Category: mardi gras

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Making Mardi Gras: A Quasi DIY Part Two

If you missed Part One check it out here.

So that sequined jacket I bought for my husband might be passable for other holidays, but for Fat Tuesday it’s a downright plain piece of clothing. A good base for sure, but let’s be real- the gaudier the better for Mardi Gras is my rule.

 I initially wanted to hand sew feathers onto the lapel and front flap pockets, but after sanity set in I realized that a few factors were working against me.

1. If it rains, all of my handiwork is destroyed
2. Sewing feathers is about as fun as getting a root canal.

So I decided on a combination of fringe and marabou to add some over the top details. Remember it’s not about having to start from scratch, just make it look like you did. First up was this great fringe that I bought. Not only is it hot pink, but there are sequins in there as well! Talk about going overboard, right?

Last year I transformed a woman’s sequined blouse into a sleeveless shirt. I vowed not to run sequins through my sewing machine again this year, so my only option was to hand stitch. It’s a good skill to practice anyway. 

Marabou feathers stay put on a cord, just like a feather boa. It’s much easier to sew through the cotton cord then hand stitch individual shafts down. While the effect is different, for my purposes this was just fine. I just needed something fluffy and fun vs. elegant. And you can’t do a flamingo costume without feathers, right?


Next week: tiny top hats for plush animals

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costumes mardi gras

Making Mardi Gras: A Quasi DIY Part One

Mardi Gras isn’t some random Tuesday where everyone day drinks and goes to parades, although that is certainly part of it. It’s an entire Carnival season, steeped in revelry and traditions, some going back hundreds of years. 



I’m on the hunt for costume pieces year ’round. If I see something with potential I buy it, even if I don’t have anything specific in mind. This year I bought a flamingo hat during the summer, and while I was shopping for our Halloween costumes I found the sequined tux blazer for him. It’s all very serendipitous, which makes for the best costumes I think.

Flamingo hat, beaded jacket, oversize hoop earrings, men’s sequined tuxedo jacket

 Everything in the above image looks finished and ready to go right? Nope, not by a long shot. I never buy something off the rack and just wear it out- that’s a big no no in our house. While most sane folks wouldn’t even wear a sequined jacket on a dare, I see a plain tux just begging to be embellished.

Pants from Red White & Blue. Feathers, fringe, and flamingos from Jefferson Variety




Follow my adventures in craftiness this Carnival season with needle, thread, feathers, and more sequins than legally allowed each Thursday as I share the process of  transforming raw materials to Fat Tuesday worthy garments. Trust me, there is a method behind this madness.

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Mardi Gras Event- Costumes, Comedy, and Coffee

Need a costume? Of course you do, and don’t argue with me. Buffalo Exchange is hosting a Mardi Gras costume event on Friday, January 27th from 4:00-8:00pm that’s sure to give you plenty of inspiration for your own carnival ensemble. 
Burlesque performers Ariette Toulouse, Cherry Brown, and Cherry Bombshell will be on hand to serve king cake and coffee courtesy of Community Coffee while you browse the racks. At 7:00pm the ladies will be modeling the stores’ best costumes, with The New Movement providing hilarious commentary as part of their Raising Comedy Awareness extravaganza. Pretty girls, glitzy get-ups, caffeine, and comedians. What’s not to love? See y’all there!
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For Variety’s Sake

It’s carnival time y’all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Do you have any idea what this means? It’s my favorite time of year, and I can’t freaking wait. This year I’m going to be documenting the creation of my Mardi Gras costumes, since so many people always ask me for tips on how I make mine. Fashion designer I ‘aint, but I know enough to make ’em look good. In fact I wrote a DIY Mardi Gras costume article for this month’s issue of New Orleans Magazine, pick up a print copy or read it online here.

Photo courtesy of Charle’


I’ve been working on my Mardi Gras costumes since Halloween and I already have a jump start on next year. Yea, I might be slightly nuts but this is serious stuff.


 I took a trip out to Jefferson Variety last Saturday to purchase some important finishing touches for our costumes. Normally I try to thrift and re purpose everything, but sometimes a girl just needs to buy brand new sequins. Enter Jefferson Variety, an unassuming building in an industrial looking part of town. 



