beautiful arrangements of feathers are reserved for the most prestigious costumes, normally used by the passistas, and by the queen of the samba school.

making costumes for the sambódromo is a big undertaking, involving designers, hundreds of tailors, and twelve months in the making.

each year, these costumes are all original designs, and most of them are strictly kept secret until the day of the parade.

for a visitor or a tourist, dancing and parading with a samba school means that the person will be costumed by the school and placed within a given wing of the schools themed procession.