Nearly a Century in Costume

Sandra Oldham says she goes through almost 20,000 yards of fabric every year. She's owned Bienville Costumes for the last 22 years, but its history is much longer than that. The store was originally founded almost 100 years ago.

"Four owners under the name of Bienville and then there was owners under 'House of Design '," says Oldham. The store is crowded with costumes. While most of her time is consumed by making Mardi Gras costumes, most of the space in the store is taken up by rental outfits.

Oldham says costumes are never thrown away. They're saved for patterns and pulled out of storage when needed. She says Mardi Gras is a lifelong love and this is her chance to be a part of it.

"My earliest recollection, is watching a Mardi Gras parade going down the street," says Oldham "My family's been very involved with Mardi Gras all my life."