After several years of keen observation I would like to offer some advice to the Carnival Virgins, and those not so virginal, on choosing the right section in TRIBE. One thing I do love about Island People is the story they tell about their theme, which basically reveals how the sections are placed in the band. So, you know in advance whether the costume you are head over heels in love with is section number1 or section number 15 bringing up the pee pee truck.
With TRIBE it is a wait and see situation, and you only know the section line up upon collection of costumes. Much to my detriment I thought I had chosen a section that would be at least in the top 5 but learned it was second to last!!! Some of you may not care where your section ends up but I do not like it in the back! So, some last minute changes, taking everyone by surprise I might add, I sold my original costume and lo and behold ended up in section #1. Let me just say that was by pure coincidence, I did not get any inside information ... I just picked the right section THAT time around.
With TRIBE it is a wait and see situation, and you only know the section line up upon collection of costumes. Much to my detriment I thought I had chosen a section that would be at least in the top 5 but learned it was second to last!!! Some of you may not care where your section ends up but I do not like it in the back! So, some last minute changes, taking everyone by surprise I might add, I sold my original costume and lo and behold ended up in section #1. Let me just say that was by pure coincidence, I did not get any inside information ... I just picked the right section THAT time around.
So here are my tips ; please note that this does not guarantee that your section will not be #15 but it just my advice based on patterns set over the years; they might very well change it up for 2008 now that they know we on to them !
1. Pay attention to the sections that are always placed closer to the rear of the band; from my observation the same designers have been bringing up the rear for the past three years. If you have the TRIBE booklet it lists each section and the designer of the costume. Learn those names!
2.The "Big 3" designers in TRIBE, Lana, Monique and Gail always have a section to the front of the band and one that ends up closer to the back. Case in point, Monique had three sections in 2007, Fancy Sailor #1, Dame Lorraine # 12 and Fireman #15. Gail's sections were Warrior Spirit #4 and Jamette #13. Lana's sections were Jab Molassie #5 and Dragon #6.
3. One of Monique's sections is always section #1. In 2005 it was Mojave, 2006 Nylon Pool and 2007 Fancy Sailor. So if you are playing in Lady of the Lake, Black Magic or Amalthea chances are your section will be first!
4. If your section is hugely popular and it is larger in numbers than other sections you will not be placed first. I have noticed that these sections are placed in the top 5 however.
5. Sections are not placed according to how quickly they sold out, Fireman was one of the first sections to go and sections that did not even sell out up until the close of registration were placed before Fireman.
6. If the President or some other notable celebrity, Dignitary or Official is playing in your section you will be in the top 5, if not section #1. In fact the section order might even be switched to accommodate these persons.
7. Peter Elias section will NEVER be in the back, somehow he is always in the top 10!
And here are some tips for picking the right costume:
8. Ladies who plan on wearing stockings should closely examine the embellishments on the costume of their choice. Rhinestones look pretty but they shred up the mas tights like a razor! Masqueraders in Sunken Treasure and Jab Molassie this year can attest to that fact, the former costume having rhinestones falling to the front which "ate" up the crotch area of the tights!
9. If you need extra support for the breasts avoid the sections that use the cheaper spandex bras. Some sections use real bras ( I already listed them in an earlier post) and I think the brand used was Wonderbra this year,. Lots of ladies were loving the enhanced look of the cleavage.
10. Goddess of the Chase is a hot costume with a pleather bra and underwear. From my examination the underwear is only lined at the crotch area, so if you plan on wearing these without stockings know what you are getting your nether regions into!
11. Costumes with lots of feathers are gorgeous but if it rains, as it did this year, the feathers not only go limp but the dye will go running down your face from the headpiece! Also, feathers close to your skin will get wet from sweat and stick to your body. Not cute!
12. Wider waist bands that sits low on the hips flatter ladies with more "meat on the bones" better than the ones cut like a V.
13. When you are measuring for your costume waist band measure where you would like it to sit on your hips and NOT your waist measurement!
14. Tall headpieces look fabulous but remember they will be prone to gusts of wind, leaving you holding it down while fighting with the wind. Shorter ladies even find it uncomfortable when trying to walk through the band or being in the midst a crowd of people.
