It’s the most campy time of year. Yes, the Miss Universe pageant (airing Sunday at 8 p.m. on FYI), and that over-the-top, crazy event: the national costume contest.
Forget boring gowns and bikinis. These are kimonos, feathers, headdresses, tridents, wings. In 2015, Miss Thailand went as a motorized rickshaw known as a tuk-tuk. That same year, Miss Canada went as the Stanley Cup, complete with hockey sticks. While some of the “national” images are pretty obvious — Miss Japan this year is in a karate outfit holding a gold medal for the Olympics — half the fun is trying to figure out what flower, bird or symbol these intricate costumes are suppose to represent.
Post critic Johnny Oleksinski and fashion editor Serena French take a look at some of the standout costumes of 2021:
MISS CANADA
Wonder Woman, eh?
Miss Canada, Nova Stevens, appears onstage at the Miss Universe 2021 National Costume Show. Rodrigo Varela/Getty ImagesJohnny: Wow. I’ve never been there, but is this how people dress in Saskatchewan?
Serena: If only hockey night looked this good.
MISS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Nice stems.
Serena: She’s goddess of sunflowers.
Miss Dominican Republic Kimberly Jiménez in her sunflower getup. Rodrigo Varela/Getty ImagesJohnny: Hey Mister! My flowers are up here!!
MISS NEPAL
A sexy sherpa, complete with bejeweled oxygen mask
.Serena: This outfit is strictly peak performance: that mask can only be worn on the roof of the world and she’s got Mt. Everest in her purse!
Johnny: Climb ev’ry mountain, Ford every stream, follow ev’ry rainbow . . .
MISS SINGAPORE
Now that she has your attention . .
.Serena: A caped crusader fighting crime wearing an important message.
MISS FRANCE
In fairness, she’s wearing more on top than the regular depiction of Marianne.
Johnny: I Louvre it.
Serena: Following the national motto Liberte, Equalite, Fraternite, at the end she overthrew her dress.
MISS ARGENTINA
Hand of god, shirt of soccer great
.Serena: She can bend it like Maradona.
MISS GREAT BRITAIN
Yaas queen.
Jeanette Akua gives off a royal vibe for Great Britain. Rodrigo Varela/Getty ImagesSerena: She could rule any runway.
MISS FINLAND
Aurora beautyealis.
Viivi Altonen had the light shine on her and Finland. Rodrigo Varela/Getty ImagesSerena: The sky’s the limit in this Northern Lights number.
Johnny: I know Europe can be behind on American trends, but it’s wild that they just got Lite Brite.
MISS BAHAMAS
Celebrating Bahamas airline (or maybe the Bermuda triangle)
Johnny: This jewel-studded look must’ve cost her a lot of frequent flyer miles.
MISS PUERTO RICO
The Zodiac killer look
Miss Universe Puerto Rico Estefanía Soto put on a lavish look on the stage. Getty ImagesSerena: Signs point to fabulous.
Johnny: I can’t decide how I feel about this look because I’m a Pisces.
MISS USA
Burning hot.
Miss Universe USA Asya Branch hails from Mississippi. Rodrigo Varela/Getty ImagesSerena: What more glamorous way to rise like a phoenix from the flames?
MISS BRAZIL
Wikipedia tells us Brazil is the fifth-largest producer of cotton in the world.
Miss Brazil Julia Gama’s outfit was filled with cotton balls. Rodrigo Varela/Getty ImagesJohnny: When I think of beautiful, vibrant, sunny Brazil, the first things that pops into my head are cotton balls and twigs.
