Pageant Fashion

I'm not one to mark my calendar for the Miss America pageant (or any other pageant for that matter). I once had a roommate who was a former pageant queen and let's just say it didn't leave me with a very positive impression of that type of girl. Regardless of my experiences with and opinions of pageant contestants, there is one thing I cannot deny: they know how to look good. Pageant gowns are some of my favorites to see because they are so over-the-top. Even more so than a red carpet look, pageant gowns are some of the most ostentatious ones out there. Pageant hair and make-up follows suit with a "more is more" approach. Check out the most recent Miss America, crowned this past Saturday night, Teresa Scanlon:

I don't have much to say about this silver dress- in the beginning of the televised portion of the pageant competition, there is often a generic set of dresses in the same color scheme that all the contestants wear. Similar to the swimsuit competition in which they are given a limited selection of styles to choose from, all in the same fabric, the contestants don't have much wiggle room in terms of personal style. 

Speaking of swimsuits... 

Honestly, how on EARTH did they nail this shot so well? It's like a moment out of a Victoria's Secret commercial with her hair blowing back like that. I think I'm more impressed with the photography than the swimsuit, but that's not to say I'm not impressed with how she looks in that bikini. Girlfriend's got one rockin' bod. 

But she's not all beauty- she's got talent, too. And since her talent is piano performance, she has a special place in my heart. I also rather liked her stunning red dress: 

The matchy-matchy red earrings? I'm not as much a fan of those. And as for her finale dress, I thought yellow was the good-luck color for this pageant? I guess I thought wrong. 

She's right on-trend with her one-shoulder look. The bead work is a bit over the top for my taste, but this is a pageant after all, so as pageant gowns go, it's actually quite tasteful. 

What do you think of the new Miss America and her pageant attire choices? What do you think about pageants and their attire in general? Leave a comment and let me know. 

Photos by Ethan Miller/Getty Images