Costume Chronicles...

As I am a sack of bones, I never think twice when it comes to playing mas in close to nothing.  Actually, for me, the less material, the better.  If I’m going to bear it, might as well bear it all.  That’s my mentality.  But what about those women who are not as open to wearing nothing but their skin in front of thousands of people?

The Monokini Debacle:
At little to no additional cost, most bands offer the body conscious woman the option of wearing a one piece costume.  When done correctly, the one piece option is a great thing for women who don’t feel comfortable with their stomachs out.  But there is one thing that we must get straight when registering for a one piece option:  A MONOKINI DOES NOT COUNT AS A ONE PIECE. 

Monokini’s are those bathing suits that you see with a string or two connecting the two pieces of a bikini to each other.  They look amazing… but on the wrong body type, a monokini  can be a lot less forgiving.  If you are a full figured woman seeking coverage from a traditional two-piece, make certain to specify your desire for a true one piece, .  Before making a purchase, verify with your band or section leader that the one piece option is a true one piece not a monokini.

(while i hate the fact that the mas band did not add more embellishments on top portion of this costume, Nikki was completely worry free on the road because her one piece camouflaged her sensitive spots and gave her girls the support they needed)

Bras and TaTa’s:
It’s a well known fact that costume bras are not the best for coverage/support.  Afterall, they are costumes, not the latest Victorias Secret collection.  Unfortunately, many bands have even stopped offering bras over certain “normal” sizes.  However, there are options for you ladies that are more endowed up top than others:

If you find yourself in a situation where you have ordered a bra size that is too small for your chest.  You can always double up on bras.  I have a friend who realized her bra would never fully cover her breasts after picking her costume up 2 days before the actual carnival.  What did she do?  She found an identical gold triangle bikini top and put it under her one size too small bra.  The end result:  FABULOUS coverage for those parts that the costume just couldn’t mask. 

Wire Bras are all of the craze these days.  Especially for frontline costumes.  My little piece of advice:  Unless you have implants, the cut off cup size for natural boobs should be a D cup.  A small D cup at that!  Nothing looks worse in a wire bra than breasts that look like they are trying to escape through the spaces in a wire bra. 

Also, avoid nip slips by using pasties.  They are your friends!!!  Don’t rely on the band to provide nip covers.  Bring your own!  You can find a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes online.  My favorite online shop to aid in avoiding nip slips is www.yournipplecovers.com.