15. Ladies choosing costumes with wings or backpacks remember other masqueraders will not be as considerate in protecting the fragility of your appendage and will freely bounce into you without care. I have seen broken spokes on back packs and wings sagging; if you are playing a Frontliner fight for your space to be a F.H.O., hog the front and make sure none of the Backline Bettys get in your way by standing your ground!
Feel free to add your comments, tips and advice!
1. Pay attention to the sections that are always placed closer to the rear of the band; from my observation the same designers have been bringing up the rear for the past three years. If you have the TRIBE booklet it lists each section and the designer of the costume. Learn those names!
2.The "Big 3" designers in TRIBE, Lana, Monique and Gail always have a section to the front of the band and one that ends up closer to the back. Case in point, Monique had three sections in 2007, Fancy Sailor #1, Dame Lorraine # 12 and Fireman #15. Gail's sections were Warrior Spirit #4 and Jamette #13. Lana's sections were Jab Molassie #5 and Dragon #6.
3. One of Monique's sections is always section #1. In 2005 it was Mojave, 2006 Nylon Pool and 2007 Fancy Sailor. So if you are playing in Lady of the Lake, Black Magic or Amalthea chances are your section will be first!
4. If your section is hugely popular and it is larger in numbers than other sections you will not be placed first. I have noticed that these sections are placed in the top 5 however.
5. Sections are not placed according to how quickly they sold out, Fireman was one of the first sections to go and sections that did not even sell out up until the close of registration were placed before Fireman.
6. If the President or some other notable celebrity, Dignitary or Official is playing in your section you will be in the top 5, if not section #1. In fact the section order might even be switched to accommodate these persons.
7. Peter Elias section will NEVER be in the back, somehow he is always in the top 10!
And here are some tips for picking the right costume:
8. Ladies who plan on wearing stockings should closely examine the embellishments on the costume of their choice. Rhinestones look pretty but they shred up the mas tights like a razor! Masqueraders in Sunken Treasure and Jab Molassie this year can attest to that fact, the former costume having rhinestones falling to the front which "ate" up the crotch area of the tights!
9. If you need extra support for the breasts avoid the sections that use the cheaper spandex bras. Some sections use real bras ( I already listed them in an earlier post) and I think the brand used was Wonderbra this year,. Lots of ladies were loving the enhanced look of the cleavage.
10. Goddess of the Chase is a hot costume with a pleather bra and underwear. From my examination the underwear is only lined at the crotch area, so if you plan on wearing these without stockings know what you are getting your nether regions into!
11. Costumes with lots of feathers are gorgeous but if it rains, as it did this year, the feathers not only go limp but the dye will go running down your face from the headpiece! Also, feathers close to your skin will get wet from sweat and stick to your body. Not cute!
12. Wider waist bands that sits low on the hips flatter ladies with more "meat on the bones" better than the ones cut like a V.
13. When you are measuring for your costume waist band measure where you would like it to sit on your hips and NOT your waist measurement!
14. Tall headpieces look fabulous but remember they will be prone to gusts of wind, leaving you holding it down while fighting with the wind. Shorter ladies even find it uncomfortable when trying to walk through the band or being in the midst a crowd of people.
15. Ladies choosing costumes with wings or backpacks remember other masqueraders will not be as considerate in protecting the fragility of your appendage and will freely bounce into you without care. I have seen broken spokes on back packs and wings sagging; if you are playing a Frontliner fight for your space to be a F.H.O., hog the front and make sure none of the Backline Bettys get in your way by standing your ground!
Feel free to add your comments, tips and advice!
31 comments:
Saucy,
In your opinion Where do you think Mystique would end up?
I am putting Mystique as the Dragon of 2008 since it is Lana's section.. so .. my guess will be in the top 7.
Forget your friends and get in YOUR section of choice...u are the one that has to look back at that memory and those photos wishing that you were in some other section...To make it short f*** ur friends!
What would you say to those who are playing in isis option A? I'm worried about the fit because of the way the costume is cut at the sides.
well I asked the designer about that strap and she said one basic costume was made for the launch and it fit all the models the same. One was tall and lanky the other was shorter. She said it is made from a spandex fabric so it will stretch and the only foreseeable issues might be with the very short girls who might then need the strap adjusted.
