Which Bra? - Poll Results

OK ladies and Gents,

The Poll Results are in as to which bra you all thought would be the best bra for Plus and Proud ladies on the road.

Here are the results.

There were 53 Votes in total.



Micro Sateen_________________________________________27

Microfiber___________________________________________19

Satin Goddess_________________________________________5

Get a breast Reduction for Sexier Choices!____________2

Classic_______________________________________________0


Thank you for Voting. Stay tuned for more information!

Until Next time!
Plus and Proud
VM

A Designer Speaks - Bra Advice

Hello Ladies.

As we whip ourselves into frenzies trying to find the perfect costume, we often forget the real life challenges and snafus that the people who design and make our costumes can face in the production process.

As a result of all this bra talk, I got a very unexpected comment from Ms. Sexy who is a carnival costume designer/producer.

Ms. Sexy spoke about bras having some type of padding or lining in the cups, because classic type bras are very hard to decorate since they have no shape. She went on to say how she had to decorate a bra for larger breasted masquerader while the masquerade wore the bra, to give the bra some shape.

It is things like this that I would have never given a second thought. Therefore, I asked Ms. Sexy if she could offer any more tips to us "Well Blessed In The Chest" ladies who may choose to send our own bras.

This is the advice she offered.

Molded or padded bras is a must.

Solid color

Smooth fabric (no lace, mesh, or bows)

Switching the straps to create a racer back helps some bras (not all), to give a little extra cleavage.

Always make sure that the bra fits and is not too small because sometimes the cup size will shrink after being decorated.

These are good tips to keep in mind, and good pointers to discuss with the mas camp when inquiring about sending your own bra.

Thank you Ms. Sexy!

Until next time. Stay Sexy!!

VM
Plus and Proud

Which Bra Do You Like?

As the days count down and things to begin to heat up for carnival, it is time to prepare. For some people, it is setting hair and make up appointments. For others, it is placing orders for boots, bags, and bling cups. But me me... FIRST THINGS FIRST. Without a good bra, my carnival is going nowhere FAST!

I can looked good in some fab boots by Afro Chic, with the best hair and make up in the world.. but if the twins are not comfy... consider my carnival is RUINED!

With that said, in the post below, I have reported on which bands are large bra friendly and those which offer alternative costume options for the plus sized or "well endowed in the breasts" masquerader.

Having finalized my choice of band and section, it is now time for me to send my bra for decoration.

I recently macco'ed a conversation on Saucy's blog, in which a very well loved and respected carnival designer and Saucy spoke on "granny bras". Saucy complained about the "granny bras" that have been issued to her in the past by TRIBE, which lead her to see her own bra options for carnival 2009. The conversation, while very entertaining and comical got my mind to reeling as to if these hammocks I buy to support my boobs are indeed granny bras.

I than began my search for a bra that would be sexy for the road. While I wish to avoid the "granny" elements, I also have to be realistic. A nice sexy plunge is nice, but comfort and support without the use of an underwire, and minimal chances of a wardrobe malfunction are of utmost importance to me.

* A note on underwire bras. I know that women's preferences in bras can be as diverse as the cars they drive. I personally cannot take on underwire bras. The weight of my breasts press down on the underwire, causing it to dig into my ribcage, which, in the past, has left pain bruising on my midsection.

I have done a search of wire free bras available in my size, and let a few of my girlfriends narrow down the choices for me.

This is where I will let you all, the masqueraders, step in and tell me which bra is your choice of PLUS and SEXY for the road.





#1 - Micro Sateen


#2 - Microfiber


#3 - Satin Goddess


#4 - Classic

Bra Bands

I would first like to say thanks to my partner, Afro Chick, who posted Spice Carnival's gracious response to the bra issue. Also many thanks to Spice carnival for responding, and letting yur voice be heard.

