If you’re a beauty pageants newbie, you might be wondering how to clean a pageant dress or how to wash glitz pageant dresses. You might be under the impression that you have to have the dresses professionally cleaned, but in most cases, you don’t. The bodices of most pageant dresses for little girls are made of Superstretch, which is hand washable. The cupcake skirts are also washable.
Why to Wash Pageant Dresses
No matter how careful you are with your pageant dress, it will need to be cleaned sooner or later. Even when you can’t see any visible stains, washing the dress will really brighten it up. You’ll especially notice the difference with the stones. Rhinestones can be affected by makeup residue, fingerprints, and hair spray. All of these can diminish the stones’ sparkle. Washing pageant dresses brings the rhinestones back to life and makes them look brand new.
How to Wash Pageant Dresses
Depending on the size of the dress, pageant dresses can be washed in the sink, in the tub, or in a large plastic container. I’ve always done mine in the kitchen sink. Fill the sink about half full of warm – not hot – water. Add a capful of Woolite and stir. Dip the dress in the water and move it around gently. I use sort of an up-down motion. Let the dress soak for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly in clean water.
Have several layers of clean white towels on your kitchen counter. After the dress has been rinsed, place it upright on the towels, with the cupcake skirt spread out in a circle. Let the dress dry naturally. Don’t squeeze it or use heat to dry it.
How to Remove Stains from Pageant Dresses
Sometimes pageant dresses get stains. To remove stains from pageant dresses, follow the instructions above for washing pageant dresses. If the stain is still there after washing, use a soft toothbrush and some of the wash water to remove the stain. Rinse the stained area frequently.
Washing Pageant Dresses with Stones
Oftentimes, when you wash a pageant dress with stones, some of the stones will fall off. This is not unusual, so don’t panic. Just check the bottom of the sink before you drain the water. Retrieve the stones and place them on a towel to dry. When the dress is completely dry, re-attach the stones to the dress with E6000 glue.
About Painted Dresses
Some pageant dresses have sections or adornments that are painted. I’ve never tried to wash one of these, so I can’t recommend doing so.
Showing posts with label pageant dresses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pageant dresses. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Pageant Dresses on Ebay
Ebay can be a great place to buy pageant dresses, if you know what you’re doing. If you’re new to the beauty pageants world, however, and unsure of exactly what you’re looking for, buying pageant dresses on Ebay can be a slippery slope. I’ll share my own personal experience with you, from back when I was a pageant newbie.
My granddaughter needed a pageant dress for her first pageant. I didn’t really have any idea what to look for. This was for a glitz pageant. I’m a pretty trusting soul, so I figured if a dress on Ebay was described as being a “glitz pageant dress,” it was. Wrong! A seller can describe an item practically any way she wants to. She can call any dress “glitz,” “winning,” “national level,” or “state level.” It’s not always that sellers are intentionally misleading prospective buyers – some just don’t know any better. They might really think that their dress qualifies as a national-level glitz pageant dress. And in some locations, they might actually be correct.
You know those old fashioned-looking dresses that have layers of ruffles and lace? My pageant pals call them “granny dresses.” These dresses definitely are not appropriate for glitz pageants, yet you often see these pageant dresses described as such on Ebay.
If you’re unsure about choosing pageant dresses on Ebay, get someone experienced with glitz pageants to help you. She’ll know what type of dresses will be competitive in your area, so you won’t waste money on pageant dresses that will never be competitive in glitz pageants.
My granddaughter needed a pageant dress for her first pageant. I didn’t really have any idea what to look for. This was for a glitz pageant. I’m a pretty trusting soul, so I figured if a dress on Ebay was described as being a “glitz pageant dress,” it was. Wrong! A seller can describe an item practically any way she wants to. She can call any dress “glitz,” “winning,” “national level,” or “state level.” It’s not always that sellers are intentionally misleading prospective buyers – some just don’t know any better. They might really think that their dress qualifies as a national-level glitz pageant dress. And in some locations, they might actually be correct.
