Words by Tishanna Williams
There was a time, not too long ago, when Carnival Monday in Trinidad was more casual, where it was good enough to rock a tank or tube top with your band’s insignia and cute cutoffs. And it used to be that Carnival Tuesday was the day when the fashion-forward got set to really glam up and show off those tight bodies they slaved in the gym for months to perfect.
Well, not anymore. Over the last few years mas bands and private designers have brought Monday Wear to the forefront of Carnival fashion. Females wearing elaborate bikini costumes on a Carnival Monday (for instance swapping their Tuesday headpiece with an jewelled headband or adding sexy embellishments) is nothing new, but the advent of a “Monday Wear” culture has invited independent designers to jump into the game. That’s opened the floodgates, with competing designers vying to have their work stand out and be chosen by the revelers. Each line has little extras designers hope will put them a cut above the rest.
Now it seems that ladies are just as excited about what they’re wearing on Monday as they are about their actual band costumes. It looks like 2015 will be the year of Monday Wear at Carnival. Here are three designers making an impact with their Monday Wear collections.