So next on the bra agenda. As promised. I have contacted most of the major bands to see exactly where they stood on the bra issue. Here are the results. As I get more responses from the outstanding bands, I will let you all know the results. Some of these bands such as Tribe and Island People are sold out, but I still put their responses on where they stand in providing bras for the plus and proud.

Some bands may not be listed because they did not have email addresses or functioning websites.


D'Krewe - Offers Larger Bra sizes. Tankinis and one piece suits available, Can submit bra for decorations.
Evolution - Caters to larger size bras. Tankinis available. Depending on section, own bra may be sent for decoration. Please contact the mas camp.

Harts - Whole piece, Whole piece cut out, and Tankinis available. Caters to larger size bras. If bra size cannot be accommodated, personal bra can be sent in timely manner for decoration. Harts also offers several options of 5 bottom piece options. You can view all the options on line. Click on any section and then on female registration to view the options.

Island People - Offer larger size Bra. Tankinis and Personal Bra decoration available in certain sections. Contact mas camp for details on which sections offer these services.

Pulse 8 - Offers larger size bras. Tankinis and one piece suits available. Can send own bra for decoration. Bra must be in mas camp by Nov 20th.

Rugieri Promotions - Offers Larger size bras. Tankinis and one piece suits available. Can submit bra for decoration. Has a female representative in the band who can better assist female masqueraders with these issues. nicola@tstt.net.tt

Ronnie and Caro - Tankinis, whole suits, and whole suit cut outs available. Corsets are available. If the band is unable to source one, then the masquerader can feel free to send their own for decoration. Personal bras can also be sent for decoration by the band. HERE IS A NEW ONE: For the Men!! Long pants options are also available as an option.

Spice Carnival - see posting below.

Tribe - Offers larger size bras. Tankinis available, Personal bras can be sent for decoration.

Stay tuned for more bands and where they stand on the bra issue.

Until Next time!

VM

Out of the Country

Hi guys just letting you all know that your Plus and Proud blogger Voluptuous Masquerader is out of the country and retunrs on the 15th September :)

In the meantime, here is the response from Spice, and VM thanks you all for writing back and will contact with thoughts, feed back .,etc etc when she comes back...

Dear VM,



Thank you for your inquiry. I am responding to you on behalf of Spice.



Firstly there is no controversy as we have never denied anyone a large or small bra size.



The reality is that we recently had ONE masquerader request a size in a particular FRONTLINE of a very in-demand section called Paprika. This masquerader was advised that the very large sizes were sold out in this FRONTLINE and when offered the size in the regular section of Paprika or in another section of the band they refused. This individual seemed bent on making an issue of this and sadly seemed prepared to use any means to do so including distorting the truth, to the extent that they CREATED a story that they went to the mas camp with their friends and everyone else was allowed to sign up and she was refused. I can tell you with absolute certainty that this never happened and what actually happened was that this individual actually called in by phone. It is this ill intent on that individual’s part that has fuelled some debate.



Now, producing a band is a very complex undertaking especially in the first year. The average person perceives that costume production begins in January when in fact it begins as far back as September and October of the preceding year. Herein lies the challenge, particularly for new bands, as most of the major suppliers give PREFERENCE to their established clients, which in most cases include Tribe, Island People, Trini Revellers etc.



What this means is that many of these suppliers simply do not have the capacity to take on work and additional production in the October to December period. As a result, production schedules are brought forward even earlier to August - September. As a new band this was the dilemma SPICE faced as the bra, shorts and other suppliers gave 31st July deadlines for orders. I can tell you for a fact that the supplier of the shorts turned down the band’s business initially due to commitments to IP and Tribe and only reconsidered after we agreed to a very early production date of September and leveraged our relationship with them through other members of the band who give that supplier business through their other companies.



The downside of this entire arrangement was that SPICE had to ESTIMATE the sizes to order. In so doing we ordered more of the standard sizes and fewer of the extra small and extra large sizes in keeping with the buying trends of masqueraders as we know them to be.



