Inside the Making of a Gown (A. Nugent)

GUEST BLOG: Venezuelan gown designer Gionni Straccia with Ali Nugent

Ali Nugent was the second Miss Texas USA I had the privilege to dress.

I met her through Julie Roberts, the owner of the boutique Elizabeth Anthony in Houston, TX and from the very beginning I knew the beautiful combination of light colored eyes, dark hair, and light skin tone had to be the focal point of attention.

Ali Side by Side — Design for Bianca Aljibes - Miss Venezuela International 2012

Every time I design a custom gown, I like to sit down with the customer and hear the ideas she has about her dress.

Whether it is a specific fabric, a color, or the event she is going to wear it for...in this case there was no difference.

I sat with Ali and her team at the store and Ali was very open to any ideas.

She trusted my work and gave me the freedom to design, so the process began.

First, she started trying on some of my other gowns, just to see what shapes and colors worked best for her and while she was at it I was coming up with possible designs…

One of the pieces she tried on was a red 4 ply crepe dress I had designed for Blanca Aljibes, the Venezuelan contestant for Miss International 2012.

She loved it and the color made a perfect match with her skin tone, hair color and eyes, but for obvious reasons I could not repeat it, so I designed something similar.

"The inspiration for my gown came from a combination of a Gionni Straccia gown that was designed [for Miss Venezuela International 2012] and the the emerald green long sleeve gown that Miss Venezuela wore at Miss Universe 2012. I actually tried on that exact gown in person and fell in love with the fit! Jewel tones have always been my "go to". I feel they look best on me and so that’s why I chose the shade of red that I did.

The mixture between the gold and silver and clear beads and stones was so beautifully done on another design that I wanted to bring that into my gown in some form. The fabric chosen was Gionni’s most popular fabric choice I believe. The way it hugs you and fits is so flawless and beautiful that you cant help but fall in love with it."

-Ali Nugent

The final version was this spectacular red 4 ply crepe gown, beaded with Swarovski crystals, plus silver and gold rhinestones, with a very sexy neckline.

The beading was done only in the torso, because as I mentioned previously, I wanted all the attention to be in Ali’s upper body. The crepe fabric added fluidness and grace to her walk.

Since I was not going to see Ali again before the pageant, I did a fitting using a standard muslin I had already brought with me. The great thing about her is that she has an incredible body and I barely had to make any alterations to the muslin.

Ali Fitting — Ali fitting her gown for the first time

After that, the rest is history, by mid April Ali was at Elizabeth Anthony picking up her gown and ready to leave the audience speechless.

Having over 18 years designing gowns for the Miss Venezuela, Miss World, Miss Universe and now for Miss USA pageant contestants, I still get excited about every single girl that competes with one of my gowns.

It is extremely rare that I miss watching a pageant because it is important for me to see the girl perform on stage and even if it is from a distance, support and cheer for her.

It is also an opportunity to be my hardest critic. With Ali Nugent it was not the exception.

I loved the grace and poise with which she carried the gown and I was a little bit sad when she was not called into the Top 5, but you could imagine my happiness when she was picked as the 6th finalist based on the number of tweets received!

I like to think that somehow, my dress, was part of that whole team work that accompanied her that night.

(photos by Miss Universe Organization, Gionni Straccia, and Ali Nugent)

March 3, 2014December 5, 2018

Journey to the Crown – Devin Grissom

Hello World! My name is Devin Grissom.

I’m a pretty normal 22 year old who likes cats, football, traveling the world, and oh yeah—competing in pageants.

That last point is the reason why you’re reading this post right now. I have somehow been convinced to document any and all preparations for my upcoming pageant.

That’s right -- you are invited to be up close and personal to all of the ups, downs, triumphs, and many junk food-craving moments that will fall upon me this year.

If you have never competed in a pageant then be warned -- a few posts in and you will probably start to think I am a few fries short of a Happy Meal. However, if you have competed in pageants then you clearly know I won’t be stepping within 10 miles of a McDonalds until about .05 seconds after some lucky lady gets a crown on her head this fall (more on all this diet business later).

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About me

So before you commit to listening to my ramblings over the months ahead, how about I tell you all a little about myself and how I got to where I am now -- California -- if you were wondering.