LOL @ nikkichunks, hear, hear!
great post, saucy. wonderful tips! i will add later (gotta go to a mtg now), but will be mindful not to add too much and get cuss! I ent got the dolli's thick skin! LOL!!
I played in a frontline this year and I had to fight to be able to be in the frontline, the back-line bettys were always puching to be in the front,my point is you did not spend and frontline dollars, stay in the back.
thanks saucy! now is only to see if ah get into the band! i crossing my fingers. it's either black magic or mystique!
Saucy your comments on feathers and the rain is not neccesarily true. I played the Frontline Jambolassie and I was soaked when crossing the stage Downtown but my feathers did not run. As a matter a fact when the sun came out and the feathers dried they fluffed right back in place. I spoke with Douglas and he said that he did use expensive feathers so they react well to the rain water. I can't say the same for Warrior Spirit the colors did bleed into each other and the headpiece looked like a wet fowl.
Does it really matter where your section is placed? When I play here, I always like to be in the back because I feel like it leaves more time for me to have fun. Our band was earlier one year and it just killed my vibes too early.
Only thing I can think of is in relations to drinks truck, cooling truck, or bathrooms.
And Sauce, where is Tribe usually in terms of all the bands or is it different every year?
LMAO in the trash can stupid!
To all the feathered F.H.O.s
If you spray your feathers with Scotch Guard, or those sprays that they sell for making leather and suede shoes water-resistant, they should stand up better to rain.
Follow the directions carefully and don't over-saturate the feathers, several light coats are better than one heavy one.
Also, the stiffer, tighter feathers (I think they're called coque feathers, someone please correct me if I'm wrong) seem to be more water resistant than the plume-like, ostrich type.
To me it matters where the section is...because the further up front I am...the more sections I get to jump with, because we to the front! lolol
anonymous 3:08 I have to disagree with you did you not see how warrior spirit headpiece started to run after rain fell this year. certain sections were unaffected like mines (dame lorraine) cuz the feathers fluffed back up when the sun came out but others weren't so lucky
i just wanna know if goddess of the chase bra and underwear on the inside is pleather? and if u guys think it's a good option for a short, 21yr old, cocoa cola shape girl
SocaDiva my husband played in the large headpiece of Warrior Spirit and he was also on the stage in the judging area Downtown when the rain came down (Jumbie was playing so he played in the rain)and the red bleed into the white part of the feathers and when the feathers dried they no longer fluff back to the original look. If I could take a photo I will post it.
Hey Saucy
Sun Goddess will be in what position ?
Saucy, what about wide hips, big legs and small waisted. Do you think silver mist will be flattering? I don't want more panty than belt showing. Hope that made sense, what do you think. As a matter of fact, from seeing the photos of yourself you posted (mainly the Harts costume) I'm exactly your body type and shape. So I'm concerned with these narrow belts and how it will look with my shape. My belts are normally at least 2 or more inches in width. Silver mist looks like one inch. Help me please. Thought either LOTL or Black Magic might be more fitting for me. I need help please before registration.
I’m definitely no expert but just to add my two cents (well more like 45 cents)…
short waisted people should obviously avoid, if possible, costumes with a lot of embellishments in the waistline or hanging below the bra top as it will make your waist all but disappear. Wear costumes that rest at your hips to lengthen the midriff....
likewise, women with long torsos would look better in those exact types of costumes as it helps to shorten the torso and give the illusion of longer legs (as do the tankini option if you aren't pressed to wear a bikini bottom and show off your fabulous abs)...
short women who choose to wear boots should stick to calf and below calf length boots or do boots with a slight heel so the legs look longer and not shorten the frame...
