Certainly this and GLBTQ Jamaica blogs have carried some coverage of the tight pants issue ever since certain talk show hosts from as early as 2008 started equating it to gay men trying to go public, she confused the stereotype with aesthetics she being non other than former talk show host and now Founder and President of the New Nation Coalition NNC almost creating panic through her alarmist type discussions. Certainly other mainstream dancehall acts including former anti bleaching and anti tight pants advocates such as Bounty Killer and Vybz Kartel have made both practices mainstream as we too here do conduct hero worship of our entertainment stars and follow their lead even if it goes against the grade, one wonders if one of them came out at the right time if we wouldn't see mass outings by their closeted fans too ? at the rate we are going these days.
see previous entries on my take on metrosexualism in Jamaica and the linkages to Jamaican dancehall culture with profound changes over the years. Also see an entry on forced feminization as well on GLBTQ Jamaica (blogger edition)
Have a read of the article below and see if you are in agreement the writer also to me seems poorly informed or at best knowledgeable I was expecting better analysis of the whole scene to include the rapid changes in dancehall culture towards taboo subjects such as tight pants wearing
Here it reads
THE year 2010 brought some interesting trends in male fashion, and after much prompting from a female friend, I’ve decided to add my two cents to the discussion.
Now in the past few years, fashion in Jamaica has undergone many transformations, some of which I find to be ridiculous and disturbing. First there was the baggy pants, this is where some men chose to wear their pants a long distance away from their waists — to almost touching their knees or falling off completely. As such, they ended up walking in a very ‘wide’ manner in order to keep their pants from falling off.
It seems the ‘baggy pants’ have paved the way for the tight pants or the ‘fitted’... (Photo: Observer File)
My first reaction was, WHY? I have had the misfortune of once putting my pants on to go to the shop and forgetting to put a belt in it. Now let me tell you, that was one of my most uncomfortable trips to the shop. I had to be walking with my feet in wide manner, and I had to be pulling my pants up every five steps. This experience has led me to conclude that something must be wrong with a man who puts himself through that much trouble for the sake of ‘fashion’.
Having gone through that phase, Jamaican men have now moved on to another so-called fashionable way of wearing their pants, which has led me to question if they are embracing their ‘feminine’ side. It seems the ‘baggy pants’ have paved the way for the tight pants or the ‘fitted’ as Kartel says.
However, the last time I checked it was the women who were supposed to be wearing tight pants or ‘pencil foot’ jeans. Some men have even taken it further and have been taking their pants to the tailor to be ‘taken in’ in order to make them tighter, and based on reports from some stores, some men have been buying women’s jeans in order to get the tight pants look.
Now this is taking it a bit too far now! Why would a man want to be wearing female jeans? Are the Jamaican men now trying to be more of a woman than the women… are they embracing their feminine sides?
It would seem to me that more and more Jamaican men are moving in on the females’ territory under the guise of fashion and this is not acceptable! This is also evident in the fact that the Tshirts being worn have also gotten much tighter and now resemble the ‘body blouses’ that women usually wear.
Also, the introduction of the man purse was another fashion statement which came to prominence. A man purse was usually seen being worn by metrosexual males in the US and other developed countries. This trend quickly caught on in Jamaica and was embraced by many Jamaican men.
I think as individuals we can’t let so-called fashion dictate what we see as acceptable, good sense should prevail in this aspect of our lives. While some fashion trends are acceptable, others are not as they border on the disturbing. But it seems to me that some men will take the opportunity to not only follow the fashion trends, but use it as a means to express their hidden femininity.
On the other hand, another interesting new trend among Jamaican males is the act of bleaching. This trend started out as a predominantly female trend but has now been taken over by the males. For me this is just an example of men being too caught up with their looks. Mark you, there is nothing wrong with a man taking care of himself and wanting to look dapper or dressing good, however, when it goes to the extreme of wearing female’s jeans and wearing tight shirts, one has to stop and question what is really happening with the males in Jamaica.
ENDS
Have a read of the article below and see if you are in agreement the writer also to me seems poorly informed or at best knowledgeable I was expecting better analysis of the whole scene to include the rapid changes in dancehall culture towards taboo subjects such as tight pants wearing
Here it reads
"Tight jeans and fitted - Are Jamaican men embracing their feminine side?"
Now in the past few years, fashion in Jamaica has undergone many transformations, some of which I find to be ridiculous and disturbing. First there was the baggy pants, this is where some men chose to wear their pants a long distance away from their waists — to almost touching their knees or falling off completely. As such, they ended up walking in a very ‘wide’ manner in order to keep their pants from falling off.
My first reaction was, WHY? I have had the misfortune of once putting my pants on to go to the shop and forgetting to put a belt in it. Now let me tell you, that was one of my most uncomfortable trips to the shop. I had to be walking with my feet in wide manner, and I had to be pulling my pants up every five steps. This experience has led me to conclude that something must be wrong with a man who puts himself through that much trouble for the sake of ‘fashion’.
Having gone through that phase, Jamaican men have now moved on to another so-called fashionable way of wearing their pants, which has led me to question if they are embracing their ‘feminine’ side. It seems the ‘baggy pants’ have paved the way for the tight pants or the ‘fitted’ as Kartel says.
However, the last time I checked it was the women who were supposed to be wearing tight pants or ‘pencil foot’ jeans. Some men have even taken it further and have been taking their pants to the tailor to be ‘taken in’ in order to make them tighter, and based on reports from some stores, some men have been buying women’s jeans in order to get the tight pants look.
Now this is taking it a bit too far now! Why would a man want to be wearing female jeans? Are the Jamaican men now trying to be more of a woman than the women… are they embracing their feminine sides?
It would seem to me that more and more Jamaican men are moving in on the females’ territory under the guise of fashion and this is not acceptable! This is also evident in the fact that the Tshirts being worn have also gotten much tighter and now resemble the ‘body blouses’ that women usually wear.
Also, the introduction of the man purse was another fashion statement which came to prominence. A man purse was usually seen being worn by metrosexual males in the US and other developed countries. This trend quickly caught on in Jamaica and was embraced by many Jamaican men.
I think as individuals we can’t let so-called fashion dictate what we see as acceptable, good sense should prevail in this aspect of our lives. While some fashion trends are acceptable, others are not as they border on the disturbing. But it seems to me that some men will take the opportunity to not only follow the fashion trends, but use it as a means to express their hidden femininity.
On the other hand, another interesting new trend among Jamaican males is the act of bleaching. This trend started out as a predominantly female trend but has now been taken over by the males. For me this is just an example of men being too caught up with their looks. Mark you, there is nothing wrong with a man taking care of himself and wanting to look dapper or dressing good, however, when it goes to the extreme of wearing female’s jeans and wearing tight shirts, one has to stop and question what is really happening with the males in Jamaica.
ENDS
further readings:
Some of the pieces above also have hints of cross dressing and feminization in entertainment and otherwise.
Peace and tolerance.
H
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