RIP Seaga But You Still Have These Politicians Out Here Sweating (Transcript)

 An Annual Debate

Every year, around May to August, usually, there’s a repetitive argument that exist in Jamaica society. Whether on traditional or social media, this debate takes place where person inquire why do Jamaica’s authorities continue to mandate the wearing of jacket and tie for men in formal spaces - especially in a tropical climate. The thing is however, there was once a time in this country’s modern history, when the government of Jamaica went on a campaign to change societal norms - that is: change what male formal attire means in the Jamaica. Through this campaign, the safari styled dress suit known as the Kariba became arguably, the most popular formal dress suit in 1970’s Jamaica. 

Michael Manley Came To Power

 Jamaica gained independence in 1962, and that ushered in the Jamaica Labour Party as the first governing political party of the country. Then in 1967, there’s was country’s second election and the Jamaica Labour Party also won that. The opposition party, the traditional leftist People’s National Party, PNP, their frustration over back to back lost in general elections was adamant. Then friction over the future of the party between younger members, post independent visionaries of the party and the older members, the pre independence visionaries of the party, would add to this and create an internal conflict by the late 1960’s. In this midst of all of this, one of the founders of PNP, and the party’s first and sole president up to this point as well as the island’s first chief minister and the first opposition leader of independent Jamaica, Norman Manley, died in 1969. Safe to say but the party was going through a turmoil and when its presidential election took place soon after, it would be Norman’ youngest son, Michael Manley who won the presidency over Norman Manley’s law mentee - Vivian Blake. To note, this is the attorney and politician Vivian Blake, not to be confused with the former alleged Shower Posse leader, Vivian Blake.  

 Michael Manley graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science with a bachelor’s in journalism where he was mentored by renowned socialist political science scholar, Dr. Harold Laski. Upon returning to Jamaica, Manley served as a journalist at the Public Opinion in the 1950’s. The Public Opinion was a leftist newspaper founded in 1937 by Osmond Theodore Fairclough. OT Fairclough is also the main conceptualiser of the founding of the PNP in 1938. In the 1960’s, the Jamaican government banned government advertisement in the Public Opinion and the newspaper would soon shut down operations. However, we should note that the National Library of Jamaica does house copies of the newspaper where you can view Manley’s journalistic pieces.  

 Still, while an employee at the Public Opinion, Manley’s also became involved in trade unionism through the PNP affiliate, National Worker’s Union and soon after would become one of the organisation leading figures. Then, in 1962, upon Jamaican independence, Manley became a government senator and during the 1967 election won an elected seat in parliament by becoming MP of Central Kingston.   

And now in 1969, this is where we find Michael Manley, president of the PNP. Almost 3 years later in 1972, he would lead PNP to their first electoral victory and thus become the fourth prime minister of Jamaica. It would be in 1972, that the Kariba suit took center stage.  

The Kariba

The Kariba suit is describe as an open-neck, over the pants shirt and matching trousers suit. It would first designed in Jamaica by the designer, Ivy Ralph. Ivy Ralph was born in Manchester in 1928. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of New York and the founder of The House of Ivy. In the 1970’s decided to do her own spin on the traditional bush jacket and called it a Kariba. She stated “It was an idea I had as a child, a more comfortable style of dress for men. I wanted to help them get away from the jacket-and-tie routine, to something far more comfortably suited to the island's climate”. Soon after coming to power however, it would be Michael Manley who brought more attention to the suit. It is said that Manley saw the designed, immediately took a likened to it and sought out Ms. Ralph for his own custom designed. Thus, Manley signature 1970’s wardrobe was born. Manley with his leftist politics and global south solidarity throughout the 1970’s viewed the Kariba suit as a symbol of anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism. In his book, ‘The Politics of Change’, Michael Manley stated that the wearing of the jacket and tie was “the first act of psychological surrender in the colonial trauma”. Still, this style of dressed in Jamaica society to do away with the Eurocentric jacket and tie, was first popularised by members of the Rastafari who were known for their designed bush jackets. 

