Miss Arkansas USA Helen Wisner and Miss California USA Cassandra Kunze During the Miss USA 2014

Slit Happy: Miss Arkansas USA Helen Wisner and Miss California USA Cassandra Kunze during the Miss USA 2014 Preliminary Evening Gown Competition, Baton Rouge River Center Baton Rouge Louisiana

In my last post HERE, I discussed my Top Ten Best Gown Picks from the Miss USA 2014 Preliminary Competition. Now, it's time to talk about the contestants's who I wished "Could Have Been Better" and the "Slit Happy" ones...

Now, to begin with there weren't that many "Oh No She Didn't!" gown moments so this isn't the post for the "Worst"; like I said, these just could have been better...Shall we begin:

Miss Mississippi USA Chelsea Reardon: The lovely Chelsea wore a different gown than what she wore for the "Evening Gown Portraits" (right photo). And it wasn't any better. While she chose a popular white/ivory color, and the gown isn't bad at all, it's just a little dated and unoriginal. And in terms of styling, she was ill-advised with the ageing hair up-do and too-big earrings.

Miss New Mexico USA Kamryn Blackwood: I put the pretty Kamryn in my "Uh Oh!" list for what she wore for the Gown Portraits and unfortunately, she wore the same dress for the Preliminaries on Wednesday night. It's waaay too tacky-licious; the exposed midriff, the too-close-to-a-wardrobe-malfunction bandeau one- shoulder top...It's screams "Oh Dear!" and definitely Could Have Been Better.

Miss Rhode Island USA Christina Palavra: One of the youngest contestants at the Miss USA 2-14 pageant (she's 19!), she makes a very strong impression with her exotic skin coloring, hair and height (she's 5' 11"). But with this royal blue velvet gown with long sleeves and silver sequined applique, she's not gaining any style fans. The gown is very Mother-of-the-Bride circa 1996 and it just doesn't do her any favors. I'm liking the red and gold "Bollywood"-like concoction she wore for the Gown Portraits (right photo) better. Christina DEFINITELY could have been better.

Miss Tennessee USA Kristy Landers Niedenfuer: Nashville-native Kristy was ready for the Grand Ole Opry in the black and emerald green sequin applique halter gown she wore on Wednesday night's Preliminaries. It was a Gown Change from what she wore for the Gown Portraits (right photo) and I kinda wished she would have NOT changed. The Preliminaries gown looked dated and very "Pageant Betty".

Miss Utah USA Angelia Layton: First off, it's not a bad looking gown--this royal blue Mermaid-shaped strapless dress. It's just not right for Angelia. The Crest-White Strips smile and too-perfectly blond hair scream "Pageant Betty". The entire look is a little dated. She wore this same gown for the Gown portraits and I just wished she would have gone for something more modern.



And now, the SLIT HAPPY Ladies:

Miss Arkansas USA Helen Wisner: OK, foirst off, I wasn't much of a fan of what she wore for the Gown Portraits (those boobie pads were not cute!) and for the Prelims, the beautiful Helen decided to continue the "I-Am-Too-sexy" vibe with this teal green gown with WAAAY too plunging neckline and too high of a side front slit. She's got a SLAMMIN' body, however, there are other more subtle ways of showing it.

Miss California USA Cassandra Kunze: Oh Cassandra. Why? I (kind ) lliked the copper/gold sequined strapless gown you wore for the Gown Portraits) but for the Preliminary Competition, you decided to show too much leg and too much boobie cleavage: it's a little too "Real Housewives of Orange County". And I HATE seeing those nude too-platform heels: #HideThem.

Miss Maryland USA Taylor Burton: Taylor wore a blush-colored sequined gown with a crystal neckband and very high front side slit. I wish she would have just worn the strawberry gown she wore for the Gown Portrait. A pet peeve of mine is seeing the rippled wrinkled mess that is the inside lining. Someone should have pressed and/or steamed that thang! ASAP.

Miss Vermont USA Gina Bernasconi: I think Gina is so beautiful. She wore this same gown for the Gown Portraits in the Miss USA website. It's OK. And yeah, that's it. This gorgeous woman deserves better, than this. She tries to make it sexy with that slit but take the slit away and it;'s a dress for an older Mother-of-the-Bride.

Miss West Virginia USA Charisse Haislop: Finally, it's time for Charisse. She's definitely a "Slit Happy" girl in this gown. It's not a bad gown but I am a little over the halter/key-hole combo. The gown style is just rather dated and very early 2000's. I just want to see a bit more up-to-date modern Couture styles from these girls. And then there's those tacky platform heels. Seriously???



***THIS SUNDAY the Finals for the Miss USA 2014 Pageant....Stay tuned for my Miss USA 2014 Final Telecast Gown Review!!!

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss USA 2013 Preliminary Evening Gown Competition: Slit Queens, Blue Belles, Lipstick Ladies and Pageant Betty's!

