When I walked into the Don’t Pay Me No Mind (DPMNM) flagship store located in St. Croix’s Watapana Mall one sunny Saturday afternoon in early June, I could immediately feel the good vibes.

The space—bright, airy, modern—boasts a minimalist layout and merchandise that’s equally appealing to the men and women who make up the brand’s loyal customer base. As I took in my surroundings, I quickly noticed there was something on the racks for just about everyone: the sporty and chic, the edgy, the beachy, the bikers, for Bob fans, for babes, and for babies, too. It was easy to understand the love affair the USVI—and increasingly the world—has with DPMNM.

My 1 p.m. interview with founder and CEO Felix London brought me to the store for the first time. I had quietly admired the brand for years—sometimes liking and commenting on online posts, but often privately cackling at its stream of hilariously relatable reels on Instagram.

I arrived a few minutes early and was greeted warmly by Mr. London, who was finishing up a business call and prepping online orders to be shipped out in the afternoon mail.

I sat in a black leather chair near the large window responsible for the natural lighting permeating the store’s interior and that bears the distinctive DPMNM logo in jumbo, hot pink letters. I prepped my recording equipment—this was a conversation I was looking forward to.

What followed was a candid, hour-long discussion that centered on USVI men’s style. Mr. London dropped all kinds of gems, gags and great advice that V.I. men—the ones who live on-island—(and the women who love them)—will appreciate.

Ladies, please escort your kings to the front of the room. Class is in session.

Exploring Personal Style

On the topic of personal style, Mr. London describes his as “fun, happy, artsy, creative, and edgy.”

“I like to express that through my clothing every time I get dressed,” he says, adding, “I just try to show my uniqueness. When I wear something, I don’t try to follow along the lines of what you are supposed to wear or how you’re supposed to wear it.”

“Your personal style describes you as a human being and I know a lot of people who are not into fashion [may] take offense to that because they may feel like just because they don’t want to get dressed up doesn’t mean [they’re] lazy,” he says. “But I feel like what you wear describes how you feel, your mood, what you’ve been through, and what you’re going through.”

Local ‘G-Man’ Style

I couldn’t wait to ask Mr. London about how he would define the general style of men living in the USVI. The idea was to sum up the overall look that’s out there. Mr. London, exhibiting equal parts seriousness and playfulness, defines local men’s style as ‘G-Man’ style.

The term puzzled me.

“That’s the gas station t-shirt,” he explains. “They sell them in every gas station; there’s a brand called G-Man. It’s just a solid tee in various colors. You wear it one time and you throw it away afterward because if you wash it, it’s done. Day-to-day, that’s our general style—the G-Man tee.”

The fashionable 38-year-old makes clear that the description was not a diss to his fellow V.I. brothers, but his honest take on the style of dressing many local men have adopted, often for practical reasons.

G-Man branded t-shirts sold at G-Max Service Station in Golden Rock. Mr. London references the shirts to describe the general style of men living in the USVI.

“I’m highlighting this, not as a knock to it, but because the place is so hot, the place is so dusty, the place is so dirty, you buy [the t-shirt] from the gas station—it’s fresh, it’s clean and it’s cheap,” he says. “And you know it’s not going to last tomorrow, but you don’t care because of the conditions you are wearing it in.”

“So, it just makes sense to not do too much, fashion-wise and in your day-to-day [dressing], because it’s a waste,” he says.

What About the Raggaman?

If you’re from St. Croix, you’ve likely heard the term raggaman at some point in your life. I’ve always understood it to describe a local guy who doesn’t prioritize dressing. Someone who throws on anything and goes with no interest in proper grooming. You know, a raggaman.

Mr. London, however, has an entirely different take on the term.

“A raggaman is a man of the earth, a man that’s true to his roots and his vibes,” he says. “A man whose meditation is different from the average, day-to-day working individual. When I hear ragga, I think of reggae …everything ire.”

He continues, “Let’s say you’re into farming. I feel like you should be a raggaman. Your hand is in the dirt all day, every day. When I think of ragga, I’m thinking ital pot—‘I eat what I grow’. It just depends on what you’re into. If you work for the Legislature, you shouldn’t be a raggaman.”

In fact, Mr. London says “raggaman is a certain aesthetic that certain people should not touch.” He praises the late farmer and activist Seigo and the late Vaughn Benjamin of Midite Band as people who embodied this appeal.

“I think that part of being a Caribbean person that aesthetic is necessary and needed,” he says. “I can understand how it can have a negative stigma, because just from appearance you might look at it and see something negative, like a black man in a hoodie, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a negative.”

A Culture That Only Dresses To Impress?

With Mr. London’s definition of what a raggaman is (and isn’t) so vastly different from mine, maybe I’m just trying to get to the bottom of why so many local men—not those whose lifestyle is grounded in deeper cultural and spiritual meaning, as Mr. London describes—only seem to geh sharp up for major social events like Carnival, AgFair, the next jam, and the like.

“Because you’re seeing the same people over and over,” Mr. London explains. “I think that because we’re in such a small community, we have such a small population, when you go to Plaza, you see the same person in Plaza, the same person in the laundromat, you go to the bar later, you’re going to see the same person.”

“I feel like people just don’t have that energy to try and impress someone that is the same people they see over and over again,” he says.

