Pageant weekend is a fun, stylish and glamorous time. You are in the public eye and everything you wear, say and do is a reflection upon the pageant system you are competing in. In a nutshell, you want to look well groomed and put together from the time you step out of your car until you leave to go home.

The definition of “casual dress” in the pageant world is totally different than the casual clothing you see people wearing in everyday life. Even when the staff says “dress comfortably for rehearsals” the expectation is that you will still look your best.

Blue jeans are not the norm but instead the exception at the pageant. The exception would be if the jeans were dark in color, coupled with a high fashion top, accessorized and finished with an adorable pair of shoes. The sweatshirt, tennis shoes and denim jeans look should be reserved for your hotel room only. If you leave the room, change. You never know who you might meet in the hotel, hallway or elevator.

You are surrounded the entire time by pageant staff, judges, members of the media and the family members of the other contestants, who in some cases are watching you closer than the judges.

Your image and how you present yourself speaks louder than the words you speak. A sloppy public appearance is not the image businesses are looking for when it comes to selecting their representatives. Make no mistake, pageantry is big business and the judges are looking for the next “face” of the pageant.

It isn’t necessary to buy expensive designer labels. Your wardrobe must fit your body perfectly and be appropriate for the system you are competing in. Baggy sweat pants or clothes that are too tight or revealing need to stay at home.
Here are a couple suggestions for the various events.

Arrival/orientation- A nice dress, suit or pant suit. This is when you make your first impression at the pageant. Look FABULOUS when you check into the hotel and go to the contestant orientation.

Rehearsal- A comfortable dress, dress pants or leggings with a fashion top. Be sure to pack all your competition shoes in a cute bag and go to rehearsal. You want to walk and practice in the shoes you will be wearing for that part of the competition.

Parties- Sparkly party dresses, cocktail dresses or homecoming /proms dresses.
The clothing you wear is a reflection of your sense of style and self image. You want to look tasteful, fashionable and current with your style choices.

Connect with your inner fashion diva and have fun at the pageant events.

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Rhonda Shappert is an expert pageant coach, an iPEC Certified Professional Coach, an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner, and a member of the International Coach Federation.

She created Winning Through Pageantry® to partner with pageant contestants and their support people to provide complete pageant preparation, achieve winning results in life through pageantry, and to Succeed From The Inside Out®. She has over 30 years experience in the pageantry world as a contestant, judge, emcee, staff member, mother of daughters who compete, Mrs. Ohio America 2005, and has held multiple titles at the local, state and national levels.

Rhonda graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors degree in Musical Theater from The Ohio State University and has performed on stage in 15 countries on the Asian, European and American continents. This mother of three home educates their children and has been married 22 years to her husband Stephen, a former mayor of her community, and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Ohio Virtual Academy. She and her husband perform original contemporary Christian music. For more information on Rhonda, visit  www.WinningThroughPageantry.com .