Beauty Pageant Minute--Miss Universe 2012--Slit Queens, Cha-Cha/"Dancing With The Stars" Couture!

Beauty Pageant Minute--Miss Universe 2012--Slit Queens, Cha-Cha/"Dancing With The Stars" Couture!

Slit Queens and Cha-Cha Love:

I Hope The Judges Don't See My...Miss Universe India Shilpa Singh and the gown she wore for the "Miss Universe 2012 Evening Gown Official Portrait" 

Photo Courtesy of MissUniverse.com

I've discussed my Favorites of the Miss Universe 2012 Evening Gown Portraits HERE, as well as the "Pageant Bettys" and "Too-Short Gown" girls HERE...so now, it's time to get SERIOUS. SLIT-and-Cha Cha serious. This year--as has been the case recently, there are A LOT of SLIT HAPPY Gowns in the Miss Universe Pageant Evening Gown Official Website Portraits, as well as what I call the "Cha-Cha/Dancing With The Stars" Queens. Now, again, these are just the website's "Official Evening Gown Portraits" and therefore they may not be the actual gowns the ladies will wear in the very important Preliminaries--or the Final telecast for that matter. Lots of the girls like to save the BEST for then. Irregardless...

Let's begin with the SLIT QUEENS:

Miss Albania Adrola Dushi: Do I see TWO slits? I think I do. The other one is just being hidden by an overlay of chiffon. It's a good gown and she certainly is giving a "Do you want a piece of this?" look. How do you say that in Albanian?

Miss Guam Alyssa Cruz Aguero: Alyssa wears a purple-blue one shoulder gown with silver sequin detail and a slit--a very high slit, in which she wants to show you as much leg as possible. I would have rather liked it if she wasn't pulling her gown and dropped it so there might have been a hint of a slit. I have a feeling she's pulling and lifting it because the gown maybe too long on her.

Miss Czech Republic Tereza Chlebovska: I just want to say the name "Tereza Chlebovska" a HUNDRED TIMES!! Love that name. She sounds like a Prima Ballerina! But I digress, let's discuss the gown and that slit: it's a pretty gown and I just didn't think she needed so high a slit. She already looks like she's "Sex on Wheels" so why push it?

Miss Sri Lanka Sabrina Herft: Sabrina could be under my "Pageant Betty" AND "Slit Queen" categories with this dress and entire look. It's very "Pageant 101"...from 1996; it's got the one shoulder, it's got the applique, it's got the chiffon overlay, the slit. It's all there. Like "Check, Check, and Triple Check!" I happen to think...or hope...that Pageant Gowns can evolve.

Miss Georgia Tamar Shedania: The Lady in Red gives you Drama and a Slit! It's not a bad gown, I actually have issues with the dangling "ribbons" more than the slit. This gown looked very familiar for some reason and then it hit me:

 It's a very close cousin--in red--of the beautiful gown that Dayana Mendoza from Venezuela (above), wore to win her "Miss Universe 2008" crown. But notice there are no dangling straps/ribbons.

Miss Estonia Natalie Korneitsik: The pretty Natalie ends up in a "Slit Queen" gown here for the "Miss Universe Evening Gown Official Portraits". I'm bothered by two things. First, the hip draping is distracting and draws my eye to that section. Second, I think she may need a lining under those double layers of chiffon. In the photo, I can see her legs and I'm scared to guess what the judges on stage might also see.

Miss India Shilpa Singh: Shilpa's fuchsia pink gown is very "My Super Sweet Sixteen"...the "I Want To Be Sexy" version. I think there's too much happening here: the embroidered applique in the upper torso bustier, which then is somewhat continued (inexplicably) onto the rest of the gown; then, there's a keyhole near her tummy, a full tulle skirt, and then, the slit. This gown can be helped with editing (take out this and take out that..). Also, why can I see nude-colored bust pads on the bustier? It's distracting to say the least. And a big NO-NO in fashion.

Miss Jamaica Chantal Zaky: This gown isn't so bad. I do love the royal blue color and the back drape/fall, although I think it is attached to her bracelet/cuff!?! The slit isn't so HOOCHIE in that it doesn't seem so high--just right (unless her hand is covering how high that slit really goes!). Chantal is here because yes, kids there was still a SLIT in her gown.

