In Canada, all of the pageants except NCGTM seem to allow cupcake dresses in Natural (if I am wrong on that sorry - just from any paperwork I have noticed in Canadian pageants - which are all semi-natural-semi-glitz-full glitz). NCGTM is true true solid natural - we don't allow the routines, the cupcake dresses, the hair pieces, makeup, eyelashes etc... and what many new people to NCGTM know as 'Natural' in Canada, is not as natural as we are! In some systems it is 'if it looks natural' (ie: the fake hair blends in ok) - but NCGTM is not if it 'looks', but if it 'is'!
So what dresses can be worn for beauty?
Answer is basically - anything BUT a custom glitz dress or cupcake style dress.
These are glitz dresses and not allowed:
All of the above styles are NOT allowed at NCGTM!
For NCGTM you can wear any dress you like, but please be sure it fits you properly, you have steamed out the crinkles and the color suits you. While we don't judge the actual dress itself, your appearance in the dress can have an overal affect on the judges and how you come across to them.
I once had a fabulous contestant, amazing intro, great walk, but her dress looked like she had taken it out of storage and put it on. It was so wrinkled it was distracting.
Color: Keep your dress simple. Don't go with big multicolored gowns. They distract from judges seeing YOU - instead they are staring at your dress! I recommend trying to go with a solid color, or if it is more than one color, it should be subtle and not in your face.
I also strongly suggest pastels, as they look fresh and natural. White, pink, blue, soft green, yellow, etc... look great in a natural pageant. Stay away from black unless you are in the miss category or older.
Not a good dress for NCGTM!
Too much going on - Judges are looking at your dress, not you!
Also not a good dress - just too much going on to notice your face!
Baby Doll Style Dresses: I get asked if a baby doll is ok from moms of little ones ages 0-3 a lot and the answer is yes. But please watch the bling on it- is it a custom glitz babydoll or a bit more simple?
National Baby Miss Autumn in a babydoll style.
Past National Winner 2013 in Baby Doll Dress
This dress is too much for NCGTM!
This dress is too much for NCGTM!
This dress is OK for NCGTM!
This dress is OK for NCGTM!
This dress is OK for NCGTM.
On the note of Baby Doll dresses, please do not feel you need to go get one of these!
THE BEST BEST BEST type of dress you can put your daughter in is a Sunday or Easter style dress! These are great for any age you feel still looks ok in one - some girls at age 10 can pull this off, while others are much too mature at that age. I would proably say these are good up to age 9, and then age 10 you would move onto the next style of dress.
Watch that it is not too long - just at the knee or just above is nice. White socks and shoes are a nice touch for younger girls!
Here are some good examples!
Current National Toddler Miss Kiellah
Current Tiny Miss Bella-Rose
Past Contestant Elle
One warning I have on dress buying, for any age, is to avoid buying the ones that ship in from China. You will often see these on ebay. Especially if you put in the words Pageant Dress as a search. 1000s of dresses come up super cheap - like 9.99 and up - and they do NOT fit well and often look nothing like the photo! They are made with cheap fabric, fall apart, fit badly, etc.... I have witnessed moms buying 5 of the $12.99 dresses in the hopes the next one is better, and by the time they have done that they have spent $65 and have nothing. You are better to spend $30-$60 on a good dress!
Don't be afraid to buy second hand! Remember, we have different judges everywhere! If you buy a dress from another NCGTM mom, no judge is going to say 'Hey that was Suzy's dress in 2012!'.
Try searching 'Easter Dress' when shopping online! Some brands I have known to be good are Rare Editions, Bonnie Jean, Perfectly Dressed, Bonnie Baby and Sears often has some too. Sometimes The Children's Place has good Easter dresses.
The most important thing is keep it simple, keep it fresh, keep it pretty, keep it unwrinkled and let judges focus on your child's face!
Keep that in mind with hair accessories too! Don't distract judges with a massive flower or bow on their heads- a simple bow or headband goes a long way!
Remember we have a great guide to clothing on our website:
Happy Shopping!
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