if your shoulders and/or bust are wider than hips… it may be a good idea to select a design with more embellishments at the bottom to draw the eyes down away from the shoulders and balance the figure…
women with wider hips (like me) may look better with costume bottoms that do not have its widest part resting on the hip as it will make you look even wider... an adjustment shifting slightly higher may solve the problem (except if you are short waisted also. doh!)...(oh and fanny packs for glasses, cell phones make us wider hipped women look wider too. opt for the back pack or sling pack)
also for us wide hippers opting for boy shorts, try them on in advance to make sure they don’t make your legs look wide and boxy…not a good look…
oh and for those with boyish figures, boy shorts also have the tendency to squeeze your flesh and make your legs look shorter…again, you don’t have to avoid them, just try them on in advance before carnival Monday when all the stores closed…
on the flip side, rail thin women who want to create the illusion of curves may be better suited with those same types of costumes that emphasize the hips, like Isis…
for those with stretch marks, if you can afford it, and if you care to cover up (i know many who don't give a rat's ass), splurge on a small jar of Dermablend body cover up cream and finish off with the instant sealer/setting powder to set in the color....there are make up artists, band camps and companies in TNT that specialize in body wraps too which is essentially the same treatment for belly stretchmarks and require you to have your belly wrapped in a lycra wrap 24 hours before to ensure the make up doesn't rub off in the hot sun, sweat and jump up...
knee and above length boots look great on taller women. Tennis shoes not so much, but this can’t be avoided as sneakers are the most comfortable and you can only sacrifice so much for fashion! LOL!
i found that for a person who was trying to conceal my thunder thighs, it was not a good thing to paint designs on them...it only called attention to them! duh! same thing for putting belly rings, fake tattoos around your bellybutton if you are subconscious about your stretchmarks on your belly. People will stare at the design and the flabby flesh underneath. I did this too! duh!
adjust all pieces that are metallic by adding some sort of buffer unless you like being baked...my poor husband got bad metal burn one year from a costume...
and finally, someone buff me before b/c s/he thought I said dark skinned people shouldn’t wear black costumes which I never did…to clarify, I’d think for skin tone, if you are caramel colored in a brown costume, fair skinned with pink undertones in a pink costume or high yellow in a tan or yellow costume, it may be better if that costume had embellishments, accents (silver, gold or rhinestones) that complemented and brightened your skin and enhanced your look in the costume than wash you out.
Saucy another question I wear a size 38D.
I played Dragon and I noticed that I got a spandex bra as compared to the other girls who had a " real" bra.
Does that mean for certain sizes you don't get a bra but just a spandex?????
Marcia I have NO clue what position any section will be in, I am just making a guess! The designer of that section did Pierrot Grenade this year I think that section was in the middle of the band.
The bra issue was one of my complaints with TRIBE. Under D cups it seemed got the wonderbra and anything larger than a D got what I call the granny bra! Now, I know that there are some very sexy bras that come in D, DD and even E and F that can be found at Victoria's Secret and Fredericks of Hollywood however they are not cheap and I guess it is cheaper to use the spandex bras.
SAUCY, I STILL NEED HELP ON MY QUESTION, OR ANYONE ELSE WHO VIEWED THE GOODESS OF CHASE COSTUME IN PERSON. IS THE OUTSIDE ON THE BRA AND UNDERWEAR LINED WITH PLEATHER? IS THERE COTTON ON THE INSIDE OF THE BRA AND UNDERWEAR? OR IS BOTH THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE BRA AND PANTY PLEATHER?
Goddess of the Chase BRA and UNDERWEAR are made from a red pleather fabric. The bra is lined and padded. The underwear is lined with cotton only in the crotch area.
AM NERVOUS BOUT GOING WITH THIS SECTION NOW.so THE UNDERWEAR WILL MAKE THE PRIVATE AREA REAL SWEAT, SINCE ITS PLEATHER? SO WOULD U SAY TO DEFINITELY WEAR STOCKINGS WITH THIS COSTUME? DO U THINK IT WILL SELL OUT B4 WATER NYMPH
Does anyone know who the designer of Goddess of the Chase is? And the "possible" location of GOC? :)
The designer, Sonia Marcano, is new to TRIBE, 2008 will be her first year so I cannot even guess where her section will be if we are basing it on the history of placement.
JJ, Thanks! you answered my questions with clarity and looks like I'll be going with Silver Mist.
Also, Can anyone tell me who is the designer for Silver Mist?
Leasel Rovedas, Silver Mist.
Thanks for this great blog…first time blogger myself but love reading your stuff…
I don’t have access to de book, could you tell me who the designers are for the sections not mentioned….
no prob, anon!
Post a Comment