Slit Queen or Pageant Betty: Miss Virginia USA Shannon McAnally and Miss New Mexico USA Kathleen Danzer share things in common at Wednesday night's Miss USA 2013 Preliminary Evening Gown Competition--PH Live Theater Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Las Vegas

As you might have read in my last few postings here on my blog,  it's "Miss USA" time again and that means one thing: Pageant Gowns! The all-important Preliminary Competition occurred this past Wednesday night at PH Live Theater in Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Las Vegas--site of the Finals on Sunday night. In my last post, I discussed my Favorites in Evening Gown (Miss Minnesota USA, Miss Texas USA, and so on) and now it's time to discuss "The Others". Normally, this is the "Oh Dear!" post. However, I have to admit, there weren't that many "Oh Dear's!" this year. This is a good thing and could signify that these pageant girls--and their style handlers--are getting a little more conscious of what defines A MESS. But for some pageant watchers (the catty ones!) it's also a semi-bad thing, since there's not much to wreck, as it were. So, with that in mind, I decided to break down the girls who STILL love a Good Slit, the "Blue Belles" (the color blue was a trend) as well as "Lipstick Ladies" (red gowns) and finally, the Pageant Betty's; contestants whose gowns were a bit of a throw-back to the 1990s. So, let's get to it:

Slit Queens:

Show Some Leg: (Left to right) Miss Alaska USA, Miss Florida USA, Miss California USA, Miss Nevada USA--these ladies (among others) love a good slit in their gowns. The slit is a very popular detail in Pageant Gowns and has been for years. I also love a good slit and have designed many a NIKOLAKI gown with them. They've even now "invaded" the red carpet with the likes of Angelina Jolie showing what a slit can do! But sometimes, the pageant girls take a slit to new heights (like waaaay up there!). And this is where you might go into "Oh Dear!" territory. The contestants above did just fine, with all their slits, thank you very much. Now, here are two ladies who took the slit to new heights on Wednesday night---First, Miss North Carolina USA Ashley Mills...



Seems OK to me, very sweet and pretty:

Uh Oh, I see something...

GURL!!!!!! Are you wearing SEQUINED HOT SHORTS under there:

Miss North Carolina USA takes the Miss USA 2013 Drag Queen "Give Them Drama" Award for this UBER show of leg.



Next, Miss Virginia USA Shannon McAnally:

One Look and She'll Steal Your Husband: Shannon is a Lady Killer in that gown. Combined with that come-hither look, the up-do and that perfectly curvaceous body of hers, EVERY woman should hold on to their boyfriends and husbands. Now let's discuss her Slit and those Heels:

Is that a nude gusset up there at the beginning of her slit? And why is that up there? Was it added because it was just too dangerously high to begin with (the slit, that is). Or is it a peek-a-boo extension of the nude/sequined detail in the gown? I'm a bit confused. And let's just be honest here, she was already Super Sexy with all that was happening, she really didn't need to take it further with those platform "Stripper" heels. The entire package is two minutes away from looking like a "Real Housewives of Orange County" cast member.



The Blue Belles:

Blue--and many shades of blue--were big at the Miss USA 2013 Preliminary Evening Gown Competition. These ladies above (and several others) wore various tones of blue--royal blue, turquoise, ocean blue, baby blue, midnight blue...you name it, it was on stage. Of the eight contestants above, some of my Blue Faves were Miss Idaho USA Marissa Wickland and Miss Missouri USA Ellie Holtman...



Lipstick (Red) Ladies:

Red was also a big "Color Trend" at the Miss USA 2013 Preliminary Evening Gown Competition. Two of my Favorite Gowns of the night were, in fact, in this "Lipstick Red" color: Miss Minnesota USA Danielle Hooper (far left) and Miss Texas USA Alexandria Nugent (far right).



Pageant Betty's:

There are always a bunch of contestants at the Miss USA (and especially Miss America) who, for whatever reason, do not want to start a new Evening Gown trend or are being told by their handlers to just look and dress like a Pageant Queen from "Hollywood Central Casting" or as we like to say, a Pageant Betty. These ladies above fit this mold. First off, these contestants are gorgeous, but I question why some of them chose gowns that looked straight out of a Miss USA 1998 pageant (Miss Colorado USA, Miss North Dakota USA). I know that there should be sparkles in a pageant gown but these above look dated. A note to Pageant Gown manufacturers, designers, whoever...Take a look at how Lebanese couturiers George Hobeika, Ellie Saab, Zuhair Murad do sparkle gowns. Please. Now, speaking of Sparkle...

Sparkle, Slit and Pageant Betty:  Why is the lovely Miss New Mexico USA Kathleen Danzer in this "Pageant Betty" section? Shouldn't she be in the Slit Queen category, you may ask? Of course she can be in the Slit Queen section (especially with this see-through sequined slit-happy gown), but it was that big ol' bun of hers which made me give her a "Pageant Betty Runner-Up" prize. That bun can withstand a hurricane. I swear. It was very reminiscent of Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes' bun:

 The Leila Bun--Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes from Angola

Finally, my (really good) Pageant Betty Queens of the Miss USA 2013 Prelims Are...

Miss Alabama USA Mary-Margaret McCord: Mary-Margaret is a BEAUTIFUL "Pageant Betty". For the evening gown portion of Wednesday night's Preliminaries, she wore a strapless black mermaid-shaped gown. It fit her perfectly and everything else she did--in terms of styling--was just right. She's a Pageant Betty Gone Right! (and some pageant-watchers think she might be the actual next Miss USA).

Miss Kentucky USA Allie Leggett wore this dusty rose pink mermaid-shaped gown with sequined bodice and feathered bottom section. It's very "Pageant Betty" but not in a dated, negative way. I actually think she looks pretty Pageant Perfect; it's got drama, it's sweet, it's impressive and on the very beautiful Allie, I couldn't have chosen a better gown.