Yet this is not the first time, that Michael Manley has mirrored Rastafari culture and in some cases exploited it for political gains.  During the 1972 election cycle, Manley became the first political leader to use reggae music on their campaign. Songs like, “I and I Gwine Beat Down Babylon” became quite popular on the PNP campaign trail. Then there was the reggae song that became synonymous with that campaign, Delroy Wilson’s ‘Betta Mus Come’ which Manley would appropriate where the song title would become the PNP official 1972 election campaign slogan. Then there was the ‘rod of correction’ which Manley stated he would use to lead the Jamaica to a better society. He stated that the stick was a gift from then emperor of Ethiopia and an icon in Rastafari, Haile Selassie I. It was here that his moniker, Joshua, took flight where he likened himself to the biblical prophet and likewise compared Hugh Shearer, the incumbent prime minister, to Pharaoh. In his paper, ‘Rastafari: Culture of Resistance’ political scientist Dr. Horace Campbell stated that Manley “promoted and took advantage of the metaphysical interpretations of Rastafari… he exploited the spiritual and metaphysical content of Rastafari” 

Still, by the mid 1970’s the Kariba suit became synonymous with members of PNP, who by 1974 under Michael’s Manley’s leadership moved sharply to the left than previous governments as they declared their support for policies of democratic socialism. As such, members of the party echoed Manley sentiment of moving away from a colonial style of dressing that is not conducive to the Caribbean tropical climate. In her book, ‘Race, Class, and Political Symbols: Rastafari and Reggae in Jamaican Politics’ Dr. Anita Waters stated that “PNP politicians were recognisable by their style of dress, usually a Kariba suit rather than the jacket and tie associated with members of the JLP”. The Kariba was now the official uniform of PNP and as such when the party won the December 1976 election, at the 1977 sworn in ceremony of the new cabinet, of the twenty eight persons, only 3 wore a jacket and tie.” Persons were quoted as saying that the wearing of jacket and tie was a “symbol of conformist behaviour”, and “a symbol of imperialism” while the Kariba was as “a symbol of cultural decolonisation”. One member of the JLP, however was quoted as saying that the PNP wearing of the Kariba suit was “going overboard to convince the masses that they there were for them”. It was also the middle of the cold war and The Gleaner newspaper, at this time the most popular media entity on the island, through their societal cartoon series, depicted global socialist and communist leaders with Kariba suits. 

 Despite this however, the Kariba suit became quite popular across the island as tailors stopped selling jacket and ties for, as one person stated, “People with ties were seen as anachronisms.” In a March 1976 interview with the New York Times, Ivy Ralph stated that a custom‐fitted, Kariba cost $65 to $70, while off the rack they sold for about $10 less. Her sales were high throughout the 1970s’ where she exported consistently to Saks Fifth Ave B, Altman and top boutiques throughout the Caribbean and the US.  In 1999, Ivy Ralph was awarded the island’s Order of Distinction for outstanding contribution to the promotion of fashion;. To note, Ivy Ralph son’s Michael Ralph is an accomplished voice actor and actor; and her daughter, Sheryl Lee Ralph, is a NAACP, Tony and Emmy nominated actress.

In Trevor Rhone’s 1976 Jamaican classic, Smile Orange, the assistant hotel manager, Major White, is seen wearing different Kariba suits throughout. And Manley, he had his own variety for all sort of occasions as the government of Jamaica passed a law in Parliament allowing for the correctness of the outfit for official functions. As such Manley wore a black Kariba suit to meet Queen Elizabeth II and then in 1977, donned a navy blue one to meet US president, Jimmy Carter. We should note that this meeting with the US president, is the cover art of this episode where you also see Beverley Manley, then wife of Michael Manley sporting her 1970’s signature afro. 

And across the region, other leaders adopted the wearing of the Kariba Suit - most notably Errol Barrow of Barbados and Forbes Burnham of Guyana, both university friends of Manley who he met at LSE and who were also mentored by Harold Laski.  Maurice Bishop, during his tenure as prime minister of Grenada, also wore his own variation of the dress suit. 

