Parsons upset over plans to change territorial dress
Cultural icon and former lawmaker, Eileene Parsons, has described a move by authorities to change the territory’s national dress as an asinine and foolish decision.
Parsons argued that much thought and effort had been put into the cultural wear over a decade ago and said the public accepted what had been put forward from the various options.
“Are you going back to the public and telling them what [they] selected wasn’t good enough?” Parsons asked. “And you asking us to make a change to what?”
She argued that former Education and Culture Minister Myron Walwyn took the proposal from a committee she headed to the then-Cabinet, which in turn took it to the House of Assembly, where it was voted on and passed.
“It wasn’t anything just done in isolation. This thing has been in vogue now more than 12 years,” Parsons said while expressing amazement for the way residents have embraced the cultural wear.
Junior Minister for Tourism Luce Hodge-Smith recently disclosed that there are moves afoot by a committee to make ‘justifiable’ changes to the cultural wear but said no announcement would be made about the issue until they are ready.
Parsons questioned the real reason behind attempts to revamp the cultural wear and said after speaking with Hodge-Smith, she learned that there were complaints from dressmakers and tailors over a waste of the fabric and also some difficulty in making the outfits.
She suggested that a change could be made in the pattern and urged officials to speak with the original designers of the fabric about the issue.
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The dress is ugly just like M* and her bigoted views! Garbage belongs in the dump, and so much of the improperly so-called cultural wear’s fabric ends up in the dump where it belongs, as a result of the terrible choice in fabric and design.
You sound like an ugly person inside. You should be ashamed that this is your level of contribution.
This is the type of ugly attitude and behaviour that is crippling this country . Out of that post I can hear hatred, jealousy, envy, maliciousness and bigotry. These very qualities are the ones that continue to create division and keep us back as a people. The unfortunate thing is that too many of our people are like this and we wonder why the country is the way it is. The UK will forever have us in this mental vice grip because we hate ourselves and they know this. Therefore they manipulate it and the divide and conquer strategy continues to work. Wake up and stop being a stiff necked fool!
… this bitter and irrelevant old woman needs to sit down and shut up. The territorial dress is no more authentic than the ridiculous new dances that she choreographed a few years ago and presented as being authentic.
That dress is very ugly yes! That’s why most ladies purchase the fabric but have their seamstress make something thats more appealing. Even when the reasons for the different colors in the fabric was presented back then and recently repeated by Ms P, I still find it not fitting to say the red represents the “fiery nature” of our people! When? How? Even the territorial song was not the best one during competition but it was clear that the winners were already chosen.
That one termer Luce dont have anything to do? The capital is stink and dirty. Find some real work to do.
Of course she has work to do. Playing dress up and hosting a fashion show is work in the eyes of a government that is led by a party planner. What do the people expect? Sound policy development and improvement to the infrastructure?? Ha!
Agreed 100% this was brought to the general public for public participation and input and then entries were voted on by the BVI public. The country has too many pressing issues to deal with at this critical juncture to be wasting more taxpayer monies on political stunts. Not because one party led a project that means that we should be wasting revenues for citizens hard earned income to overturn it. We need to stop the nonsense and get our priorities in order. Work on the national literacy of our youths, work on fighting violence and gun crimes, work on fixing our roads and infrastructure, address the health care system woes, address the chronic unemployment issues, and put proper social welfare systems in place for those falling into poverty. Please stop playing games with the public purse. We need to get our priorities straight.
Curiously, I have found that nowhere in the Caribbean, does the traditional/cultural dress reflect the African roots of the people. For the most part it reflects the dress of their past colonial masters.
What you say is partly true, but Africa has thousands of different cultures, which are hugely varied, so unless all BVIslanders can trace their roots back to one village, then it’s laughable to focus on one culture from that continent and copy it over to the BVI.
We should leave Africa out of this, we are Caribbean people, mix every which way and that. Thw current national wear reflects the Caribbean, which is suited to all who live here. Facts!
It should have been charged long time it’s not us and hope they charge the song too, when we talk about culture it must be indigenous not by outsiders
that is the reason why when bvi islanders come to the usa to study with their student loans and scholarships we bvi islanders are not sex slaves and sex workers here in the usa. we use our money for college tuition to obtain education here in the usa.
Ms Parsons who the heck cares what you think about the dress,ain’t like you can wear it and dance up…we don’t like it and will change the design ASAP!!
Very disreapectful comment.
Why wast time on this dress at this time. Luce the Road Town need cleaning up. Look at the original Post office on Main Street – there rotting down and dilapidated and unsightly , pot holes everywhere, overgrown bush wasted money on the Lane to no where. pot holes all over. Come on now find some thing else to benefit our country. Who don’t like the dress don’t have to wear it. STRUPPESSS!!!!
Please change the name of this site. This is not news, it is petty chatter.
