Price Tags DON’T Win Titles!

Another misconception that surrounds pageantry is that it costs a lot of money. The idea of purchasing a gown and having a pageant day wardrobe seems daunting, but I’d like you to guess how much I spend on this new Ashley Lauren gown…

Me strutting my stuff in an incredible black gown with beading

on the back. Photo courtesy of Brook Hollis Photography (2022).

Any guesses?

I bought it brand new for a grand total of $200! BRAND NEW! This beauty was waiting for me at a local boutique!

Okay, $200 may be out of your budget so try this one on for size. This talent gown was bought new, but had sat in the store for a few months. It had no issues, and even had pockets!

Performing my talent at the Miss Cardinal Scholarship Pageant last

October. Photo courtesy of Miss Cardinal Scholarship Organization

(2021).

What do you think? Any guesses?

I only paid 95$! I picked this one up at my favorite local consignment store!

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Pageant girls, myself included, are some of the most frugal people you’ll ever meet. We pinch pennies tighter than anyone you know. From borrowing earrings from each other, to offering up a pair of heels to complete another girl’s look, we do it all! Where we really know how to save our money is on the wardrobe side. In the off-season, a lot of girls trade and sell their gowns on Facebook Marketplace to other titleholders and competitors to make sure everyone has a fresh wardrobe for each new season. How cute are we? Most of us have Earring Punch Cards where every pair you buy gets you a punch, and 10 punches gets you a free pair!

On that note, never ask me how many pairs of earrings I have…

I feel like most people forget that Miss America girls are college students and grads competing for some extra scholarship money! Sure, we look fabulous, but we know how to do it without breaking the bank. With four different phases of competition all calling for a different outfit, how do we do it?

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Consignment shops are the place to go!

I love consignment shops with all my heart. I can walk in there to find a formal gown, walk three steps over, and pick up a cute dress to interview in. It’s the best place ever. I’m also a huge supporter of small businesses, so I love to shop small. Local businesses have so much to offer that chain stores, especially when it comes to the bonds you create with the shop owners. I also am environmentally conscious, and shopping small is better for the environment!

What I love even more about consignment shops is the prices! The amount of steals I’ve picked up is absolutely incredible. In my time within the Miss America Organization, I’ve competed on-stage in four consignment gowns! I even performed my Miss Indiana talent in a gown I consigned for $80!

This consigned beauty shimmered on stage as I performed Barbra Streisand’s

Happy Days Are Here Again on the Miss Indiana stage. Photo courtesy of Roger

David Manning (2022).

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So the moral of the story is, a gown doesn’t make a winner. Frankly, neither does money!

Your character is not determined by the brand of your gown, it’s determined by the brand you establish for yourself on-stage. People always say that the way you wear your gown speaks volumes, and personally, I make $90 look like a million bucks!