I was born and raised in Memphis, TN by my precious, wonderful parents who have always supported me in everything I have wanted to do. I take that back – almost everything – but we aren’t quite to that point in my life yet (did I mention I am extremely all over the place?)

After 18 blissful years I decided to take my talents to Tuscaloosa (Lebron joke…anyone?) where I attended The University of Alabama and experienced 3 national championships in my 4 years, ROLL TIDE!

All of this was to my Dad’s absolute horror since he is a die-hard Tennessee Volunteer and we have - to put it nicely - dominated the 3^rd Saturday in October for the past seven seasons. Roll Tide again.

It was in Tuscaloosa that I decided I wanted to get back into the pageant business. Unfortunately, I literally gained the Freshman 100 – you’re not getting a picture to document that time in my life, just take my word for it.

Needless to say I had to put my “walking on stage in a bikini” dreams on hold until I had my fill of messy fries (Tuscaloosa staple—seriously worth it). Finally my sophomore year I decided it was time to compete – Miss Alabama USA here I come!

It just so happens that God yet again had other plans for my life.

I was given the opportunity to star in a brand new dating series on CMT called “Sweet Home Alabama” and that meant I had some serious decisions to make…

Who am I kidding? They asked my 20 year-old self if I wanted to take a month out of my year to date 20 cute guys?!

If the suspense is killing you…I said yes...thus putting the Miss Alabama USA pageant temporarily on hold.

I had the absolute time of my life. I met some amazing guys who continue to be great friends. The guy that I picked – Adam – is now adorably married (not to me just to clarify) and expecting his first little kiddo! Go Adam, so happy for you 🙂

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Miss Alabama USA 2013

Okay back to pageants! After the whirlwind that was CMT passed through my life, it was finally time to strap on the Chinese Laundry heels and butt glue. It was my Senior year at Alabama and I was definitely at a crossroads in my life. I just KNEW that this was the year all my dreams would come true.

I busted my butt at the gym for 6 months, found an absolutely stunning dress and honestly did just about everything I could do to win the Miss Alabama USA crown.

I even skipped Thanksgiving!!! No dressing or blackberry cobbler for Dev – now that’s commitment. When December 2012 finally arrived – I was more ready and confident than I had ever been.

Everything went exactly according to plan – except the result. I placed 1^st runner up to Mary Margaret McCord – and although I was disappointed, I couldn’t be prouder.

I mean have you SEEN that stunning gal? She is a 20 out of 10 and placed 1^st runner up at Miss USA 2013! (Does that technically make me an unofficial 2^nd runner up at Miss USA? No?)

Not even one week after the Miss Alabama USA pageant, I graduated from The University of Alabama. Graduating college is a huge step in every young person’s life and just like most people who came before me and most who will come after me...

I had no clue what to do.

I spent a couple of months on the job hunt before I got the call from my one of my best friends about a job opportunity. She worked/still works/now I work for an IT company called Barracuda. That opens up the next chapter in my life: California!

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California!

Don’t let the tech stereotype fool you -- I work for the absolutely coolest company in the universe. I do a little bit of everything for Barracuda including marketing, video production, events, social media, trade show presenting and much more.

In my first year I have traveled to just about every city in the United States, plus Barcelona, Dubai, London and Paris… Did I mention I’m only 22?!

Even with all of the excitement of building my career in California, around April of 2013 I caught the bug again. All of you pageant girls know what “the bug” is and what it feels like. I absolutely had to compete so I decided to sign up for my home state pageant, Miss Tennessee USA.

I made the assumption that it would be just as easy to workout, eat right and make all of my preparations as it had been when I was in college and had absolutely nothing to do besides go to class and sleep.

I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE WRONG IN MY LIFE.

It was a struggle from the beginning. As I have mentioned before, I travel a ton with my job. I absolutely love it and would not trade my travel experiences for the world. However, when you are a major foodaholic like myself, constantly traveling to new places and trying new amazing restaurants is TORTURE when trying to prepare for a pageant.

Also, finding time for all of the other little details needed to prepare was difficult as well. So I did the best that I thought I could - worked out when I could, ordered a dress online and hoped for the best.