Walking into this place is like dying and going to Mardi Gras Indian heaven, or beauty pageant queen heaven, whichever you prefer. Everything was starting to get picked over when I went, but there were still mountains of sparkly trim, appliques, and fabrics luxurious enough for Carnival royalty. 
Appliques for days
No idea what I’m using these for, but sequined shrimp had to come home with me.
Rhinestones in every shape and size
Sparkles everywhere
So many bolts, the options were endless




So have you started working on your Mardi Gras costume yet? Any idea of what you’re going to be yet?


Jefferson Variety
239 Iris Ave.
Jefferson, LA
(504)834-5222
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Hidden Treasures of the Cabildo: Carnival Edition

This post was written by Elizabeth McNair, one of Slow Southern Style’s interns. You’ll get a chance to meet her in the upcoming weeks but for now check out her blog, Life of Lovely, and be on the look out for her bio soon.

Now that the holiday festivities are finished, you might be wondering what to do on your quiet evenings in January.  Why not view Hidden Treasure: Carnival Edition at the Louisiana State Museum?

The Carnival Collection at the Louisiana State Museum will allow a small number of visitors to see the museum’s large collection of costumes and other pieces related to Carnival.  While the public does not usually have the chance to view the entire collection, Wayne Phillips will take visitors through the museum’s storage rooms to get the full experience.  The location for these tours will be the Museum’s Collection Storage Facility at 1000 Chartres Street in the French Quarter.

This special opportunity is hosted by the Friends of the Cabildo.  For two days only, January 17th and 19th, tours will take place at 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm.  The cost for this exclusive tour is $15 per person or $10 for Friends of the Cabildo members.

If you’re interested, you will need to call Rebecca Duckert at 504-523-3939 to make the required reservations.  Call soon because spots are limited.  

Interested, but can’t make it to this tour?  Another event Hidden Treasure: Decorative Arts Edition is planned for March 20th and 22nd showcasing Newcomb Pottery and led by Curator of Decorative Arts, Katie Hall.  

Elizabeth McNair

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costumes mardi gras

Mardi Gras Day the Slow Southern Style Way

I live, sleep, and breathe for Mardi Gras. Nowhere in the world can you have so much fun with so many other people for no other reason than celebrating life and love for New Orleans. The traditions of carnival time run deep here, from king cakes, parades, Mardi Gras Indians, carnival balls, walking groups and the list goes on.  If you don’t understand Mardi Gras or just straight up don’t like it then we probably can’t be friends anymore and yes I’m being serious. Fat Tuesday is basically my Christmas and Halloween is my Thanksgiving.

I often plan my husband and I’s costumes months in advance and this year was no exception. He was Poseidon and I was a nondescript sea goddess thingamajig. I never really set out with a theme in mind, instead I let the theme choose itself from pieces that I find throughout the course of the year. When I see a good piece of fabric or a choice accessory in July I’m going to buy it. I have a serious  obsession and have costumes backlogged that haven’t seen the light of day yet.
His beaded and sequined shirt and cape were actually a woman’s matching blouse and skirt. In order for the top to look more king of the sea, less drag queen I took out the shoulder pads and lopped off the sleeves. Then I ripped the seam out of the taffeta skirt and voila! instant cape. He purchased the white pants and I hemmed them and added the gold netting on the bottom.
Yes that is my camera nestled atop my bosom. When you don’t have pockets you have to improvise sometimes. I decided my sequined dance costume was a little boring so I added the shells to tie in the sea theme. Yes, I really did just call a sequined body suit boring.
My cape was a thrifted scarf that I added that same gold netting to. Hubby bought sea shells and tied them in using fishing wire. I procured the crown probably about a year ago and have been waiting for a chance to wear it ever since.
Hubby was a hunchback? Nope, that’s just a backpack underneath the cape that we stuffed with the essentials. Toilet paper (the bars and porta-potties always run out), camera, phones, liquid courage, and I think a pb&j made it in there as well. 
Lugging around an actual trident would have been difficult, especially when you factor in biking downtown. This Trident Splash was much more portable. You always need two hands free for the Marigny since you never know when an impromptu dance party will break out in the middle of the street.
A silly moment- I serendipitously found this picture of a guy with a Burmese Python, who I’m assuming is a wrestler. Since the photo had a safety pin attached it was practically asking me to wear it so I did just that.
Phew! And that my friends was Mardi Gras 2011. 
To see all the photos taken that day, including street shots and images of friends go to my Flickr account.
So how was your Mardi Gras? 
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Where Mardi Gras Happens

Mardi Gras is almost here y’all! Today is Lundi Gras, and to help celebrate a few of the Southern Fashion Bloggers are doing our March blog posts on my favorite holiday of the year. No matter if you live in New Orleans or not you can  celebrate in your own way by wearing the traditional purple, green, and gold colors or just wear something extra fanciful tomorrow.

