Mardi Gras Costumes & Accessories

Mardi Gras Costumes & Accessories: Because a Costume Party Must Have Costumes

Mardi Gras is the biggest costume party in America. You do plan to go to the party en costume, n'est-ce pas?

We're not talking about the annual Mardi Gras carnival in New Orleans. We mean the Mardi Gras shindig taking place down the block at your friend Sandy's house. It's probably not the biggest costume party in America, but it is the biggest costumed affair in the neighborhood since Halloween, and the biggest event since the New Year's Eve blowout that ended with a dozen police cruisers parked like so many seashells thrown to the shore.

The event calls for a costume – not just any costume, but something with distinct Mardi Gras flavor. Even better, something DIY, assembled from a patchwork of themed accessories into mind-bending a vision of Mardi Gras make believe. Your finest interpretation of what Mardi Gras should be.

For this, you can't dust off the Wonder Woman ensemble you wore to cosplay a couple of years ago. Even magic bracelets won't save you from the withering glances that might ensue. You can't resurrect the Disney princess dress that served you so well at lesser affairs. This is a different deal — a Mardi Gras deal. Mardi Gras needs you. It's time to represent.

Mardi Gras Costumes & Accessories: Ideas, the Building Blocks of the DIY

 Mardi Gras Dresses: For most people, fringe and sequined dresses in colors of purple, green, and gold count as "Mardi Gras costumes." At Party City, for reasons of department taxonomy, we refer to them as “accessories,” even though they don't accessorize anything at all. It's confusing, even to some of us at Party City. In fact, you may want to accessorize the dress – with a wig, a mask, a necklace, or a matching tote bag.

Mardi Gras Shirts & Tank Tops: Dudes may find a t-shirt more to their liking than a dress, but we have plenty of shirts and tops for the ladies, too. Selections include rugby shirts with purple, green, and gold, long-sleeved tunics, and novelty t-shirts with funny sayings that appear even funnier a few drinks in.

Mardi Gras Leggings, Pants & Bodysuits: You'll be happy to learn that we provide full coverage for most areas of the human body, including the lower half. Mardi Gras pants and leggings work exactly like regular pants and leggings; they just happen to feature Mardi Gras colors, designs like fleur-de-lis, or sparkly sequins that would probably discourage you from wearing them to the office or church.

Masquerade Masks: Whatever your persona, we have a mask for you, fashioned after the classic ornamental masks of aristocrats, theater players, and carnival queens. All yours for a song, or for a few measly bucks in contrast to what you might pay for the genuine article.

Mardi Gras Wigs: Purple, green, and gold is the recurrent color theme. Tinsel, Afro, and long and glamorous are a few of your options. It goes without saying that a great DIY Mardi Gras costume will never be complete without a wig, hat, or headband to dot the "i." Mard"i" Gras.

Capes & Robes: Bask in the trappings of power with a lustrous wraparound king robe or a majestic queen cape made of soft velour. Just be aware that others at the party may have similar outfits, leaving the titles of Mardi Gras king and queen in dispute. Please settle those disputes peacefully.

Mardi Gras Crowns: A robe is a good starting point, while king or queen crown serves to drive the point home. Only now do you reign supreme. Heavy lies the crown... only the crowns we sell at Party City are made of light plastic with a gilded finish. Deluxe crowns are fully lined, sometimes trimmed with faux fur, and studded with resplendent faux jewels. Your dog can join the act with a Mardi Gras crown or headpiece of his or her own. Yes, we do carry those, for King Rex.