Getting the Best Pageant Gown for the Least Money

Many Pageant Contestants spend small fortunes on their pageant gowns but you do not have to. Here are some tips you can use to get your pageant gown inexpensively and still be as glamorous as the others.

1. Buy simple:

When shopping for your pageant gown your first priority should be purchasing a dress that is the right style for your body. You should get the simplest gown possible that flatters your body the most. For example, large busted girls should purchase a gown with a sweetheart neckline or a strapless gown. Small-busted girls would look better in a dress with a bateau neckline or a V-neck. If you have small shoulder, you should avoid a bateau neckline. Along the same lines, a sheath dress will look good on everyone from slim to hourglass shaped, but not pear shaped. A ball gown looks great on fuller figures, but not on slender or hourglass bodies. Slender or pear shaped girls should not wear mermaid dresses. You should be able to purchase as simple dress for under $100.00.

2. Adjust the style:

By changing one major element or two, you turn a basic dress into an original pageant gown. Changing a major element can be as easy as adding crinolines under the skirt to make it fuller, removing or adding sleeves, or adding or shirring the skirt (which is a great solution to a too long dress). If you have decent sewing skills, you can change these elements yourself. I hand the dresses over to a friend for fit and style alteration, and it generally costs about $60.00.

3. Embellish:

This is where pageant gowns get costly. By starting with a simple dress and embellishing it yourself, you save tons of money, plus and have an original dress. You can add a splattering of pearl beads or crystals randomly or in a planned pattern. You can purchase wedding dress appliqu�©s to add subtle details to your dress. You can remove items on the dress like bows and gems, and move them to a new location, or leave them off completely. You can also add sashes and bows to your gown. Do not get carried away when embellishing your pageant gown. A good rule of thumb is to add three elements to the dress. In the photo included, you can see that I took a simple empire waist dress, removed the gems on the bow, moved the bow, and sewed on wedding appliqu�©. The appliqu�© had sequins in it, so adding more elements would have been too much. Also leaving the gems on the dress would have clashed with the sequined appliqu�©. I like to purchase embellishments when I see them on clearance to use later. This way my cost is very low.

In the end, you will have spent from $100 to $200 on your evening gown, and have an original style when other girls are spending $1000 to $2000!