Pageant Information
How to Prepare for a State Pageant
The national pageant is one thing – the state pageant is another.
Every director has their own way of doing things.
Watch a state pageant LIVE (in person).
Work on your appearance to be stage-ready.
- Physical fitness
- Schedule an appointment with a trainer.
- Get hair and makeup lessons from a PAGEANT makeup artist.
- Schedule a walking lesson
- Schedule interview coaching sessions.
- Excellent photos are essential – this is the first impression a judge gets.
- You need a PAGEANT photographer who knows what is needed.
- Wardrobe – dress the part of a title holder.
- Research other titleholders who look like you
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!
Practice doing your own hair in your pageant hairstyle.
Practice doing your own makeup in your pageant stage look.
Practice walking in your pageant shoes all the time (cleaning, doing laundry, running errands, etc.). Make sure your pageant shoes are broken in and comfortable.
Practice modeling and walking in your evening gown. If you trip, hem your gown!
If you choose to wear Tippy Top or Chinese Laundry platform shoes, practice walking in them. You do not want to “clomp” across the floor like a horse!
What should I wear?
Things to remember…
- The moment you step out of your vehicle, you are “on”. Someone is ALWAYS watching you (registration, bathrooms, hallways, restaurants, contestant luncheons, dinners, and so forth). If you are serious about the crown, look like the winner whenever you leave your dressing room or hotel room.
- Judges are EVERYWHERE.
So, what should I wear?
Personal Interview
- Appropriate for a job interview (dress, suit, skirt-and-top, nice shoes/sandals).
- What you wear should reflect your personality (i.e., colorful).
Opening Production Number
- Solid white cocktail dress is required. Dress-length, not gown length. It should have “sparkle” and “brilliance” (sequins, beading, rhinestones, etc.).
Active Wear
- Solid black Capri-style athletic pants and colorful sports bra, or full-length black athletic pants with a colorful workout top is required.
Swimsuit (optional for specific divisions. See pageant divisions)
- Solid colored one- or two-piece swimsuit. There are no solid color restrictions.
- Adequate coverage is required. Brazilian cuts and thongs are not allowed. Swimsuits must be an appropriate style and design for a general audience. There will be children in the audience.
Evening Gown
- Should be full length. “High-low” or three-quarter length gowns are discouraged.
- Gowns must be appropriate for a general audience. Remember: There will be children in the audience.
Shoes and Sandals
- Should match your leg skin tone.
- Sparkly, glittery shoes/sandals are discouraged as they distract from your face.
- Chinese Laundry and Tippy Top shoes/sandals are permitted. However, try to wear shoes/sandals that do not “clomp” across the stage like a horse.
- Shoes/sandals should be comfortable.
- No ankle bracelets or toe rings
Fragrance
- Perfumes and colognes are not permitted to be worn on stage due to contestants’ sensitivity to scents.
Jewelry
- Less is more. Jewelry must not distract from the contestant’s face.
- No watches
- No rings
- No bracelets
- No necklaces without Director’s permission
Earrings:
- Only 1 per ear is recommended
- Think about the distance from the judges. What you think is “too big” is “just right” to the audience.
- The best pageant earrings are chandelier rhinestone.
- Rhinestones – brilliant, not gray
- What you think is too big is just right
- Do not necessarily color-coordinate with your gown. You don’t want to be too “matchy-matchy”.
- Only 1 per ear is recommended
Piercings:
- No lip rings are recommended
- No nose rings are recommended
- No studs in nose are recommended
- No cheek piercings are recommended
- No visible belly button piercings are recommended
Tattoos:
- If you have tattoos that are visible to the audience and judges, cover them with body make-up. Tattoos tend to distract from the contestant’s face.
No tiaras or crowns. Only the queen wears the crown.
Hair
- For Miss, Mrs., and Classic divisions, hair and make-up artists will NOT be allowed in the backstage area. You may make arrangements for your hair stylist to do your hair away from the pageant site.
- You may encounter significant problems with last-minute coloring. Allow time to repair any color problems prior to arriving at the pageant.
- Unnatural hair colors are strongly discouraged (i.e., pink, purple, blue, etc.).
- Practice with many different hairstyles:
- Practice putting your hair in a ponytail.
- Practice putting your hair in a bun.
- Practice styling your hair with big, voluptuous curls.
- Practice braiding your hair to get it up on your head and away from your face.
- Perhaps experiment with hair extensions.
Nails
- The best color to wear is skin tone, nude or natural, faint pink, natural peach.
- French manicures are discouraged as they tend to distract from the contestant’s face.