I would like to add that SPICE has several well seasoned and highly experienced individuals when it comes to mas. Many of these persons have done successful sections for years in various bands including Poison and Tribe. In fact the collective experience in mas exceeds 50 years. It was this experience that was drawn upon when calculating the ratio of various sizes to order in each section FRONTLINE and REGULAR.



With regard to the FRONTLINES, most have a maximum of 15-20 costumes which is inline with the industry standard. We allocated in every frontline approximately 3 extra large sizes and 3 extra small sizes. Now note the following:



In the case of frontlines with a maximum of 15 costumes the allocation of 3 extra large sizes represent 20% of the total stock allocation
In the case of frontlines with a maximum of 20 costumes the allocation of 3 extra large sizes represent 15% of the total stock allocation
In the case of frontlines with a maximum of 15 costumes the allocation of 3 extra small sizes represent 20% of the total stock allocation
In the case of frontlines with a maximum of 20 costumes the allocation of 3 extra small sizes represent 15% of the total stock allocation
Collectively that means that 30-40% of our frontline stock was allocated to SPECIAL small and big sizes


The reality is that this is not an unreasonable allocation and when translated into actual numbers it represents 3 extra large costumes allocated for each of the 8 frontline sections as Mediterranean Borage and Garden of Sage do not have frontlines. This therefore represents a total of 24 extra large size costumes available across the entire band. So what you have collectively for your frontlines across the entire band is a ratio of:

24 extra large costumes
24 extra small costumes
Approximately 72 costumes to now split between small, medium and large – which if evenly split gives 24 each.
A collective total of 120 frontline costumes.


Finally, our core committee does include some full figured persons and out of the 24 extra large costumes available overall, at least 12 were taken IMMEDIATELY by these persons when registration opened on the 25th July and the rest were taken up by registrations at the mas camp within the first few days. So sadly we did not have these sizes to offer online by the time the “online store” opened a week or two ago, but we did honor any costumes booked in large sizes via the online application process which preceded the online store.



It is worth noting that nearly all of the band’s frontline sections are now fully sold out and I expect that this will be posted in the next few days.



I sincerely hope that this email will answer your questions and I would be interested in hearing your thoughts, feedback and suggestions on this matter.



I have also chosen to copy Saucy of “trinicarnivaldiary” whose blog carried an article related to this matter.



Hopefully this email will help to clarify things for everyone.



Should you have any further questions or comments please feel free to email them to admin@spicecarnival.com



Best Regards,



M



Team Spice

Spice Carnival Band Limited

Has the Spice Gone BLAND?

Since I started this blog, which I did mostly to write about my own adventures and challenges of being a beautiful plus size women on the carnival scene, I realized that this was not just about me. There are many other women out there who are just like me. They have let their voices and concerns be heard to me via email and other forums. As a result, many women, Plus and Proud and a few well endowed Slim and Sexy, who just happen to have big boobs, have contacted me, because in the past weeks as bands have one by one made their launches, the bra issue has come up repeatedly.

I also addressed the bra issue in the, “Ask the Band Leader “ section of Saucy's blog. (see here). http://www.trinidadcarnivaldiary.com/2008/08/question-and-answer-with-band-leader_27.html

As a result of this, I promised my Boobiful Sisters, that I would go on the hunt and find out which bands were willing to accommodate the "Blessed in Da Chest" women, hence on a emailing and calling frenzy I went.

I got immediate responses from every single band I have contacted, EXCEPT SPICE. (Even the completely sold out Tribe contacted me back to let me know that they DO indeed accommodate larger bra sizes and offer the option of a masquerader having her own bra decorated).

When Spice - the premier all female band - made their debut for this carnival season with absolutely beautiful costumes, I was completely "WOWED". I heard their launch was nice, that those ladies can lime with the best of them, and most importantly, their customer service was totally ON POINT. All of these accolades made me very happy to hear, because I am thinking. " WOW, these women are doing the DAM THING. GO SPICE!!!!!!"

