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Top Stories Patrick Masters Costume Ideas: December 2012

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Célébrons In Mardi Gras Style


Mardi Gras, the season of parties, costume balls & parades is fast approaching. On February 12th, you can look forward to some good ol’ lively French-fest, replete with masquerade balls & some very wild parties. Before you start daydreaming about the oncoming Carnival season, here’s a question, the million-dollar question, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO WEAR?

From the kind of orders I am receiving, it seems to me that people really don’t have much idea about the kind of outfits that would look good on them. Here’s a thought, if you are pale skinned, don’t wear a cream turquoise gown that makes you look like you have just been rescued from drowning. On the other end of the spectrum, don’t wear something so glittery that it will cause traffic jams, probably because the motorists confused you for the traffic lights! Not trying to be mean but just making my point here.

Now Mardi Gras is the perfect time to go for some artful gowns and dresses. In case you guys don’t want to go for custom made costumes, here’s a compilation of some affordable costumes & costume accessories found online.

Men’s Mardi Gras Costume Ideas


Now Mardi Gras may be considered the time for women to shine in their dazzling gowns & dresses but that doesn’t mean my fellow brethren need not bother to dress up. After all a regal Queen needs a smart King to walk alongside her, which is also my first costume preference for men. You JUST CAN’T go wrong with a King costume.
Slip on a nice Crown & a richly colored robe and you are all set to party, simple yet efficient. Take a look at this costume for example:

MardiGras-Adult-Male-King-Costume
A nice brightly colored, checkered jacket with a stately purple crown. The look can be completed with a simple black shirt & trousers, easily found in any guy’s wardrobe.



A somewhat clichéd but nonetheless essential accessory to the King Costume, is a scepter. Now there is no denying the authenticity provided by adding a scepter to the costume ensemble. Take this for example:
MardiGras-Costume-Accessories-Scepter
Nice & less than 10$ in price. You can even learn how to twirl; a King twirling his scepter will be the center of attraction at any party or parade:P

Now if you are not a big fan of royalty, how about dressing up as the Court Jester? A prominent figure of the Royal Court, a Court Jester was tasked with entertaining the King by all means, song, dance, and poetry being the prominent ones. A perfect costume if you plan on making a fool of yourself, which I am sure most guys are planning to in any case.

MardiGras-Adult-Male-Jester-Costume
Funny & colorful

Women’s Mardi Gras Costume Ideas


Bead necklaces, funky jewelry, flowing gowns & petite dresses, the list is endless when it comes to women. From extremely stylish French ball gowns to renaissance themed gowns, you can look elegant and alluring at the same time. I would advice all women to go for costumes that are well suited to their dimensions, particularly height, waist size, face complexion & hairstyle. If you are short, don’t go for flowing gowns, which will make you look dumpy, similarly if you are on the curvy side, don’t go for corset gowns.

As already mentioned, a French masquerade ball gown is the safest choice for a Mardi Gras party. The dark shades & the flowing silhouette, properly accentuated with a voluminous hairstyle will make you look beautiful & mysterious at the same time. A good example of the look I am recommending:

MardiGras-Adult-Female-Masquerade-French-Ball-Gown

If a masquerade gown is too stuffy & overbearing for you & you prefer something more on the softer side, go for a renaissance themed dress. Elegant, light & girly, such outfits are best suited for the girl next-door type women. After all, you don’t have to be fierce & edgy to look good, a feminine, simple dress is breathtakingly refreshing.  Try to aim for this look:

MardiGras-Adult-Female-Renaissance-Queen-Costume
The green & gold color pallet will suit most women.

Mardi Gras Costume Accessories


Elaborate masks, crazy hats, necklaces & other such Costume Accessories can transform even the simplest costumes. From my personal experience, try to find accessories that match your costume identically. Bold colored masks go well with equally bold gowns while simple masks look best with simple attires. The normal dressing rule of one thing bold with the other being simple, does not apply to costume accessories.

For a Mardi Gras party or parade, the best choice of masks are those that are brightly colored & appropriately outrageous. Feather masks are the preferred choice of masks & with good reason. They are much more comfortable than ornate jeweled or ceramic masks but are just as aesthetically pleasing.

MardiGras-Costume-Accessories-Masks
Gold-Green combination with hues of purple & a stream of ribbons, nothing says ‘it’s party time’ like this mask.

Another must have costume accessory is a stylish hat. A flamboyant hat can breathe life into the dullest of costumes, although I am hoping that at this point, you won’t be going for any dull costumes. Take a look at this one:

MardiGras-Costume-Accessories-Hats
Purple with a single green feather, extremely sharp and smart.

Of course no Mardi Gras celebration would be complete without the scores of bead necklaces, in pretty much every color of the rainbow. These can be found at great prices online. I wouldn’t worry too much about the quality, these things have a habit of not turning up after the celebrations are over. So I would suggest, go for cheap ones.

MardiGras-Costume-Accessories-Beads-Necklaces
Glossy, bright colors are the best. 

This pretty much wraps up ideas for costumes & costume accessories for Mardi Gras. Remember, the perfect costume does make a difference. Wearing a shabby costume or a poorly constructed one that is falling apart will make you feel self-conscious & won’t let you have a good time. So put some effort into the outfit you want to go for & the accessories to complete the look. It will give you peace of mind & most of all you will feel good as well as look good. Good Luck!

Saturday 22 December 2012

Hello Everyone!


This is my first official post. I would just like to welcome you all to my blog. Here, hopefully you would be able to get some ideas about what makes the perfect costume for an event or party. What kind of accessories will make your pretty costume into an extraordinary one?

I will put up photographs of costume designs that I have made as well as those, made by other designers & costume companies. Because, lets face it, I can’t design costumes for all you people, as much as I would like to. I hope some day that my business grows so that I can ship orders to all parts of the country, till then I am satisfied giving advice & hopefully making a lot of future clients.In a bid to help you purchase the costumes you like, I will try to put in links to the website where I originally found them. Feel free to go to these websites or just make the costume at home, I couldn’t be happier.

So now that I have formally introduced myself, look forward to my future posts. I will be posting articles on 2 major events, Mardi Gras (Feb 12) & Valentine’s Day (Feb 14).