BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - J'Ouvert is a time to wine, ‘get on bad’, let loose and show off the wild child in you. However, there are those who use the opportunity to express their creativity which is shown in their uniquely designed costumes.
Each year a little extra is seen added to the usual troupe costumes everywhere, from the slits and cuts in the shirts to the multi-coloured wigs, winter boots, boys’ shorts and stockings worn with them.
Just about everyone adds a little something to make them unique.
But there are those persons who go above and beyond with their uniqueness, showing up on J'Ouvert morning in outfits so out of the norm that they stand out amongst the crowd.
Some of those characters were seen on Thursday (Dec. 26) participating in the J’Ouvert session, as they do every year.
Many of them were seen wearing masks depicting zombies and monsters of various types.
SKNVibes observed a man dressed in a brown overall accessorised with a mask of the face of a bear wearing sunglasses, while another sported a Hawaiian Devils T-shirt and completed his look with a red devil mask.
Another young man was seen portraying an entire female look. He wore a white elbow length shirt with coconut shells tied on it covering his chest area. He also donned long black and white tights, bright green socks and a blue-green grass skirt, and completed his feminine look with a blonde wig.
Three men took their outfits back to the 'old time days' as they were seen wearing 'crocus bags' accessorised with ‘crocus’ hats.
A boxer, two superheroes and a group of knights also came out to enjoy themselves.
This publication observed a man in a tight blue long-sleeved shirt and blue and white knee-length trunks resembling those worn by professional boxers.
He also sported a pair of blue boxing gloves and was seen bouncing through the crowd swinging his hands left and right as if he were in a boxing match. The back of his shirt read: "Buss Puss".
Two men were dressed as superheroes; one in a skin-fit blue overall and the other in gold. Both of them wore matching protective shields on their hands, feet and torsos.
The knights went back to the 1800s with their maroon cloths wrapped around them just as the men of battle did in yesteryear. They completed their battle look attire with gold shields on their hands and feet as well as gold headgear and swords.
Even the inmates came out for J'Ouvert.
SKNVibes saw a group of five men and one female portraying inmates of the penitentiary. Although they were not dressed in the Federation's blue prison outfit, they did manage to attract attention to themselves.
They were all dressed in black and white striped shirt and trousers complete with hats and placards hung around their necks with their names, height, weight inmate number and release date.
This next character could have very well been the mascot of the Carib Brewery/Kollision Band troupe. His outfit just screamed Carib!
Using Carib beer cans, Carib bottle covers and Carib cardboard boxes, he made an entire knight’s costume and appeared to be ready for battle in the name of Carib.
With the Carib cans and bottle covers stuck onto a yellow cardboard box, he made a shield which covered his torso and back. He wore a grass-like skirt made of blue cardboard with the Carib label and he also sported shields made of the same material on his hands and feet.
He also wore a headgear made of Carib cardboard with Carib bottle covers stuck to it and feathers down the middle in the style of a Mohawk. The look was completed with a blue and yellow cape tied around his neck and a Carib dagger.
From superheroes to mascots to wacky hairstyles, each year on J'Ouvert the creativity is brought out and each year they get more and more creative and interesting. This makes one wonder: "What will they think of next?"
