Two of the Miss Mississippi contestants, Miss Northeast Community College Tiffany Marlar, left, and Miss West Central Jennifer Adcock wave to parade goers Monday on Washington Street.(The Vicksburg Post/Melanie Duncan)

[07/02/02]Competing in a Miss America Pageant preliminary not only calls for extensive time and effort in preparation, but, in some cases, a deep pocketbook.

Thirty-nine contestants are competing in the 45th annual Miss Mississippi pageant at the Vicksburg Convention Center this week with the first round of judging Wednesday night. But months of preparation and shopping had to come first.

Although there’s no set cost to participate in the pageant, expenses can easily reach thousands of dollars.

“It’s all in what you want to do with it or what you feel you have to do,” said Candy Carlisle Derivaux, owner of Candy’s, which offers pageant and formal wear in Vicksburg.

She estimates the average cost to compete ranges between $2,000 and $5,000, but pointed out what the girl spends has little influence on how she will fare in competition. “You can win in a $200 dress to a $4,000 dress,” she said.

Derivaux said her expenses were around $2,000 when she competed in 1993 as Miss University.

Clothes, of course, are the big-ticket items.

“Any state pageant can have a hefty price tag on it,” said Diane Garner, owner of The Clothes Line in Magee. Her daughter, Tara, competed in Miss Mississippi twice. Garner said to rent pageant attire, the costs can be between $5,000 and $7,000. To purchase all the clothes needed, she said, the cost can rise thousands more.

“I know I spent $10,000 both years,” Garner said, but added, “That was my choice I chose to buy some of the very best.”

“The cost is what you choose for it to be,” said Pat Hopson, executive producer of the pageant. “You can actually be in the pageant for a low cost today.”

She said contestants shouldn’t have to spend a lot of money because gowns are rentable and, for items like swimsuits, “the off-the-rack, designer look is encouraged.”

Alene Thornton, director of the Miss Vicksburg and Miss West Central preliminaries, said contestants can get what they need for a minimum of $3,000. “With a lot of discretionary spending, it can be done,” she said, adding some are able to offset costs by borrowing clothes, using items they already own or by bargain shopping.

Contestants receive help with expenses, however. Local pageants and area businesses defray costs by either donating pageant wear or by providing discounts and gift certificates.

The contestants can also get help to offset costs by receiving commissions for “salute pages” sold for the program book. Thornton said the average commission check is $1,800.

In addition to wardrobe expenses, costs incurred include talent and interview coaching, photos for the program book, production fees (which includes production clothes and prop costs), hair salon and makeup fees and miscellaneous expenses.

And there are expenses for family and friends including hotel accommodations and and meals.

Keri Eubanks, now Miss Hattiesburg, who has competed in the pageant for the past two years, said her expenses this year have been about $5,000. In turn, however, she received $8,600 in scholarship money two years ago as Miss Forest, and she believes the pageant experience outweighs the cost.

“It’s given me something deep down inside you can’t put a price tag on,” she said.

The Miss Mississippi Corporation will award over $100,000 in cash scholarships and over $400,000 of in-kind college/university tuition waivers, making it the largest cash scholarship provider in the nation. Each participant receives at least a $1,500 scholarship for competing.

Jackie Andrews, mother of Miss Southern Magnolia 2001, Bonnie White, said although the pageants promote scholarships, the person “must spend to earn.”

“Do (contestants) come out with as much scholarship money as they pay? Absolutely not,” she said.

Garner said it’s important that people are aware the pageant does not promote big spending.

“Miss Mississippi encourages girls to use what they have available and not to be so concerned with spending extravagant amounts on their wardrobe.”

Derivaux said because the pageant is a scholarship pageant, expenses are not intended to be the focus. “That’s not what Miss Mississippi and Miss America are all about. It’s not about spending money, it’s about earning it,” she said.