Miss Universe 2015 - The Favorites

I figured I would finish up this nearly month long journey of the Miss Universe dresses with a recap of all the dresses that were my favorites.

Australia

While my social media had more than one comment about her veneers and how she looked like she had horse teeth, this dress is in the favorites without a doubt! The color, the double ruffle mermaid, the fit, the fabric..... CHECK!

Canada

Again THIS IS MY FAVORITE DRESS!!!!!! This is the type of dress that people remember. Now there is something to be said that the dress becomes such a BIG feature that you don't look at the girl but stare longingly at the dress. This probably falls into that category, but as I am in love with dresses and this whole series is solely about the dresses I am not really concerned about all that other stylists nonsense.

Curacao

Thank you for fabric nap. Thank you for making something interesting without screaming at the top of your lungs. Take a breath and exhale in happiness while looking at this gown.

Guyana

Again this was in my top list because of everything that it is. While Canada may have forced you to  look at the dress and not at the girl this made you look at the girl in awe. She was beaming and this was just tasteful complements to her every move.

Hungary

Simple elegance and steal the show without saying a word. Again exhale in happiness.

Jamaica

I know when I discussed the red dresses I liked I commented about the way she wore this dress rather than it wearing her, but I just adore this gown and the way she looks in it. I mean she is elegant and graceful and basically I want to know her!

Panama

When Erin Brady won in a white dress with some side skirt train thing I did not like it, but this one... THIS ONE! This is done in everything that is couture wonderment! This is how it SHOULD have looked!

Singapore

Ahhhh when flamenco meets Indochina! The color, the sleeve length the multi tiered lace train! Breathtaking!

Trinidad & Tobago

While some may have that comment of "she looks like she is wearing a base jumping suit" I think this is a magnificent transition from a fitted jersey gown to flowing drama. I mean she is from Trinidad and Tobago! Why wouldn't she wear something that screams the islands!

Miss Universe 2015 - White/Silver (part 3)

Okay these are the dresses that fell into the snooze fest. I didn't dislike them, but nothing about them made me happy. These were just dresses on girls on stage in competition.

Angola

I don't have much to say. These are the dresses I put in the snooze fest, so yeah I don't know... It's white.

Bahamas

It is a ball gown with no sleeve and a plunging neckline. ZZZZZZ

Colombia

It is beaded in lines, and just touches the floor. No train, no fancy stuff, nothing really. I didn't even feel like she sold the dress on stage. Now I know she won, so clearly she did something right, but I just didn't think the dress was part of that.

Gabon

Oh a sweetheart neckline with a dropped waist and a sheer flowing bottom. zzzzzz

Greece

A keyhole on a girl with large (possibly fake) breasts. Oh and a few feathers at the bottom. Okay...next.

Guatemala

This might have been pretty, but I don't know, she never let go of the train. A lot of girls held their train coming down the stairs, but she never let go! It is pretty, but that is about all I can say.

Honduras

Oh look another beaded gown with a sheer flowy bottom. okie dokie.

Kazakhstan

She is from Kazakhstan and she looks like a Kardashian, in her mirror ball silver gown. Seen it.

Lithuania

A grey to silver fade on chiffon. with a beaded top. This is pretty, but this is an international pageant.

Peru

Wow another beaded gown with a sheer flowy bottom. This theme is getting old.

South Africa

A 3/4 sleeve? Everything else is zzzzzz.

Spain

Oh a beaded top with a sheer flowy bottom........

Sweden

Pretty, but not impressive.

Tanzania

A beaded top with a sheer flowy bottom. Seriously MOVE ON!

Thailand

a beaded top

sheer flowy bottom

Oh but wait.... Feathers.

Uruguay

no words.

been done

move on

 

I really just did NOT fall for any of these. Some had a few interesting notes, but nothing that was substantial enough to make me want to sit up and pay attention.

Miss Universe 2015 - White/Silver (part 2)

Okay now for the white and silver dresses I DID NOT like!

I didn't have as visceral a reaction to the White dresses I didn't like as I did to the red dresses I didn't like, but still these were on my nope list.

Belgium

Again this one might have belonged in another category because it is really a blush, but I don't like it! The center section going longer than the rest of the mermaid and then the tulle. I just didn't like the final outcome.

Chile

My only complaint with this one was the beading pattern. It was oddly asymmetrical, and while I ADORE asymmetry this wasn't flattering.

Ethopia

I don't like the sheer section in the slit of a gown. Period so the moment I saw it the whole dress was out.

Finland

The slit is a bit high for a ball gown that is THAT full, and the feathers are not in the right place in my opinion. They needed to be lower rather than at her hips.

France

You are from FRANCE! You have some of the most amazing designers and stylist in the WORLD and you wore this? Did you and Italy get together and say, "Hey let's see if we can blow evening gown"

Ireland

Honey I know you are tall, but your designer didn't do you any favors by giving you a dress that was too short. I can not stand a dress that is too short. I can take seeing the bottom of your shoe, but the top of your foot when you are standing still....NO!

