Mardi Gras is a citywide extravaganza filled with endless parades, floats and costumes. While these aspects of the celebration are important to Tulane University’s female students, this group places focus on another factor during this week.
For many Tulane girls, Mardi Gras is not only a week of exciting festivities, but also a week-long fashion show that requires months of planning for a lineup of flashy and intricate outfits.
Mardi Gras outfit culture leads to an unnecessary amount of widespread consumption. The months leading up to Mardi Gras are filled with students buying anywhere from three to seven outfits, which they will often never wear again.
Student-led clothing sales are very popular for Mardi Gras shopping. During the sales, students walk through houses with clothing spread across the floor, which the previous owners have often never worn. Students also create group chats to sell clothes online.
Some may argue that the Mardi Gras clothing culture is virtually harmless to everyone besides the wallets of those taking part in it. In addition, buying used clothes can prevent waste. Many may feel that buying new outfits for Mardi Gras stirs up excitement in the months leading up to the festivities.
However, this viewpoint disregards that while clothing may be a fun form of expression and method to celebrate Mardi Gras, the pressure to buy large amounts of clothing to wear once then disregard later can be toxic. For many Tulane girls, the desire to purchase and craft the perfect outfit stems from a need to conform with the Tulane fashion culture. This pressure can result in more harm than good as the fun, light-hearted festivities are overtaken by a desire to be the best dressed person at the function.
The Tulane community needs a culture shift. This doesn’t mean clothes cannot be a form of expression during Mardi Gras. Rather, it should mean less pressure to buy a certain amount each year for fashion standards’ sake. Mardi Gras is a highlight for Tulane students. Removing the pressure surrounding external looks, which feeds into mass consumption and unnecessary spending, will allow for a more positive experience of the iconic holiday.