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Miss Tennessee USA 2014

When October 2013 rolled around, I was in a completely different place mentally than I had been at Miss Alabama USA not even a year before. I knew that I had not done everything that I should have (and honestly COULD have) to be my very best.

It made me feel guilty that I had not pursued my dream with more determination and also much less confident than one should be going into pageant weekend.

Even so, the Miss USA system is incredible and Kim Greenwood’s team puts on a flawless weekend for all of the girls...so of course, I had a blast.

Meeting all of the awesome contestants is definitely always a highlight for me at any pageant. It truly makes you feel inspired to be around such a big group of accomplished and beautiful ladies (special shout out to Sarah Stonier and Lauren Ledford for being AWESOME!)

When finals night came around I really didn’t know what to expect. Interviews went great (I got to meet Herschel Walker!!) and I was feeling pretty good after prelim competition, but with pageants you really just never know. By the end of the night I was in the Top 5 and absolutely freaking out, I couldn’t believe it!

I ended up placing 3^rd runner up and truly was content – I knew I did not deserve to win. Congrats again to ALL of the girls who competed but especially to Kristy Landers Niedenfuer for winning the crown. You are going to be a stunning representative of Tennessee at Miss USA 2014!

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The Present

I walked away from the Miss Tennessee USA 2014 pageant with a determination that I would try one competing more time and give it my absolute all, no matter what the obstacles that may stand in my way. That’s where this blog comes in.

I am putting my preparations out there for the world to see. The main reason, honestly, is to keep me motivated and on track while I navigate through the struggles to following my dream of becoming Miss USA and also pursuing my career.

So what can you expect of me in these coming months?

Each month I'll set specific monthly goals that will help me move closer to attaining my overall goal of being 100% prepared to win my next pageant. To stay accountable, I'll also set weekly "sub-goals" that I will try to achieve as I go along.

After outlining my monthly and weekly goals for you, I'll document (with photos, videos, and text) and keep you informed of my ups and -- hopefully not so many -- downs for that week 🙂

So for all you readers out there I have a few favors...

If you think pageants are silly or a waste of time then I hope you get more than a few belly laughs out of my coming experiences- I won’t be holding anything back.

If you are in the process of preparing for a pageant as well then please feel free to reach out and ask me any questions you have or even to tell me something I am doing is completely crazy. There are no right or wrong answers when preparing to compete on any type of stage but I think it’s great to have a community to talk to about it—event if it’s just to say YOU AREN’T ALONE.

For everyone—I would seriously love to know what you guys think, feel free to write comments below the post or reach out to me on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook!

So I guess I will see you guys next month! Until then… I’m hitting the gym (ugh.)

February 21, 2014December 5, 2018

Inside the Making of a Gown (K. Graham)

GUEST BLOG: K. Lee Graham with Jennifer Graham, gown designer

We all know that one of the most exciting parts of pageant preparation is finding the gown. Luckily for me, I’ve been blessed to have a mother that has been particularly involved in helping me choose my wardrobe. Together, we designed my off-white silk charmeuse and organza gown, and she handmade it.

My mom, Jennifer Graham, has always made my pageant gowns and they have all been special, but to me this was her masterpiece! I originally wore it in my high school pageant last February, but it made me feel so confident that I knew it was the dress that I needed to wear for the Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2014 pageant!

It’s pretty interesting how my mom got started with creating gowns. When she competed as a teen, my grandmother made her gowns. It looks like I’ll have to take some sewing classes soon if we want to continue the tradition!

“My mom and I made my gowns because we couldn’t afford to buy them, but I always loved it since I would have a beautiful gown that no one else would have.”
–Jennifer Graham

When people hear that my mom makes my gowns, they’re always interested in learning how she does it. As you can imagine, making a gown from scratch is much different than ordering a dress from a designer. But like any gown, we start with a concept.

For this gown, we knew we wanted a side train. We already had yards of this beautiful ivory silk organza, so that became the first element we based the design on. We wanted to create a gown that reflected me and my personality, it had to be very elegant and somewhat sophisticated but still age appropriate.