Miss Ukraine Anastasia Chernova: How sweet does this lovely young lady look! I want to take her home to meet the parents! She does continue the sweet demeanor with this strapless modified ball gown. It's a sweet color, it's got sweet details. But wouldn't you know, these pageant girls cannot live without their slits! They are SLIT ADDICTED! (Note to self: Trademark that!)

Miss Colombia Daniella Alvarez Vasquez: First off, I do love a bright color! Highlighter Yellow is FAB! This gown is interesting for it's no-hold's-barred color but also for the neckline detail and the way the shirring/gathering cascades into the bottom skirted section. But, at the same time, it might be considered in some circles a Hot Mess. Not sure about the nude illusion center front bustline panel (you can barely see it in this photo but it looks like it's there). And yes, there is that slit. Say "Hola" to that slit.

Miss Vietnam Luu Thi Diem Huong: Another "Highlighter Yellow" gown. It is strapless and yes, has a big ol' slit. What's most interesante is what is happening around the bustline. What. Is. That? Is there a black edge trim to this gown? If so, it doesn't make sense. Or--worse still--is that the poor girl's black strapless bra sticking out from the dress? If so, the photographer should've Photoshopped that, or the beautiful Miss Vietnam shouldn't have worn it. Either way, it doesn't make sense.



Now, the Cha-Cha Love and Dancing With The Stars Ladies of "Miss Universe 2012":

Miss Spain Andrea Huisgen: Andrea is another one of my favorite contestants and hopefully she will go far; she's got the height, the "spunky" Miss Universe personality, the "I Will Be Famous" and be in "Hola Magazine"-dating-a-Spanish-Footballer look. With this gown, she gets right into my "Cha-Cha" category easily. It's a strapless mermaid-style gown in a gold lame-like fabrication with shredded organza. I actually LOVE this gown but I know some fellow pageant-watchers I've spoken to, well, were not as complimentary. But we agreed, it's FULL-ON Cha Cha!

Miss Malaysia Kimberley Leggett: The lovely Kimberley--another favorite to be in the Semi-Finals (and I can see why), wore this salmon pink colored sequin/feather and illusion gown. It's VERY "Dancing With The Stars"-meets-Figure Skating Costume. And you know I love me some Figure Skating! It's also very "Cha-Cha". Therefore, she lands here.

Miss Greece Vasiliki Tsirogianni: For her gown choice in the Miss Universe 2012 Evening Gown Portraits, Vasiliki wore this nude illusion tulle fitted gown with ivory flower applique. It also has Figure Skating Costume elements as well as a "Dancing With The Stars" costume vibe.The lace over illusion is a big trend in Pageants right now and it can often work well (as seen on Olivia Culpo), but on Vasiliki...not so much. This is why my koukla ("doll" in Greek) ended up in this category.

Miss Peru Nicole Faveron: Nicole wore a column nude tulle/illusion gown with gold jeweled and flecked details. It's a good  gown--in my eyes but yes, some others may think she's a little too "Dancing With The Stars"/Cha-Cha. I can see why. The way this can be taken to a more Red Carpet Couture level is make it more fit-and-flare, add a slight dramatic train and make it not be so see-through. Then, it might look slightly "McQueen"-like.

Miss Costa Rica Nazareth Cascante: Oh Chica, the temperature just got a bit more Caliente. This aqua/turquoise blue and silver beaded gown  has "Carnival Cruise to San Juan Puerto Rico" written all over it! She is a major Cha-Cha Queen in this. Nothing else to say.

Miss Dominican Republic Dulcita Lynn Lieggi: I'm a little "on the fence" with this gown. I like the seafoam green color and the detail of it looks expensive. I also appreciate the lack of a HOOCHIE slit (or at least from how she's posing). I just think it's a little too "Cha-Cha" and with that too-stiff hairstyle, earrings, overall look, she seems "dated"--like very 1998 Pageant. She is GORGEOUS though. I just think she would have looked more up-to-date in a different dress, different hairstyle, etc.

Miss Mauritius Ameeksha Devi Dilshand: Silver gown with silver illusion sides. How could she NOT end up in this "Cha-Cha/Dancing With The Stars" Category. And add "Figure Skating Queen" to that as well.



Finally, The "Monica Belucci Sex Goddess Cha-Cha Miss Universe 2012 Award" Goes To...

Miss Kosovo Diana Avdiu: One word: WOW. This gown has all the elements of A) Cha-Cha Queen and B) "Dancing With The Stars"-like Couture, plus she she GIVING YOU Cleavage darlings. Serving it. And that look. She's almost saying "It's OK if if you don't place me in the Semi-Finals but...if you do, I could make you very, very happy..." Amen Sister!



