the prior post. It was by far, the favorite of the Jamaican fashion writers and I believe it may be again due to the vibrant colors. While it does not have any slenderizing qualities, it does indeed turn heads in both the Jamaican and American cultures. The broomstick skirt made of linen is the perfect length for just about everything *but* playing hacky-sack.

The Ego Pants

The Ego Pants are a flexible (both literally and figuratively) capri with an elastic waist. While the exact origin for the name of these lightweight pants is not clear, speculators agree on two possible theories:

1) The elastic waist allows deflated egos to grow when you try on a smaller size and the pants actually fit.
OR
2) You cannot have much of an ego if you wear these pants in public. Especially in the rain as they do become completely transparent when they are wet.

I'm betting that #2 is the correct origin for the name of these pants.

This concludes the fashion show, as well as my ability to walk in public with any sense of dignity.