'I love to see decorated bikinis'

Kanisa George

IN LESS THAN a week, the greatest show on Earth will be upon us. Carnival enthusiasts from every corner of the globe will join in as we celebrate the exuberant spectacle of "playing a mas" while sampling a piece of our undeniably remarkable culture.

After months of strict diets, fetes, treks around the Savannah and more than an earful of soca music, we are ready for revelry, and Mical Teja couldn't have said it better: freedom truly is in our DNA. Only a handful of societies can boast of the splendour of Trinidadian/Tobagonian culture, and I will be bold enough to say that this speaks to our undeniable character, tenacity and spirit.

The enigma that is mas, without fully defining it, can be easily summarised by one word: freedom.

Pageantry, decorated bikinis and suggestive music are all part of the freedom paradigm, and it is what most, if not all, participants and observers look forward to. If we were to quantify the true freedom of the Carnival experience, outsiders would be dismayed at the complete liberation granted to women.

On the one hand, we have short shorts that leave very little to the imagination, and on the not-so-far extreme, women dressed only in body paint and shiny thongs parade the streets without restrictions. The freedom, some may argue, afforded to women during the Carnival season is akin to sexuality on full display.

When you strip away the pomp and euphoric atmosphere that is part and parcel of the Carnival experience, the bold truth is, Carnival is woman. On any other day (maybe with the exception of a beach outing), social norms and etiquette would not allow me to walk around dressed in a decorated bra and thong for every man, woman, cat and dog to see. Carnival events grant us the licence to do just that with little to no social punishment involved.

During the Carnival season, women aren't chastised for their scantily clad apparel or reprimanded for the lewd behaviour that inevitably follows. Of course not; freedom is in our DNA. When we put aside the social norms that dictate Carnival behaviour, what do you think enamours us with the confidence to wear over-sexualised clothing?

Nakedness is usually (without the viewing eyes of the public) a very freeing exercise. A ton of research suggests that nakedness practised frequently allows you to connect with your body and increase body image, self-esteem and overall life satisfaction. I'm not saying that the basic everyday concept of nakedness is comparable to revelry, but perhaps the very freedom nakedness allows might match the Carnival paradigm.

The more-is-better perspective, without much analysis, is influenced by morality, virtue and modest living. But if what we wear is a way to express who we are, what might our revealing get-up say about us?

It is often touted that what women wear has far more to do with their male counterparts than it has to do with us, which significantly influences what we wear. Admittedly, there is some truth to this narrative. After all, women are valued tremendously for their beauty and looks, especially in hypersexualised societies. While this belief might hold some weight, it is not a universal standard.

Navigating the body-positive era we're currently in puts women and their needs far ahead of the desires of men. In this vein, women use revealing clothes, decorated thongs and all, as a source of empowerment. Some might ask what does empowerment have to do with wearing a bikini on the streets of the nation's capital?

And the answer to that is: it just might have everything to do with it.

Standing boldly against norms, challenging perceptions of what an attractive body looks like and exposing every single flaw for all to see isn't exactly the easiest thing to do.

Testing the boundaries of what is considered a morally sound clothing choice is a testament to self-confidence. Subversive fashion culture has become such a norm that, like it or not, its spirit carries its own value system.

"I want to feel free to be me and express my womanhood, even if that means showing some of it off."

The undeniable truth is women are no longer afraid to go against the mould and challenge what some would describe as uptight, arbitrary customs that dictate what they should wear. But to go so far as to say revealing clothing affords this reality to many feels like a stretch.

The flip side to all this empowerment, body confidence talk is the very grim reality often facing societies with high levels of gender-based violence. While nothing a woman wears justifies harassment, disrespect or sexual assault, an argument can be made that some men feel empowered to misbehave when the "rules" are up in the air.

Some people, even women, strongly believe that the way a woman dresses influences how they are treated by other women and the opposite sex. The more revealing one dresses, the less likely one can command respect and the greater the risk of violation.

Can the same be said about costumes? Is a woman's worth attached to the outfit she chooses to wear to parade around the streets of Scarborough or Port of Spain?

Against the backdrop of Carnival, what is appropriate dress might be hard to define, for, after all, freedom, revelry and everything in between are all part of ah we culture.

But consider this: what price are we paying, if any, for the freedom we so desperately seek every year?