As a group, I like to think that us pageant girls are pretty fashion forward. Some of the designs I’ve seen on stage are amazing and so unique not only in the fashion round but also in the evening gown segment. I love seeing the different trends that appear every couple of years and I also love looking back on the trends that we once thought were the best thing ever only to now wonder ‘what were we thinking?!’. Over the years there’s a noticeable trend shift and there’s always one design aspect that overtakes each year whether that be the high-low, the trouser/skirt combo, fringes, capes or liquid beading. My absolute favourite thing though is when you see a design on stage that is so unique that the person wearing it is almost permanently associated with that particular look for years to come.
Some of these gowns are infamous and while we all strive for uniqueness and something different, is it ok to have replicas made of bespoke designs you’ve seen on the stage previously because they made an impact? As someone who has designed my own fashion wear in every competition I’ve participated in, I can honestly say I’d be pretty heartbroken if I saw a rip-off of any of my gowns on a stage. So where does the line get crossed between being “inspired by” and just straight up copying?
What I will say is that, as someone who has been around pageants for almost a decade, I still shock myself with my random dress knowledge. I’ve often caught myself muttering “Oh, such-and-such wore that for Miss Blah Blah 2015!” and immediately wonder why I know this. It’s because the knockout and unique dresses are etched into my brain and I know I’m not the only one to be able to recall designers, styles, colours, contestants and years at the drop of a hat. If my brain had cooperated this much in school, I’d be a member of MENSA with 7 PHDs by now.
Many dresses are often immediately associated with their original wearer when seen again and you can hear the rumble round the table of “Is that X’s dress?”. In the case of multiple owners, we can even track the timeline of who owned it when from the original buyer to the current owner. Sad? Probably, but my point is we notice this stuff, and so do the judges. I think this is more noticeable in the fashion wear round than evening because so many are now bespoke and custom made for the original wearer. This makes it glaringly obvious if a dress for this particular round has been copied. I will stress that when I say 'copied' I mean just that. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with wearing previously owned dress as it’s been sold on by the original owner with the intention for it to be worn again by someone else so that’s not what I’m referring to.
Something about copying someone’s bespoke dress, that they have chosen to hold onto, just doesn’t sit right with me. Less so if they’ve designed it themselves; and I’ll tell you for why. Firstly, it doesn’t do you any favours as it demonstrates a lack of originality or imagination and if your judges have attended previous or other competitions, I can pretty much guarantee that they’ll recognise the design. Secondly, I feel it’s massively disrespectful to the effort that the girl who owns the original put into it. It takes a lot of hard work and is a labour of love to design your own dress because it’s all about creating something that shows off your personality and that you’ll feel amazing it. Another point to note is that many girls choose the bespoke route so that their gown is a one-off and is unique to them. By copying it, you are taking that away from them. From a judge’s point of view, the WOW moments come from seeing something we’ve never seen before and that the girl evidently feels amazing in because it’s unique to her and fits her to a tee. That’s when you really shine.
It’s a challenging task to undertake if you do want to go down the bespoke route but it’s completely worth it when you first try on that dress that is perfect for you and that you know no one else has. There are some incredible dress makers out there if you can’t sew yourself (believe me I’m hopeless) and the quality is beautiful. There’s always a design that hasn’t been ventured and I’m absolutely not saying don’t take inspiration from outfits you’ve seen in the past as this can be a great way to filter what features you like and dislike, but do try and keep it fresh.
The bottom line though, which is something you can take with you in life, is that originality is key and no one can do you like you can – so do YOU, no one else.