You know those old fashioned-looking dresses that have layers of ruffles and lace? My pageant pals call them “granny dresses.” These dresses definitely are not appropriate for glitz pageants, yet you often see these pageant dresses described as such on Ebay.
If you’re unsure about choosing pageant dresses on Ebay, get someone experienced with glitz pageants to help you. She’ll know what type of dresses will be competitive in your area, so you won’t waste money on pageant dresses that will never be competitive in glitz pageants.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tips for Riding in a Parade
If your daughter has won a beauty pageant, she might very well be invited to ride in a parade. Some larger pageant systems have their own floats on which all the queens ride. Lots of other pageants don’t have their own float, so for these, you’ll probably have to ride in a convertible. Some pageant directors are good about providing convertibles, but others might not have access to convertibles. In that case, of course, you’ll have to find your own car.
Finding a convertible to ride in might not be an easy task. It’s a lot easier if you have a friend or family member with one. If you don’t, and if the pageant director can’t help you find one, ask around at local car dealerships. They might be willing to loan you a used convertible for the parade. Another option is to rent a car for the day of the parade.
If you have a toddler or young child scheduled to ride in the event, she’ll need some supervision, obviously. If it’s a float she’s riding on, you’ll probably want to be up there with her to keep her from falling or jumping off. But how would it look for you to be up there with the queens? A better idea is to have the miss queen be in charge of the child. This is how we’ve handled the situation, and it always worked out well.
If the child is riding in a convertible, place her on the trunk, with her legs hanging down in the back seat. You or another adult should sit in the back and hold her legs. That way, there’s no way she’s going anywhere! Remember that parades travel at a snail’s pace, so there’s really very little danger involved.
What to wear? Your pageant director will provide you with some guidelines. Some pageants want all the queens dressed in their pageant dresses, some want all the girls to be wearing the same color dresses, and some require special apparel like long gloves. Make sure you know before you go!
Watch the weather closely, too. If there’s a chance of rain, you might not want your new $2,000 glitz pageant dress exposed to water. If pageant dresses are required for the ride and rain is a possibility, wear a cheap pageant dress.
What if it’s cold? Pageant dresses aren’t made for cold weather. Most are either sleeveless or have short sleeves. If it’s cold outside the day of the parade, supply your daughter with a white faux-fur cape. This is very elegant looking, and it will keep her warm!
If you’re dealing with a younger girl, don’t go all out with her hair. Just have it neat, attractive, and SPRAYED!
Finding a convertible to ride in might not be an easy task. It’s a lot easier if you have a friend or family member with one. If you don’t, and if the pageant director can’t help you find one, ask around at local car dealerships. They might be willing to loan you a used convertible for the parade. Another option is to rent a car for the day of the parade.
If you have a toddler or young child scheduled to ride in the event, she’ll need some supervision, obviously. If it’s a float she’s riding on, you’ll probably want to be up there with her to keep her from falling or jumping off. But how would it look for you to be up there with the queens? A better idea is to have the miss queen be in charge of the child. This is how we’ve handled the situation, and it always worked out well.
If the child is riding in a convertible, place her on the trunk, with her legs hanging down in the back seat. You or another adult should sit in the back and hold her legs. That way, there’s no way she’s going anywhere! Remember that parades travel at a snail’s pace, so there’s really very little danger involved.
What to wear? Your pageant director will provide you with some guidelines. Some pageants want all the queens dressed in their pageant dresses, some want all the girls to be wearing the same color dresses, and some require special apparel like long gloves. Make sure you know before you go!
Watch the weather closely, too. If there’s a chance of rain, you might not want your new $2,000 glitz pageant dress exposed to water. If pageant dresses are required for the ride and rain is a possibility, wear a cheap pageant dress.