“If you’re not into fashion, when people get dressed up to go to these events, I feel like the majority of people that day-to-day don’t care to dress [well], only get dressed up because everyone else is getting dressed up, so now [they’re] trying to impress,” he further explains.

“All you have to do is go on Facebook and you’ll see that everyone is just concerned about what everybody else [is doing],” he says. “That’s just the culture.”

We Outside, But Is Outside Ready for We?

My reason for wanting to talk to Mr. London about local men’s style had to do with things I’ve observed for a long time, like the physical condition of our island. For all the natural beauty St. Croix has to offer, us locals must admit that rugged roads, uneven sidewalks and muddy parking lots can be demoralizing; a fresh coat of paint is needed on many buildings; and too many crumbling structures litter the island from coast to coast.

“That’s a huge [factor],” Mr. London says, referring to the island’s undesirable surroundings as contributors to some men’s lack of motivation to care about their everyday clothing and footwear choices.

“I have a lot of clothes and [there are times I’ve worn] something, and someone may think [it’s something new], but it’s something I’ve had for three to four years,” he explains. “I don’t feel the need to wear it often because I like it … [and] I want to enjoy it [without it getting destroyed]. The landscape definitely determines what we wear.”

The same is true, Mr. London says, for local women when deciding what to wear.

“Even for a nice event, you might not be able to wear heels because the parking lot is full of rocks and dirt,” he says, adding, “why would you want to mess up your heels?”

It’s a good question.

A Word to The Wise (Woman)

And speaking of women, should we be held responsible for our man’s style of dressing?

Mr. London thinks so.

“Man does do stuff for the gyul ‘dem,” he says with a belly laugh. “We don’t have a big population, and I feel like it’s lacking motivation to do things for the gyul ‘dem. And on top of that, the gyul ‘dem accept it.”

“So, it’s really ayo fault,” he continues, laughing. “If ayo raise your standards, then maybe we will start to dress better. I know why men [dress well] in the states. Of the six senses, sight is the strongest. You gain attraction by how you look.”

He points out that because of the larger population on the mainland, and the greater likelihood of meeting new and different people regularly, there is greater motivation to dress well.

“In the states, in the metropolitan areas, you get dressed because you never know who you would run into,” he says. “You never know what business deals you could possibly make. I know watches is a big thing in that world. Someone would engage with you just based on the type of watch you have.”

Easy Style Tips for Local V.I. Men

At the end of the day, our conversation was both to explore some of the issues surrounding local men’s style, but also to offer solutions for the guys ready for change. Mr. London offers up three expert style tips, great for beginners and seasoned style watchers.

1. Mix high- and low-priced items, but focus on good shoes

“Your shoes should always be a focal point,” he says. “Stay away from cheap shoes. You could wear a plain twenty-dollar t-shirt, a fifteen-dollar pant, a ten-dollar hat. Don’t buy shoes from Temu. It’s a thing in fashion, just in general, what someone has on their feet. The shoes are definitely an identifier of you as a human begin.”

He says shoes doesn’t have to be expensive, though. Purchasing a “pair of solid shoes” like classic $65-$85 Air Force Ones is a great start.

2. No more matchy-matchy

“Everything doesn’t have to match each other from head to toe, unless you’re doing all solid colors, like all-black or you’re going to an all-white party,” he says. “Other than that, stop being so matchy-matchy. That was the early 2000s.”

3. Be comfortable

“A lot of people sacrifice comfort to try to look good,” he says. “I think anyone that’s trying to get dressed up, they sacrifice comfort. Not for day-to-day [dressing]. I’m talking about if they have an event, an outing, I think they do sacrifice comfort. Some men wear stuff they never wear in real life just to try and impress a woman.”

For example, Mr. London says some men “would go to Champs and buy a matching outfit, and then if the matching shoes are in a nine-and-a-half size that doesn’t fit him, he would buy it.”

“We gon’ buss these tonight because the outfit has to outfit,” he laughs.

Where to Find Stylish & Affordable Menswear

For stylish and affordable menswear, Mr. London recommends local men check out retailer Zara, which offers everything from basics to dressier pieces, in sizes XS to XL. When shopping Zara from home in the USVI, be sure you’re logged in to the Zara International website; the US and Puerto Rico sites do not offer shipping to the USVI.

If you’re a try-on type of guy, the nearest Zara locations are in Puerto Rico: Plaza Las Americas (San Juan), the Mall of San Juan (San Juan), and Plaza del Caribe (Ponce). Plus, you can shop Zara in any major U.S. city on your next trip to the mainland.

“They take fast fashion to another level,” Mr. London says. “There are a lot of [designer] pieces that cost way too much that you’re only going to wear one time. [Zara] makes the versions of it for like $30-$40. It’s great to have something to wear once and not have to spend a high dollar amount on it, and still be in tuned with [current fashion trends] and the quality is still up to par.”

The trailblazing designer offers one last piece of advice that is sure to get local men off the sidelines and into the game when it comes to their personal style.

“I would like to see men wearing less slides and socks and more sneakers and shoes,” he says. “Why are we at the bar at 1 a.m. with Crocs on? Let’s not do that. Why are we at dinner in slippers and socks? No, thank you. I think we need to wear more shoes. That’s a very simple thing that would upgrade your overall look.”

While he is a fan of slippers and slides for casual outings, Mr. London wants local men to wear less of them and more shoes and sneakers.

Class is in recess.

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