Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
One word says it all. Dapper! - Photo BY Colin Hamilton
There is many an attempt at uniform or theme-based party dressing, based mainly on colours, often to hit and miss effect. However, the dress code embodied in the title of Saturday night's 'Men in Suits, Ladies in Dresses' at Curphey Place, Swallowfield, Kingston, was a whopping success, as those who literally did not follow suit were very few and very far between.
For while the clothing stipulation was clear, the men who did not wear suits were charged an extra $200 at the gate (not that 'two bills' would have mattered much at a party where Moet was on the price list at $6,500 a bottle), there was enough latitude for individual style in dress for the retro style party.
GREAT SELECTION
And dress they did, to dance to the music of Colin Hines, Squeeze, Nitro, Crazy Chris and Seņor Daley, classic cuts of party music meeting choice cuts of attire by men and women, the selectors themselves also resplendently decked out.
Of course, the women had more leeway in their get-ups and there was variety from flared lower sections to tighter, slinkier varieties, three lasses standing together in variations of tight white mini-dresses, while one lass draped her train over her right arm as she walked with her full-white clad partner through the dance floor.
There were open-backed dresses and plunging necklines and shades that made a beautiful shimmering bouquet under the party lights, as the women dominated the dance floor while some couples and groups of men chose to stand back on both sides of the covered area with hardwood flooring.
And all had a variety of music to move to, the dress and selections also dictating that while there was lots of movement, there were attempts to do more dancing than close grinding, the 'bruck out' coming later in the morning when a significant number of persons had left and the hardcore ladies were on the floor or their partners.
SOCA MIX
Many a pair of high heels were long disposed of just past 2:00 a.m., as Hines went for the soca of All Night Party and Dollar Wine. MC Nuffy handled the proceedings with short, effective commentary between rounds from selectors, introducing Squeeze by telling the ladies "him big in body, but when him hol' on pon yu, a so it go. Squeeze!" Then it was disco with Rock the Boat and Shame on You, the party really jumping, before he went into the reggae groove of Queen Majesty and Truly. Crazy Chris honoured Stanley Beckford with Kaisilo and Soldering to a merry audience, which also happily went Footloose, before glorying in One Dance. It was a run of poco songs, including Pocomania Day before he dropped in the near 'bruck out' dancehall of Dun Wife.
Nitro played big songs but not necessarily in danceable order, so after their opening set of Marley, including Natural Mystic, then the rubadub of No No No, they went into R&B, many couples clutching, then leapt back into disco.
Hines went back on and the tempo picked up appreciably, Wings of a Dove and Simmer Down coming before he got down to the women's business. The Gleaner left Curphey Place to the dancehall of Position and Rail Up, many a lady doing just that to the delight of the many men who remained.