Mom's gown at Mrs. South Carolina America

Closeup Skirt Hips — Lace appliqué on skirt (hips)

In order to remain cost efficient, we always check to see what we can use from dresses she already made. Normally we take elements from a few different gowns and use them to make a completely new one.

After trying on dresses, we decided to use the skirt of a gown Mom had made for herself years ago when she was Mrs. South Carolina America. It was made completely of silk charmeuse, even lined in it.

Closeup Skirt Bottom — Lace appliqué on skirt (bottom)

Lace appliqués were placed all around the hips, and the bottom of the gown was also accented with the same appliqués, but these had soft white feathers attached to them to create an ethereal look and movement when I walked.

So after determining what we already had, Mom and I took a trip to our favorite fabric store. These trips are always so fun for us, and very special.

When my mom was a teen, her mom took her to the same store to get lace for her gowns, so as you can imagine it means a lot to me to share this experience with my mom. At the store, we found some gorgeous lace appliqués that would look fabulous to accent the bodice we planned to make.

After buying the new appliqués, we started putting together the gown...

“I didn’t learn to sew until I was 30, when I took a sewing and smocking class. I wish I had known how much I enjoy it, I would have started much earlier in life.”
-Jennifer Graham

When it comes to actually creating a gown, we have a unique sort of process. There’s definitely an element of flexibility, fabrics don’t always work the way you want them to.

Much of our creation process is trial and error. We have a general idea, a look that we go after, and work out the details as we construct the gown.

K Lee front-side-back — Front, side, and back view at Miss SC Teen USA 2014

We already had the skirt, so after experimenting with a few different options for the bodice we settled on a corset style top with a sweetheart neckline. This gave the gown some structure, and balanced out the flowiness of the skirt.

So we had the basic form of the gown, the next step was to add the detailing. My mom’s designs are characterized by her attention to detail; she has an amazing eye for placing lace and stones just so in order to create a gorgeous overall image.

After attaching the top and skirt, I would just stand there in the gown while we would pin and unpin appliqués until we were both happy with how it accented the dress and me. We also had to work out the placement of the train. It had to be placed a certain way so that it would be cohesive with the rest of the gown.

By bringing it diagonally down across the torso, there weren’t any unflattering lines. We also added a drape of lace across my left arm to continue the line created by the train.

After a few months of fitting (and in my mom’s case sewing and rhinestoning) whenever we had a chance, the gown was finally finished!

K Lee and Mom Collage — (Top Left) Jennifer Graham - Miss SC Teen USA 1985, (Bottom Left) K. Lee Graham - Miss SC Teen USA 2014, (Right) K. Lee and Jennifer Graham

Wearing a gown created by my mom made my experience at the Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2014 pageant all the more special.

The dress is a tangible representation of how supportive my Mom is of me and my goals, and working on it together has been a bonding experience for both of us.

I’ve never felt more confident in a dress and I am so grateful to have such a talented woman in my life!

I'm so proud of Mom for winning Miss South Carolina Teen USA 1985, and to follow in her footsteps as Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2014 is a dream come true!

(Photos courtesy of Sage Media Group, K. Lee Graham, and Jennifer Graham)

February 20, 2014

VIDEO: Jesica Ahlberg – Miss Alabama USA 2014

Jesica was born and raised in Selma, Alabama. She moved to Destin, Florida in the tenth grade, and graduated high school as a Bright Futures Medallion Scholar. She returned to Alabama for college, attended Auburn University, and graduated with a degree in Public Relations. She has been a full time actress and model since graduation.

Jesica won the prestigious title of Miss Alabama USA 2014 on November 16, 2013. She will represent Alabama in the 2014 Miss USA pageant, televised live on NBC. Miss USA is owned and operated by Miss Universe Organization, a Donald J. Trump and NBC/Universal partnership.

Jesica is an avocate for education. She is a volunteer for the Better Basics M.O.R.E. program, Motivators Of Reading Enrichment, which focuses on improving reading skills and comprehension in forth grade students. (Bio courtesy of JesicaAhlberg.com)

You can follow Jesica and her journey to Miss USA 2014 on Twitter: @JesicaAhlberg

Enjoy Jesica's exclusive interview below with thePageantGuy.com. Video by Zac Grimaldo/Pixelbroom.