Also an interested side note: this new fashion sense of politicians in Jamaica was not only limited to the Kariba suit. Dr. Anita Waters made note that throughout the 1970’s, there was a noticeable increase in the politicians who sported beards compare to past elections. When she interviewed one JLP candidate, he made note that he wore a full-face beard for the 1976 election “to appeal to youth”. Photographic archives of the Jamaica electoral candidate showed that in 1967, no candidate had a beard, in the 1972 election, 2 candidates bearded; the 1976 elections saw sixteen candidate wore beards while in 1980, it was nineteen. There was also a noticeably image of PNP candidates wearing tams during the 1976 election and members of that party sporting afros throughout the decade. 

A Shift In Society

Now it seems that the Kariba suit was becoming an alternative to the jacket and tie in Jamaica society. Popular among politicians, youth and the wider society, the suit was becoming acceptable in the wider society. That was until the October 1980 general elections. The election was won by the Jamaica Labour Party and ushered in Edward Seaga as the fifth prime minister of Jamaica. Thus, with a conservative right wing government now in power, a few societal changes would follow suit after. This included the wearing of the Kariba suit as the island soon went back to jackets and ties as the sole acceptable form of male formal wear. Soon after, the Jamaican government officially step in when the speaker of the house, Talbert Monsell Forrest, declared a parliamentary dress code. As of April 7th, 1982, men MP’s, visitors and journalist to the Jamaican parliament were required to dress “with propriety” where no short sleeve Karibas or guayabera shirts were allowed.

And The Debate Comes Around Again

 Today, as of 2022, the official standing order of the Jamaican parliament is that male parliamentary members attending house and committee meetings, must wear a business suit and necktie. This, the standing order states “to maintain dignity and decorum”. In April of 2022, PNP member of Parliament, Phillip Paulwell argued for a review of this dress code. Mr. Paulwell stated that “You are not going to come to Parliament in slippers and shorts, but I think Mr Manley had set a tone, we need now to formalise that. In fact, you don’t need a formal Kariba suit, but the type of shirt-jacket and pants with proper shoes should be allowed”. 

But a few days before Mr. Paulwell announcement, JLP Member of Parliament, Ann-Marie Vaz, put forward a motion for the review and implementation of women’s dress code in Parliament.  

“Madam Speaker, I beg to give notice, that at the next meeting of the house I will the following motion:

 Motion for review and implementation of change in standing orders regarding women’s dress code. Whereas the standing orders define the code of dress and behaviour of members of the House of Representatives; whereas these standing orders are in need of review, given that women  now wear pants suits and also have sleeveless garments accepted in corporate chambers; whereas the change in climate has influenced the change in the style of clothing to keep women cool, to safeguard their health; whereas acceptance of sleeveless garments are accepted in public offices and state gatherings; whereas the parliament has given notice to the Minister of Gender Affairs, having been given the mandate to review the need for this review of dress code some two years ago. Be it resolved that the house establishes this review as indicated by the Most Honorable Prime Minister, so that the female members of the house, may have the comfort of modern and environmentally suitable dress code”

Women politicians are not allowed to wear sleeveless clothing in parliament.  A 2017 incident saw PNP Member of Parliament, Lisa Hanna, been reprimanded by then house speaker, Pearnel Charles, over her wearing a cap sleeve dress in parliament. Still, with both MP Vaz and MP Paulwell’s activism, politicians of both JLP and PNP want to expand this motion to include government buildings, courts, institutions of learning and hospitals, to implement clothing more conducive to our tropical climate as still, certain pants suit and sleeveless clothing are not allowed in these places. 

JLP Senator Sherene Golding stated that “Dress code prohibition on the people of Jamaica is not serving the people of Jamaica, so it should go, and we should design for ourselves, the appropriate code”. While, PNP Senator Janice Allen stated that, “The fact is our formal and business wear have been dictated by Eurocentric sensibilities and it is high time we determine for ourselves what is considered applicable, not only because of our climate and comfort, but also based on cultural history”

However, given the history of the Kariba suit in Jamaica where it was dub “a communist uniform” at the height of its popularity and the continuous policing of women bodies in the Caribbean, it should be interested to see where this debate goes.