What Style means to me...

By Love Bradley

As I reflect on the evening gown I chose for the Miss California Competition this year, I think deeply about the woman I’ve grown into and the vision I wanted to present on stage. This was the first year I intentionally researched gown styles that resonated with me, and I knew I wanted to honor one of my greatest fashion inspirations: Audrey Hepburn. Her classic, timeless elegance has always been something I admired not just in fashion, but in the way she carried herself with grace and purpose. 

After being crowned Miss San Fernando Valley 2025, I felt as though I had achieved one of my biggest dreams: showing up as my authentic self while radiating the confidence the Miss America Organization has helped me build over the last seven years. My very first competition in this organization was Miss Los Angeles County 2018. I’ll never forget that night I won the evening gown and on-stage question awards. During the question portion, I was asked, “What does confidence mean to you?” I remember saying something along the lines of it being my very first competition ever, and that confidence meant having the courage to stand on that stage and speak my truth in front of so many people. 

Fast forward to now, winning the evening gown award again on that same stage, and walking away with a title was one of the proudest moments of my life. In those seven years, I’ve grown into a woman who is bold, joyful, thoughtful, passionate, and fiercely committed to service. But one thing has remained the same-my heart for others, and my belief that true leadership is rooted in compassion. 

Even as I watch videos of myself walking in my dress for the first time, it melts my heart. I reflect on that 13-year-old girl who had a spark and see how that spark has grown. She’s still there, just older, wiser, and even more determined to live a life led by love and dedication to others. 

When I began trying on gowns for this year’s competition, I wanted one that truly reflected who I am. And then it happened with the very first gown I tried on. I had never seen myself glow in that way. I felt confident, beautiful, and completely myself. I didn’t need any alterations; it fit perfectly, like it was made for me. It felt like a symbol of how far I’ve come, and of who I am today: a woman who is elegant yet bold, poised yet powerful, with a deep love for people and a passion for public service. I believe this gown honors the timeless elegance I admire in Audrey Hepburn and modern icons like Lori Harvey. 

Audrey once said, “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands—one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” That quote resonates deeply with me. My Community Service Initiative, Love Leads the Way: A Call to Service, is built on that very belief that beauty and style are not just about how we present ourselves, but about the light we carry within us. I want everyone reading this to know that elegance begins on the inside and when you lead with love, it shows in everything you do. 

As I prepare to compete for the title of Miss California, I’m putting in the hard work not just to show the judges that I’m ready, but to prove to myself that this moment is the culmination of everything I’ve worked for every act of service, every ounce of growth, and every step I’ve taken in faith. I’m ready, and beyond proud of myself.

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Love Bradley is the current Miss San Fernando Valley (CA). You can follow her on her title's Instagram.

This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.

Fitted for Crowns at Sparkly Gowns: A Fabulous Visit with Fabiola

By Emily Kaelani Redling

PREFACE

In the heart of downtown Portland sits a family-owned business dedicated to making everyone who enters feel welcomed and beautiful. I got the privilege of meeting with Fabiola, the kind store owner and operator, twice a few weekends ago. My first visit was to gain insight on the business’s inventory, functions, and philanthropic pursuits. My second was to spend time with my sister county titleholders. Both visits consisted of trying on dresses from the most divine selection of gowns.

THE JOURNEY

If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that a typical Oregon weekend in March calls for snow storms, heavy rain, and gray skies. That was my experience on March 21st, 2025 when I traveled across the Cascade Range to get to Portland, Oregon through what seemed like ceaseless inclement weather. I’d describe myself as a novice when it comes to driving through the mountains and the big city alike, and having been at work since 5am prior to this drive, I think it goes without saying that I was not entirely eager for the three hours it would take me to get from one to the other.

But this post isn’t about the downpour I endured during my journey, nor my distaste for the dismal weather. In fact, it is about my destination that made the entire trip feel as if it was full of sunshine: my arrival at Sparkly Gowns.