***Next: The "Oh Dear's!" of the Miss Universe 2012 Evening Gown Portraits...Just You Wait!

64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards: Who Wore What? Jena Malone in J Mendel Resort 2013

64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards: Who Wore What? Jena Malone in J Mendel Resort 2013

 Jena Malone in J Mendel Resort 2013

Emmys Red Carpet: Jenna Malone (actress from the upcoming "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire") wore a Cabernet red silk gown from J Mendel Resort 2013. That's now the SECOND J Mendel Resort 2013 gown at the Emmys Red Carpet. Their PR team is working overtime!! Good for them. I like the color on this one more than Emily VanCamp's... and there's that slit. I think it's officially an Emmys Red Carpet TREND. What do you guys think, of the gown, the color and the slit?

MISS USA 2011: The Preliminary Evening Gown Competition "Me No Likey" & "On The Fence"...

MISS USA 2011: The Preliminary Evening Gown Competition "Me No Likey" & "On The Fence"...

Oh Ladies Ladies Ladies...The Multi-Slits, The Feathers, The Cheap Polyester! Will They Ever Learn??

As you may have read in my previous post, the Miss USA 2011 Pageant is taking place in Las Vegas and late last week was the very important Preliminary Competition--where a "separate panel of judges" decide on who will make it to the Finals during Sunday Night's Live telecast. I gave my "Nick V. Two Cents" on my Favorite Picks from the Preliminary Evening Gown Competition. Some ladies decided to change the gowns they wore on their "Official Gown Portraits" and some, decided to stay the same--some for the better and some, not-so-much.
Here are my Picks for the "No-So-Likey" bunch:

With Strap...

Without...

Miss Delaware USA: Katie Hanson Miss Delaware USA made my previous list of "Not So Likey" from the "Official Evening Gown Portraits" as you can see above (bottom photo), it was a Hodge-podge of a Dress: It was strapless and didn't fit her well (her "sistahs" were too big for that type of dress), the feathers, the shirring, the cheap poly satin...Well, for the Preliminaries, she ADDED Straps!!! (Points for that!) so at least the gown stayed up and there would be no chance for any "spillage" and it did look better on stage. But it's still the same dress! Not So Likey.

Miss Pennsylvania USA: The GORGEOUS Amber-Joi Watkins looks very "Dancing With The Stars" in this mint-green satin-and-sequins floor-sweeping of a gown. At first glance, I was like "well, it's OK..." but then...

GURL!! TWO SLITS?? It's a "Car Wash Gown"! Not only does she look like a contestant on "Dancing With The Stars" but that dress can also WASH my brand new car as well!! And not to mention the fact that she HAD to take the look even further by wearing not ONE but TWO matching crystal bracelets--on each wrist, plus a big ol' ring, plus those earrings!!! And big stacked nude PUMPS just really didn't go with this kind of a dress. Chalk it up to bad, ill-advised styling.

Miss Tennessee USA: Ashley Elizabeth Durham is sooooo pretty--or shall I say "puurrteee" (in my best Southern accent). Here are the positives: I actually like the jeweled-and-all over sequin fabric. I just think she A) Didn't need the slit and B) She DEFINITELY should have not had the lining stop 1/2 inch below her crotch! The gown should have been covered with no slit and fully lined. And that's that! Then it would have been an actually nice Red Carpet-style gown. But this dress as it is--well, all I can focus on is THAT crotch area.

Miss Wyoming USA: No. No. And No. Kaytlin Davis Miss Wyoming USA wore this lavender sequin and-satin gown to the Preliminary Competition. I like the color (get the positive out of the way!) but...the style is literally straight out of a "Beauty Pageant 101 Catalog" from 1987. Seriously, when is the last time you saw a top actress or celeb on the Red Carpet of an award show, movie premiere, gala, in THIS kind of a dress? Let me answer you: NEVER! Then why would you wear this to the Miss USA 2011 Evening Gown Competition? This is a dress that a "Housewife of New Jersey" finds at her local Consignment Store for a steal of $50 for her cousin's wedding.

Most Disappointing Award Goes To...

