SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss America 2015 Finals Evening Gown Recap

There She Is: Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev "Miss New York"

The 88th Miss America pageant finals took place this past Sunday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. For the third consecutive year, "Miss New York" won! Last year's "Miss America" Nina Duvuluri as well as "Miss America 2013" Mallory Hagan, were all "Miss New York"...

Fall To The Floor Happy: "Miss New York" Kira Kazantsev finds out she won "Miss America 2015"

The new Miss America is 22 year-old Kira Kazantsev. Kira is the daughter of Russian immigrant parents and was born in San Francisco California and attended Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, California as well as Hofstra University in New York.

Top 16 Semi-Finalists Miss America 2015 Finals

Perfect Swim: Miss New York (and soon-to-be-Miss America) Kira Kazantsev--during the Swimsuit competition--Miss America 2015 Finals

Kira's ambition is to be a diplomat and her Miss America pageant platform was promoting domestic violence awareness: "Love Shouldn't Hurt: Protecting Women Against Domestic Violence", a very timely topic considering what's been in the news because of the NFL and some of its "star" football players. She plans to use her $50,000 in scholarship money from the win to help pay for law school — she deferred from the University of Notre Dame.

New York, New York: Miss America 2014 Nina Duvuluri crowns "Miss New York" Kira Kazantsev as the new "Miss America 2015"

Last year's winner, Nina Duvuluri crowned the new Miss America, very excited to see another "Miss New York" take the crown. As you may remember there was a lot of racist tweets from ignorant people on the internet when Nina was crowned "Miss America" last year. When Nina gave up her crown on Sunday looking back at her year and reign, none of that was mentioned; if I was her, I would have been "Even though a lot of y'all called me names on twitter when I won...I rose above it kids! Anyhow, glad my reign is over! Bye!". She was a bigger person than me.  Now, that we got that out of the way...let's get to the REALLY IMPORTANT stuff: the EVENING GOWNS!!! All of the gowns were designed--and created by Tony Bowls. He was the "Official Designer of Gowns for the Miss America Pageant". What did I think of the gowns? Read on...

Top Five Miss America 2015 contestants in their evening gowns--with co-host Lara Spencer of ABC's "Good Morning America"--Miss America 2015 Finals

During the Evening Gown Finals, a lot of the contestants went on and on, about how their gowns were "sooo 'Red Carpet' " and so on... Let's just get this out of the way: many of these gowns ARE NOT red carpet material. Well, at least for the Oscars, Primetime Emmys or Golden Globes. Maybe a Beauty Pageant Red Carpet. While the dresses are pretty enough, there's a certain "Je ne sais quoi" element that well, doesn't lead them to be actual "Red Carpet" gown material; let's just say I could hear "Project Runway" judge Nina Garcia saying "they're soooo PAGEANT!". There's nothing wrong with them being Pageant Gowns... Just don't pretend they belong on a red carpet. With that said...

Let's begin with the eventual winner's-- "Miss New York"--gown as well as the rest of the White/Ivory-clad contestants. Yes, white/ivory was the most popular color for gowns on Sunday night:

Miss New York Kira Kazantsev: Kira wore a white crepe gown with princess seams, long sleeves and a plunging back with silver crystal detail. While the dress fit well and it stood out for being completely covered in the front, the princess seams and 80's like shoulder/sleeve detail was a bit dated.
Nick Gown Points: 8.0 (out of 10)

Miss Massachusetts Lauren Kuhn: Kuhns's choice of a white sequined applique organza and tulle gown with deep v-neck was one of the best of the Ivory Gowns. It was the closet thing to a modern "red carpet"-like gown.
Nick Gown Points: 9.0

Miss Virginia Courtney Paige Garrett: I also really liked Miss Ohio's gown. This dress was a doppelganger for a Zuhair Murad gown--not from the Haute Couture collection, but more Ready-to-Wear. It was still very nice. The sequins, the fit, the styling: well done!
Nick Gown Points: 9.3

Miss Oklahoma Alexandra Eppler: I thought Alexandra's white jersey gown was sexy and modern. I liked the delicate beading detail. However, that neckline was waaaayyyyy too plunging; that's where it went TOO "Pageant KRAZEE!" She's so pretty yet all I could focus on was her way-too-revealing cleavage.
Nick Gown Points: 8.5

Miss Tennessee Hayley Lewis: While I loved the oversized silver crystal jeweled sequins on the gown, the bodice part--and it's so-pageant Betty ruching--brought it back to a 1996 Pageant Gown for me.
Nick Gown Points: 8.5

Miss Alabama Caitlin Brunell: Caitlin's gown was actually more "blush" or nude than white but I still included her in this group. I thought the sequin work looked expensive but it was the padded bust, high center front slit and halter neckline style that made her look a bit "Pageant Dated"; very 2006. I could have seen a "Miss Puerto Rico" from wear this in the "Miss Universe" pageant.
Nick Gown Points: 8.0

Miss Mississippi Jasmine Murray: Jasmine--who incidentally was the ONLY GIRL of color in Sunday's "Miss America" finals--wore this white sequined off-the-shoulder gown. It was a nice gown...but if it was 1998. What. Is. With. These. Dated. Styles??? The Pageant Evening Gown industry needs help!
Nick Gown Points: 7.9

Miss Ohio Mackenzie Victoria Bart: Oh Miss Ohio...Mackenzie Victoria was one of those girls who talked about how THIS gown was soooo "red carpet". Not. The revere collar too-plunging neckline, the applique sequined bodice, the sequined waist (Really? A sequined waist to add to the already sequined bodice?), the side-front princess seam slit...it was a strange hybrid of a Slutty Mother-of-the-Bride and a Pageant Betty.Oh and yes, she had to wear those "Stripper Heel'ed" nude platforms on top of everything.
Nick Gown Points: 7.5

Miss Massachusetts Lauren Kuhn: I thought this was one of the best gowns of the night. First of all, it stood out for not being one of the White/Ivory dresses. And second of all, it was a really nicely done gown. No too-high slit, nice waist definition, and great black sequin/nude detail.
Nick Gown Points: 9.6

Miss Iowa Alyson Lou Olson: So happy that Alyson did  not get the white gown memo. As an auburn-haired woman, this is the perfect color choice for her. It's a nice silhouette of a gown and fits her well.
Nick Gown Points: 8.9

Miss Florida Victoria Cowen: Victoria was one of the rare finalists to NOT wear a white gown; instead she wore gold. While I like the color choice, it's the style I'm not a fan of; it's very Vegas Pageant Mess. And then those tacky platform heels...WHY??? Of all the Semi-Finalists gowns, this was probably the most "Oh No Huney!" of the bunch.
Nick Gown Points: 7.3

Group Selfie: Miss America 2015 takes a selfie with her fellow contestants--Miss America 2015 Pageant Finals

Congratulations to the new Miss America Kira Kazantzev!