Entertainment

Jerseys goes dancehall

By ALICIA ROACHE, Staff Reporter

JERSEYS SEEM TO be the major league players in the arena that is dancehall fashion.

It is often seen adorning the bodies of dancehall enthusiasts both on stage and off. It is lightweight, sporty, and easy to wear, however jerseys offer very little individualism when one considers that there is so much of it in the dancehall.

Its popularity in the dancehall exemplifies the connection between sports and music. But what do American sports, such as the NBA and the NFL, have to do with Dancehall music?

Apparently nothing. The reasons for the wearing of jerseys are as varied as the teams which they represent. Dancehall diva, Kieva Hibbert, who says she has a fair collection of the items says she is an LA Lakers fan and that's why she wears their jerseys.

In addition to being a fan of the Lakers, Kieva says she wears jerseys because they provide comfort and style, when worn appropriately.

"If the time hot, you want to still look cool," she says. "You can wear them out, even if yuh nuh waan dress up, but you don't wear jerseys for wearing jersey, you have to mix it with sneakers, hat, handbag, and armbands. You have to have things to back it up."

But with authentic jerseys running between US$70 for a regular one to US$320 for a 'throwback' jersey ( classic, retro jerseys designed to resemble those of former major league teams' uniforms), putting a suit together is very expensive, as Kieva says.

So why does the fashion trend endure?

"Most people wearing jerseys and going to the dance its not the authentic ones," says Bogle. The prolific dancer, who claims to be a pioneer of the jersey wearing trend in Jamaica, has some reservations as to its use in the dancehall.

His favourite jerseys are from the New York Knicks and the New York Yankees and he has many from back in the days but Bogle claims that jerseys do not fully represent the image of the Dancehall.

"Dancehall is about fashion and style, wearing jerseys to the dancehall, that's not fashion," he says.

Elephant Man seems to agree. "It just bring a nice sports look like when you going to the beach or driving to the country, it is a easy wearing look, like when the sun hot yuh just wear it. Stage show is a different thing. You have to be fashionable, yuh clothes haffi look like a star," he says "Jerseys don't needed for stage show, Jersey is not a dressy wear."

While Predator agrees that jerseys are for "regular wear", he will not totally rule out jerseys as part of his on stage wardrobe.

"It depends on the type of show," he says. "Ordinary show like round di town show and di ghetto show dem" are places that Predator thinks are appropriate jersey venues. Even then you must have the right jersey, says the deejay. Appropriate brand names for Predator are authentic Lakers, Sixers, and (Allen)Iverson jerseys.

But are local DJs merely copycats of the rappers in America who dress in Jerseys? Predator says no. "Dem(rappers) do a song, yuh hear a lot of DJ sing over the song in dem melody or say back whe dem seh, but when di designer mek dem clothes dem nuh mek it fi special persons dem mek it fi everybody. Who can afford it buy it."

Kieva suggests that popularity and hype may be what motivates people to buy and wear these often expensive items. "When you are popular, people want to buy your things," she says. However, she admits that the jerseys are just another reflection of the proliferation of American culture in the Dancehall.

"Most Jamaican stars seem to be the problem. Instead of showing up their own designs they think its better if they come from abroad," says 'the diva' who claims to have most of her costumes designed locally.

Even Bogle seems to agree that more thought should go into dressing for the dancehall. "Fame over hype, fashion over style," he says.