SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Grand International 2017 National Costumes: My Top 15!

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Grand International 2017 National Costumes: My Top 15!

It's officially the start of International Beauty Pageant Season!!! To begin all the Sashes and Tiaras fabulousness is the Miss Grand International 2017 beauty pageant which is occurring in Vietnam with the Final Crowning Night taking place on October 25th. A couple of nights ago were the much-awaited Miss Grand International 2017 National Costume Competition. The 77 contestants--from all over the world--from Argentina to Wales--showcased costumes representing their nations, islands and territories...

 Fantasy Fab: (L to R) Miss Grand Indonesia Dea Goesti Rizkita, Miss Grand India Anukriti Gusain and Miss Grand Laos Chinnaly Gorasing--Miss Grand International 2017 National costume Competition

Photos courtesy of Miss Grand International Facebook Page

 Flora and Fauna: (L to R) Miss Grand Argentina Yoana Don, Miss Grand Panama Andrea  Torres and Miss Grand Peru Maria Jose Lora--Miss Grand International 2017 National Costume Competition

These costumes ranged from Traditional and Festive, "Victoria's Secret"-like feathered Pre-Columbian Goddesses to Fantasy Couture and they did not disappoint in terms of visual costume candy for pageant lovers everywhere! The pageant organizers are allowing EVERYONE around the world to vote for their favorite by Liking and Sharing the individual photos on the Official Miss Grand International Facebook page HERE.

Traditional Couture: (L to R) Miss Grand Ecuador Analia Vernaza, Miss Grand Venezuela Tulia Aleman Ferrer, Miss Grand Vietnam Huyen May Tran Nguyen--Miss Grand International 2017 National Costume Competition

The Top 15 Liked & Shared contestants/costumes will then move on for another round of voting until the BEST NATIONAL COSTUME (or the one with the most votes!) will be announced on the final night (October 25th). Now, I don't have to wait until then because here are MY TOP 15 Favorite National Costumes from Miss Grand International 2017, beginning with my FAVORITE:

1. Miss Grand Indonesia Dea Goesti Rizkita--One word: WOW. Leave it to Indonesia to BRING IT when it comes to national costumes at beauty pageants. Lately their representatives have been seriously upping their Costume Couture game! This UBER intricate costume needs A LOT of explanation...

Indonesian Empress: Miss Grand Indonesia 2017 National Costume

According to Miss Grand Indonesia 2017, her national costume is entitled "MOTHERLAND: The Sky is my Father, and The Earth is my Mother" and it was designed by Morphacio and Maya Ratih. This costume has the meaning of a circular shape taken from the base form of the Moon and its about the mother figure, the queen, and the woman. Here are some more details:

*The blue color depicts the glory of Indonesia as a Maritime Country. 

*Five blue crystals in the circle of the moon symbolize the harmony of Indonesian people in the ideology of Pancasila.

*The three blue crystals on the headdress symbolize the perfection of body, soul, and spirit. 

*Five yellow crystals depict the young generation are like buds of the nation which is the hope and successor/future of the nation...

Now THAT is a TRAIN: Miss Grand Indonesia 2017 National Costume

*The wings on the shoulders symbolize the tenderness and strength, the prayers and the songs of the ancestors. 

*The backbone symbolizes Indonesia is the "backbone of the World" where Indonesia holds abundant natural wealth and Indonesia is a very influential country in the world political map.

*The wing belt symbolizes fertility and a close brotherhood. Fingers and right arm describe the wisdom, skill and soul that protect the society. 

*The temple symbolizes "our bodies are temples, our bodies are His temple", as well as Indonesian people from various social and cultural backgrounds to individuals seeking self-enlightenment. 

*And finally, five Nusantara fabrics illustrate the cultural diversity in Indonesia which contain the thoughts and philosophy that accompany the journey of the Indonesian people to be a whole person, as a true person.

Regardless of all this very detailed costume description...for me, it translates into THE BEST ONE of the competition! I loved how impacting it was, the colors, the unique shapes...it was a work of fashion art! 