As a result, I did not panic when I got no response to my bra related emails. These are women right? Our fellow sisters in the cause to show how women can WERK it, flaunt it, move ahead of the game, and squash stereotypes. They could not possibly ignoring me on purpose. I chalked it up to them being busy. For those of you who do read my blog, (whenever I decide to post, LOL), pretty much know my feelings on sisterhood, unity, and how we as women view each other and ourselves. ( If not, read below).

I began to lightly tease a member of Spice's committee all in good fun about how her band was "igging" me. As a result, this same young lady, who took my teasing in stride, but was still very concerned that my inquiries had not been answered, went on to give me the private email of the band leader, as I had been using the general email provided on the website. I forwarded an original copy of my email to the bad leader and to date... NO RESPONSE.

Yesterday evening, I decided to go online for some kicks with fellow carnival lovers, and was made aware of situation where Spice has FLAT OUT DENIED a young women to play in their band due to her large bra size, even though all of her friends are registered in the band. I heard, (but I was not there), that they even denied her the opportunity to provide her own bra for decoration.

I have already heard from two Spice Masqueraders who are VERY DISAPPOINTED, and are having second thoughts about supporting a band that supports this kind of discrimination by women against women. Before these young ladies consider “jumping ship”…Being the optimist that I am, I am still praying that this is one big misunderstanding, and that Spice will come public with some reasonable explanation. I will forward a copy of this to Spice committee, and give them a chance to have their say if they wish. I feel that every story has two sides. I refuse to let my hopes be totally dashed, that women who touted the power of women in making their own band would be flat out discriminatory towards women.

As I have said many times before, band leaders absolutely have the right to have who they want in their band, and that we, the Plus, Proud, and Well Endowed, DO have the right to take our money elsewhere.

I guess as a woman, this Spicy thing.."burned" a little bit more, because we expected a little more, a little better from the the women to rise above what has been the norm. Many women have expressed feeling that they TRULY believed that Spice was BY women, FOR women, ABOUT women. So was the "Woman" angle simply another marketing ploy, only for them to turn around and repeat the same ole behaviours we have seen in the past? Lets see if Spice really has the "kick", and the "fire" they tout, or are they just another " BLAND BAND".

If the young lady who was denied into Spice due to bra size happens to read this blog.. STAND TALL BABES. REAL WOMEN DO NOT DO DISCRIMINATION.

Awaiting Spice's Response

DISCRIMINATION IS NOT SEXY

Until next time....

VM

voluptuous.masquerader@gmail.com

What Exactly IS Sexy?

As we enter the heightened frenzy of carnival season, band choices, and skimpy costumes, the issue of some people not wanting the “well endowed” to play mas in their "sexy" section, or the idea of "sexy" mas bands continues to creep into conversations. This brings me to question... WHAT EXACTLY IS SEXY?

Now some of my carnival loving sisters have told me that THIN is sexy. UHHHHHH, ERRRRRR, UMMMMMM. Thin? OK, if you say so. An image of a very maga and gaunt Kiera Knightly comes to mind. Sorry, but in my humble opinion, SOOOOO NOT SEXY. Ok, ok. This image and the sarcastic undertones are overkill, and not a diss to thin women, who I also find to be very beautiful. I simply used this over exaggeration as an example to demonstrate that one cannot fit sexy into one word. What may be sexy to one person physically, may be totally unattractive to another.

(Photo courtesy of Paris boutique)

In this world of music videos, plastic surgery, and "thin is in" media.... women who don’t fit a certain standard of beauty find themselves bombarded with images of people who look NOTHING like them. This may mean not having the perfect hair, the perfect coloring, the perfect height, the perfect boobs, or the perfect size. We have been socialized to strive for physical perfection, when in reality, that perfection is as mythical as TRIBE not selling any costumes on the first day of registration. Something that just ain’t gonna happen!! LOL

When will we as women begin defining ourselves according to our OWN standards of beauty, and not those set by industries that usually encourage us to become consumers on the hunt for the “perfect” physical appearance?

