Why dress to sweat? It's already hot!

It's just about 38 degrees F. in NYC; my knees have actually ached me once or twice because of the cold! These days, I walk across 5th Ave. trying not to look like I'm suffering from ague or the shakes, but truth be told, it's getting pretty chilly. Soaking in a hot bath is my current remedy for the increasingly biting weather - it's either that or I'll have to promptly invest in a few bottles of warming Brandy. To have a good soak, the water MUST be warm to hot, you've got to have some sort of skin soothing oil or salts in the bath water, and the bathroom heater must be on. And in you go, sliding slowly into an aromatic haven...

However enjoyable it may be, eventually you realize the heat is too much to bear. You start to feel woozy and light headed, your heart is running a mile a minute, and your eyes burn like hell from all that aroma therapy oil. Even in the cold, too much heat is too much. So why, pray tell, do some Island folk who are lucky enough to be living in the tropics, love to dress in items that aren't for the heat? You know exactly what I'm talking about. The Dancehall Mavens in the leather jackets and knee high boots, with their equally conspicuous mates in those plush sweaters. Sweaters and leather in the 35 degrees celsius weather? Steups.... Insane! And don't tell me that I'm fixating on a Nineties Dancehall stereotype!

We are Caribbean people, God damn it. We are lucky enough to have warm beaches at our disposal, cool evening breezes and hot 'summer' days year round. Take advantage of it. Our Brothers and Sisters in the temperate countries would give almost anything to be sweating like us in the island heat, and yet we want to cook ourselves in impractical fashions. Be stylish and smart. Dress in the latest trends, yes...but unless you're some sort of stage performer, steer clear of the Island Dressing Mishaps like our girl pictured above. Show off your toe cleavage, hike up those skirts above the knee, wear cotton or linen shirts under your business suits - keep it easy-breezy...

Salut.

LMN Harris.