Moving on...my other Favorites in my Top 15 List are:

2. Miss Grand India Anukriti Gusain--Anukriti's gorgeous costume was my second favorite of the 76 contestants. The theme for this look was "Evolution and Expansion of Indian Royalty, from the Palace to the workplace". The national costume--designed by Melvyn Dominic Noronha--according to the contestant herself, shows the balance of an Indian woman with her delicate beauty of compassion and the strength of her determination. She goes on to say that the design also shows how through the evolution of time, the spirit of a few queens magnified and today every Indian woman is a queen in her own right. I loved how this costume combined traditional Indian dress with Hindu God-like imagery. I also thought the combination of bold gold/blue/red colors made for a very strong stage impact.

3. Miss Grand Laos Chinnaly Norasing--This national costume is inspired by the Great Golden Stupa Pha That Luang in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. The Great Golden Stupa Pha That Luang is an ancient and important architecture of Laos, and is a center for the spirit of the Lao people. The design of the costume is a unique feature and character of the Buddha image, adapted to the composition of the ensemble. The jewelry was also inspired by the shape of the Buddha image. The color and the various embellishments added to this costume present Lao's cultures, customs and unique identity. I thought it was thoroughly impacting, very striking and made for a stand-out costume presence at the Miss Grand International 2017 National Costume Competition. I am still so baffled how any of these costumes get packed and shipped through customs and onto a plane and then reassembled to be worn again! 

Miss Grand Venezuela Tulia Aleman Ferrer (top photos) in her "Manta Guajira" National Costume and (lower photos) Wayuu Guajiras and their Mantas (caftan dresses)

4. Miss Grand Venezuela Tulia Aleman Ferrer-- Tulia's costume represents the Manta (or caftan/tunic/dress) Wayuu Guajira, a Native American ethnic group of the Guajira peninsula of  northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. The brightly colored costume featured the designs and pom-pom accents commonly seen on these Wayuu Guajira caftan/tunics worn by the women of this South American indigenous group.

Sketch of Miss Grand Venezuela Talia Aleman Ferrer's National Costume--designed by Colombian designer/brand Aikaa by Blanca Fernandez

This was also one of my top favorites of all the 76 contestants for the way she showed it onstage and how colorful and striking it was. I also loved the representation and homage of an indigenous group through this beautiful costume. The design was created by Colombian designer/brand Aikaa by Blanca Fernanadez.

5. Miss Grand Panama Andrea Torres--Andrea wore a Pre-Columbian (before Christopher Columbus) Feathered Empress-like costume to represent her nation of Panama. And I LOVED it! There were several of these feathered-and-sequined looks in the Miss Grand International 2017 National Costumes Competition, and yet this was THE MOST IMPACTING of the bunch! The design was created by Panamanian designer Cristo Athanasiadis who is known for these types of pageant costumes...and he's obviously very good at it! I loved the colors, the sequins, the feathers...well, I just loved EVERYTHING! Muy bien Cristo and Muy bien Andrea!

Vietnam Queen: Miss Grand Vietnam 2017 Huyen My Tran Nguyen in her Ao Dai Traditional National Costume for Miss Grand International 2017

Sketch of Miss Grand Vietnam Huyen Tran Nguyen's National Costume for Miss Grand International 2017

6. Miss Grand Vietnam Huyen My Tran Nguyen--I absolute ADORED this costume worn by Miss Grand Vietnam 2017 Huyen My Tran Nguyen. The costume represents a traditional Ao Dai and is inspired by the patterns of the Hue Imperial Citadel in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue. It took 3 months to create this gorgeous 30 kilograms (about 66 pounds!)-weighing costume and it was designed by Vietnamese designer Ngo Nhat Huy. If you get to see the video of the actual Miss Grand International 2017 National Costume Competition (at the end of this post!), you can fast forward to when she comes on and showcases this gorgeous costume. I especially loved how the sleeve brocade print/design mitered (matched) when she put her arms/hands together.

Viva Mexico: Miss Grand Mexico Yoana Gutierrez in her National Costume at the Miss Grand International 2017 National Costume Competition

A young Tehuana de Oaxaca in traditional dress--Oaxaca Mexico

7. Miss Grand Mexico Yoana Gutierrez--Yoana wore this very beautiful and colorful "Tehuana de Oaxaca" traditional costume, worn by the indigenous women of the city Tehuantepec in the Mexican state of Oaxaca (think Frida Kahlo). The design itself paid tribute to the traditional dress and at the same time, had enough Fashion with a Capital "F" impact and stage fabulousness to make it into my Top 15 Favorites.

