SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss USA 2015 Finals Evening Gown Recap, from Great to Oh Dear!

Queen Olivia: Olivia Jordan "Miss Oklahoma USA" is Miss USA 2015

This past Sunday was the 64th Annual Miss USA Pageant. Unless you have been living under a rock, you may be very well versed on on the hullabaloo and ESCANDALOS revolving around the pageant. After NBC pulled out of its contract to co-own Miss Universe/Miss USA and subsequently, announce that it was not airing it (naturally!), the New Mexico-based cable entertainment channel REELZ TV ("Hollywood Happens Here" is their tagline) stepped up to save the day and give the 51 contestants their moment in the spotlight.

Miss USA 2015 contestants--Miss USA 2015 Finals, Baton Rouge River Center, Baton Rouge Louisiana

The Live Telecast Pageant Finals were held at the Baton Rouge River Center in Baton Rouge Louisiana to a very excited crowd...

I Won, Y'all!--The newly crowned Miss USA 2015, Olivia Jordan waves to the crowd at Miss USA 2015 Pageant Finals, Baton Rouge River Center, Baton Rouge Louisiana

The winner was 26-year old, 5'11" (1.80 M) tall Olivia Jordan "Miss Oklahoma USA". Olivia was born in Tulsa Oklahoma, she's a model/actress (of course) and was outstanding during the all-important Preliminary Competition (that gets to pick the Top 15 Semi-Finalists) that was held earlier in the week (she was one of my favorites!) and during the Live Telecast on Sunday--especially after the Top 5 Question Session--she "done had the crown!". Period.

Miss USA 2014 Nia Sanchez crowns Olivia Jordan "Miss Oklahoma USA" as Miss USA 2015--Miss USA 2015 Finals, Baton Rouge River Center, Baton Rouge Louisiana

Olivia Jordan "Miss Oklahoma USA 2015" really had the pageant crown in the palm of her well-moisturized hands especially after...

Uh Oh! Miss Rhode Island USA and Miss Nevada USA---Miss USA 2015 Finals, Baton Rouge Louisiana

several of the other girls (above) really, really, messed up that very important (almost) Final Question. My friend, former Miss USA and Miss Universe Chelsi Smith said on Facebook "Regardless of the system in which you're competing, beauty AND brains will ALWAYS win out in the long-run. Whether it's crown, career or both. Remember that. Your aesthetic is only a PART of the competition. Prep your brain as much as your body". Holla!

Top Two: Miss Texas USA Ylianna Guerra (right) was the First Runner-Up--Miss USA 2015 Finals Baton Rouge River Center, Baton Rouge Louisiana

The new "Miss USA", Olivia Jordan is not a "fresh face"--per se--to the pageant scene, In other words, this is not her first time at the rodeo kids. She has held various pageant titles including...

Miss Beverly Hills USA 2013--Olivia is here with Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella (left)

First Runner Up to Miss California USA 2013, (Olivia is second from left)

Olivia Jordan "Miss United States" at the Miss World 2013 Top Model Competition where she got 1st Runner-Up--Bali Indonesia

Olivia Jordan "Miss World America 2013", Top 20 Semi Finalist at Miss World 2013 --I wrote about her HERE and HERE back in 2013

Time for the Miss USA 2015 Finals Gown Recap------------------------------------------------------------

Gown Girls: The Top 11 and Top 5 contestants--in Evening Gowns--at the Miss USA 2015 Finals, Baton Rouge River Center, Baton Rouge Louisiana

My Miss USA 2015 Finals Gown Review--Many of the contestants wore gowns from the Gown Sponsor--Sherri Hill--this is understandable--they are
A) a Miss USA Sponsor;
B) the contestants can borrow these dresses and therefore not have to pay a dime.
This is thrifty of them, considering that if you are a major Beauty Pageant contestant and want to buy an actual Custom Gown from a fashion designer, it can cost you up to $10,000 if not more. But, these girls can borrow a Sherri Hill for free (in exchange for some Pageant P.R.) or even buy one off the rack for about $1,000 if not less.

Let me start with the Winner...

Olivia Jordan "Miss Oklahoma USA"--Better yet, let me NOT begin with her since, well, her gown begins in my "Oh Dear!" post. So....let's get to some nicer ones and then I'll discuss that "Southern Plantation Mess"....

