Beauty Pageant Secrets

Beauty Pageant Dress

Do you want your dress to show your age, or make you look a little older if you are competing against girls who are three or four years older than you?

Always choose age appropriate clothing, If you try too hard to look as old as the girls that are 3 or 4 years older, you just end up looking out of place. Judges are almost always informed of the contestant’s age and keep that in mind when they are judging.


What should you wear for casual wear, and should your casual wear suit your age?

Again, always chose age appropriate clothing. And in choosing sportswear you should look at what colors are good for you, how well it fits and if you'll be able to move around comfortably in it. Most importantly, is it something you'll have fun wearing or something you'll feel silly in. If you don't like the outfit how can you make someone else like it?


What should I wear for the Talent Competition?

Once you’ve chosen your talent you need to think about how best to present it. Costuming will help a lot here. And it is definitely a costume you need to think about, not just a “dress” even if your talent is singing or playing the piano. How you look will go a long way towards your goal of entertaining showmanship. Wardrobe choices in this area are critical to success.

Use your costume to set the mood of the talent for judges and audience. It’s all about show business. Mixing images can really deduct from your score in the talent competition. If you are playing or singing a high energy rock and roll song but wearing white chiffon it’s going to confuse the message and judges may take points off your score because they can’t figure out what you are trying to do. Make sure your costume conveys the image of the talent you are performing and matches the genre and mood of the music.

If you are doing classic music, vocal or instrumental, try using black or white, something very “symphonic-looking.” For Gershwin or Broadway tunes go a little showier, add sparkle and glitz. Opera works well with long flowing lines and a dramatic look while Christian sacred music is a more pure angelic look so go with white or soft pastels.

For Singers:

The moment you walk onstage you should set the mood. If possible try to suit your costume specifically to the song but don’t get too literal.

You would not wear a mermaid costume if you are singing a selection from The Little Mermaid (imagine trying to cross the stage in a tail!) but you might wear a gown in sea foam colors that billows and flows around you. One exception to this rule might be kiddie pageants – in some cases wearing a mermaid costume for the talent competition might just be the perfect choice for a little girl!

Classical singers doing opera should set a suitably theatrical mood with historical themes, regal colors, rich velvets, period styling, bouffant sleeves, full skirts or dramatic trains topped off with tasteful glitz. Combine some of these elements to suit the mood of the piece you have chosen. One of the secrets to selling opera with showmanship is to wear a truly spectacular costume that really gets the judges attention. Never sing classical music in a contemporary beaded gown.

If you have chosen a more contemporary song your costumes should still be an extension of the music. Rhinestones and glitz work well here with the right song; Western costumes (not just jeans and a gingham shirt) add to a country performance, a costume which the character might actually wear in the Broadway show sets off a musical theatre tune.

For Musicians:

Keep in mind the unique demands of your talent when choosing a costume to perform in. Pianists are usually positioned so that judges can watch the keyboard – so they may be seeing a lot of your back! Make sure the back of your gown has something to attract the eye. If you are going to
be positioned at an angle have something about the costume to draw attention up to your face. Gowns with tailored or flowing trains and eyecatching detailing on the torso, shoulders and sleeves work well for pianists.

If you play a wind or string instrument you probably use facial expressions more and your costume should focus attention on that as well as your hands. Detailing on the bodice, neckline, shoulders and sleeves helps draw attention to the performer’s face and instrument. Musicians with
energetic numbers should select costumes that compliment body movements.

For Dancers, Gymnasts and other Athletic Talents:

Physically demanding talents such as dance, gymnastics, baton, acrobatics etc. require outstanding costumes that really reflect the theme of the music and the performance. There is a great deal of room for showmanship in this kind of costuming.

For instance – perhaps you are a ballet dancer; there are a number of ways in which you can choose to showcase that talent. If you choose a classical piece with classical music then the most unusually beautiful tutu and headpiece you can find is a good place to start. But what if the music has a “fairy” like quality to it – perhaps you might want to go in that direction and add a “wing” effect to a flower costume. Don’t overlook stage makeup either – a surreal but beautiful “fairy” makeup would certainly make your ballet stand out from the everyday.

Perhaps you pick a piece of music that you can still choreograph classic ballet steps to but that isn’t normally thought of as “ballet music.” Think about hip hop or patriotic jazz or even country. Can you see yourself doing ballet to those kinds of music? If so I hope you can also see yourself clad appropriately in a “hip hop” outfit, a jazzy little red white and blue dress or sparkly western wear – with toe shoes!

Remember, the total picture is the key. Use your costume to set the mood of your talent competition choice.

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This is an excrept from "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant". If you want the complete guide - check it out!