-Will the Pageant Guy

January 29, 2014December 5, 2018

Inside the Making of a Gown (M. Powell)

GUEST BLOG: Gown designer, Ashley Renee Tribble with Marissa Powell

Some designs come to me once I meet a girl, some are inspired from dresses past, and some truly come in dreams. The dress that Marissa Powell wore for Miss USA 2013, came to me in a dream...but almost 2 years ago!

The dress came to me in black, fading to turquoise blue, intended for a blonde. But for one reason or another I waited on it.

I sketched it a few different times, coming up with the same thing every time, but when I colored it...nothing looked good but white.

I started looking at different colors of sequins. The color I kept being drawn to was a pinkish, clear AB color, that made me sure that I would keep the color as white.

I knew the stripes were going to be satin, but I loved the idea of varying texture.

So altering the satin, sequins, mesh over and over in varying sizes felt organic. The hem was done out of a 5 inch horse hair completely covered in sequins.

Adding horse hair to the hem really allows the skirt to stay out, but also keeps it from going in between the girls legs.

I knew the gown needed a final touch, crystals! I wanted the bust line to be encrusted in Swarovski AB stones, all different sizes and shapes. I wanted the 'icing on the cake'. I know this design is one of my busier ones, but when it's on Marissa you can't not look at her face. The gown never detracted attention from her, it simply accented her.

I have been fortunate enough for these past years of designing to use Sherri Hill's factory to have my gowns produced, who has been my mentor since the first day I opened Sassy Chic Boutique, so I knew after I sent in my sketch, I would get exactly what I dreamed of.

When the gown arrived, I ripped open the box and knew right then and there that gown NEEDED to be on the Miss USA stage!

I brought it with me to a Sassy Chic Boutique trunk show in St. Louis and posted a picture the night before, the gown received a lot of attention, many girls calling dibs on it for their next dress.

But for some reason I was hesitant for people to try it on, I wanted it to be on 'THE' girl!

When Britt Boyse, director of Miss Utah USA pageant, called and asked if I could mail her the gown to try as an option for Marissa, I knew that she was it!

Through pictures, texts and emails we figured out that a new one needed to be made, it needed to fit her perfect.

So with some adjustments to the measurements, a new one was produced.

Marissa's gown was sponsored by Ypsilon Dresses, so we sent it to there to finally see it on her. The gown was too long, so instead of hemming it from the bottom, the seamstress took it up from the skirt.

If you compare the sketch to the finished product, you can see Marissa's is more of a mini skirt.

"When I finally got the dress and put it on, I was THRILLED to say the least. The designer helped me put together the perfect amount of sparkle on the dress to compliment the white gown. My dress was interesting because you could see my legs through the material which I liked, because it was different. I felt like a million dollars walking out on the USA stage in my gown. I have never felt so beautiful in my life! I was so grateful to my designer, Ashley, for helping me create my dream gown and for making it come to life more beautifully than I ever expected!

Most importantly, I wanted to remember my friends, family, and state that had helped me along the journey to Miss USA, so before I left, I sewed into the top part of my dress some of the crystals from my state gown. Every time I got nervous I would look down and remember who I was representing on that stage and all of the people who had helped me along my journey — it filled my heart! Some my most life changing moments happened in that dress, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
-Marissa Powell, Miss Utah USA 2013

From the moment I met Marissa I knew she could capture the crown of Miss USA, not just because of her beauty, but because she already was Miss USA, I believe it's a state of mind, not a title.

When she was called into the Top 5 I cried, seriously...I was holding my business partner's hand so hard. I was getting tons of texts from my husband, family, friends, and clients. All while looking for Britt's red hair in the sea of fans...I thought to myself she's winning! We all know it turned out a different way, and Marissa's character is why I feel lucky she chose my design.

None of it would even have happened with out the trusting friendship/relationship of Britt Boyse. I hope in the future to design many more gowns for many fabulous women, but I know this gown will forever be in a special place in my heart. I know my future is endless and as long as I care about each girl and design as if it was my own competition gown, I will lead into a path of happiness and success.

