well i'm no xpert but,

The "Standard" is a military import that signified your allegiance. So different armies, and different battallions within armies etc. each had their own standard, or flag with a special color, symbol etc. One person had the honor of carrying that flag...the Standard Bearer...who was usually unarmed (I believe...hard to carry ah big ass flag and shoot yuh musket at de same time) since his was a role meant more to boost morale among the troops than anything else. For the enemy, taking out the standard bearer of your opponent was a psychological advantage used to undermine morale.

Among naval fleets there was a similar concept...one ship had the honor of carrying the flags of the fleet...the Flagship. Hence today the terms Flagship and Standard Bearer are used synonymously for excellence, honor, quality etc. The representation of an ideal/product, they are associated with the 'best'.

For carnival purposes...the standard is a simple compliment to the costume, another opportunity for the designer to show his/her artistic flair...as well as to reinforce the whole notion of an entire troop or band of individuals united by a common concept/color.

salty