New Orleans holds a special place in my heart. The culture and energy of New Orleans are undeniable and The Mardi Gras strand is a mix of gold, purple, and 2 styles of turquoise seed beads with small sections of gold and iridescent tube beads. All waist beads are created with a stretch cord and lobster claw closure making your bead strands more durable and able to be worn even throughout weight fluctuation.
Throughout my travel to West Africa and other indigenous countries, I have sat with women circles as they strung waist bead strands and talked about the culture of waist beading. Waist beads have been used throughout the years for various reasons and listed below is some of the uses:
-Waist beads have been used by indigenous women for centuries to adorn the body and as a nice added piece of jewelry accenting the waist during intimacy. 
-Waist beads have been used to teach aspects of femininity to young girls as young as 3.
-Waist beads have been used as a mark of honor for young girls who have reached puberty and are incorporated in their Rites of Passage ceremony as a symbol that they have reached womanhood.
-Waist beads have been used as weight trainers. (Typically waist training waist beads are made on a stiff cotton string that does not stretch with weight fluctuation and is typically tied onto the waist rather than made to be able to take on and off with a lobster claw closure. Waist training beads help you to gauge the inches lost in the waist and your strand should be resized as you lose weight.)
*IF A CUSTOMER PREFERS FOR THEIR WAIST BEADS TO BE MADE AS "WAIST TRAINING BEADS", THERE IS A $4 ADDITIONAL CHARGE, AND YOUR EXACT WAIST MEASUREMENT IS NEEDED WHEN ORDERING.