(Photos courtesy of Miss Universe Organization, and Ashley Renee Tribble)

January 26, 2014January 28, 2014

Top 10 in Swimsuit for 2013

Similar to the Top 10 Pageant Gowns of 2013, this list was also designed to be the most relevant and comprehensive to determine the top contestants competing in the swimsuit competition. Additionally, I wanted the opportunity for readers to gain a inside look and learn from those who were the best in swimsuit for 2013.

To make this the most comprehensive Top 10 list, I contacted pageantry’s leading authorities across the country including gown designers, boutique owners, pageant coaches, seasoned pageant judges, hair and makeup stylists, photographers, and current and former state and national titleholders from the Miss America and Miss Universe organizations.

Once the final rankings were calculated, I personally contacted the majority of the Top 10 to interview them about their fitness training, nutritional plan, and overall preparation for their pageant.

Those eligible for nomination were ANY contestant competing in ANY pageant, in ANY system during the 2013 calendar year, then ranked in Top 5 format with points for each placement. People’s Choice was determined by popular vote by the public.

I present to you the Top 10 in Swimsuit for 2013.

“On the bubble”

These ladies barely missed cracking the Top 10, but deserved special recognition.

Constanza Baez, Nastassja Bolivar, Megan Ervin, Lauren Guzman, Gabriela Isler, Brittany Deaville (People's Choice)

10. Miss South Carolina 2012

Our first to appear in the Top 10 in Swimsuit for 2013 is Miss South Carolina 2012 - Ali Rogers.

Ali gave thePageantGuy.com some insight on preparing for the swimsuit competition at Miss America 2013:

"My key focus while preparing to compete in swimsuit at Miss America 2013 was to stay healthy and more importantly, happy. I had competed in swimsuit only two times before, at Miss Laurens County and at Miss South Carolina.

While maintaining a balanced diet, I never let myself become miserable with the same boring foods. I mixed in foods I like with fruits, vegetables, and high-protein, low-carb dishes.

I even left room for biscuits and gravy...that kept me happy, which was undoubtedly more important than being thin. When it came to working out, I didn't stay confined to a treadmill and weights in the gym. I grew up playing sports, not competing in pageants so swimsuit competition gave me the chance to utilize my passion for sports.

I mixed things up with CrossFit, Zumba, running outside, and anything to give my workouts variation. For me, cardio was key. I began and ended every workout with cardio...running, biking, or rowing. With multiple speaking engagements and appearances everyday for the six months leading up to Miss America, I used the month of December to really buckle down before I left for Las Vegas.

I worked out twice, sometimes three times a day, but I never let myself get bored. Balance was key. While I may have not been the thinnest, I learned very quickly that skinny doesn't always win swimsuit. I was healthy and of course, happy."

9. Miss West Virginia 2013

Coming in at 9th place is Miss West Virginia USA 2013 - Chelsea Welch.

Chelsea shared with thePageantGuy.com her process of preparing for the Miss USA 2013 pageant:

"To prepare for swimsuit competition I worked with Nancy Bond at Complete Physique and there's no way I could have been swimsuit ready without her help.

I started 4 months before my state pageant on a clean eating lifestyle. 3 small meals and 2-3 snacks every day, never more than 3 hours between eating.

I only ate clean foods like complex carbs, fruits, veggies, lean protein, healthy fats, and didn't take any supplements.

I also drank over 1 gallon of water each day. As for workouts, I trained for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours a day, 6 days a week, which included high intensity cardio intervals and quite a bit of strength training (I even used a squat rack). I dropped nearly 15 pounds in 3 months and became so toned.

My confidence in my body skyrocketed and I was so proud to show it off on stage. Working with Complete Physique was key to my success."

8. Miss Wyoming 2012

Placing 8th on the Top 10 in Swimsuit for 2013 is Miss Wyoming 2012 - Lexie Madden.

When asked about her preparations for the Miss America 2013 swimsuit competition, Lexie offered thePageantGuy.com this:

"To prepare for the swimsuit portion at Miss America, I did a variety of cardio 6 times a week, generally trying to keep my heart rate in the fat burning zone.

I also added in weight lifting, incorporating low weight with lots of reps to create leaner muscle.

In terms of nutrition, I ate a lot of fruit, veggies and lean protein and drank a gallon of water a day.