8. Miss Grand Jamaica Jenaae Jackson--Jenaae stated on her Instagram that in this costume, she is a "depiction of a Jamaican Arawak Queen"  and all I have to say is "Go On Girl!". I absolutely loved this costume for its colorful, feathered and sequined glory! It looked well-done, finished and high-end. I really admired the stunning jeweled sequins on her bandeau top and skirt yoke and I also liked the muted green feathered skirt. This "Arawak Queen" is UBER Costume Fabulous!

9. Miss Grand Sri Lanka Visna Fernando--Miss Grand Sri Lanka wore this golden "Lion"-inspired costume for the Miss Grand International 2017 National Costume Competition. The costume was inspired (obviously) by the "Ceylon Lion" seen in the Sri Lankan flag. I thought it was impressive, sexy-hot and stage impacting enough to be one of my Top 15 Favorites! The headdress alone was EVERYTHING! I just wished those nude pump/heels were a little more "designed" as opposed to looking as if she went online and bought a pair of heels and just added them to the costume.

10. Miss Grand Cambodia Kea Khloem: This was another gorgeous showing from an Asian contestant at the Miss Grand International 2017 National Costume Competition. Kea's costume was inspired by Cambodian Buddhist temples and the types of traditional dress of the country. I thought this design looked rich, well-made and the different shades of gold were very striking onstage.

11. Miss Grand Philippines Elizabeth Durado Clenci--"Last night for the national costume competition I chose to represent an indigenous tribe from the south of Philippines," Clenci wrote on her Instagram, sharing a photo of her intricately made headdress. The ensemble which she wore as her national costume for the Miss Grand International 2017 was designed by Jearson Demavivas. This dress was inspired by the T’boli tribe and is a representation of a modern T’boli princess in haute couture and their uniquely designed guitar called hegulung. Philippine’s T’boli takes pride on its T’nalak fabric which designs are spawned from the dreams of the weavers. The design of this national costume represents the cultural structure of the T’boli tribe along with the colors and intricate beadwork, which speaks of their careful yet impressive art. I thought Elizabeth looked sexy, chic and still "National Costume Diva Traditional" in this design. It wasn't out-of-this-world impacting like Miss Grand Indonesia or Miss Grand India, Miss Grand Laos...but, it was still Costume Couture Runway Fab.

12. Miss Grand Argentina Yoana Don--Yoana wore this sequined and feathered "Fantasy Showgirl"-like costume representing the city of Corrientes which is the Argentinian national capital of Carnival (Carnaval). The gorgeous costume--which ended up being one of my Top 15 Favorites--was designed and created by Marcelo Pendola who creates many of the Miss Argentina national costumes for international pageants. I LOVED the golden crystal sequined applique, the strawberry red feathers...the leg sequined accessories...it was all MUY BELLO and MUY FAB.

13. Miss Grand Peru Maria Jose Lora--The Pavo Real Blanco (white peacock) is in danger of extinction in the South American Amazon and was the inspiration for Miss Grand Peru 2017's national costume. The beautiful costume was designed by Peruvian designer Beto Pinedo. Of all the "Pre-Columbian/Victoria's Secret Feathered Divas"...this one was definitely one of my faves. Therefore, it need to be in my Top 15 List! It meshed both the bird inspiration with sexy stage presence. If there was any critique...yes, it would be the shoes., If you're going to create a gorgeous and intricate costume, create the shoes as well! Those need to be silver and sequined and fabulous. Right now, they are just $25 nude pumps from the internet!