Miss California USA Alyssa Campanella is one of the best, if not THE BEST models in the group and she can carry off almost anything she wears. This dress is just so predictable. A red head in a green dress...everything about it is so "Pageant Betty". And part of me thinks that it didn't need the sequined section IN ADDITION to the strong architectural solid fabrication. I would have just let the gown be all the same ONE fabric with maybe "hints" of sequins. With such a strong contestant like Alyssa, I wish they would have given her something a bit more daring and edgy. Go to famed Venezuelan Pageant Designer Gionni Straccia; he would know what to put her in!!

I'm On The Fence About...

Miss Alabama USA Madeline Mitchell: The overall look is very impacting, the pose is FAB, the hair is good, the gown is also good. It's just I wish the style was more, well, up to date with 2011. It's like I've seen this gown back in 1992. The off-the-shoulder, the key-hole "sweetheart" neckline, the slit...

She looks very Michelle McLean Miss Universe 1992 (above pics). That's Nineteen Ninety Two!!!!

Miss Florida USA: Lissette Garcia is WORKING IT overtime...with this gown. This is why I am "on the fence". I'm loving the mirrored jeweled detail at the torso section of the gown but then it goes into "I'm a Basketball Wife-former-Stripper" mode from then on. If only, (here we go again) maybe the slit wasn't so high--or if it wasn't even there! Although Lissette is of Cuban descent (she represented Cuba in "Reina Hispanoamerica 2007"), she still does give me "Miss Dominican Republic"-fierceness and I give her points for that!

Miss South Carolina: Finally, my last "On The Fence" is the lovely Courtney Hope Turner. Lipstick red, princess-seamed fitted satin gown...and THOSE Volants--or Ruffles for the Gringos...It's very Oscar de la Renta, very Cha-Cha. And I like those two things. But is this the right gown for her? I think it might be the cheap satin fabrication that bothers me. I don't know, I'm asking my readers here? What do you think? I do LOVE those earrings though! I think my mommy had earrings like that and I even think they were actual Rubies--must ask her where those are...

Red Carpet Report: Weekly Round-Up Part 2--Heidi Klum, Naomie Harris, Molly Sims, Krysten Ritter

Red Carpet Report: Weekly Round-Up Part 2--Heidi Klum, Naomie Harris, Molly Sims, Krysten Ritter

Plunging Necklines, Valentino Shorts, and ONE Dress for Two Red Carpet Events...

Heidi Klum: My dear friend, Supermodel and SuperMommy Heidi Klum attended the 2nd Annual amfAR Inspiration Gala yesterday at the Museum of Modern Art New York City, wearing a baby blue halter gown with plunging neckline and high side-slit from one of my favorite Project Runway judges (he he!), Michael Kors. GA-GA-Gorgeous! Love the slicked back hair, the tan, the strappy heels! She is soooo going to meet friends for dinner ON HER Yacht off the Amalfi Coast wearing this look! Rumour has it that Heidi is in town to begin filming the new season of Project Runway--Season 9 (yes, kids, look out for some covered vans outside of Parsons in the next coming weeks!!!) as well as the new All Stars season (killing two Project Runway Birds with one fashionable stone!!).

Naomie Harris: English Actress Naomie Harris attended the 2011 Keep A Child Alive Black Ball wearing Valentino Spring 2011. At first I was like "She looks fairly familiar but...Who Is She?" and then I Googled her and Voila: "Pirates of The Caribbean" (oh yeah!!! Love her!) AND "28 Days Later". Well, I knew she was somebody, especially since the press house of Valentino doesn't just lend out dresses to anybody! I love this look on her--the silk organza blouse, the high-neck, those embroidered lace high-waisted shorts...all finished off perfectly with a simple black clutch and STOMPING black heels.

Molly Sims: Model/actress Molly Sims stepped out onto the 3rd Annual Bent On Learning Benefit Red Carpet wearing this demure and oh-so-sweet strapless dress in dusty rose featuring some nice side pleating and folding.

Krysten Ritter: "She's Out Of My League" and "Confessions of a Shopaholic" actress and former model, Kristen Ritter (no relation to the late actor John Ritter) was at the grand opening of Dream Downtown, PH-D Rooftop Lounge and Marble Lane restaurant wearing a silver and blush/nude tiered dress from Alice + Olivia. After attending the 3rd Annual Bent On Learning Benefit (sponsored by Alice + Olivia) Krysten dashed over to Dream Downtown to get her "party on". Two Red Carpet events, One Dress. No outfit changes. Good Girl.