Most Daring Looks Miss USA Contestants Have Worn During the Pageant

Miss USA 1971 Michele McDonald wore a white dress with sheer sleeves.

The dress was also designed with ruffled cuffs. 

Miss USA 1982 Terri Utley wore a brown high-low dress for her crowning moment.

Utley’s dress also had long sheer sleeves with jewels sewn in throughout. 

Courtney Gibbs made a statement during Miss USA 1988 in a black gown with a thigh-high slit.

The stunning black gown was designed with an intricate gold pattern. 

Carole Gist won Miss USA in 1990 in a black-and-red dress with jewels sewn along the hems and sweetheart neckline.

The pageant queen’s dress was also designed with a dramatic skirt and thigh-high slit. 

Susie Castillo had her crowning moment at the Miss USA 2003 pageant in a semi-sheer lace gown.

Castillo’s dress also had a thigh-high slit down the middle and ruffles going down the skirt. 

Shandi Finnessey won Miss USA 2004 in a jeweled semi-sheer dress.

It also had a two-tone blue-and-gold skirt with a thigh-high slit in the middle. 

Miss USA 2005 Chelsea Cooley looked chic in a black gown with a plunging neckline and slit.

The dress also had a flowing train. She paired it with simple black heels. 

Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner stunned in a white gown.

Conner’s gown had a ruffled thigh-high slit and a dramatic train. She paired it with simple gold heels and dangling earrings. 

Rachel Smith won Miss USA 2007 in a striking red gown with side cutouts.

Smith’s dress also had a plunging neckline and sequined skirt. 

Miss USA 2011 contestant Ana Christina Rodriguez looked stunning in a dress with a sheer thigh-high slit.

The thigh-high slit of Rodriguez’s dress also had feathers sewn into it. 

During Miss USA 2011, Ashley Durham sparkled in a one-sleeve, icy-blue dress.

Durham wore the dress designed with a thigh-high slit with simple silver heels. 

Miss USA 2012 contestant Katherine Webb wore a sheer illusion dress during the competition.

Webb’s dress was also designed with a thigh-high slit. 

During Miss USA 2013, Chelsea Caswell looked chic in a sparkly black dress.

Her black dress was designed with a sweetheart neckline and a thigh-high slit. 

Marissa Powell looked fabulous in a white dress during the 2013 Miss USA pageant.

Powell’s dress had a sheer skirt. 

During Miss USA 2013, Ashley Love-Mills turned heads in a sparkly bodysuit with a white skirt.

She accessorized the dress with statement earrings and simple silver heels. 

Miss USA 2015 contestant Mame Adjei’s dress had a completely sheer skirt.

Adjei’s gown was also designed with a sheer top and a dramatic skirt. 

At Miss USA 2015, Anea Garcia wore a white dress with a sheer cutout going down the middle.

Garcia’s dress featured jewels going down the middle. 

Miss USA 2016 contestant Sydnee Stottlemyre wore a white dress with sheer cutouts.

The sheer cutouts across her thighs, midriff, and chest were all embellished with jewels. 

During Miss USA 2017, Kára McCullough wowed in a gold-and-white dress.

McCullough’s dress was designed with a plunging neckline and thigh-high slit. 

Miss USA 2018 contestant Marianny Egurrola looked stunning in a sparkly blue dress.

Egurrola’s off-the-shoulder dress featured a plunging neckline and sheer skirt. 

Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst turned heads in a sleek one-shoulder dress.

Kryst’s dress had a thigh-high slit and gold chains draping off the right sleeve. 

Mariela Pepin competed as Miss Maryland in 2019 in a yellow dress with sheer cutouts going down the skirt.

Pepin’s dress was also designed with a plunging neckline. 

Tianna Tuamoheloa competed as Miss Nevada in Miss USA 2019 wearing a beautiful one-shoulder dress.

Tuamoheloa’s dress was designed with a sparkly sheer bodysuit and a white skirt with a thigh-high slit. 

Miss USA 2020 contestant Alexis Lete hit the stage in a red dress.

She looked beautiful in a fringed gown designed with a thigh-high slit.

During the Miss USA 2020 pageant, Andreia Gibau turned heads in a red gown.

Gibau’s strapless gown had a thigh-high slit and a fun crystal design on the front. 

Miss USA 2020 Asya Branch took home the title in a black-and-white look.

Branch walked the stage in a sparkly, strapless dress that she paired with matching earrings.

Miss USA 2020 contestant Haley Pontius walked the runway in a vibrant shade of blue.

Her blue gown had a strapless, corset-style bodice made from satin, as well as a floor-length, sparkle-covered skirt. The latter also had a thigh-high slit.

During Miss USA 2020, Kim Layne represented Idaho in a sleek blue dress.

Her sparkly dress was designed with a thigh-high slit and a cutout in the back. The sparkle from her dress caught the lights onstage.

Miss USA 2020 contestant Mariah Jane Davis had the standout look at the competition.

Davis’ one-shoulder gown featured a thin, sheer slit across the front, and had sparkly pink details on the sleeve and waist. 

Taylor Fondie wore a unique dress covered in what looked like small mirrors at the Miss USA 2020 pageant.

The reflective pieces on Fondie’s sleeveless dress, which had a thigh-high slit, were seemingly red, white, and blue — though they shifted in color with the stage lighting.

Miss Texas R’Bonney Gabriel won Miss USA in 2022 while wearing a sheer, gem-covered dress.

Gabriel, a fashion designer from Houston, Texas, won the crown while wearing a sheer, crystal-encrusted gown. 

Miss Utah Noelia Voigt took home the crown in a dazzling yellow gown.

Voigt was crowned the new Miss USA in Reno, Nevada, on Friday.

To accept her new title, Voigt wore a floor-length yellow gown coated with crystals. The dress had cutouts on the bodice.