Hi queens! In this blog post I want to share with you the biggest differences between miss and mrs. pageants based off of my experience competing in both. Although the purpose of these pageant divisions is the same I would say that the culture is completely different. Keep reading to see what I mean.
Cost to compete
The immediate difference that I noticed between both of these divisions is that mrs. pageants are way more expensive than miss pageants. When I competed as a miss I never spent more than $500 on an entry fee and my most expensive gown that I wore as a miss was $650. Granted, I started competing in the Miss America Organization, which is one of the most affordable systems that you can compete in. I was not used to having to sell tickets, or pay for ad pages, or make a charitable donation to the organization that the pageant advocates for, etc. All of these costs, in addition to the application and entry fee are standard for national mrs. pageants, and this is before you get to wardrobe, coaching, and lodging. In retrospect though, this makes sense. As you grow in life so should your income, your financial stability, what you are able to commit to financially, and your generosity.
Higher value women
In addition to the higher cost to compete, mrs. contestants just look more valuable and confident because they’ve had more time in life to make money and gain confidence. The women I competed with in my first mrs. pageant either married well or had years of life and professional experience as CEO’s, doctors, entrepreneurs, etc. and it showed in how they presented themselves. Women who compete in mrs. pageants are proof that women gain value, wisdom, opportunities, and beauty as we age. We don’t lose it, we don’t lose ourselves, and like a fine wine we get better with time.
Although this was a bit intimidating for me as a newlywed and new mom (I competed in my first mrs. pageant after being married for a year and when my daughter was 8 months old), it was amazing to see a snippet of what one can obtain in life with time, hard work, and using every experience as a lesson. I had not reached the level of financial stability or confidence as the women I competed with who were all at least 10 years my senior, but it reassured me that good things take time and that it is ok to build your dream life from scratch. It made me excited to get older and continue to dream and accomplish things in life as a woman, wife, and mom.
More fun, less pressure
Competing in a mrs. pageant was a lot more fun than I expected it to be! I expected a higher level of competitiveness and pressure than I experienced competing as a miss and it was the exact opposite. I think that this was so because a lot of women that compete in mrs. pageants are coming into pageantry later in life after their formative years, and they have already had many life experiences outside of pageantry where they have had to perform under pressure or do soul searching and personal development work. Thus, they come into pageants truly wanting to have fun, grow, and take a break from their everyday lives, which is very refreshing. This is a very different vibe from miss pageants where you spend so much of your teens and twenties preparing and competing. Because you’re so young you start to believe that the trajectory of your life is dependent upon your pageant success, and it can be hard to believe that you will still have a great life and do great things without that dream title. Mrs. contestants want the crown, but their life experience has shown them that they don’t need the crown.
All in all, I think that the biggest difference between miss and mrs. pageants is the level of confidence and accessibility that only comes with time and experiencing life. Whether you are 20 or 50 you are never too young or too old to chase a dream or share wisdom. I’m grateful to pageantry for showing me this as a miss and mrs. contestant, and I’m looking forward to stepping into this new era of my pageant journey! If you would like to watch the corresponding YouTube video to this blog post click the link below!