- Keep your nails short (fingers and toes). Longer nails/manicures tend to distract from the contestant’s face.
Eyecare
- Pack eye drops.
- Can you see without your glasses? If you cannot, wear your glasses!
Grooming
- Be sure to shave:
- Underarms (Be sure to wear antiperspirant, not deodorant)
- Legs
- Face
- Toe knuckles
- For divisions with Swimsuit, consider a Brazilian wax.
Tanning
- The decision to tan is a personal decision.
- Self-tans and bronzers are recommended.
- If you decide to tan:
- Tan in the nude.
- Be sure to tan underarms as well as the crease under the buttocks at the back of the leg.
Onstage Question
- Keep it simple.
- Organize your response with a beginning, middle and end.
- Include a story that supports your response to the question.
- BE REAL – do not fake your answer
- Know yourself to show yourself
- Note: Judges are not looking for the “right answer”. There is no right answer. There is no correct way to solve the problem described in the question. Simply share your ideas on how the problem should be addressed.
- Suggestion: Practice answering questions from your family and friends.
Pageant Preparation Calendar
- Map out at least 6 months prior to the pageant. Mark dates and times of workshops, fittings, photographer appointments, manicure appointments, hair consultations, makeup consultations, and so forth.
- Use graph paper to create a bar graph to keep a weekly record of weight, bust, waist and hip sizes. You will see the progress you are making as well as where you need work.
Pageant Shoes or Sandals
- Judges’ eyes should not be drawn to the feet.
- Skin tone (nude tone).
- Shoes/sandals should not match the gown or clothes in color.
- No chunky, clunky heels.
- No straps around the ankle.
- No clear Lucite shoes/no stripper shoes.
- Make sure your shoes or sandals fit.
- Rough up the soles of the shoes so they do not slip on stage.
- Be sure you can walk in them without it being on your mind on stage.
- If it is difficult for you to wear platform shoes, wear dress heels.
- Wear your shoes when you shop for your production number outfit.
- Wear your sandals when you shop for your swimsuit (if applicable).
- Know where the seams are on the stage floor.
The Complete Package
Hang on to every point instead of throwing away points to other contestants! Contestants literally hand over the title to another contestant because, in one or more areas of the pageant, she is weak. It’s particularly sad when the contestant could have been a contender if someone had helped her to be strong in all areas of the competition all across the board.
A contestant once placed 1st in Personal Interview with the Judges and 1st in Onstage Question, but she placed 5th in Swimsuit and 7th in Evening Gown. Consequently, she did not make the Top Five. What was the problem with this particular contestant? A judge commented, “We had such high hopes for ________. In the personal interview with the judges, she came across so strong. But, when the competition on stage started, she simply didn’t measure up to our expectations. Her scores were so inconsistent…all over the place. She literally took herself out of the pageant. Sad. So sad.”
It’s all about being a “complete package”…consistently strong across the board. If you are well-prepared, you can witness different contestants throwing away points as the pageant progresses onstage. By recognizing when another contestant is throwing away points, it builds your confidence because you know you are well-prepared and well-trained. Pay attention to every little detail. With each phase of the pageant, be extremely strong and well-prepared!
The Winning Mindset
Important things to think about:
- Before anything exists (title, crown), there is a vision for it. Can you visualize standing on the stage with the crown and sash on YOU?
- Someone has to win. Why not YOU?
- Motivation comes from results. To reach any goal, you must put in the time and put in the work.
- Chances of success increase by modeling successful behavior. Act like and look like the queen.
- Opportunity passes. You may never get this opportunity again in your lifetime.
- Fear is a liar. It fills your mind with thoughts that just aren’t true. Question those fearful thoughts.
- When you begin to compare yourself to other candidates, you stop being a contestant and start to become the other contestant’s fan. Don’t worry about the other candidates. You cannot change how they do. But you can change what you do.
- Your best is your best. When it is time for crowning, there is no reason to be disappointed if you do not win. If you are at your best, you cannot be any better than your best. When you experience fear and anxiety, you are not at your best. You are distracted from doing your best.
- What are you great at?
- What do people always compliment you on?
- What is your educational level (formal courses, online courses, self-study, college)?
- How much time you have invested in your area of expertise (piano, cooking, nursing, parenting)?
- What awards/recognitions have you received?
- What are some personal moments in life where you overcame or conquered something?
- What have been some of your past jobs?
- What volunteer work have you been involved with?
- How have you impacted other people’s lives?
- What are some results you have achieved?
- How have you helped other people to achieve?
- How are other contestants wonderful?
- How have you celebrated someone else’s “wonderfulness”?
- What do you want to bring to this world?