So I have to say that one of the things I really admire about the Dominican culture is their acceptance of all different body types. Unlike in the U.S., being curvy is not only accepted, its promoted. And having a little junk in the trunk is definitely a good thing (whew!, I fit right in here!) At the same time though, the culture highly values appearance, and girls go a long way to make sure that they are always looking on top of their game: and that means accentuating those curves to the MAX. Tight fitting neon jeans and cropped, flowy tops (often see-through) are all the rage right now. And let's not forget the shoes. Oh the shoes, the shoes, the shoes: platform stilletos in every style and color imaginable. Overall, It's almost an 80s throw-back style mixed with a little flashy island flare. This combination can lead to some very interesting outfit selections however, and there are a lot of questionable things that pass for fashionable here (and by questionable, I mean prostitute-ish :p)
How many of you have ever seen the show Fashion Police on the Entertainment channel? If you haven't seen it, awesome. That means you have a life. If you have seen it though (wow I'm sad for you, but I won't judge you because I've seen it too.), then you'll know that there is a segment of the show called "starlet or streetwalker." So in this segment of the show, we are shown an image of a person's body, and by the clothes they are wearing, we have to decide if she is a famous starlet, or a possible lady-of-the-night. I find myself playing this game in my head a lot here since the fashion seems to straddle that fine line. When they get it right, the girls look like movie stars...but when they get it wrong...well they tend to look like they just walked out of the latest Rap or Reggeatón music video...and I don't mean that in a good way. I mean, imagine if we all walked around trying to look like we belonged in a hip hop video? Well sometimes that's how I feel here, like I just walked into the latest Daddy Yankee production, and I suppose all the merengue music constantly being blared in the background only adds to that sentiment. That must just be my opinion though, because I have seen A LOT of "questionable" outfits, and nobody else seems to be making that judgement.
There is also this other really weird conservative faction, which I think can be attributed to the catholicism here. Those girls that don't fall into the "starlet or streetwalker" category tend to dress super conservatively and professionally, especially to work. Long pants, collared blouses, and suit jackets with nice pumps are never out of place, even though the temperature usually hangs around a sticky 90 degrees. I don't know how they do it. But it def makes for an interesting dynamic to see a Rhianna and a Michelle Obama both standing in the grocery store checkout line, perfectly naturally, right in front of you. Always makes me smile :D
With all that being said, my country bumpkin Illinois style is just a little out of place here, and our first pay check is coming up, soooo Alexis and I decided to do some "pre-shopping" to scope out the stores and see what we could find to spend money on, (as soon as we get it! ) And well, I couldn't help but model some truly Dominican attire for you. So I'll let you be the judge on these outfits: starlet, or streetwalker?
How many of you have ever seen the show Fashion Police on the Entertainment channel? If you haven't seen it, awesome. That means you have a life. If you have seen it though (wow I'm sad for you, but I won't judge you because I've seen it too.), then you'll know that there is a segment of the show called "starlet or streetwalker." So in this segment of the show, we are shown an image of a person's body, and by the clothes they are wearing, we have to decide if she is a famous starlet, or a possible lady-of-the-night. I find myself playing this game in my head a lot here since the fashion seems to straddle that fine line. When they get it right, the girls look like movie stars...but when they get it wrong...well they tend to look like they just walked out of the latest Rap or Reggeatón music video...and I don't mean that in a good way. I mean, imagine if we all walked around trying to look like we belonged in a hip hop video? Well sometimes that's how I feel here, like I just walked into the latest Daddy Yankee production, and I suppose all the merengue music constantly being blared in the background only adds to that sentiment. That must just be my opinion though, because I have seen A LOT of "questionable" outfits, and nobody else seems to be making that judgement.
There is also this other really weird conservative faction, which I think can be attributed to the catholicism here. Those girls that don't fall into the "starlet or streetwalker" category tend to dress super conservatively and professionally, especially to work. Long pants, collared blouses, and suit jackets with nice pumps are never out of place, even though the temperature usually hangs around a sticky 90 degrees. I don't know how they do it. But it def makes for an interesting dynamic to see a Rhianna and a Michelle Obama both standing in the grocery store checkout line, perfectly naturally, right in front of you. Always makes me smile :D
With all that being said, my country bumpkin Illinois style is just a little out of place here, and our first pay check is coming up, soooo Alexis and I decided to do some "pre-shopping" to scope out the stores and see what we could find to spend money on, (as soon as we get it! ) And well, I couldn't help but model some truly Dominican attire for you. So I'll let you be the judge on these outfits: starlet, or streetwalker?
Try to imagine me wearing one of these pair of heels (don't laugh!), that way you get the whole effect :)
"Do these pants make my butt look big?....Perfect!"
Hmmm, maybe bright pink is more my color?
Just as a side note: shopping here is a little different than in the states. Generally, when you walk into a store, there will always be someone following you around, which serves the double purpose of attending to your every need (while also secretly making sure you don't steal anything). So we had to be a bit sneaky to find a dressing room where we could try on clothes and take pictures without weirding out the staff. I kind of felt like a secret agent on a mission: covert operation model. Don't worry though, I resisted the temptation to somersault into the fitting rooms and come up striking a charlie's angel's pose.
Un beso desde la República Dominicana para ustedes
After shopping we treated ourselves to a little milkshake, because being a model and a photographer is hard work y'all!
And now a special treat for you too! This song is called "Ponme To Eso Palante by DJ Kennedy" and its topping the charts right now. It actually belongs to very popular genre of music down here called Dembow. But I couldn't tell you how Dembow is any different than Reggaetón, so don´t ask. But anyways, I'm not kidding when I say that I see girls wearing these outfits out-and-about at night (and sometimes during the day!) Enjoy :D
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