According to MardiGras.com, the elaborate costumes in New Orleans follow a European tradition, particularly those of the celebrations found in Nice, France, and Venice, Italy, where Carnival traditions are longstanding. In its earliest days, many New Orleans costumes and designs were made in France. NewOrleans.com adds that the Mardi Gras Indians are particularly noted for their costumes, “Their hand-sewn creations feature intricate beadwork and dramatic images and rank among the nation’s best folk art. Worn just once, the suits take an entire year to create and can cost thousands of dollars depending on the member’s position in the tribe and craftsmanship. With hundreds of thousands of beads, brightly dyed ostrich plumes, sequins, velvet and rhinestones sewn on by hand, some end up weighing as much as 150 pounds.”