We as women, no matter what size, need to teach our daughters, sisters, and ourselves positive ways of viewing each other and ourselves. This will entail the hardest change of all. CHANGING OUR THINKING.

- If a women feel she is too heavy.... the good news is, that is something that can be changed. Life is all about free will and options and we can choose to take them. Strike a healthy balance in your lifestyle choices and remember to do these things for the right reasons; a better sense of health and wellness. HEALTHY IS SEXY!!!!

- In this beautifully diverse world I pray that none of us would ever call someone of another race or ethnicity a racially derogatory name. We should take that same attitude of tolerance and apply it to weight and image matters. Just like people come in all colors and ethnic backgrounds, they also come in different sizes and shapes. By celebrating the good in people of all sizes, one by one, we build a better world. DIVERSITY IS SEXY!!!

- The days of cabbage rose embossed tented moo moo dresses are over. Not only do we have shops like Ashley Stewart and Lane Bryant which cater to our beautiful bodies, but also many main stream department stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom. If these designers can see that we are sexy enough to create for, then we better dam well KNOW we are sexy! Put on your sexy bra and pantie ensemble, cause it is not what the public can see underneath, but how it makes YOU feel! Then…you werk it. WERKING IT IS SEXY!!!

(Photos courtesy of Thicksational)

- OK, so you're heavy. Does that SOLELY define your life? I would hope not!! Do you have a job that you love and colleagues who respect you? A sexy ass man who LURVES him a plus size beauty? A family who adores you? The best-ESS “I can lime with, cry to, and tell my dirty little secrets too” girlfriends in the whole world? Then celebrate, because this is the REAL richness of life… not the size of your waistline. LIVING LIFE IS SEXY!!!!

- When was the last time you took a long candle lit bubble bath, treated yourself out to a 5 star dinner alone, jetted off to your dream vacation solo, or just plopped up in bed with a book by your favorite author while sucking down a box of your favorite culinary indulgence. Small things like this are an investment in you. DOING YOU IS SEXY!!!

- Express yourself honestly and openly without fear. Be solid in your opinions and stand up for your personal rights without infringing on the rights of others. Respect that all people have a voice, and feelings, no matter their size. Smile, it’s contagious. SELF EXPRESSION IS SEXY!!!

Sexy comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. What is on the outside of our bodies does not determine our self worth as women. Are you kind? Do you enjoy life? Do you nurture loving relationships? Do you have sense of humor and can share a laugh with people in your life that you cherish? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then… DAM YOU’RE SEXY!!!

Until next time, BE SEXY! (wink)

Voluptuous Masquerader
Voluptuous.masquerader@gmail.com

Here Every Creed, and Race, and Size?

Here every creed and race, (and SIZE?) have an equal place, so may God bless our nation?

This is a line from the Trinidad and Tobago national Anthem (minus the size line), but it give way to a debate that is being discussed on my favorite blog of all time. Trinidad Carnival Diary.

(Read the debate here.)

http://www.trinidadcarnivaldiary.com/2008/07/question-and-answer-with-band-leader_23.html

In Trinidad Carnival Diary’s weekly, “Ask a Band Leader” series, the question of variety in size and ethnicity of models used during the mas band launches and on their websites is broached, which produced some very interesting responses.

One response from a young lady was of particular interest to me. This is her direct quote.

"Does anyone think that those very very skimpy costumes are made for plus sized masqueraders? That alone should tell certian bodies (pun intended) that the band is not for you, find a band with more cloth if you have more extra pounds carrying around. it is harsh but reality is if you weigh 200lbs why you want to be in a costume designed for a woman 120lbs? The designer has a vision of how their mas wants to look and who says that the plus sized masquerader has to be accommodated just because she wants to fit into a costume that is obviously not appropriate? if you want to wear the skimpy costume loose some pounds!from ash Wednesday you have enough time to hit the gym if you know you want to play in a two piece and some beads.and all this hating on skinny chicks no one talks about. I am kinda fed up of people wanting to play in the hottest skimpiest band when they should be looking at trini revelers or mc farlane with loads of cloth to cover their bodies."