14. Miss Grand Paraguay Lia Duarte Ashmore--Miss Grand Paraguay decided to give "Indigenous Tribal Couture/Making a Statement" Costume. The lovely Lia wore a hi-lo design which,  at first glance, gave the viewer an Angelic/Runway model vibe. Then, as one got more focused, you could see the "Stop Chaco Deforestation" and "Stop the Violence" marking on her arms. The costume is inspired by the "Allegory of the Pajaro Campana", a white bird with green-hued beak and face (lower photo, above). In addition to this, the look seems to be suggesting the dangers of deforestation and this ivory tull'ed "Couture Angel" coming to save the human destruction. I thought it was impacting and thoughtful enough to make my list. It would have almost too obvious to add wings to this costume a la "Miss Grand Peru", "Miss Grand Panama", so I like this more "runway" direction.

15. Miss Grand Ecuador Analia Vernaza Daulon--Analia's costume was a traditional Ecuadorian costume designed by Maria Isabel Diaz Design  . I loved the colors, the high-lo style of the dress/skirt section and overall impact of the design. If there was any critique, once again, it would be THE SHOES! The costume looked fab but the shoes seemed like an afterthought. 



Those were MY TOP 15 Favorite Costumes from the Miss Grand International 2017 National Costume Competition...Let me know which ones were YOUR favorites!

**STAY TUNED for MORE of my "Sashes and Tiaras" Pageant Blogs discussing "Miss Earth", Miss Grand International" and many more!



Until then....I'm excited to launch my NEW Pageant Coloring Book!!! It is full of FABULOUS Beauty Queens and Gowns ready to create your very own Evening Gown Competition! Purchase now on Amazon.com HERE:

Click below to watch the Miss Grand International 2017 National Costume Competition:

Pregnancy Outfits Ideas - Cool Trending Styles For Pregnant Women

Pregnancy Outfits Ideas - Cool Trending Styles For Pregnant Women

Outfits for Pregnant Women. Pregnancy shouldn’t stop you from looking stylish and staying trendy. If you are looking for ideas on how to get a look glamorous look while being pregnant? What are the latest fashion for pregnant women, then this post is for you.

Here we bring amazing outfit combination for pregnant women this season. Whether you are in early weeks or pregnancy or last weeks, we bring some stylish maternity outfits in this collection. From casual maternity style to formal look you can get a lot of ideas from this collection. Scroll down to see how these pregnant women dressed up to have a chic look.

Nowhere it has been written that you can not wear stylish clothes during pregnancy. Pregnant women usually throw their old clothes that do not fit them. You must, in fact, keep the old clothes and redesign them with the help of a professional tailor. With the exception of few clothes that don’t fit you. You can keep them aside. The truth is that when you are expecting a baby and during the last months you need to buy clothes that are loose and flowy. You can then wear them after your pregnancy too so that money doesn’t go to waste. Today we will discuss the top outfits that you should have in your wardrobe during the pregnancy time.

How to use your existing clothes with the maternity wear:

Usually, women throw away their old pieces but you can utilize them smartly and make some amazing outfit combinations. For example, your old scarf, tight or leggings, a favorite handbag, a cool statement necklace can altogether completely pull a maternity look together. Even you can use your cardigans, t-shirts or jackets to wear over your clothes. That way you can hide your baby bump too and look stylish as well.

A great option to wear during the pregnancy are dresses that are flowy such as a wrap dress. These kind of dresses are very classy and they easily pull off the look really well. By being a little creative you can look smart. Other than that you could wear a T-shirt with a blazer on top, a short dress with leggings, cool t-shirt with a jacket and a lot more. You can check out the pictures below for more ideas.

Stylish Clothes for Pregnant women

  1. Pencil skirts? Yes.
"I preferred tighter midi-length pencil skirts while I was pregnant because it accentuated my bump," fashion blogger Tanesha AwasthiI of Girl With Curves told BuzzFeed Life. "I think the key is finding what you're comfortable in and just going with it."

2. Button-ups? Yes and yes.

Get oversized button-ups in either the women's or the men's department. Roll up the sleeves and let the loose material love on your belly. When your bump gets big, wear your button-up open over a tee, according to Sara Qaddoura, curator of e-commerce at London-based fashion startup Not Just A Label.

3. Flared skirts? Why not.
"The flared skirt definitely balances out your proportions, especially at the end of the pregnancy when the belly is so big," says fashion blogger Sara Strand. "The whole belly is less visible—since the skirt isn't high-waisted—and your upper body looks longer."

