Costumes of Venice Carnival

The Carnival in Venice began in 1268 and till date is a very important event for the Venetian people. They get dressed up in traditional attire and masks and walk the streets rejoicing life and the spirit of Venice Carnival.

Costumes are a very important part of Venice Carnival. Usually people used to wear Costumes and masks from St. Stephen's Day i.e. December 26 till the midnight of Shrove Tuesday, a day before Ash Wednesday. But in 1797, when Austria took over Venice the carnival was stopped for almost two decades. Even the Fascist government banned the carnival in the 1930s. It was in the 1980s that the carnival revived with the opening of a new mask shop in the city. Now the carnival is celebrated for two weeks ending on Shrove Tuesday. There have been lots of minor changes but the spirit of the carnival still makes people saunter the alleys of Venice, dance at balls, meet under the moonlit night wearing masks and traditional costumes.

These costumes are made with a lot of hard work as they have to serve the purpose of providing a traditional look as well as modern feel. They are generally hand made and great care is taken so that the costumes reflect the authentic Venetian tradition. The very important part is the historical research on the period's documents and on the paintings that represent the traces of models and details characterizing the dress patterns of a concerned historical period. The choice of fabrics and colors are also determined through this research and even answers about the cut and the style which differentiates costumes.

Venice Carnival 2008
History of the Venice Carnival	Celebrations of the Venice Carnival
Masks of Venice Carnival	Costumes of Venice Carnival
Events of Venice Carnival 2008	Venice Film Festival 2008

Different type of cloaks and hats are worn by the men depending on the character they are trying to portray. Women wear traditional gowns along with fancy hats. These costumes are decorated with rich fabrics, ornaments and gems providing more grandeur to the already grand carnival. Some costumes are comic, others historical. Some people wear only fancy costumes reflecting joy and happiness. Costumes and masks are thus a very essential part of these two weeks in Venice.