The Miss USA 2016 preliminary pageant was last night and, like many excited fans, I streamed the link online.
It was an exciting show giving a preview of what to expect Sunday night when the final Miss USA 2016 show airs live to pick the winner.
The girls gracefully strutted the stage showcasing their hard-earned bodies while displaying their confidence and poise in both swimsuits and evening gowns.
As a pageant girl myself, I hoped to see more girls displaying charm and personality to set themselves apart. However, I do know how terrifying that moment can be on stage. These girls walk across the stage in front of thousands in person, and more streaming live. A few seconds on stage can change their life forever. There’s a lot of pressure to do well yet be yourself so you immediately see those with true confidence. This is an attribute the titleholder should have as the Miss USA/Miss Universe organization’s motto is “Confidently Beautiful”.
While many glorify these women to be models, most aren’t. Rather they’re your average everyday girl working regular jobs from an IT analyst to a nurse. Being judged on stage makes the contestants nervous. These women have their own insecurities too. The stage magnifies the true woman inside. Can she handle pressure or does she succumb to it?
I excitedly watched to take note of who stood out. I was hoping to see an array of personalities displayed but so few were confidently themselves. While all beautiful, many followed cookie-cutter pageant routines with a straight walk, hand on the hip pose and possibly a turn midway through. With 52 contestants this year, the routine gets old fast. I was looking for excitement in a fresh walk but few delivered that. However, the evening gowns were stunning.
As an evening gown designer, I took note of the pageant trends. Lots of sparkle and sequin, chiffon capes in the back gracefully flowing behind, a silk taffeta train attached to a long fitted dress, or a smooth satin gown. Some dresses looked identical, many looked similar and few were unique and captivating.
While the scores are more than just swimsuit and evening walk, there were some clear winners in the crowd. The clear favourite from social media tonight was by far #MissTexas. Tweets from the trending topic #MissUSA seemed to be all about Miss Charming Texas, I have no doubt she will make top 5.
Fans also get to vote on www.vote.missusa.com for their favourites. The winner with the most votes will automatically be guaranteed a spot in the Top 15.
The top 15 girls who stood out will be announced this Sunday, June 5th as the final show is aired live on FOX television.