I definitely have a sweet tooth so I would still occasionally treat myself to sweet snacks.

Being healthy doesn't mean depriving yourself of everything, it means making smarter eating choices and eating things in moderation."

7. Miss Oklahoma USA 2014

Next on our list of the Top 10 in Swimsuit for 2013 is current Miss Oklahoma USA 2014 - Brooklynne Young.

Brooklynne gave thePageantGuy.com a quick glimpse on how she prepared for the Miss Oklahoma USA 2014 swimsuit competition:

"I made sure to go to the gym at least 3-5 times a week and if I didn't make it I would do some work outs at home.

I would always start out doing some form of cardio and then would transition into circuit training using weights to target specific muscle groups.

To mix it up, I enjoyed trying new workouts I would find on Pinterest or on a good fitness website.

As for my nutrition plan, I have grown up liking healthy food so it makes it easier to keep good eating habits.

I did not completely cut out any food group because otherwise I would end up craving it all the time. My go-to meal (also my favorite) would be Greek yogurt with granola and fruit.

I believe that the best plan is to focus on whole, natural, unprocessed foods and stay away from artificial sweeteners and so-called 'diet' foods."

6. Miss North Carolina USA 2013

Narrowly missing the Top 5 is Miss North Carolina USA 2013 - Ashley Mills.

When asked about her workout routine to plan for the swimsuit competition at Miss USA 2013, Ashley explained:

"My workout regimen in preparation for the Miss USA 2013 pageant was rather simple.

I only worked out around 3 times a week.

I did some cardio and weight training but the key in how my body was shaped for Miss USA came down to my diet.

From the moment I was crowned Miss North Carolina USA 2013, I ate healthy and in moderation.

I definitely ate what I wanted, which included a lot of thin crust pizza lol but I stayed away from juice and soda.

Drank nothing but water. Ate lots of veggies, fruits and consumed a ton of protein (cans of tuna, chicken, salmon).

I was very disciplined for a period of 7 months up until the Miss USA 2013 pageant and even now, I still maintain the same diet."

5. Miss Nevada USA 2013

The first to appear in the Top 5 in our list of the Top 10 in Swimsuit for 2013, is Miss Nevada USA 2013 - Chelsea Caswell.

Here is what Chelsea explained to thePageantGuy.com about her fitness and nutrition plan leading up to Miss USA 2013:

"I am a firm believer in being fit is 70% what you intake and 30% what you workout.

I worked out at least 5 days a week and really focused on my overall fitness. I did all different types of workouts to ensure I was getting the best results.

Everything from 'Insanity' to hiking, I tried to do it all. It also helped keep my workouts fun, and not so mundane!

Like I said 70% what you intake, therefore I was extremely strict about what I ate. I followed a pretty true "Paleo" diet (which I learned after the fact) but I essentially ate only natural foods, nothing processed, no dairy, sugar, or grains.

I'll admit the hardest part was candy! I have an addiction to sour gummy worms like none other, but in the end it was all worth it.

Something I thought I could never give up was coffee. If I could have an IV of coffee everyday I would! Hahah...it was hard but so worth it, I felt the best if ever felt in my entire life going to Miss USA."

4. Miss Utah USA 2013

Placing 4th on our list is Miss Utah USA 2013 - Marissa Powell.

Marissa also explained her routine to prepare for the Miss USA 2013 swimsuit competition:

"I was very fortunate to have an amazing trainer for Miss USA. I trained with Scott's Training System out of Arizona.

Although I was not in the same state as him, it was no problem at all. He was wonderful about calling and emailing back and forth 2 to 3 times a week to make sure that I was sticking to my nutrition plan and exercises.

Before starting to train, I told Scott exactly what I wanted to work on to obtain my ideal Miss USA body, and he helped me know what exercises and nutrition plan I needed in order to make it happen.

I grew up playing a lot of sports, so I was excited to do cardio and light weight lifting at the gym three times a week along with eating clean and natural foods.

Every week I would take photos of myself in my swimsuit in order to see the progress that I was making and it made me very excited and motivated to see the changes I was working for! I was thrilled when I got on the Miss USA 2013 stage and felt perfectly beautiful in my own skin.

