First Time Pageant? Here is your Essential Guide to Choosing the Perfect Jewelry
Competing in your first pageant - whether it's you on that stage or your daughter - can be both exhilarating and terrifying. It's not entirely unlike skydiving. Once you decide to jump, the pure bliss that follows is… addicting. Also, just like skydiving, there are some things you need to know beforehand to make sure you're ready and can stick that landing. So grab your chute and let's take a look at the ins and outs of Sparkle in PageantLand…
First of all, PageantLand IS different from real life.
… and if you've been dress shopping you may have figured this one out already - you're not in Kansas any more. "Pageant dresses", whether grown-up, teen or little girl are, well, kinda over the top. Gloriously over the top. These are the clothes we wish we had when we were little girls playing dress up.
So when you get to the jewelry, forget what you know about "keeping it simple", or "not overdoing it". Like Oz, the rules are different here. So, what's the 411 on your jewelry toolbox for Pageant Outing #1? Here we go…
IS THIS THE REAL LIFE? IS THIS JUST FANTASY?
While IRL your jewelry and wardrobe is seen at perhaps one to six feet away, in PageantLand it's seen at 15 or more feet away - sometimes 50 feet or more! Video? That camera could be even further. While an outfit with simple lines may read fairly well, a pair of simple earrings may as well stay in the dressing room.
This doesn't mean you should dress like a showgirl - but a tasteful hint of over the top is usually not a bad idea when your target eyeballs are that far off.
That being said, each system is subtly different. Some systems cater to a glamorous, fashion-forward vibe, others lean more into your platform. Some are heavily into the fitness aspect of competition - each has their own feel, as well as different venues for each event within the system.
Ask questions. Talk to your director and get a feel for what is expected. Are there Facebook groups for your cohort of competitors? Join in. Investigate who's won before and see what they wore. You don't want to copy anyone's look, but if big and jangly seems to be the winning look, you don't want to show up in pearl studs. Or vice versa!
It's all about the EVENTS
All pageants have various events. The one that everyone thinks about - and probably watched on television as a kid - is the Evening Gown Competition. The iconic parade of states in gorgeous gowns is etched in everyone's mind. Here's the thing though: if you don't nail a few events that come before that, you may not even get to actually compete in the EG! Let's run through what events you're likely to come up against in your first pageant and how jewelry plays in each one.
INTERVIEW
Virtually all pageant systems have at least one form of interview competition; some have more than one. The two most prevalent forms are Personal (or Private) Interview and On-Stage Interview. Personal interviews are private, i.e. not onstage, just you and one or more judges. Dress is fluid, but can be described as "creative professional" for adults, and "Sunday School" for kids.
Some stylists will tell you not to wear any sparkly jewelry for interview, but from three decades of experience we can tell you - if you love sparkle, judicious sparkle will not hurt your interview. What we do NOT recommend is anything distracting. Nothing jangly or noisy, no large drops. Again "creative professional" is a great way to describe the jewelry here too. Crystal studs or buttons that accent your look are great; if you're a brooch girl (there's a few of us out there!) fly your colors. Bracelets are usually a pass, especially if you tend to talk with your hands. Necklaces… it's a balance. We'd send a little out in a gorgeous crystal butterfly pendant in a heartbeat. Big girls… probably not.
If your interview score is shaky, you probably need to work on your interview. Not your jewelry. #hardtruth
FITNESS/ATHETIC WEAR/SWIMSUIT -
*If jewelry is permitted and not supplied*
This is a great opportunity to have some serious fun and let your personality come through, because really, who actually wears jewelry with these outfits? Only in PageantLand, and that's why we love it!
If you're an unapologetic sparkle girl, anything goes here from a pair of tiny matching studs or buttons to some fabulous shortish drop earrings. We've seen some dyed in the wool glamour girls go full on drippy chandelier earrings with their swimsuit and pull it off with style. If that's you - and there's no rules against it - go for it! If sparkle and a bikini doesn't float your boat there's nothing wrong with sticking to a pair of classic silver hoops either. This is truly a category to have some fun and show your personality - as long as the event rules are flexible. (Bracelets are overkill here, and we call necklaces a def no-no!) IT IS ALSO NOT WRONG to forego jewelry in this category if that's you. There are plenty of other events to bring the sparkle. Above all: Do You.
Do keep in mind that the Fitness category, however it plays out, is generally held in an auditorium, onstage in some way. Plan to be seen from a distance!
FUN FASHION
One category you may be fortunate to have in your event is FUN FASHION! Everyone from competitors to stylists to designers loves this one - it's every girl's chance to bring out their inner Barbie, because almost anything goes here! When choosing your jewelry the only rule is to make it work with your outfit. FF earrings are usually big and bold, and lots of fun, and since we see a lot of one-shoulder outfits, frequently asymmetrical. If you have a ginormous poof on one shoulder, well that poof needs room to breathe!
Bracelets are a ton of fun in Fun Fashion, from a huge cuff to an arm full of sparkle - but do be mindful of choosing bracelets that are compatible with your gown. Bracelets with prong set crystals are not friends with delicate fabrics or beading, and you do not want your wrists snagging your skirt. ALWAYS rehearse with your jewelry on!
If you love statement necklaces, this is the one category where we say go for it! Seriously, there's almost no rules here - it's called FUN Fashion for a reason, with a license to be a little crazy.
