Big bucks are being shelled out for the Reggae Festival, and it’s not the promoters spending it. It’s the patrons.
After taking care of the cost of their tickets, patrons are spending hundreds of dollars on clothes, shoes, hairstyles, nails, jewellery, and other accessories.
And from last night, when the Digicel Vintage Reggae show at Kensington Oval kicked off the weekend, taxi operators began biting their slice of the cake, because patrons who do not have their own transportation or free means of getting to the venues will definitely be spending money on taxi fares.
On Thursday, a SATURDAY SUN team took to the streets of The City to get a sneak peek at what people were buying to wear and to get an idea of the expense they will be putting themselves to in order to be able to step out looking sharp, stylish and glamorous.
The team had an enlightening conversation with Shallene “Pookie” Francis, who will be attending all the shows this weekend. She was caught up in a shopping spree to look the part, spending an estimated $1 500.
“I going Vintage, the [Reggae On The] Hill on Sunday, and to the Taurus Riley cruise,” she said.
Francis continued: “I got to get like three dresses and shoes too and a bag. A dress is like $130, shoes is like $95 or $110, so I might just buy two pairs of shoes instead of three pairs. A bag is like $95 or $75, anywhere around there.
“I get the nails do for $75 and maybe tomorrow I would get the toes paint for like just $25. A chain is like $45 and if you wearing a belt around that dress is like the same $45 price range. I am a hairdresser, so I don’t have to pay to get my hair done,”
“Today is my birthday, so I spending the money on myself,” she said.
At the Star Hair The Salon, upstairs Kays House, Roebuck Street, hairdresser and owner Kera Rouse said she believed that this year, “people going all out for the shows.
According to the owner of the popular salon, people were buying “$600 and $700 Virgin Remy hair to go”.
Rouse explained that in preparation for the events, those who did not want the basic weave glued in at $80 were getting the Remy weave sewed in at $120 or glued in at $30 less.
She said a full set on the fingernails could be done at $60, while toenails were $30. Rouse also indicated that lash extensions cost $25 to be applied and that did not include the $10 for the pair of lashes.
“The girls going out to all because Remy cost money. You can get a bundle for $500, $600, $700, $800 and $900, depending on the length, which is like from 14 to 32 inches,” she elaborated.
Concerning clothes, Celebrity Spot owner Cherry-Ann Stuart reported that women were purchasing leggings, jeans pants and shirts at various prices.
Over at Steppers Boutique, a representative said that women were mostly choosing to buy dresses that ranged from $75 to $120 and a lot more in some stores.
Swan Street jewellery vendor Khadejah Porter said that customers were buying earrings at $20 and $35, while the bow chains were now going at $55 and bangles at $35 – “And these [are] cheap compared to $75 bangles and $100 and more sets selling in some stores,” a customer who was at Porter’s stall pointed out.
Manager at Ouch Boutique, Wilma Edwards, said that from her observation men were going after Levi pants, priced between $65 and $125; polo shirts, selling at $85; Armani shirts at $65; and polo vests at $25.
Edwards seemed to have been keeping a close eye on the buying activities of males. They were also picking up brand name sneakers, she said, with prices ranging from $50 to $450, and snap back hats at $35 to $55.
And the word was that some men would not feel quite ready until they visited their barbers for a haircut for between $15 and $25 and a clean shave at $5 to $7.
