Fellow Carriefairfielders,

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[color="#00bfff"]I'll try not to sound crass, so here it goes... With the very descriptive and informative category description that was on here earlier this year, a lot of girls I (hear) are taking the couture route this year. What are your thoughts about couture gowns versus the typical (pow, wow, sock) it to me beaded and stoned gowns. Do you think they will score well, especially with final night gown being comparitive and ranked?

I personally dont think they will. I say that because based on what was presented at the Plus pageant, some of the gown rankings weren't accurate. Some girls had beautiful fabric pieces but they were clearly not perferred to the rhinestoned to death gowns. In other systems, fabric can beat a rhinestone gown, but at USA, the rhinestone peice would have to be ugly or just plane out a mess to get beaten by fabric. It's like judging a christmas tree contest and one tree has tinsel and bulbs versus the other one with tinsel, bulbs, and LIGHTS. No comp.

Well hopefully...a contender with the well-taped balls to do so, will wow us with some couture and inspire others to do the same in the future!

I agree Nebo

I do think we might see some Couture gowns for prelim nights but I can bet (and hopefully not lose) that we will see some very beaded gowns on that final night stage

I hope that we do see more couture this year. Matter of fact...I know SEVERAL that are planning on doing so. Change is upon us and its time to see things differently!

Well said Bob!!

JB

David is exactly right. Anyone that is serious about winning studies the scoring system and they know that on final night the gown that "looks" the most expensive always wins. (Except the year Kara won) I expect they'll bring out some cute prom dresses for prelim night to bore the audience with but on final night a smart "contender" isn't going to make that mistake in a comparative category.

There is nothing wrong with the gown category at USofA...it is a signature look to the contest. If I wanted to see a bunch of Jovani and Terrani gowns I'd drive 3 or 4 blocks to my local American Legion Hall and see a real girl pageant. I get on a plane once a year in May and fly to Dallas to see DRAG!

Thats all well and good Andy, however, as I said above...change is upon us! Trust me! USofA is bringing amazing changes to the system so as to continue to be the leader in the industry. Jerry is serious about this! He has made that very clear! The bling gowns are lovely and, yes, we get a huge kick out of seeing them. What will happen is that the system will fine tune the gown category as we move forward and the new age of gown competition will become just as exciting!

I believe Couture is in, I believe beads and stones are in also fabric. Its all on how you present it to the judges and how you sell it on stage to the viewers. Its good the system is opening up to different looks and not just beads beads and more beads. But I love drag so whatever gown prove to be the winning gown well let it be. I will say this week will be great and we all will have fun and enjoy what the USofA system has created for us (Pageantry).

Well I must say I was very dissappointed that Fabric was no where to be found Last Night. I was hoping with the new fashion rule, that a few girls would try to do something new. Danielle Hunter was the only one who came close to all fabric. Oh well. Maybe someone in the small girl division will take the chance.

Just want to point out... that coutoure can STILL be stoned all to H-E-L-L. Coutoure is the styling, not the embelishments.
Regardless, a fabric piece will have to be SERIOUS to stand next to and beat a rhinestoned or beaded gown as it's being RANKED...
Fact is tho, regardless if they slay gown or not, at USA one thing you can count on is that the person who wins will have to not only be consistent in the rest of the categories but also be MORE consistent than the other girls who were also consistent. That's how you win a RANKED pageant... be BETTER than the rest, not just as good.
Not concerned with the outcome of USA... never am...it's always justifiable... never perfect cause you can't please everyone, but ALWAYS conceivable and I've found it fair IMO.
That is one thing I can NOT say about a lot of other systems.

11 out of 12 gowns couture... Interesting and ooo never mind.....

Huh? Were u at the pageant? There was only 2 gowns I would consider "couture" Amy and Tiona

And you're right...nevermind LOL