The TALENT Competition
Does your pageant have a TALENT competition? This is the event you've worked the hardest for, and you've probably got this look down over years of practice. Select jewelry that's appropriate to your talent, i.e. the movement and physicality of your performance. Even the most athletic dance routine can handle a pair of small studs for sparkle and color. Every singer needs earrings - and statement necklaces and a great voice are a killer combo. Funky talent? Funky jewelry. Have some fun - but do not compromise your routine for the sake of adding jewelry. If your choreography doesn't allow for jewelry, then that's that.
If it does… then have some fun with it, in keeping with your costume and song/monologue/music. Coaches get the last word here!
The EVENING GOWN Competition
This is the moment. The iconic "I'm in a pageant!" moment. The outfit you hope to be crowned in, the one all the photos get taken in. The dress that makes you feel like a princess. The money shot.
For grown-up girls…
The only thing you really need to consider for the Evening Gown Competition is earrings. Once in a blue moon you'll come across a gown that is the perfect foil for a statement necklace, but more often that not a necklace will either get lost or be overkill. Occasionally a fabulous bracelet is just the right accent - but more often than not you don't need it. Rings are just unnecessary as an adornment, but if you have rings you wear on a daily basis there's no reason to take them off - and we do not suggest leaving a valuable ring in the dressing room.
So what to choose? Everyone has an opinion here, but there are a few basic guidelines:
If your gown has stoning or beading, that's your map. PRO TIP: If the stones are in settings, look carefully to see if those settings are gold or silver in color - that tells you the plating color for your earrings.
It's absolutely permissible to "lean" the color of your earrings one way or another. For instance, let's say your gown is stoned in blues, greens and yellows. You love the combination but you don't feel yellow is your best color. There's no rule that says you have to have yellow in your earrings - or maybe just a bare hint. Remember what we said earlier about the difference between up close and personal jewelry and 30-feet-away jewelry? No one will miss that yellow from 30 feet away; but they will be able to tell that you have a great match.
What if you have a gorgeous draped fabric gown without any stoning? Lucky girl! The world is yours to play! What's your vibe? A classic match, or a bold "pop of color"? Both are right! A red earring with a black gown is gorgeous - so is Emerald, or royal blue or virtually anything!
One guideline we try to keep in mind at SSC is contrast. The eye is drawn to contrast and we want all eyes drawn to you. This means that if you have light colored hair, we're likely to put a deeper toned earring on you - or one with deeper tones in it. Likewise, if you have darker hair (especially darker hair and skin) we are not going to want a solid dark stoned earring on you. We'll want something with some brightness to up that contrast.
One way to see how this works is to try on different earrings, stand back a little from a well lit mirror - and squint. Yup - squint! That makes you lose all the detail - just like you would from a distance - and only see the bigger (and fuzzier) picture. Who knew one of your best tools came onboard by default?
But what about shape?
So much of shape is about what you love - and so many old rules have gone out the window. A few still hold true, but now they're less "rules" and more guidelines. Long, slender earrings will lengthen your face - and wide earrings (especially shorter ones) will make it look wider. But keep in mind that even these guidelines apply more to still images than a racehorse in motion… and when you're onstage you are very much a racehorse in motion.
Consulting an experienced designer or stylist - like the experts at SSC - is always the safest bet. Keep the TheSSC ACID TEST in mind though:
Does it make you feel like you already won?
There's a look we see when "it's the dress" - or THE earrings. It's unmistakable. Don't overthink. Above all, competing is fun. It's insanely great at building confidence (even as it makes you rethink every decision you ever made.. )
For little girls…
Your baby girl needs to feel like a fairy princess. Keep her size in mind, and make sure her jewelry is appropriate for her size. We do see a few moms who push the earrings a little too big, and it's truly not necessary. There's plenty of time for bigger jewels as she grows. Please don't feel that you have to put her in bigger earrings because she's not pierced - ask about magnets. They only have to be on for a little while, and if they're pinchy, there's tricks!
We do have one DON'T on our list: Hair Accessories. They are just not a great idea for the Evening Gown Competition. If you need to pull your hair up or back, keep the pins or elastics as sleek and unobtrusive as possible. Keep in mind that should you win, a crown needs to get put on that head, and the last thing you want is something interfering with the ceremony. You'll be shaking anyway, and the outgoing queen will be doing her best to get it attached to you while you're bobbling up and down. Have pity and make her job as easy as possible. At the very least, consider the possibility of winning and crowning when placing anything in your hair for the gown you'll be wearing during the crowning event.
To sum it up…
- Concentrate on earrings- you really do have to have them for most events, and they're your biggest bang for your look. You want everyone to look at your face, right? Not your wrist. Most gowns do not benefit from a necklace, so in most cases, skip it.
- In order of importance: (1) Evening Gown (2) Talent (3) Fun Fashion (4) Interview (5) Swimsuit/Fitness/Athletic Wear
- Remember you're choosing jewelry for STAGE WEAR, not for up close and personal real life. Step far back from the mirror and SQUINT!
- Follow the stoning/beading colors on your dress or outfit first; if there's no stoning, you can either match or accent.
Remember: the creative team at Stefanie Somers is always available to answer any questions you might have about what you need to create the perfect look. You can hit us up in chat, email us or call us, send us wardrobe photos or sketches. Consider us an extension of your styling team - we're here for you, every time!
Let's make something beautiful together!
Image courtesy of National American Miss
📷 Victor Picazo for Urban Hill Photography