Time to play dress up! For some contestants, shopping for their pageant wardrobe is a highlight of the pageant process. Shopping can be either fun or stressful based on how much preparation time you allow. Trying to find clothing three weeks or less before a pageant can be a nightmare. Start shopping early and find a great seamstress that can hem and tailor your clothes a couple weeks before the pageant. Here are some helpful hints I’ve used over the years to make the most of my gown searching.
1. Set Your Price Range. In my special report, 10 Insider Secrets To Winning, I stress the importance of creating your pageant budget as soon as you decide to compete. Please don’t make the mistake of spending all your money on the gown. If you have $1000 in your bank account, look at all the pageant expenses and decide ahead of time what your limit is for your gown.
2. Know The Appropriate Style Of Dress For Your Pageant System. Research the pageant system in which you will compete. Is it a glitz pageant where the dresses are heavily sequined and beaded, or is it more of a natural pageant? Are the dresses more traditional or cutting edge fashion? Look at pictures from the past year of the top five. What do you notice? I’m not saying buy a dress just like the winner or the runners-up. Instead, notice the trends of the system. Are they wearing the ball gowns where the skirts are bell-shaped and stiff, or do they go for a more flowing look? Are strapless gowns and slit skirts appropriate for your age division? Take note of the details and ask the director for clarification.
3. Determine Your Body Type. The Pocket Stylist by Kendall Farr and Color Me Confident by Veronique Henderson and Pat Henshaw are two of my favorite books to educate oneself about color, body type and style. Your gown needs to highlight your physical strengths and diminish the areas that are not so flattering. A slit for example looks great if you have fabulous legs. Perhaps you have beautiful shoulders. Then a strapless or halter top neckline may be your calling card. If you’re thicker through your middle, a dress with detail at the waistline will only hurt your scores. Taking time to evaluate your body type is time well spent not only for your pageant gown, but for your wardrobe in general.
4. Choose The Best Color For You. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone looks best in white. I want to reiterate the importance of checking out the system in which you will compete. For example, some systems do not want to see black or red on children and teens because the colors appear too mature. In other systems, they want the contestants in white gowns; so you need to do your homework.
Your perfect color is one that goes with your skin tone and hair color. In pageantry, you are on stage under bright lights. In these conditions, colors look very different than they do up close and in natural lighting. As a rule of thumb, rich, saturated colors look best under the lights where soft pastels get washed out.
5. Go To More Than One Store. Educate yourself ahead of time by learning about the different designers, how their gowns are constructed, and what prices are listed online. Call the stores in your area to see if they carry your size and the labels you are looking for. Then, go to as many stores as you can. Shop for both quality and price point. Many designers are adjusting their wholesale prices to accommodate the economy, so see what’s out there.
6. Try On Everything. Don’t get hung up on what size is on the label or the price. Try it on. It’s all about fit. Some contestants get a better fit from a dress that cost $100 than the one that cost $1000. Every designer’s clothes fit differently. You’ll want to find which labels are your best fits and how their sizing runs on you. With more and more shopping taking place online, knowing this information before you purchase will be a huge advantage to you.
7. Get A Second Opinion. It’s very helpful to take a friend or coach with you when you go shopping. Choose one who isn’t afraid to be totally truthful. Someone who will tell you if the color isn’t right or if it makes your butt look big…LOL. Sorry, I couldn’t resist but every woman can relate to this comment. If your trusted person can’t be with you, take photos and send them to her/him to review. Study the photos yourself as well. Do you like the way you look in the dress when photographed?
8. You Need To LOVE It. Bottom line, when you put on the dress, you should feel like a million dollars. That doesn’t mean the dress needs to cost big bucks. This is your moment to shine and you need to feel totally comfortable and confident in your gown when you walk out on the stage.
Beyond The Pageant
Learning about your body type and which colors, cuts and styles most flatter you is information everyone can benefit from. In both business and everyday life, our outer appearance is a reflection of our inner qualities. Shopping becomes easier and more efficient when you know what to look for and what to stay away from. Think about how much money you have spent on clothing that you don’t wear. So take a few minutes this week to purge your wardrobe of items you don’t like, don’t fit and don’t wear. Donate them to charity. Become more aware of what looks best on you and buy wisely.
By Rhonda Shappert
January 27, 2010 07:04
