Saturday, May 9, 2009

Pageant Myth #1 Does White Always Win?










Okay, so the first pageant question I must address is what dress to wear. When choosing dresses for our first Beauty and Beau review - I must admit - I was floundering. After all, it was just a school fundraiser...right?

WRONG.

The dress is always important, and no matter what your told, having the right dress can easily be the difference between a crown or just flowers from mom and dad.

So the first thing I did was scour the Internet for pageant dresses. Boy, was I in for a big surprise. $1000 was the low end of cost for a pageant dress. Well, I wasn't going to pay that even if it were only one daughter in a pageant. Definitely not for three, and I'll let you in on a little secret - I still won't pay that for a dress. But, I did mess up. I found a website that sold junior bridesmaid dresses for $60 each. On pageant night, the looked like bridesmaid dresses and all of the other girls looked like brides. We left vowing to find the perfect dresses for next year without breaking the bank.

So, let's talk for a minute about the other girls that looked like brides. This is important, because a friend told me what I will dub Pageant Myth #1 "Always wear white. White wins."

While it is true that white can be stunning - let me offer some other advice. Wear what works for you, or your daughter as the case may be. Example: My 13yo daughter has long, gorgeous black hair and usually sports a bit of a tan. White is stunning on her, as it will be on most dark haired, darker complected girls. However, she doesn't like to wear white. This pageant girl is also a bit of a tomboy, and is worried that somehow she will ruin the dress before stage time. So there is no sense in dressing her in a stunning white gown that she walks like a mannequin in because she is uncomfortable. This past year, she wore a black and sequined gown that she picked out and loved. Notice the crown?
Example two: My six year old, also an avid pageant kid, is very fair with blond hair. I think she looks great in white, very angelic. However, I have been assured by many experienced pageant judges that white washes her out. You can't tell how angelic she is because she is lost in the dress. Therefore, mint greens, bubblegum pinks and other soft but not pastel colors suit her best.
Though I think she looks beautiful in both pictures, the white dress was specifically criticized in judges comments, and the green dress was praised.
So, No white does not always win. A dress that compliments coloring, hair, and sense of style and personality will always win out over the beauty pageant "truths".
Coming next... Choosing Natural or Glitz

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