I agree with this young lady that not every costume is for everybody, and this does not solely apply to plus sized people. We as women of ALL sizes have to take responsibility for how we present ourselves whether it is on the road for carnival or the in the work place. For instance, the skinniest large breasted women may have a tendency to shy away from halter type bras because of the pressure that the weight of their breasts put on the back of the neck, causing discomfort.

Would this skinny woman have the right to ask the bandleader to make adjustments for her? ABSOLUTELY! And that right to ask is reserved for everyone INCLUDING plus sized woman.

(Please note. I also feel that it is absolutely within the band leader’s right grant or to deny that request, it is their band after all.)

I cannot speak for other plus sized women, but I can say if a particular band leader decided to deny the request, it would be fine with me. As I stated in my introductory post, it would let me know where NOT to spend my hard earned money. It would just be a matter of me exercising my consumer power and not giving that band my business. But what I have found over the years is that many of these bands leaders are less concerned about the size of a woman’s waistline, and much more interested in the size of her wallet!!! For some, they may see the plus sized adjustments as a win/win situation. They buy beads and fabric for cheap in bulk, and can slap on another $600 - $1200 TT for their adjustment troubles. Plus size beauty is happy, and so is the mas camp’s bank account. (SMILE)

As to loosing some pounds from Ash Wednesday… that is a very good suggestion. However, for some people, no matter how many pounds they loose, Genetics is the powerful offspring of Mother Nature. When she wields her mighty DNA wand, many of us cannot simple say, “ABRACADABRA”, and send the big butt of mummy, the large breasts of Tantie Merle, or the little pooch belly of Great Grandma Dinah off into oblivion. As a side note, I also want to point out, that I AM an advocate for exercise but with an emphasis of exercising for HEALTH. Anyone can crash off pounds, but at what expense to their overall health? Hence, I encourage ALL women to be kind to and to celebrate their bodies and work with what we have. And while you are working it….WERK IT WELL!!!

I am saddened that this young lady is fed up of people like me wanting to play in skimpy bands. So much for sister hood eh? When will the time come when we will begin to advocate for one another as women, and not let something as small and unimportant as a costume divide us when worldwide our children are dying, wars are waging, and the earth is wasting away.

I want to be very clear that my opinion on this subject goes BOTH WAYS. I too, cannot stand to hear the Plus size beauties "hate" on the smaller girls. PLEASE DO NOT participate in this behaviour ladies. To hear women diss and hate on each other, is not only unattractive on all body types, it is downright counterproductive. No one wears intolerance well; it is not a cute accessory.

For those of us who are Trinbagonians, let us begin to not sing the words of our anthem in vain, but to sing them with sincerity, that us THE WOMEN, will be the ones to advocate for every creed, race, ( and SIZE), to have an equal place…. AND MAY GOD BLESS OUR NATION!

Till next time.

Be safe. Be well. Be beautiful!
Voluptuous Masquerader
http://plusandproud.blogspot.com
Voluptuous.masquerader@gmail.com

Welcome to Plus Size for Carnival

A place where ladies who are curvy, luscious, voluptuous and proud of it, can get together to discuss physical fitness, nutrition, health, as well as the special circumstances that we face in this weight challenged society. We can also research which bands are willing to accommodate with well fitted Carnival costumes for plus size beauties.

I am in my 30's, a wife and mother. I am from the beautiful twin island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, whose Carnival is touted as "The Greatest Show On Earth". I have loved Carnival since I was old enough to walk. Just as Carnival has undergone changes in costumes styles and pricing over the past 15 years, so has my figure. (Smile).

