All That Glitters: Miss USA's Monique & Kelsey

Monique Thompkins, Miss DC USA, posted this picture the other day with Kelsey Dow, Miss AR USA, and I just love it!  Both are phenomenal ladies and look stunning in their respective sequin dresses. Everyone knows a pageant girl's best friend is a rhinestone and Monique and Kelsey are lighting up the Vegas strip in this look.

Rhinestones and sequins alike have a wonderful staying-power in fashion. When done right, the placement can really accentuate the right areas of the body and can give you an instant WOW-Factor. The gold tones in Monique's dress work perfectly with her honey-like skin.  With Kelsey's rich blonde locks, this aqua dress pops on her and really brings out her baby blues. Both Kelsey and Monique look gorgeous!!

When adapting a look, it's very important to make it your own. Monique and Kelsey are polar opposites in terms of hair color, skin color, eye color and body shape. But the reason they look stellar is because they worked the sequins and colors to their strengths. A perfect example of how you can take on this style idea!

Blaque Label's One-Shoulder Sequin Mini Dress 
I love this dress! It's a great way to cost-affectively add some sparkle to your wardrobe. Finding staple pieces like this dress, gives you a go-to favorite that you know will look great every wear. Coming in Silver, Blue, Black, Olive and Matte Silver, there are plenty of options for every girl.

And with a price tag of $83.30, this find is hard to beat!  On sale now, at Singer22, be sure to grab this great dress! Click Here this fabulous Blaque Label Mini.

Perfectly Posed: Miss Idaho USA

From the moment I saw this picture, I was completely blown away! Erna Palic, Miss ID USA, looks so striking modeling her Kooey Australian Swimsuit, the Official Swimwear Sponsor for Miss USA. We all know by now how much I love this purple, but it's what Erna is doing that really makes not only the bathing suit shine, but gives her star quality.  

Body language is of utmost importance no matter who you are, no matter what you're doing. Like your wardrobe, it tells someone everything they need to know about you. It is easy to see, from this picture, how confident, at ease and strong Erna is. She is naturally a beautiful girl and this one pose proves she can standout in a crowd.  

I love a classic ponytail, especially Erna's. The angles in her face are gorgeous and are wonderfully highlighted. Even in shades, you can't take your eyes off of her. From her posture to her stance, Erna is models her Kooey suit perfectly! 

The competition heats up this Wednesday with the Miss USA Preliminaries. A.T. and I will be front and center cheering on these fabulous ladies!  Then it all goes down, this Sunday, June 3rd at 6 pm ET, LIVE on NBC, as 51 of the nation's most beautiful women vie for the coveted Miss USA title!

Happy Memorial Day!

xo,

Chelsea

StandOut Retreat Grads at Miss USA

The beautiful Kat Puryear, Miss SC Teen USA, zip lining at the StandOut Titleholder Retreat.

I've said it a million times and I'll say it again: our StandOut Retreats are my favorite thing we do with our company. The weekends are so insightful for pageant contestants but more importantly, the self discovery is priceless. We fall so in love with each and every girl we have the privilege to work with. To give you a better idea about the weekend, here are some amazing graduates that have come through the program. 

Our Summer Retreat is right around the corner so email me at Info@StandOutProductions.net for more information! 

"Let me just start by saying how I am still so honored and flattered that you chose me to represent Georgia. I wake up every day so amazed and go to bed counting my blessings. Thank you for having faith in me! I will definitely take everything we talked about at the retreat to heart and will utilize it during my preparation and weeks at Miss USA. Hopefully I can follow in your footsteps and take home that crown! Love you!"

- Jazz Wilkins, Miss GA USA 2012

"I want to extend my greatest thanks for the hospitality, generosity and wisdom you shared while at the retreat. I am so appreciative off all of the information and thoughts you all  shared with us, but also the love that you all truly showed for each of us. This was a great opportunity to establish relationships with other contestants as well as hear your story first hand. My experience at the StandOut Retreat will forever stay with me! Thank you!"

- Andrea Rogers, Miss WV USA 2012

"I wanted to drop you a note to say how much I enjoyed the retreat with StandOut! You are a gem and I appreciate so much the time, effort, strategy and love you all shared with the girls and me. Thanks for your prayers!"

 - Erika Powell, Miss SC USA 2012

"I cannot thank you enough for having us at StandOut! I had such a great time and learned so much! It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget!"

- Brittany Booker, Miss TX USA 2012

"Where do I start? First, thank you so much for planning the Titleholder Retreat for us! I had so much fun and I'm so thankful to have gotten to meet some other girls prior to competition! I truly appreciate the critiques you all gave me and I will absolutely work on them before Miss USA. It was an honor to get to know you and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to learn from the best!"