What if it’s cold? Pageant dresses aren’t made for cold weather. Most are either sleeveless or have short sleeves. If it’s cold outside the day of the parade, supply your daughter with a white faux-fur cape. This is very elegant looking, and it will keep her warm!
If you’re dealing with a younger girl, don’t go all out with her hair. Just have it neat, attractive, and SPRAYED!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Little Girls' Pageant Dresses - The Right Style and Fit
The most gorgeous, glitzy pageant dresses in the world won't score well if they're not a perfect fit on the wearers. When it comes to little girls' pageant dresses, the bodice of the dress should fit snugly, with no obvious gaps. It shouldn't be so tight, however, that the child's flesh is bulging out. Look closely for this around the arm openings and across the top of the bodice.
The length of the dress is important, too. Girls under the age of ten should generally wear a short dress in a glitz pageant. These pageant dresses should have multi-layered cupcake skirts that are fingertip length.
The bodice of the dress should have decorations or adornments on it, along with lots of small Swarovski rhinestones. Most little girls' pageant dresses for glitz pageants have a bodice that's made of Superstretch. Be careful about the placement of large bows and other large embellishments. Don't have them placed too close to the face. You don't want to chance anything's obscuring the child's face or detracting the judges' attention away from the little girl's face. Bigger is not always better!
The back of the dress should be beautiful, too. The judges are going to view the entire dress when the contestant does her turns, so keep that in mind when selecting a pageant dress. Many pageant moms like the little girls' pageant dresses that lace up the back because it makes it easy to get a perfect fit.
The length of the dress is important, too. Girls under the age of ten should generally wear a short dress in a glitz pageant. These pageant dresses should have multi-layered cupcake skirts that are fingertip length.
The bodice of the dress should have decorations or adornments on it, along with lots of small Swarovski rhinestones. Most little girls' pageant dresses for glitz pageants have a bodice that's made of Superstretch. Be careful about the placement of large bows and other large embellishments. Don't have them placed too close to the face. You don't want to chance anything's obscuring the child's face or detracting the judges' attention away from the little girl's face. Bigger is not always better!
The back of the dress should be beautiful, too. The judges are going to view the entire dress when the contestant does her turns, so keep that in mind when selecting a pageant dress. Many pageant moms like the little girls' pageant dresses that lace up the back because it makes it easy to get a perfect fit.
Little Girls' Pageant Dresses - The Best Color
You know how important having the right pageant dress is for glitz pageants, right? Sure you do. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't be reading this. In typical glitz beauty pageants, the dress is sort of judged twice - once in the dress category and once in the overall appearance category.
When choosing a pageant dress for your child, there are several things that you need to take into consideration: overall style, fit, design, and color. The first three are fairly easy to figure out, but color is often a big question. The color of glitz pageant dresses has to enhance the natural coloring of the contestants to get the best scores.
Some of the most popular colors for little girls' glitz pageant dresses are bubble gum pink, Barbie pink, fuchsia pink, different shades of blue, light teal, peach, orange, tangerine, light turquoise, yellow, pale green, and white. Combinations of two or more colors are often seen, too.
Just because the above colors are the most popular doesn't mean that your daughter would look good in all these colors and shades. The dress has to "match" your child. For example, a fuchsia pink pageant dress might be gorgeous on a blonde, but it probably wouldn't look good on a redhead. Just because you see a drop-dead pageant dress that looks amazing in photographs or when it's on another child doesn't mean that it's going to look as stunning on your little princess.
I'm often asked what the best dress color is, and there's no hard and fast answer. It depends on the individual child. If I had to choose one color, I'd have to say white or white in combination with another color. BUT...not every pageant girl can wear white. It usually works best on girls who have naturally dark complexions, including African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and caucasians with dark hair and skin. For girls with lighter coloring, white will do little more than wash them out when they're on stage and under the bright lights.
As I mentioned already, African American girls often look gorgeous in white. Actually, they can often get away with wearing almost any color. You see a lot of these girls in peach, orange, yellow, and tangerine. These vibrant hues really stand out on African American girls.