There used to be a time when the sight of a skimpy costume would send me into a self confidence spiraling anxiety attacks. I would feel my heart beat against my chest wall at the very thought of those skimpy costumes, knowing full well that I could never fit into them and still look wonderful.

Add to the fact, that I have always, even in my skinnier days, been well endowed with a buxom breast line. The mass purchased flimsy bras offered at the mas camps, were like putting a band aide on a cantaloupe. They did me no good in the support department.

To make my anxiety worse, I would go into health depleting ritual starvation mode. My warped mind actually had me thinking that I would actually to fit into a costume like the 5'11, 120 pound model on the flyer or website. Over the years, I tried every fad and crash diet prior to Carnival and only ended up making my self sick and miserable with minimal strength to play mas, and even more minimal weight loss results. All of this hoopla, and my costume would still be uncomfortable and ill fitting.

In 2004, I wanted to play mas, but I was sick of sore breasts from ill fitting, non supporting bras, bikini bottoms that left the inside of my thighs sore and chafed, and just of over all not feeling good and confident in my Carnival costume. Lest I play with the one of the "older band" in a fully covered mas outfit, and give up the bling and beads, I felt that my options had run out. I was ready to give up on the thing that has bought me the most pleasure each year. Carnival.

I then had a revelation and a HUGE reality check. I had to accept that I was no longer the 18 year old motherless girl who could freely wear a bikini. I had to accept that some things just genetically predispose some women to thicker thighs, bulkier midsections, and bigger bamsees. In light of all of this, I did realize that I had strong advantage. I WAS HAPPY AND HEALTHY. Although I was a what would be considered a "tick ting", I was as strong and healthy as a horse. I was not plagued with diabetes, high blood pressure, or any of the other disease processes that are associated with being outside of the recommended Body Mass Index. I was grateful that God had given me two good legs, and two good feet to jump up on Carnival Monday and Tuesday and I planned to utilize them. This is when I got PRO-ACTIVE!!

I refused to chip down the road with my parents to the smooth sounds of the Starlift's steel pans just to have the support and the coverage I so badly needed. I decided that despite my thick size, that I was fully entitled to support, coverage, and all the bling I wanted for my money.

I began looking past the thin MODELS on the mas bands' websites, and began looking at the COSTUMES that I found attractive. I shifted my vision to see how those very same costumes could be tailored to fit MY needs. I composed an email asking about the possibility of bringing my own well fitted bra for the mas camp to decorate, and began inquiring what other bottom options where offered to cover my thighs. Needless to say, I go no response from some bands/sections, and letters of apologies from others that they did not cater to women like me. Undaunted, I looked at this "rejection" as a God send, because I knew now, where NOT to spend my hard earned money.

One the sections whose costumes that I was really in love with, did email me back. Then they called. This was the beginning of me being an advocate for my own comfort and appearance on the road during Carnival. I had my own custom bra made, and my costume tailored to how I wanted it. I was not only ready for Carnival, but the question was, "Is Carnival ready for me?!"

Carnival 2004 was a turning point for me. Having my own well supporting bra, and well fitted costume, it was the first Carnival in my adult life where complaints about a sore big toe took precedence over tears and tenderness of sore breasts. This also was a turning point for my husband and my on the road liming partners. We spent the day doing what Carnival day was meant for. Having a good time! The experience was not clouded with me holding camera, drink cup, and other on the road essentials while my husband adjusted my bra, pulled down arm and leg pieces that had rolled up, or adjusted an ill-fitting belt that had gone askew.

Now, as a result of me looking after my own comfort and needs, I can enjoy my beloved Carnival in all of my BEAUTIFUL PLUS SIZED SPLENDOR!

This is my story. What is yours?

I look forward to your participating and sharing.

Plus and Proud,

Voluptuous Masquerader.
voluptuous.masquerader@gmail.com

Picture source: Trinidad Guardian