4. Asymmetrical hemlines? Why yes please and thank you.
"A hemline that's higher in the front won't be so tight on your bump," says Qaddoura. Comfytown USA, here we come!

5. Color-blocking? Cute!
"Color blocking tops can be either really great or seriously awkward," Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere told BuzzFeed Life. "If the color change is higher up and doesn't cut across the largest part of your belly, then yes, go for it! It's a fun way to embrace the bump."

 6. Horizontal stripes? OMG.
"Horizontal stripes were my favourite while I was pregnant," Strand says. "I was really proud of the growing belly, and the stripes showed it off in a nice way."

7. Bright colors? Of course.
"It helps to wear more colorful pieces on the days when you don't feel too good," says Strand. "At least my skin tone looked that much better!"

8.Tight dresses? Go for it.
"Experiment with wearing things you already have in your wardrobe," says Awasthi. "I only bought 2 items from the maternity section! The rest were things that had a lot of stretch or were oversized, so they worked to accommodate my bump."

 
10. Heels? If they feel comfy enough, do it.
"If you're having a healthy pregnancy and aren't experiencing any pain while wearing heels, I think it's a really great way to feel sexy," says Schuman. "While I don't wear mine for a 9-hour work day anymore, I'll certainly still throw on a pair for a date night with my husband or to head out for a party."

11. Chunky accessories? Get it, girl.
"I think bold accessories add a hint of luxe and polish to any look, especially when dressing on the casual side of style," says Awasthi. "Adding bold accessories allowed me to feel a bit more put together, which is sometimes hard to accomplish in the later months of pregnancy."

Color Combination For Clothes For Men - Color Match Tricks

Color Combination For Clothes For Men - Color Match Tricks

Obviously, you want to dress the best you can, but keeping track of which colors match and which colors clash is hard.

Even if you ignore the full color spectrum, and only look at basic colors, you still have a ton of possible combinations.

Just look at the basic color wheel pictured above.

This color wheel only has 12 colors in it, but that means you can combine them in 66 different ways. (Yeah, you got me, I had to look that up)

Figuring out which of those combinations match and which clash would be a pain.
So Let’s Try Something Else Instead
Neutral outfit

An Example of a Neutral Outfit (They Can Also Look Quite Good)

Instead of racking your brain trying to learn color matching, you should use my secret trick for effortlessly matching your clothes.

But we get to that, you need to learn about neutrals.

Neutrals are colors that work well with all other colors. They are impossible to clash, which is why they make great supporting pieces. If you’ve already added some of the wardrobe essentials, you should already have a few neutrals in your wardrobe.

Examples of neutral colors are:

    Black
    White
    Grey
    Navy
    Brown

(Note: Navy and brown are not technically neutrals, but work so well with such a high number of colors, 

they are considered as such in the world of fashion)

The One Color Trick

Since neutrals won’t clash, you can match them to any color you wish.

So instead of trying to match colors together, you simply wear a max of one color in your outfit, and keep the rest neutral.

This little splash of color will be enough to add a little pop to your outfit, and you’ll be completely safe from clashes. On little pop is enough to make your outfit stand out.

These are some examples of good outfits using the one color trick:

    Red shirt, grey blazer, black jeans
    White shirt, green jacket, khaki pants
    Grey T-shirt, black sweater, purple pants

But Does That Mean You Can Only Wear One Colored Item At a Time?

Nope.

Wearng only one colored item in your outfit makes it easy… And yeah, it is enough to give your outfit a bit of pop.

But you don’t have to restrict yourself to just one colored item. You can also apply the one-color trick on more than one, as long as you keep it in the same color-family.

Now, Add Some Color to Your Wardrobe

So now I want you to go out and add some color to your wardrobe.

Go out and buy a colorful shirt, and then go home and try it on with some of your neutral items. You’ll see how well they play together.

You’ll be completely safe.

You don’t have to wear every color in the rainbow every time you leave the house. Just one splash of color is enough to add a touch of visual interest to your outfit.

One color per outfit is all it takes to look sharp.

It’s a pretty simple trick, and anyone can pull it off.

So now you have no more excuse.

Start rocking some colors, dude.