To gain some insight on this topic from a pageant expert, we reached out to pageant coach and Miss Montana 2018 Dani Walker. We were curious how Dani became interested in pageants in the first place, and she told Bored Panda that she competed in her first pageant on her 14th birthday, after her cousin had received an invitation to participate but wasn't interested. "I enjoyed the preparation process and how it developed my confidence," she explained. "It pushed me outside my comfort zone. I love that pageantry taught me how to dream by surrounding me with messaging that encouraged me to dispel limiting beliefs."

We also asked Dani if she had any thoughts on this year's Miss USA state costumes. "My personal favorite costume was worn by Miss Tennessee," she told Bored Panda. "Not only did I appreciate the vibrant color, attention to detail, and artistry, but I also enjoyed the historical significance of its meaning. Her fiery costume represented the torches held by suffragettes when the country was stalled and Tennessee voted to ratify the 19th amendment and grant women the right to vote."

We then asked Dani if there were any misconceptions about pageants she wished to dispel. "There's more than one winner at a pageant," she shared. "Pageantry is a medium that thousands of women around the world use to develop their confidence, personal style, communication skills, and much more. Women in pageantry are united by a common goal. Although there is one queen crowned, there are many winners at a pageant. I was not chosen as queen at every pageant I competed in, but each time I walked away with new and valuable life skills or lessons, which is why I can look back on every pageant as a success."

If you'd like to hear more about Dani's journey, be sure to check out her website right here.

The new Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel made history as she was the first Filipina American woman to ever earn the title, and she made sure that her culture was front and center during the competition. During the interview portion of the show, she wore a jumpsuit of her own design featuring floral details, mesh sleeves and a traditional Filipino silhouette. 

“I designed this to pay tribute to my parents. My mom is from Beaumont, TX and my father is from the Philippines. They got married in Manila Philippines,” R’Bonney explained on Instagram. “I hand painted the same flower design from my mother’s wedding dress onto my sleeves and tied in a traditional Maria Clara Filipina collar shape. I have immense gratitude for the opportunities my parents provided me and wanted to express my love to them through this.”

During the competition, R’Bonney also noted that she enjoys designing and making her own clothing to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. “I actually made the outfit that I am wearing and I upcycle pieces, recycle different clothing to be more sustainable in my industry, because I feel it’s my duty,” she replied to judge Soo Yeon Lee’s question. “I think that’s something we can all look for, ways in our certain industries or in our homes to be sustainable as well.”

And while all of the clothing worn during the competition have been major topics of conversation since the show aired, the State Costume outfits might be the most popular. This fun portion of the show allows each contestant to show pride in their home state and sometimes even poke a little fun at themselves. Every state has their own stereotypes, which the women can choose to either lean into or go against with their costumes, and among the 50 women, contestants found extremely creative ways to make both options work.   

I’m from Texas, so I have to admit that I was brimming with pride upon hearing that Miss Texas ended up winning the competition. But when it comes to the costumes, many other contestants found ways to shine as well. Idaho, for example, is a state that I don’t know much about. Honestly, most Americans probably don’t know much about it. We always just associate it with potatoes. So that’s exactly what Miss Idaho decided to lean into, by parading across the stage holding a sign simply stating, “POTATOES”. She definitely understood the assignment. 

Some contestants decided to celebrate their state’s most beloved sports teams. Miss Kansas wore a tribute to the Jayhawks, Miss Oklahoma celebrated the OKC Thunder NBA team, Miss Delaware wore a red, white and blue basketball fit and dribbled a silver ball while crossing the stage, Miss Michigan wore a dress inspired by the Detroit Pistons, and Miss Massachusetts wore a giant bullseye on her back in honor of the Boston Red Sox. The US is a sport-loving nation, so it’s perfectly fitting for some of the Miss USA contestants to incorporate that pride into their outfits.    

Some women decided to turn their costumes into tributes to their personal culture or prominent cultures in their states. Miss North Dakota, for example, wore a stunning outfit honoring her Native American heritage. “I did this for Native American representation on the Miss USA stage,” she shared on Facebook. “To all the little girls out there who struggle with feelings of hopelessness— life gets better. I struggled with abuse during my childhood, but I was able to build a beautiful life for myself & stand for what I believe in on a national stage.”

Miss Minnesota wore a Viking-inspired costume to celebrate her state’s history. Minnesota has a larger Swedish and Norwegian population than any other state, as many Scandinavians immigrated there during the 1860’s, so this was the perfect costume to honor her home state’s population. Miss Missouri wore a daring tribute to St. Louis native Maya Angelou by sporting a dashiki set and handmade beaded necklace from South Africa. While crossing the stage, she removed her skirt to reveal an embroidered snippet of Angelou’s famous poem “Phenomenal Woman”.   

Some costumes paid homage to the beloved nature of their states. Miss Vermont, for example, covered herself head to toe in maple leaves, as her state is famous for its delicious maple syrup. Miss Hawaii wore an outfit inspired by Haleakalā, or the East Maui Volcano. Some women even represented their state flowers, like Miss California, who dressed as an orange poppy and Miss Iowa, who wore a gorgeous pink and green outfit modeled after the prairie rose.

The Miss USA competition has not always featured state costumes, but we’re certainly glad they decided to revive this portion of the pageant. The costume show was part of the competition from 1962-1993, but for some reason was removed after that. In 2021, however, the producers decided to bring this fun segment back, and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere else anytime soon. This portion of the show allows the women a chance to show their state personalities and gets viewers back home thrilled to see how they will be represented in the show. It’s a brilliant part of the pageant, and we can’t wait to see what costumes come up next year.  

We hope you're enjoying this list of gorgeous costumes worn by Miss USA contestants; perhaps you're even feeling inspired to watch the pageant next year! If you're interested in following Miss USA's journey, be sure to tune into the Miss Universe pageant in January, but for now, keep upvoting all of the state costumes that you think were perfectly fitting. Let us know in the comments which costumes you loved the most, and if you could design one for your own home state, we'd love to hear your ideas!