I had worked hard and stayed dedicated. I knew that all my hard work paid off because I had reached my personal fitness goal that I had set for myself. Scott help me every bit of the way, and I could not have done it without him!"

3. Miss Illinois USA 2013

Placing 2nd runner up is Miss Illinois USA 2013 - Stacie Juris.

Stacie explains to us her "no fun diet" helping her to place in the Top 5 at the Miss USA 2013 and in our list of the Top 10 in Swimsuit for 2013.

"To prepare for the Miss USA 2013 swimsuit competition, I went on what I call the no-fun-diet.

I worked with personal trainer and former Miss Illinois USA, Ashley Bond 2-3 times a week and the other 4-5 times a week I would train on my own, at Lifetime Fitness.

As I got closer to leaving for Miss USA, my diet became more and more boring.

Eventually I cut out all grains, dairy, alcohol, and processed sugar.

I was eating a lot of vegetables, chicken, and egg whites.

Yawn.

It was really important to me that my hard work was evident when I hit the stage.

I didn’t just want to be skinny, I wanted to look fit and feel great. Getting ready to be on national television -- in a bikini -- may not be fun, but it is worth it!"

2. Miss Great Britain Universe 2013

Our 1st RU for the Top 10 in Swimsuit for 2013 is Miss Great Britain Universe 2013 - Amy Willerton.

To prepare for the Miss Universe 2013 pageant KX, an exclusive health and fitness club based in the UK, provided Amy a custom program consisting of personal training, spa treatments, and a particular diet and nutritional plan.

Courtesy of KX, here's a look at Amy's specific diet for Miss Universe 2013.

The diet that Amy followed for the Miss Universe 2013 pageant is a Mediterranean Paleo Menu.

This includes three meals per day consisting of a wide variety of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables and healthy fats from nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, fish oil and grass-fed meat.

Following this diet, combined with regular exercise, can help you stay lean, strong and energetic.

Below is Week One of Amy Willerton’s Miss Universe 2013 diet:

Monday: Smoked salmon and spinach / Super green salad & Cod / Chicken Paillard, green beans and broccoli
Tuesday: Poached eggs & grilled tomatoes / Tuna Tartare & Quinoa side / Salmon, beans salad & asparagus
Wednesday: Chicken, avocado & spinach / Vegan pasta & prawns / Beef filet stracchetti with mushrooms & kale
Thursday: White omelette w/red pepper / Beetroots soup & chicken w/green salad / Dover sole broccoli & carrots
Friday: Chilean sea bass, mushrooms and baby spinach / Spicy vegetable & chicken soup & wild rice side / Beef Bresaola & cherries tomatoes
Saturday: Steamed chicken and kale / Lentils Prawns soup / Veal filet green beans mixed salad
Sunday: Scrambled eggs & asparagus / Salmon salad & buckwheat side / Cod & shitake mushrooms

1. Miss Virginia USA 2013

Receiving the highest 1st place votes and placing in Top 5 on over three-fourths of all our expert polls, Miss Virginia USA 2013 - Shannon McAnally earns her the top spot in the Top 10 in Swimsuit for 2013!

Shannon exclusively spoke to thePageantGuy.com about her fitness and nutrition lifestyle and preparing for the Miss USA 2013 swimsuit competition:

"While I have been a vegetarian my entire life, I was definitely more strict than ever with my eating habits leading up to Miss USA.

I took in about 100 grams of protein per day, included lots of fresh veggie and fruit juices I made at home using a juicer, ate all healthy natural and organic foods, and cut out anything processed or things with a lot of sodium or sugar.

I can honestly say I have never looked or felt better in my life after practicing this diet for several months straight.

As far as my workout routine, I did a lot of low impact cardio several times per week, and worked out with light machines and free weights about 5 times per week.

I also Skyped with my trainer, Mark some towards the end to make sure I was targeting all the right spots correctly.

My workout routines were extremely intense and efficient, but well worth the time and effort!"

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So what do you think? Do you agree with the Top 10 in Swimsuit for 2013?

Who was your favorite? Was there a contestant you thought was worthy to be listed on our Top 10 list that we missed?

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

-Will the Pageant Guy