Anea Garcia Miss Rhode Island USA 2015: Anea wore this ivory silk crepe column gown with illusion and silver Swarovski crystal studded center front panel. I thought this gown looked familiar when I first saw it, and of course, I realized why: this gown was worn at the Miss Venezuela 2014 Pageant  by Scarliz Coa "Miss Apure". The gown was designed by Valentina Cedeño. I have a very good feeling that this is the exact same gown, since Miss Apure has a very similar body type.; therefore this is a borrowed sample. I really liked this gown and thought it was statuesque and very "Miss Universo". Unfortunately, Anea "Miss Rhode Island USA" had trouble walking in it (not sure why with that big ol' back godet/train! It might have been about an inch too long) and she looked very uncomfortable in it...

I actually liked what she wore for the Miss USA 2015 Prelimianriy Competition....

 Red Goddess: Anea Garcia Miss Rhode Island USA at the Miss USA 2015 Preliminaries

Renee Bull Miss Delaware USA: I place Renee and her canary yellow strapless gown as one of my favorites. I thought it fit very nicely and looked AMAZING against her skin. She also worked the runway and looked classy, elegant and regal!

Madison Guthrie Miss Alabama USA: I loved the blue color and the zibeline-like fabrication. This Mermaid style gown was very popular this year and Madison's was one of the best. I just have a problem with her "Hi! These are my Fake Boobies!" cleavage neckline and the gaping in the open back (look very closely at photo above!). If I was a judge, all I would be looking at (and I'm GAY!!) would be her paid-for SISTAHS!!! That's not good.

Candice Bennatt Miss Louisiana USA: I really liked Candice's gown--it was a strapless ivory gown with silver-to-gold sequin-like applique. It was very nice. I'm not a fan of the nude/illusion panel in the front neckline bodice but I will let it go this time; she looked Pageant Pretty.

Ylianna Guerra Miss Texas USA: Ylianna wore this white crepe gown at the Miss USA 2015 Finals. It featured a halter neckline, jeweled neck-piece and silver diamante back "fall" detail. It was a nice gown and the back was very impacting. But...once again, the "cha-cha's" got in the way: her very prominent "Sistahs" were TOO MUCHEEY. Why oh why do these girls get such over-the-top breast implants??? I will never ever know!

Mame Adjei Miss Maryland USA: Mame was one of my TOP FAVORITE contestants at this year's Miss USA 2015. She was so exotic, so beautiful...She wore this black applique and see-though gown for the Miss USA 2015 Finals. I thought she looked very impacting but the too-sheer section went a bit too high and verged on Hoochie. But, her gorgeous beauty made me overlook that.

Oh Dear...

Emma Wo Miss Hawaii USA: I LOVED Emma! She was OUTSTANDING during the Preliminaries and in the Finals. I almost wished that she would have made the Top Five. I KNOW she would have been able to answer those questions PERFECTLY! Now, in terms of her gown, she wore this white chiffon and silver sequined dress which featured...hot pants! I know that she's a Fashion Blogger and all but...the hot pants-under-a-chiffon-dress thing is a bit on the TACKYLICOUS side. Sorry Miss Emma,. I still LUV u! But not that dress.

Rashontae Wawrzyniak Miss Michigan USA: GURL! That is A LOT of Horsehair trimmed bell sleeve! I get the DRAMA of this dress but...it's two minutes from a Fashion Students' Sophomore Runway Show creation--and looking "Elvira Pageant". Oh Dear! for sure.

Brittany McGowan Miss Nevada USA: Brittany wore this silver lace metallic gown with a silver shantung overskirt. Then she removed that over-skirt to "expose" the column gown; it was a TACKY MESS. This design was OVERDONE, very late 80's-early 90's and the fact that I could A) see the mini-pleated inner "crinoline" throughout her walk plus B) I was very distracted by that too-plunging neckline (Hello, there are those faux boobies again!). Oh and then she HAD to wear those platform nude heels that had NOTHING to do--style-wise--with that gown. Someone needed to school her darling. Fire the stylist.

But...I save the Worst for last...

Oh Olivia: Miss Oklahoma USA Olivia Jordan--Yes, she won but...if I was a judge, I would have scored her very, very low on this gown. On a good note: I liked the bubblegum pink color. But beyond that: NOT SO MUCHEEY. This is a Quinceañera Hot Mess. It also reminds me of a "Gone With Wind" Costume...for Barbie! Somehow the judges liked it but I was definitely NOT a fan. This is a polyester ball gown mess. But, obviously, that did not matter since she was STUNNING everywhere else....

CONGRATULATIONS Olivia Jordan "Miss USA 2015" and Best of Luck at 

Miss Universe 2015"...wherever and whenever that will be. --and PLEASE don't wear that dress at Miss Universe! #PrettyPlease xoxo