Maybe BVI Noose would be a better name.
It’s not ugly.we all have a chance too be creative.do our self,explore…I saw so many shirts ,dresses ..Beautiful design,come on now!!!.change what ,we of us have different ideas in dress code…
I didnt like it then and still not a fan now
Personally, I can’t stand some of Miss P’s Freshness and positions. However, before Myron W took on the challenge to give the people of the Virgin Islands some form of identity, we had nothing, no national wares, no national song, no national pride, and nothing to showcase when we stand together as represent Virgin Islands History and Culture and showcase to the world. Some of you on these blogs were happy to continue sporting your national outfits and pushed back on what the BVI now had to offer.
MP Is right, but Clover’s need to step up and meet the demands of the public.
I DO NOT AGREE that the VI’s Territorial Dress should be changed. LEAVE IT AS IT IS
NOTE:
The British Virgin Islands is the Last Country in the whole World to have a National Dress. While all the other Countries and Nations in the world had and have a National Dress, the BVI did not had any. We just get our National Dress in 2012 and now we want to change it.
People done spend thousands of dollars on this fabric, made several outfits for themselves and their children and now they want to change it. We portray it and symbolize it in Queen Shows, Prince and Princess Shows and other Events and now we want to change it.
Where was this Hon. Mrs. Luce Hodge-Smith when they came up with the National Dress in the first place, why she did not say something before it became so widespread. Why she did not Voice her opinion then. But as soon as she get in power she want to come change it.
Well MY VOICE Says that if they change this National Dress, I am not going to spend anymore money to make another one. I will prefer to use the UK Flag and make my own National Dress from that.
I Hope that we are going to Change the National Flag as well. I mean the British Virgin Islands Flag with the Vigilate on it – and that is MY VOICE.
I do not care who agree or disagree with me. That’s MY VOICE and Opinion.
Thank you. I have the same opinion as you and who does not agree with it can kick hot rocks in open toe flip flops. Luce needs to put her focus on cleaning up DIRTY D4 that is turning into a SLUM aka GHETTO. SOME PEOPLE TURN INTO RANDOM IDIOTS WHEN THEY GET POWER. PERFECT EXAMPLE, HER BOSS!!!!!!. THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A PERSONAL VENDETTA AGAINST SOMEONE.
IF YOU ARE IN FAVOR FOR THIS CHANGE PRESS LIKE, IF YOU ARE NOT IN FAVOR FOR THIS CHANGE PRESS DISLIKE.
Daniel started this mess and the Very Id*@t!c Party going to wallow in it. I think even the slaves had more sense. This ongoing clown show is a great travesty.
I see nothing wrong with a review a look to adjust and improve. See nothing wrong with that.
OKAY SHE SHOULD BE MORE IN TO FAMILY AND NOT POLITICS SHE GOT NO LEGS SHE SHOULD JUST GO SIT DOWN AN HELP HER FAMILY
God helps those who help themselves. Stop waiting for hand-outs.
Lucy served as the Director of Culture for an extensive period during the governance of the VIP, yet during her tenure, there was a lack of notable accomplishments or iconic cultural initiatives for the BVI. Acting Director Brenda Tye and Anne Leonard led by Hon Myron Walwyn under the governance of the NDP have managed to achieve significant milestones a relatively short timeframe, surpassing the accomplishments of Lucy’s years in office.
There’s a sense that she’s and the Premier are now eager to claim credit for accomplishments because of their roles as the Junior Minister and Minister for Tourism and Culture, to have a notable legacy associated with their names and the VIP Government.
I was patiently waiting for someone to point out your sentiments.
WELL SAID………..
is saying )> yes I said it , and who don’t like it too bad it’s a further destruction of our real culture by another set of idiots , who doesn’t know anything
about about running the country with integrity
The Territory should be the ones to vote on this decision. Some is for it, and some are not for it. This is not a decision that should be made by any member of Government.
I am thinking that the persons wishing for a change in the design for our cultural ware are not authentic or genuine BVIslanders. I believe they originate in other countries. They are jealous of the original design of the outfit. If you ever seen the colours and design of the culture ware of the other Caribbean islands, they are quite similar except for the headpiece.
These people know very little of our heritage and the clothing worn by our ancestors. They are what you call ‘Johnny come by here little’ and need to go sit in a corner and keep their mouths shut.
Now Ms. P why are you only talking about the dress, the whole cultural affair has evolved to the new times, eg. back then the parade consisted of cultural dances, songs and other things that showed the real culture of the BVI. These days the only cultural sight of our festivities is the colours, don’t talk about the dance hummm, way off, so Ms. P why should the cultural wear not change to fit the new times?, ohhh you enjoy the rest but because you designed the dress you want it to remain. Ms. P. those days are long gone we are in the new days times are changing we have to accept change. I support the dress being changed to something more modern. We can’t change that times are changing.