I wore this outfit to work this past Saturday. I wanted to dress up but not get stuck working all day long in a costume so this was a pretty good compromise. Even if you don’t want to don a fully themed outfit having a few festive pieces is important at this time of year. 
Feathered t-shirt- Forever 21
Iridescent skirt- Tara Jarmon via Buffalo Exchange
Peep toe flats- Feet First

Now I had every intention of showing y’all a slew of costumes but between putting the finishing touches on my Fat Tuesday costume, catching parades and working I’ve had no free time to speak of. Instead I’ll share some of the pictures I took at Endymion, one of the best parades and certainly one of my favorites this season. 

As usual check out the rest of the Southern Fashion Bloggers posts to see how they’re livin’ it up!
Stylish3- The Blonde http://www.stylish3.com/marylane/
Prototyle Mama- http://prototypemama.wordpress.com/
Style Cakes- http://stylecakes.wordpress.com/
NO(LA) More Chains- http://nolamorechains.blogspot.com
Seams That Way- seamsthatway.blogspot.com
Miss Malaprop- http://www.missmalaprop.com/
UNMADE- http://beautyunmade.com
Odelma Vintage- http://odelmavintage.blogspot.com
Wanna participate in our April round of guest posts? Keep up with the Southern Fashion Bloggers on our new Twitter account at @southfashblogs.
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Mannequin Monday- Mardi Gras in the French Quarter

Mardi Gras is a mere two  weeks away and the Big Easy is positively electric with excitement. I’m so behind on our costumes that I’m starting to get nervous but I always pull through with the finishing touches, even if that means burning the midnight oil on Lundi Gras.

While I was out strolling through the quarter a few weeks ago I happened upon this great couple and I was tempted to ask if the costumes were for sale. The detail that goes in to float costumes is incredible and it always amazes me to think about the amount of hours that go into sewing these creations.

Collectible Antiques
1232 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 566-0399
Open daily 12:00pm-6:00 pm 









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Mannequin Monday- Frou Frou at Fifi Mahony’s

If y’all know one thing about me and one thing only it is this: I love Mardi Gras. Just yesterday at the Southern Fashion Blogger’s first event (more on that soon) I was talking to Mallory of Miss Malaprop about how I don’t own very much “real” makeup but I’ve got enough glitter and metallic eyeshadow to last me several Carnival seasons. Of course the makeup plays second fiddle to the wigs, and I have no shortage of those either.

Fifi Mahony’s is the wig shop in New Orleans that everyone knows and loves. I’ve been shopping there for years and it is always a fun, glamorous experience. Their window displays always reel me in, like I really needed an excuse to go in anyway. Once inside the frivolity never ends as each corner you turn something even more glamorous, sequined, and feathered lunges out at you. From rhinestone cocktail rings the size of my head to false eyelashes longer than I am tall (which isn’t saying much) Fifi Mahony’s is one glitzy dream of a store and everything just begs to be brought home.

So ‘fess up ladies! I know I’m not the only one with a Fifi’s fetish. What do y’all have sitting in your closets that is ready to get dusted off for Mardi Gras?
Fifi Mahony’s
934 Royal St.
New Orleans, LA 70118
(504)525-4343

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Mardi Gras

I present to y’all Mardi Gras 2010! With all of our free time getting sucked into house buying and moving I was afraid that we wouldn’t really get a chance to pull our Mardi Gras costumes together. Due to time constraints and the  effort that went into our Halloween getups I needed to keep the sewing to a minimum. Fortunately we were able to pull together some pretty great looks.
In the courtyard at Pravda

Our front yard, hoping that banana plant comes back.


At Cafe Envie

His costume: Top hat and pants from Miss Claudia’s. Wig from Uptown Costume. Socks from American Apparel. Shirt and cummerbund from Funky Monkey. Tailcoat and scarf from Buffalo Exchange . 
My costume: Hat, gloves and necklace from Buffalo Exchange. Corset is custom made. Skirt handmade by me. Wig from Uptown Costume. Paillette sequin shorts from Miss Claudia’s. gold shimmer tights from Reservoir. Melissa + Campana Shoes from Nordstrom Rack.
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