SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Universe 2011 National Costumes: The Islands

Spread Them Wings Huney!!!! Miss Universe 2011 is TONIGHT, and I am "celebrating" this--and the fact that it is the 60th Anniversary of the international beauty pageant--by doing as many Miss Universe 2011 Posts as I can muster right here on my little ol' NICKVERREOS.COM Blog. I am "done" with my Review of the Preliminary Gowns and now it's time to highlight the National Costumes. Since there is no National Costume Competition any more (sadly), I want to showcase here my FAVORITES in terms of the Miss Universe 2011 contestant's Costumes... Oh, and PS: How the HECK do these women pack these things??? Inquiring minds want to know!!! You get charged like $50 per suitcase now when you fly (in Coach of course), so I wonder how much does it cost to ship one of these below...and who pays for it??? Lets Begin With "The Islands": Miss Bahamas Universe 2011 Anastagia Pierre: Wow!! The colors of those wings are UNBELIEVABLE!!! It certainly makes a statement. I've been to The Bahamas TWICE now for the FAB Island of The World Fashion Week and I have never seen a bird like this but maybe I wasn't looking!!! And I give Anastagia MAJOR "Nick V." Points for wearing a barely-there sequined bodysuit. You have got to have a SLAMMING body to pull that off...and she does!!! Miss Aruba Universe 2011 Gillain Berry: Very "Carnival", silver/metallic costume featuring a feathered headress and strong-shouldered sequin top. I can see her on top of a big float in Aruba just shakin' her thang! I can hear the samba music now!!! Miss British Virgin Islands Universe 2011 Sheroma Hodge: Love. Love. Love. First, I love that she didn't go the "Carnival" route and have an oversized winged costume. There were enough of those--albeit all very FAB!! The colors, shape and overall effect of this costume says "Happy Times Everyone!!" And BTW: Is there a miniature toy person on top of her head being encircled by hat headgear? Who is that and why are they up there??? Miss Curacao Universe 2011 Eva Van Putten: This is the MOST FABULOUS beaked Bird of Paradise I have ever seen!!!! Whoever designed and created this must be GAY!!!! There are Drag Queens in NYC right NOW copying this Costume! No reason why, but only because it is so Fierce! The colors, the oversized paillettes mimicking feathers-down to the pumps!!! So many of these girls put their costumes on and just wore them with some regular pair of heels--but not for Eva. She goes ALL or nothing! Miss Haiti Universe 2011 Anedie Azael: This costume is one of my favorites in the Caribbean Section. It's Traditional and Folkloric yet still has touches of Fantasy. The green sequined palm tree in the middle torso: Fantastique!!! And so is that headdress. I can see a Haitian DIVA walking around in Port-au-Prince wearing this, and people just bowing to her and saying in Creole "You Go Girl!" Miss Trinidad and Tobago Universe 2011 Gabrielle Walcott: Do not mess with Gabrielle kids! This is one of the most outstanding of these "Carnival COUTURE Birds of Fantasy" costumes. Unbelievable really! All those GORGEOUS feathers and look at her body in that teeny-tiny sequined bikini!! She is giving ALL those Victoria's Secret Supermodels a run for their money in this!!! If only she would have finished it all with red sequined feathered pumps, then it would have been PERFECTION!!! Miss Guam Universe 2011 Shayna Jo Afaisen: I thought this was just "Darlin'"!! The costume represents "Sirena", a Mermaid legend from Guam. She certainly is a gorgeous little Mermaid in this green oversized paillette (that micks the fish scales) costume. She's even featuring a crown and "Guam" shield. Definitely, the "Empress of the Guam Seas"!!!