 - Jessica Hibler, Miss TN USA 2012









There really are no words except, Thank you!! We love each and every one of our girls and pray that they feel God's love as the continue on this amazing Miss USA journey! 

Jumpsuit Done Right: Miss USA Style

Megan Myrehn, Miss IN USA

I love a beautifully tailored jumpsuit. There are rompers and jumpsuits galore right now but not all are built to make you look fabulous! So we have to be careful of the fabrics, the lines and the fit. Otherwise, we'll walk out like a pig in a polyester blanket!

To my left, the beautiful Megan Myrehn, Miss IN USA, is the epitome of classic, iconic beauty! Megan has a very distinct style and we discussed early on making sure she stayed true to her style as she gathered wardrobe pieces for Miss USA. So I am delighted to see this ensemble she pulled together for an appearance in Vegas.

With a high neckline, pulling the hair off the face and even up as Megan did, is ideal. This draws attention immediately to the face. The tailoring on her jumpsuit is impeccable and I love the shade of teal.  Her gold accessories and contrasting clutch seal this look with perfection.

You know, not everyone is built like a supermodel so I love to see more shapely, womanly catalog and print models. I want to know what a garment will do on my figure! I'm not a fan of the guessing-game. So you can understand my admiration when I came across this GORGEOUS Rachel Zoe jumpsuit.

This Edith Shawl Silk Jumpsuit is everything a girl could want. Clean, lustrous, lines. A bold cobalt hue - friendly to every skin tone. And what I love most, is that this model not only has the figure to fill it out but she knows how to subtly pose to show it off. With a look - not just an outfit - but with a look like Rachel Zoe presents in this piece, you really don't have to sell anything.  It speaks for itself. 

Grab this Look:

Rachel Zoe Edith Shawl Silk Jumpsuit - ON SALE at Piperlime for $346.99.

Kooey Love: Miss USA Style

I am quickly falling in love with this year's Miss USA Swimwear sponsor, Kooey Swimwear. This entirely Australian owned and operated label develops their lines from inspiration found in the Aussie landscape. Since 2009, Kooey has been the official sponsor of the Miss Australia Universe pageant and was the Official Swimwear Sponsor for the 2011 Miss Teen USA pageant. Hopefully, we'll get to enjoy their fresh taste on the age-old swimsuit competition for years to come! 

5 Things I LOVE about Kooey Swimwear

Katherine Webb, Miss AL USA

 1. The textures and pattern in this printed Kooey bikini worn by Katherine Webb, Miss AL USA, are fabulous!  I love this shade of blue paired with the burnt leaf print. The pattern isn't too fussy or distracting and the placement of the leaves is very tasteful. 

The colors balance each other out perfectly and work on blondes, brunettes, redheads and with any skin tone. The shape of the top is especially gorgeous for the decolletage. The classic scoop bottom is oh-so-flattering to the figure. 

This suit gets an A+ in my book and Katherine couldn't look more amazing in it! 

 2. Anyone that knows me, knows I am a classic black jersey kinda girl! This suit screams, "Chelsea, come wear me!!" I love the high-cut angle on this suit because it immediately leans and lengthens the leg. (Not that Erin needs it!) 

The ruffle detail is really beautiful and trims the suit perfectly. I cannot tell you how many times I've tried on dresses with this detailing at the top only too look like a pregnant disaster in a dress. The fabric, however, in this Kooey masterpiece adds the right amount of flair to an otherwise predictable black bathing suit.

Here, Erin Edmiston, Miss LA USA, works her black Kooey swimsuit on the runway at the exclusive Trump Tower pool in Vegas. All 51 contestants showcased the label in the Official Kooey Australia Fashion Show. 

3. I just love everything about this look. The shape of the top works great for all bust sizes - minimizing some, creating shape for others. And you know how much I love this print by now.

This shade of orange is SO hot right now. Its vibrancy is captivating and the quality of fabric is impeccable. Audrey Bolte, Miss OH USA, looks killer in this mix-n-match Kooey.  The real kicker though.......her stellar over-sized gold cuff!

The swimsuit has a retro feel so pairing this singular statement piece is genius. Such a great look!

4 & 5. These last two come power-packed together. This purple hue is divine!!! The sheen in this fabric is so luxurious, I can't stop staring! 

Kristen, Sydney, Olivia and Brittany are all jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Yet at the same time, all have a different look, which is very cool. This shade works so well on each of them. It's almost as fabulous as they are. :)

The different options in this purple gets me just as excited about the hue! Kristen has such an exotic look so her purple wrap top is not only great for her figure but works with her individual style. 

