July is right around the corner, meaning it’s time for nationals! Royal International Miss, USA National Miss, International Junior Miss, Miss United States, Miss High School America, and USA Ambassador are a few of the many systems that host their national pageant in this month. To celebrate the occasion, I will be posting articles each weekend of the month on different elements of national preparation. This weekend’s post is on packing lists.
Let me start by saying that packing for a national pageant is a lot different from state. Why? There are more rehearsals, competitions, events, and stronger competitors, meaning you always want to put your best foot forward.
When packing for a national pageant, I create three different packing lists. Each one serves a different purpose and should be completed before you take out any article of clothing. I’ll break these lists down for you here!
1. Outfit Checklist
This is the first list I make, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. To make this one, I go over my schedule and write down each event I’ll need an outfit for, even if I’ll be wearing the same outfit twice. I include outfits for required competitions, optionals, rehearsals, trips, events, and even for just walking around.
Here’s an example of an outfit checklist:
- Interview
- Formal wear
- Personal introduction
- Fun fashion
- Casual wear
- Spokesmodel
- Talent
- Monday rehearsal (no theme)
- Tuesday rehearsal (PJ Party)
- Wednesday rehearsal (State pride)
- Thursday rehearsal (no theme)
- Off-site trip
- Watching optionals
- Watching finales
- Casual #1
- Casual #2
- Casual #3
As you can see, this list isn’t very in depth, as it just lists what outfits I’ll need to pack. This list is very useful when I’m doing my final look at my suitcase before I leave, as it’s clear and brief. This one is also very helpful in creating the second list:
2. Outfit Breakdown
This is where I expand each outfit. I include tops, bottoms, dresses, shoes, jewelry, and anything else I’ll need when wearing an outfit. This list is much longer since it’s more detailed.
Here’s an example of what should be done for each outfit:
Formal wear
- White evening gown
- Nude Marc Defang heels
- Diamond drop earrings
- Diamond bracelet
This list is helpful when grouping my shoes and accessories, as I can clearly see what item goes with which outfit. This list also helps me make the final list.
3. List of Articles
In this list I include everything I’m packing, but I divide them based on what kind of clothing item it is. I often use the Outfit Breakdown to make this list.
Here’s a shortened example of what it looks like:
Full Body (Dresses/Suits)
- Interview suit
- Evening gown
- Pink rehearsal dress
- Onesie (PJ rehearsal)
Bottoms
- Denim shorts
- White shorts
- Floral skirt
Shoes
- Nude gown heels
- Floral shoes
- Interview shoes
- Red sandals
I like to use this list when I begin packing, as I can go through my closet and see all of the dresses I’m going to need and pick them out immediately.
I hope this helped, and I’ll see you soon!
The Queen Next Door