‘Straight Jeans and Fitted’: What to wear to Kartel’s Freedom Street
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Dancehall king Vybz Kartel returns to the stage this New Year’s Eve at the National Stadium in the most anticipated event of the holiday season. If you have already managed to bag yourself a ticket for the concert aptly dubbed Freedom Street, now it’s time to decide on what you’re going to wear.
If you have no idea just yet what you will be wearing, have no fear, Observer Online is here to give you some style choices and of course we will be taking our fashion cues from the songs of the ‘Teacha’ himself.
1. Clarks
This goes without saying. If you don’t understand the connection between the Gaza boss and Clarks, you probably should sit Freedom Street out. Kartel endorses the English footwear in several songs, so it’s therefore the most obvious pick when contemplating what to wear. Dessert, “straight Wallabees, Bankrobber and dem ting deh”, it doesn’t matter so long as you walk the aisles of Freedom Street in a pair. And the best thing about Clarks is that it can be beautifully styled to fit either gender.
2. Straight Jeans and Fitted
Here’s to a complete outfit! If you are on the fence about what to wear to Freedom Street, look no further than Vybz Kartel’s single, Straight Jeans and Fitted. In that song, the entertainer gives you a full-style rundown from the type of headgear down to the G-Shock watch. A plain white T-shirt, a pair of straight jeans, a baseball cap (fitted cap) and a timeless G-Shock watch offers a clean, minimalistic look that will have you fitting right in at the National Stadium. A play-by-play wardrobe selection as instructed by the entertainer. No fuss necessary. Ladies, style your white T’s how you see fit. Cut it into a cute crop top or pair it with a high-fashion corset and skinny jeans, either way, you too get to make a statement out of a plain white T-shirt.
3. Basketball jerseys
If you have been following the entertainer’s career since his break in the early 2000s, you will know basketball jerseys can never be a fashion conundrum. In true vintage Kartel style, you can pair your jersey with jeans and a fitted. Top that off with some classic gold jewellery and you are well on your way to making a bold fashion statement that’s bound to get you some attention when you step into the National Stadium. For the ladies, a pair of high top Jordans with chunky socks is all you need to turn your jersey outfit all the way up. But if you want to be on the sexier side of the jersey style spectrum, there are outfits specifically tailored to suit the skimpier side of things.
4. Handkerchiefs
Since Kartel walked out of prison after 13 years behind bars back on July 31, handkerchiefs (particularly orange) have made quite the fashion resurgence. The ‘Worl Boss’ emerged from behind the gates of the General Penitentiary sporting an orange handkerchief tied across his mouth and the accessory is said to be in hot demand on the streets ever since. It goes without saying therefore, that however one chooses to incorporate the handkerchief in their outfit of choice, you cannot go wrong with its inclusion.
5. Personalised clothing
We are undoubtedly in the era of taking ordinary articles of clothing and finding ways of making them uniquely ours. Our guess is that personalised T-shirts, dresses, shorts, blazers with the entertainer’s image emblazoned on them will be a huge fashion feature at Freedom Street.
Before we go, while we’re dishing out fashion advice, we hope that as per Kartel’s instructions, if you have tattoos you will come showing them off and if you’re a ‘luxury doll’, you will wear an outfit that accentuates your curves – bought or built (aha aha).