Dress
1980s (made)
| Place of origin |
Accompanied by gold leather boots, this gold lurex dress formed part of an outfit put together by Derek Falconer of Crazy Clothes for the exhibition Streetstyle, From Sidewalk to Catwalk, 1940 to Tomorrow held at the V&A in 1994-5. The outfit reflected a style of dress associated with 'yardies' and worn by some Jamaican women in the 1980s.
The term ‘yardie’ derives from the slang name given to occupants of government yards in Trenchtown, a neighbourhood in West Kingston, Jamaica. Trenchtown was originally built as a housing project following devastation caused by Hurricane Charlie in 1951. Due to the poverty endemic in the neighborhood, crime and gang violence became rife, leading the occupants of Trenchtown to be in part stigmatized by the term ‘yardie’. Yardies’ aspirational pursuit of wealth and status were mirrored in a style of dress which emphasised luxury through gold jewellery, luxurious fabrics (such as the gold lurex used in this dress) and designer accessories.
The term ‘yardie’ derives from the slang name given to occupants of government yards in Trenchtown, a neighbourhood in West Kingston, Jamaica. Trenchtown was originally built as a housing project following devastation caused by Hurricane Charlie in 1951. Due to the poverty endemic in the neighborhood, crime and gang violence became rife, leading the occupants of Trenchtown to be in part stigmatized by the term ‘yardie’. Yardies’ aspirational pursuit of wealth and status were mirrored in a style of dress which emphasised luxury through gold jewellery, luxurious fabrics (such as the gold lurex used in this dress) and designer accessories.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Synthetic fibre with Lurex |
| Brief description | Dress, gold lurex, Caribbean, possibly Jamaica, 1980s |
| Physical description | Metallic gold Lurex dress, with exaggerated shoulders and hips. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Registered File number 1994/113, Streetstyle exhibition 1994-1995, in the exhibition it was part of an outfit called 'Yardie Jamaica 1980s' (includes the boots T.89:1, 2-1994). |
| Historical context | This garment was purchased as part of an ensemble from Crazy Clothes Connection, a vintage clothing shop in London's Notting Hill neighbourhood. Crazy Clothes Connection was opened in the mid-1990s by Derek Falconer and his daughter Esther. The shop specialises in women’s and men’s clothing and accessories from the 1920s to the 1970s. 'Gold lurex dress and leather boots. It is not unusual for Yardie girls to change several times a day from one eye-catching outfit to another. Always worn with great panache and tons of jewellery. Compiled by Derek Falconer, Crazy Clothes.' |
| Summary | Accompanied by gold leather boots, this gold lurex dress formed part of an outfit put together by Derek Falconer of Crazy Clothes for the exhibition Streetstyle, From Sidewalk to Catwalk, 1940 to Tomorrow held at the V&A in 1994-5. The outfit reflected a style of dress associated with 'yardies' and worn by some Jamaican women in the 1980s. The term ‘yardie’ derives from the slang name given to occupants of government yards in Trenchtown, a neighbourhood in West Kingston, Jamaica. Trenchtown was originally built as a housing project following devastation caused by Hurricane Charlie in 1951. Due to the poverty endemic in the neighborhood, crime and gang violence became rife, leading the occupants of Trenchtown to be in part stigmatized by the term ‘yardie’. Yardies’ aspirational pursuit of wealth and status were mirrored in a style of dress which emphasised luxury through gold jewellery, luxurious fabrics (such as the gold lurex used in this dress) and designer accessories. |
| Bibliographic reference | Surfers, Soulies, Skinheads & Skaters : Subcultural Style from the Forties to the Nineties
Described in the exhibition publication, part of an outfit called 'Yardie Jamaica 1980s'. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.88-1994 |
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| Record created | August 1, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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