Sydney and Brittany have two different body types and this Kooey suit looks amazing on both of them! Sydney's toned limbs look fabulous in this suit. Brittany's curves are accentuated perfectly in her take on this suit. Both are home runs! 

Last but certainly not least, Miss Olivia has such a rockin' body and this two-toned purple and lime version is right on. I love the incorporation of purple on the bottoms through the banded fabric. You can tell she not only looks good but this Rhode Islander is feeling good too. She is workin' it out on that runway! 

You know, it's always so nerve-racking for the girls each year not knowing what to expect when they arrive to Miss USA. Especially when it comes to the opening number and swimsuit because you are at the mercy of the sponsors and you are fighting 50 other girls for the cream of the crop. But this year, Kooey made it easy.  ALL of the girls look amazing in their suits and still allow the girls to showcase their individuality.  Now if I could only get them stateside!!!

XoXo,

Chelsea

Get the Look: Miss USA Glam

Audrey Bolte, Miss OH USA

Fadil Berisha has always been an amazing photographer and friend. His take on Miss USA's iconic beauty in this year's glam shots are breathtaking!! Positioned around the Vegas staple, Caesar's Palace, the 51 Miss USA contestants fiercely worked the camera for their "Gardens of Goddess" photo shoot. It was nice to see such an array of settings, gowns, body positions, smiles and confident posing. One of the reasons I love the brand of Miss USA - every last bit of it embodies Miss USA, as do each and every one of the young women vying for this title.

Styled effortlessly in Sherri Hill, the perfectly placed white, gold and metallic hues are a classic touch you can bring to your wardrobe.  If done in the right way, the concept of "too much" becomes a bold statement of character. I wish there was enough room to showcase every picture because I love them all.

I think when developing your own sense of style, it's very important to pull from relevant sources. Fadil's Miss USA photo shoot is the perfect place to start. Below are some easy ways to bring this standout style to your wardrobe.

Gold is a versatile hue that works great on every skin tone because there are so many variations of this hue.  Some can be super warm while others almost have a muted undertone.

These shots of Johanna, Miss NY USA, and Michelle, Miss NJ USA are great because they show both shades of gold in their gowns and with their jewelry. They look beautiful and pull this off effortlessly! 

BCBG has some really fantastic metallic pieces in their summer collection. This Beret Cocktail Dress is one of my favorites because it reads very strong and confident yet the cut of the dress will work on any body type. 

ASOS.com is one of my go-to sites for great finds. This TFNC Sequin Sleeveless Dress comes in a softer gold which I love. The cut is perfect......showing the legs while covering the "girls." If you're gonna show one, keep the other tucked away. It keeps your look chic. 

Grab these looks:

1. BCBG Beret Cocktail Dress - $388.00 at Zappos.com

2. TFNC Sequin Sleeveless Dress - $83.50 at ASOS.com

I have always tried to stay away from the "Matchy-Matchy" concept. It's out-dated and can make anyone look like they are trying too hard. I love how Kendyl, Jade, Myverick and Katie rocked their accessories in the Fadil shoot. 

Pay close attention to the bead work in their dresses, the coloration in their head pieces and the detail in their jewelry. The mixing of gold, silver and bronze is sheer perfection. 

It's okay to metallically colorblock your accessories. It works so well in these looks because all four girls are wearing a classic color. Mixing metals while wearing a busy print is never a good idea. Keep the color, cut and fabric simple so that you can have fun mixing these metallics. If you go crazy on the outfit, the jewelry should always be simple. 

As Miss USA edges on, study these titleholders and find ways to incorporate their style into your own. But remember, copycats are impossible to pull off. So take what will work only for you and then you will always have a home-run when you step out for the day! Miss USA airs June 3rd, LIVE on NBC so be sure to watch and cheer on your favorite girl!

XoXo,

Chelsea

Opening Day at Miss USA!

The gorgeous Taylor, Miss SD USA.

I cannot believe that Miss USA is already here!  Girls have been arriving in Vegas all week and today it all goes down. Registration is in full swing and as the girls are discovering, is a crrraaazzzzyyyyy fun day.  

With a checklist longer than the strip, girls are shooting with the fabulous Fadil, are getting dolled up with Rain Cosmetics in their best Sherri Hill's, topping it all of with the best Farouk has to offer. There are goodie bags galore and more glamour than you can shake a stick at! 

Beautiful Brittany, TX USA & her Rain Cosmetics Make-Up Artist.

Here's a sneak peek into the hustle and bustle that is opening day at Miss USA.



Our fashion blogs from last year's Miss USA extravaganza were so popular that we are bringing the glam back to you this year. Full fashion updates on your favorite titleholders can be exclusively found here. So stay tuned for some standout style!