Monday, August 8, 2011

Deciding factors of choosing a costume for Trinidad Carnival 2012

This carnival season, I am focused on finding a costume that I am truly in love with and nothing else. I am not worried about what any of my friends like or even which band that they decide on playing in because this year even though we all played in the same band, we hardly seen one another. I need to find a costume that I am 100% in love with and so far I have not found that costume. Maybe that’s the designer in me that will always see little things that can be tweaked. A few costumes that have launched, has the potential to be a fab costume but missed the mark and needs a couple adjustments. So far only 1 costume has made my heart skip a beat and it have not been released yet. The likelihood of me getting in that section for carnival 2k12? Hmmmmmm lol. We shall see as what happens. Right after carnival, YUMA asked what color costume would I like to wear for carnival 2012. I answered and it seems that YUMA answered. Almost every band that launched so far has used my color of choice but I DON’T LIKE any of them. So here are my deciding factors for choosing a costume.


Costume Design


Jewel Panty- This is a must in any costume that I choose. As a person with a small waist and large hips, a jewel panty worked perfectly for me. No belt spinning around like a hoola hoop. Everything stayed where it needed to be the entire day.

Wire Bra- This is another must for me. As a person that has B cup breast I prefer wire bras over regular bras. I have not found a regular that flatters me besides the u-plunge bra. And majority of the bands do not use that type of bra because the colors are limited. A regular bra gives me too much coverage or the padded ones are so padded that my nipples show. 2k12 will be my 5th year in a row playing in a wire bra.

Color- I want to play in a color that I have never played in before. I realized last year that I play in almost the same set of colors year in, year out. I want to try something new. So red, green, beige, and blue are out for me.

Band Competition

For the first time ever this will be a deciding factor for me depending on whether or not I do an Individual. This year in YUMA I did get my 5 minutes of fame before my section. I was extremely grateful for that. If I choose to purchase a large costume I would like my 5 minutes of fame. LOL. I realized the “FUN” bands do not cater to the individuals in the band. When I played an Individual in Legacy, my section leaders had dancers bring me out. I had someone offer me drinks, food, and snacks the entire length of the parade. And Legacy does pass EVERY judging point. I paid far less than what I paid for my individual costume in Tribe and received no special treatment. I don’t mind if I have to pay extra for a runner, but it would be nice.


Costume Manufacturers

Who makes my costume is a HUGE concern of mines. Quality means everything for me and I want a beautiful costume that will look exactly like the prototype and hold up all day. I have experienced both good and bad costumes. Costume malfunctions can ruin my entire carnival experience.


Hopefully I have a pleasurable experience for carnival 2012.

1 comment:

Frances said...

The featured costume would go great as couples costumes for 2012 if this could also have a male version to it.