Nicaragua

 While this one isn't as bad as Switerland (which you will see further down) it is sleepy to me. A little dated, and nothing to look at and take notice.

Nigeria

There are sequined fingers across your boobs, and worse yet they are grabbing at the hem of your gown. It just makes me afraid to think what those sequined fingers will do to you.

Norway

This looks like a spring dress, NOT an evening gown. The skirt had box pleats, the lace was whimsical, and the rest? Well I can't tell the lace is in the way.

Serbia

The 1970's called they want their disco ball back! IRADESCENT! Really? I'm sorry your stylist didn't like you.

Slovenia

This grey blob was odd to me. It was as if someone started with a beautiful gown then took it to a late 1800's haberdashery and had them add trim and "stuff" to it. The texture on the skirt was distracting. I think it would have been fine without all that stuff.

Switzerland

Wake me up when the nest dress comes out. This mother of the bride forgot she was competing in an INTERNATIONAL PAGEANT!

 

Okay so maybe I lied, maybe I did have similar visceral reactions to these. Oh well.

Miss Universe 2015 - White/Silver (part 1)

Just like with the red dresses I am breaking this color category up into multiple groups. I may have Likes, Dislikes, and Don't Cares. I mean let's be honest we already established that this is the largest category in the colors.

I will begin with the "likes" though since it is always best to start with something that makes you happy, because then you don't get so upset with the bad stuff. Start high then go down.

Brazil

It was hard to get a decent image of the features of this dress that made me like it so, but there is an overlay of a lattice work of beading that is SO faint it made the dress look totally different then expected. The unbeaded shoulder strap and the cascading bead pattern just really make this dress one of those you want to stare at for a really long time!

Curacao

This gown was a favorite because of the alternating fabric finish. All in white but alternating from matte to shiny made you want to keep looking to figure out if it was the lighting or the dress. I love the sweeping bead lines at the waist to really give the illusion that her waist it smaller than it is. I mean she isn't fat, but this is the way to make you look even skinnier.

Dominican Republic

Again hard to see the feature that was the selling point, but the collar of this gown has beaded fringe. It is very 1920's flapper like, but it wasn't over done. In this photo it is laying there peacefully, but when she moved that fringe moved and made you keep looking at her.

Guam

While the mermaid of this is a bit like a shelf in the middle the overall execution of this dress is perfection. The keyhole that isn't too big and connects to a collar the beautiful silver accents, which I had a hard time telling if it was beaded or embroidered. Maybe both. Either way... perfection!

Indonesia

Examine the skirt of this gown. The architectural lines of beading between sheer panels. This gown appeals to my inner contractor. the silver color is sumptuous and looked so amazing on stage. However it was those lines that sold me!

Kenya

This halter dress is an interesting blend between Guam and Curacao. the lines of beading down the front, the silver accents. Yes all of that!

Malaysia

This MAY be in the wrong category. I had a hard time deciding on putting it with the reds or silvers. It is a bit blush but the silvery accents over the whole of the gown and the beautiful accents at the plunging neckline. I really love the fully covered but revealing aspect of gowns like this too.

Panama

ARCHITECURAL SIDE RUFFLE! Thank you for doing the Erin Brady dress SO MUCH better than the original. I never liked her gown when she won USA, but this is the way to make a side train couture! THANK YOU!

Philippines

Sweetheart neckline, been done. Mermaid cut, been done. beaded bodice, been done. Sheer panel with lace to separate the two........PERFECTION! I love how it is has a convertible look.

Poland

So you are from Poland wearing a gown that looks like it belongs on Greece. That is okay, because it is BEAUTIFUL! The beading at the shoulder, the beautiful Grecian draping from the shoulder. This is just simplistically beautiful.

Trinidad & Tobago

This is cape wonderment! Have a fitted gown with a flowing sleeve that connects to a fantastic cape accent to the hem! YES PLEASE! I am in love with this! When the post about the Golden Globes goes live you will see Jennifer Lopez in a caped gown that too makes me gloriously happy.

Turkey

This dress is amazing for it's simplicity. The simple nature of the fabric, the seaming lines, the flowing mermaid skirt. This was in my favorites merely because it was refreshing.

Turks & Caicos

Hard to tell from the photo, but there were the most amazing detailing on this gown. It had what looked like large embroidery sections that were down right elegant! they were a slightly different tone than the body of the gown so it played under the lighting of the stage perfectly!

Venezuela

Why she ended up in a different dress in finals is beyond me I loved this one MORE! It was stark white with silver beading. The lattice down the center flanked with larger rectangular beads was amazing and the shoulder straps had the flanked beading across them. Really this was in the architectural category of AMAZING!