The twin island of Trinidad and Tobago, also known as Trinbago, celebrates their carnival season early in the year every year. It’s a hectic and fun time that starts with pan and calypso competition preliminaries around November of the preceding year, progressing into January and February of the new year. Individuals/character competitions are held at various locations during the two weeks before the main Carnival event, which takes place on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

It’s easy to determine when those days will be. They are always planned for the Monday and Tuesday before  Ash Wednesday, the start of the Christians’ Lenten season.

During the first two months of the year, carnival enthusiasts enjoy calypso shows, pan competitions, costume character competitions and partying.

Parties or fetes, range from the large and popularly-attended concert-like fetes, to prestige college and universities’ fetes, hotel hosted brunches and fetes, early morning breakfast fetes and small inclusive nightclub or ambient house parties.

With a ticket to a very large fete, there will always be food and drinks on sale.  If you like control over what you eat and drink, there are cooler fetes where you are allowed to walk in with your cooler. Cooler fetes are quite popular, and can be on large open grounds, or at a poolside.

With semi-inclusive fetes, your ticket covers food and sometimes one complimentary drink, and there are drinks on sale.

All-inclusive parties provide you with food and drinks, and the cost differs, depending on who is keeping it, and the caliber of entertainment.

People of all creed and races have their preferences of the type of event  they would go to, and also what they would wear.

If you are wondering what to wear, be warned. What you see in photos of masqueraders in extreme skimpy wear, is a different story when it comes to parties.

Long ago, the norm in wear for carnival fetes and shows, was primarily nice pants outfits and jumpsuits. Since  this millennium, fine ladies have upped their styles and now include fashionable skirts and chic dresses, long, short or mini, body-fitting or loose. Glitter embellishment on knits is greatly worn, as well as designer fabrics, designer outfits and flowing cottons and linens. 

Wear comfortable flat shoes or sandals. If you want to step out in heels, let it be no more than 1 inch and a half, even if you plan to sit out dancing.

Men wear short-sleeved jersey tops or cotton shirts, many opting for designer tops for that special fete.

These are paired with long dress pants,  black or white jeans for prime inclusive fetes,  jeans and long casual khaki, beige or dark pants for other parties accordingly,  or mid-length  and just-above-the-knee shorts.

Some young Zoomers and Millennials, Gen Z’s and Gen Y’s tend to dress more casual and may follow strict trends, especially shorts or mini skirts and midriff tops, but surprisingly, many take joy in being different and seek outfits from local designers like their older counterparts do.

Keep in mind that partying quickly generates heat, especially at day-time parties, so you may want to wear a fabric or style that you’re most comfortable with. You can dress-up more when attending major shows like the Sunday night Dimanche gras or partying in air-conditioned settings.

Dressing for pan Preliminaries and individual costume competitions call for simple casual looks as these are at the pan yards  or street venue, respectively. For the pan semi-finals and finals at the Queen’s Park Savannah’s North Stand, you may want to wear your best jeans, shorts or  pants with a beautiful fashion top or pristine T-shirt. If you are going to sit in the Grand Stand, you can dress more stylish.

Here are some outfits from my LYN BORNE label that you can wear to an inclusive carnival party.  These outfits are done after ordering, and are made to your measurements. To order, call 868 341 2120 

Also see:  Lattice jumpsuits            White jumpsuits                                         Cotton dresses