The Brazilian Way with Fabric

To party with the bands at Carnival or get into a camarote, you have to was a special t-shirt called an abada that shows you are part of the group. This is a very extreme version of matching wristbands. Abadas are brightly colored, polyester, square, and come in one size--gigantic. Lets face it, how many women want to go to a party where they are wearing the same outfit as everyone else? Fortunately, Brazilian women (and some of the men) work wonders with fabric, and so, did not let their abadas keep them from donning the latest styles. I was amazed by how many ways the abadas were altered. We saw everything from skimpy halter tops, to tube dresses, to tank tops with sashes and empire waists. We didn't have sewing machines or hours to kill altering our abadas, but we did what we could with a pair of dull scissors. Meghan and I went for sassy off-the-shoulder numbers, while Erik opted to show off his bulging biceps.