Wonderful World Look Book

I made a visit to Wonderful World stores yesterday to check out the stock for their "Create Your Look Carnival 2K11" campaign. It is the first time in my recollection that Wonderful World has gone all out in promoting their range of accessories, makeup, nails and other Carnival related products. Complete with a Look Book that shows you makeup and accessory styling  for various sections in Harts, Island People, Spice, Bliss and TRIBE there are billboards all over Trinidad advertising Wonderful World and their Carnival collection.

The Look Book is really neat in that if you need makeup inspiration the looks created by Nina Alcantara  to match the various costumes are gorgeous, plus the Look Book (priced at $10.00TT) also has a rewards card inside which gets you a discount on purchases ; my rewards card scored me a $30.00TT discount, but please note the amount does vary . I only picked up metallic nails  ($35.00TT) and hair diamonds ($50.00TT) but I am definitely going back to Wonderful World for more stuff, it is like a magnet pulling you in every time I am at the mall!

So, if you were wondering what the whole Look Book thing was about now you know! 

Tips and Tricks For Costumes

Have you ever wondered how professional photos of your costume on the website, calender or look book make it look so spectacular, feathers plumped, sequins glistening, fabric panels staying perfectly in place, but when you get your costume it does not quite look exactly as how it was modeled? Well the reason why the costumes look so much better in professional photographs on the website or in the look book, is because there are tricks that costume designers use to make the costume appear super in photographs.

• Steam feathers to make them fuller, you can try this with say your headpiece or even your back pack but be very careful if you do not have a hand held steamer.

• You can also use extra volume hair aerosol on the plumes and then hit them with a blast of the blow dryer to plump the feathers up as well.

• A spritz of hairspray and some glitter (use the AB iridescent glitter to match the colour of your costume) adds an extra sparkle to your feathers as well.

• If your belt has fabric pieces falling from it stick a one cent piece to the back of the fabric to prevent it from blowing all over.

• To strengthen  pheasant feathers you can add “coceyea stick” (dried coconut leaf stems) to the back so they do not break easily, I am sure this will also work on peacock feathers as well which are very fragile.

How Much Is Too Much For Monday Wear?

One has to ask where the tradition of "Monday Wear" in respect to  Carnival came from, as in the past (before my time) people wore their costumes to play mas on both Monday and Tuesday. If I were to hazard a guess as to the birth of what we  now know as "Monday Wear" I would say the phrase and concept was borne out of the private sections from the band Poison and specifically the section by "Galvanize Entertainment". Today Monday Wear has become so much of a part of the landscape that many bands offer it to their masqueraders as an included amenity in their Carnival package, from Brian Mc Farlane who has used mud and paint on Monday to Island People issuing  fabric and instructions to get creative to their masqueraders last year.

To tell you the truth I have never been part of a band that offers Monday Wear in their package. Barbarossa we knew of no such thing, Harts masqueraders normally wear costume both days, in Poison I was just not in the right section to get the luxury of Monday Wear and TRIBE has taken a policy of not giving Monday Wear even though some of the private sections have started adding a Monday "extra" for Frontline masqueraders.

So, while some of you will be getting baby tees, tank tops and matching shorts pretty much everyone in TRIBE and Bliss will be either wearing part of their costume or getting creative with their Monday Wear. And no longer will a tank top matching your section colours and some hot shorts make the grade for Monday Wear, Monday has now turned into an opportunity to get customized, creative and even go elaborate with your gear.

For instance I have taken the stance that on Monday  I want to feel just as fabulous and special as I do on Tuesday when I wear my full costume, consequently that means customized Monday "costume", professional makeup and fully decorated Monday boots for me this year. Other Carnival Divas have sought the services of Clothing and Costume Designers to create their one of a kinda Monday pieces, in some cases it even applies to those getting Monday Wear from their band of choice; they just want to stand out with something totally unique. 

And while I fully support getting rid of the wife beater and boyshorts for Carnival Monday I do know that there are those masqueraders who just like to keep things simple and that is cool too. My question though is, when does Monday Wear turn into "too much" for Monday? Is there such a thing? I had that thought when I saw these gorgeously and elaborately decorated bras for Monday  created by Designing Daryl for customers in the band Bliss:

Don't those bras look like they can be worn on Tuesday with full complement of costume? And if this is your Monday Wear isn't the Tuesday bra just an anticlimax following this creation? Honestly, what are your thoughts? Do these bras rival the original costume or complement it?

Afro Chic and her Platinum Diva services got numerous requests for decorated bras for Monday and I know http://carnivaldivaz.blogspot.com/Carnival Divaz is doing a range of decorated (and undecorated) bras and monokinis for Monday Wear as well.

Is this trend going in the direction of bringing back costuming on Monday, so that spectators no longer have to look at bands of t shirt clad masqueraders, or are we running the risk of turning Monday Wear into another over the top, unnecessary expense.. .after all we can always wear our costume both days, right ?

Leave your thoughts and opinions via comment below!