Don’t judge a dress on the hanger. Try it on! In hunting for my national competition gown, I’m trying on every style of formal to see which one is the most flattering on my petite, middle-aged body.
There are 5 key elements to look for when selecting your competition pageant dress. They are:
- Color
- Neckline
- Proportion
- Fabric
- Price
The neckline should ultimately lead the eye back to your face whereas the color should make your skin look radiant. I’ve reached the point in my life where white doesn’t work for me anymore. I’ve lost too much pigment in my skin and hair to look great in white; but I am more than excited about the bright colors that are available on the market right now. Color rocks!
Proportion is especially important to petite contestants. Ideally, you want most of the gowns stoning and ornate features to be on the top third of your dress and keep the bottom two-thirds more simple to elongate and add height. Or you can flip this where the upper two-thirds is uniformed and the bottom third is fun and ornate. To look your tallest, dress from head to toe in one uniformed color or solid beading. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rules, but using the rule of thirds will help you know what to look for.
Be mindful of the gown’s fabric, too. Shiny material, such as satin, shows every bump and bulge on your body. It also increases the appearance of your size where a matte fabric will not. Silk and chiffon flutter beautifully on stage if you have a wonderful walk.
It’s very important to set a budget. You will pay anywhere between $200- $10,000+ for your competition gown. Once you settle on a price, select the dress that has the other four fashion elements best for you.
Prom line dresses are going to be more affordable than pageant line dresses. Here’s why.
Typically, pageant dresses are made of higher quality fabrics and have better stones on them. They are longer in length to accommodate the 5” heels we pageant girls wear, and have stronger “inside construction” such as boning, corsets, and pads to hold things up and in place. Prom dresses are usually shorter in length, use more sequins, and the construction isn’t as well-built. That doesn’t mean you should eliminate looking at the prom dresses. I want to you understand why a prom dress will have the price tag of $500 and the pageant gown will cost $2500.
Bottom line is you have to love the way your pageant gown makes you feel when you wear it. When you walk out on that stage, if your gown helps your personality shine to its fullest, then that is your gown, regardless of what you paid for it.
Have fun shopping! I know I am.