Asian and Hispanic girls look good in a wide range of colors and shades, too. Winning girls with this tyoe of coloring often wear peach, orange, light blue, or yellow.
Brunette caucasian girls with medium to dark skin tones often do well in light turquoise, bubble gum pink, yellow, pale teal, or one or more of these colors in combination with white.
Blondes are sometimes harder to pinpoint because there are so many different shades of blonde hair. A girl who has almost platinum hair and a girl with dark blonde hair that's almost a light brown are both considered as blondes. In general, a good place to start with blondes is to consider glitz pageant dresses in light to medium blue, fuchsia pink, or even pale lavender. Lavender might be a little risky, but there have been a few national winning blondes with pageant dresses in pale lavender.
Redheads are more limited in the colors they can wear. These girls often look best in light green or shades of blue. I once saw a redhead wearing a blue dress that was a dark royal blue, and the judges loved it.
Some contestants in glitz beauty pageants get rather daring with their choices in dress color. For example, I've seen girls wear red, gold, ivory, and bronze. Some of these contestants got rave reviews from the judges, while others didn't. Wearing an unusual color is often a gamble. It seems that the judges either hate these dresses or love them, with little in between.
When choosing a pageant dress for your child, there are several things that you need to take into consideration: overall style, fit, design, and color. The first three are fairly easy to figure out, but color is often a big question. The color of glitz pageant dresses has to enhance the natural coloring of the contestants to get the best scores.
Some of the most popular colors for little girls' glitz pageant dresses are bubble gum pink, Barbie pink, fuchsia pink, different shades of blue, light teal, peach, orange, tangerine, light turquoise, yellow, pale green, and white. Combinations of two or more colors are often seen, too.
Just because the above colors are the most popular doesn't mean that your daughter would look good in all these colors and shades. The dress has to "match" your child. For example, a fuchsia pink pageant dress might be gorgeous on a blonde, but it probably wouldn't look good on a redhead. Just because you see a drop-dead pageant dress that looks amazing in photographs or when it's on another child doesn't mean that it's going to look as stunning on your little princess.
I'm often asked what the best dress color is, and there's no hard and fast answer. It depends on the individual child. If I had to choose one color, I'd have to say white or white in combination with another color. BUT...not every pageant girl can wear white. It usually works best on girls who have naturally dark complexions, including African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and caucasians with dark hair and skin. For girls with lighter coloring, white will do little more than wash them out when they're on stage and under the bright lights.
As I mentioned already, African American girls often look gorgeous in white. Actually, they can often get away with wearing almost any color. You see a lot of these girls in peach, orange, yellow, and tangerine. These vibrant hues really stand out on African American girls.
Asian and Hispanic girls look good in a wide range of colors and shades, too. Winning girls with this tyoe of coloring often wear peach, orange, light blue, or yellow.
Brunette caucasian girls with medium to dark skin tones often do well in light turquoise, bubble gum pink, yellow, pale teal, or one or more of these colors in combination with white.
Blondes are sometimes harder to pinpoint because there are so many different shades of blonde hair. A girl who has almost platinum hair and a girl with dark blonde hair that's almost a light brown are both considered as blondes. In general, a good place to start with blondes is to consider glitz pageant dresses in light to medium blue, fuchsia pink, or even pale lavender. Lavender might be a little risky, but there have been a few national winning blondes with pageant dresses in pale lavender.
Redheads are more limited in the colors they can wear. These girls often look best in light green or shades of blue. I once saw a redhead wearing a blue dress that was a dark royal blue, and the judges loved it.
Some contestants in glitz beauty pageants get rather daring with their choices in dress color. For example, I've seen girls wear red, gold, ivory, and bronze. Some of these contestants got rave reviews from the judges, while others didn't. Wearing an unusual color is often a gamble. It seems that the judges either hate these dresses or love them, with little in between.
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