I do have to say that when living on a tropical island for many years with a consistent temp of 80 - 85 degrees every day, one's body grows accustomed the the weather and can tolerate wearing long pants and long sleeved shirts day or night, but for people who are coming from cooler temperatures, this extreme weather for at least the 1st week could wreck havoc with a person's body temperature and comfort level if they were expected to wear this attire. I can understand that the island residents would appreciate that the tourists dress as they do but they also have to understand that when the weather drops, it may feel very cold to them but to a northerner, it's actually very comfortable. At this point, it's not a matter of dress code but a matter of the body being able to adjust to the heat in such a short time which is usually not going to happen.

Now, I don't ever remember walking into a store with a beach cover-up as I was taught at a young age that this is really not appropriate unless you are on a beach but I cannot see being expected to wear long pants during the day when the temperature outside is so hot. Maybe the residents can tolerate this as they would not sweat to the point of the material sticking to every inch of their body but I truly cannot see a tourist from a cooler temp area to be expected to follow suit.

Maybe a good medium would be to declare that "Bermuda shorts" would be considered in good taste. Now that, I would think could be tolerated by everyone

But all-in-all, I loved jmandi's comments and it certainly made me chuckle!

[www.vrbo.com]

Life is not a child's game of follow the Leader. Instead, life is more about finding one's own purpose in life....your life's plan, and then making a positive difference on earth.

I still disagree that anyone was laughing at you specifically as a person Georgia because of what you do or don't do on the island - this is NOT a mean-spirited group here - they're laughing more at the circumstances of the situation is the way I see it, but if thats your interpretation then I will personally take the bull by the horns and apologize to you on the behalf of all the original posters whom you felt were laughing. And since I, too, am guilty of wearing shorts to the grocery I will also admit they're laughing at me, too, although I take no personal exception to this - if they feel better for it - let them have a giggle or two. Laughter is good for the soul, so they say, and in my world there are far bigger things than this to be upset over.

The real point is, now we know how some islanders feel about certain things so we have the option to change or continue to do them - our call.

Respectfully,

pat

shorts are not ever a problem I don't think, except those of you who go to church and wear shorts are looked upon rather strangely.
walking into stores with beach cover up is not really appropriate but I have to say over the years the locals have seen it all and probably nothing surprises them any more.

[barcann.livejournal.com]

Georgia, I agree with Pat that you should lighten up and that no one was laughing at you. I do wear shorts in the stores, not short shorts but a decent length pair. I would never go in any store in beach attire though. I might have a bathing suit on but would have a pair of shorts and shirt over that.

Annie

OK, I guess I'm overreacting, and for that I apologize. Pat, you certainly don't owe me an apology!

I am glad to hear that others do wear shorts in the stores and feel comfortable continuing to do that. As far as the coverup is concerned, I guess I have always considered SXM to be a beach environment, and here in a beach town, coverups are perfectly appropriate in just about any setting, so I didn't hesitate to stop by the grocery store on the way home. I'll figure out a more respectful way to handle that in the future...a sundress is easy enough to carry along if I know we'll be stopping on the way home.

Sorry if I upset anyone with my feelings about this post. I agree that the group on this forum is kind-spirited, and I guess I'm sometimes just over-sensitive.

You know Georgia a dress from RIMA would be fine. You can wear that as a beach cover up and then to the Grand Marche.

SXM is really not a beach town. It's a country surrounded by water.

Cheers
irina

Irina, I like the idea of a sundress from Rima. In all the years I have been going to SXM I have never bought anything there.

Annie

good idea
Rima dresses are perfectly acceptable

[barcann.livejournal.com]

Well this turned out to be a successful topic for me - as I now know of another good place to shop>< Rima's it is!

Even though I was quite dismayed at first about the 1st post! The no shorts really threw me off, but figured so long as they are a decent length and with a t-shirt I would be ok.

I threw a pair of terry capri's just for the heck of it.

A few yrs ago we watched a couple walking into a restaurant(PP'S) in bare feet.We noticed they were seated and nothing was mentioned.Right or wrong???

Yes, I love the sundresses from Rima and usually pick up a new one each year. From now on, that's what I'll wear as a swimsuit coverup if I'm going to be stopping by the Grand Marche on the way home.

Bob, barefoot in a restaurant?? No way!!

Every year I buy a couple of dresses from the girls on Cupecoy beach. Those dresses are so much easier to wear to and from the beach. And when you only have them on going to and from the beach you can get more than one day out of them ( I was going to be truthful, but readers might go ewweeee!!!! I didn't even know about the shorts being offensive!!! Those dresses take up less room in my suitcase than shorts anyway.

Pauline

Okay, perhaps clarification is needed on the shorts.

I don't think in todays world anyone will get upset with visitors wearing reasonable shorts to the groceries - they're accepted in most restaurants so I'm sure at the grocery store it's fine - I think that was a throwback to perhaps 15-20 years ago and then it would have been offensive.

However, if you take a look at the local ladies out and about and in the stores, I don't recall, even today, seeing many/any of them ever wearing shorts in those public venues.

And on the other hand, assuming you're able and so inclined to wear your 'Daisy Dukes' to float around in the stores, yes, I'm inclined to think the island ladies will mostly be offended. Now, the gentlemen, on the other hand, will probably be delighted......

Bob, I believe that a gentleman going into any restaurant that would be 'off the beach' without shoes would be as tacky as the same gentleman going in shirtless and expecting to be served. That said, I'm sure somewhere there are those who would do this - certainly none of the readers here on this forum - and they would probably be served without obvious issue but I'm betting the comments would be flowing freely in the kitchen.

Respectfully,

pat

GaKaye & Pat, Sad but true and as both of you know PP'S is not a beach bar restaurant..... Remenber when men HAD to wear a jacket in restaurants. I remember wearing a jacket in the casino at LBBH yrs ago.How about all the luggage and garment bags tourists used to bring. I'm happy those DAYS are gone but SXM has certainly changed and been discovered.

BobP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GaKaye & Pat, Sad but true and as both of you
> know PP'S is not a beach bar restaurant.....
> Remenber when men HAD to wear a jacket in
> restaurants. I remember wearing a jacket in the
> casino at LBBH yrs ago.How about all the luggage
> and garment bags tourists used to bring. I'm happy
> those DAYS are gone but SXM has certainly changed
> and been discovered.


LBBH? Whats that?