THE EXPERIENCE

When I first arrived, Fabiola greeted me at the door with a warm smile and a hug. Having known Fabiola through my years as a local titleholder in the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program, a state preliminary to the Miss America Opportunity, we were no strangers. However, I noticed this is how she greeted every person that entered the store -regardless if they were returning customers or experiencing their first visit to Sparkly Gowns.

Fabiola had a selection of dresses waiting for me to try on during our initial visit, which I will discuss in greater detail in the next section. When I arrived with my sister titleholders, we all got to examine the hundreds of gowns that painted the store’s walls and pick our most desired styles.

We began trying on various colors, styles, and fits in the dressing rooms while filling the shop with laughter, chatter, and gasps from how gorgeous everyone looked in their gowns. Being in such a comfortable environment, it was easy to become immersed in the experience as Fabiola worked hard in the background.

When she wasn’t helping to zip, lace, or clip our gowns, Fabiola was paying attention to the styles we chose and would pick other garments for us that she thought we might like to try on. Without fail, she picked a dress that each person looked amazing in, every single time.

THE GOWNS

Now’s for the fun part! In this blog, I will be reviewing three of the gowns that I tried on. These gowns, while impeccable, only represent a sliver of the options that Fabiola has in her store. I’ll address why I didn’t end up getting each gown for myself, but also what I loved most about them.

This first Jovani gown has to be one of my favorite dresses of all time.

Why I loved it: First of all, you wouldn’t guess by looking at it, but this gown is made from 100% recycled fabrics. I LOVE promoting sustainability, it’s a part of my style and my personal brand. In fact, half of my closet is either second hand or made from sustainable materials, so you could imagine my excitement when Fabiola told me that this gown would fit right in with the rest of my wardrobe. It also had a very nice fit, and I am a big fan of the vibrant color.

Why it didn’t end up going home with me: I really can’t think of anything wrong with the dress other than I already have one similar to it in my closet. Otherwise, I would’ve taken it immediately.

This next gown had all of my favorite aspects to it.

Why I loved it: The rhinestone embellishments on the bodice made the dress POP under the studio lights. The corset-style beading gave a really nice shape and structure to the top of the gown. Don’t even get me started on the couture pleating of the shimmery skirt which made the drape fall beautifully. Not to mention, I am a big fan of anything that sparkles!

Why it didn’t end up going home with me: I felt that the top was a tad bit big on me and I personally like a bit more coverage on the top. However, these are just personal preferences or would require minor alterations.

This final gown is unlike anything that I have ever tried on before.

Why I loved it: This fully beaded dress made me feel like an actual mermaid. The vibrant shades of blue had no difficulty sparkling underneath the light and the mesh cut out panels on the sides gave a very shaping silhouette. With its flawless design, you can tell that a lot of hard work went into crafting such a beautiful gown.

Why it didn’t end up going home with me: 

It was a touch too big in some areas and I personally prefer a lower slit on my dresses. Other than that, I felt incredible wearing it and I am eager to see the lucky person that gets to own this piece of art.

RECAP

I still think fondly of this weekend I got to spend at Sparkly Gowns. I live nowhere near a gown shop of this caliber and can say with full certainty that the trip to the city was worth it.

Fabiola showed my sister titleholders and I incredible kindness during our visit, and truly makes all who enter here feel at home. She never makes anyone feel rushed and always ensures that everyone is best taken care of when in her hands. From there, she always shows ample support of her clients or visitors, even after they depart from the store.

From the warm hospitality granted by Fabiola to the -what seemed like- endless choices of dresses, I would highly recommend that anyone in search of attire for an upcoming formal event pay this shop a visit.Thank you to Section 36 Forevers and Sparkly Gowns for inviting me to collaborate on this guest blog! It was so fun to get to play the part as a model, photographer, and journalist.

Others pictured in this blog are the following titleholders, representing local titles under the Miss Oregon Scholarship Program: Tessa Bonelli Sanquist, Miss Linn-Benton’s Teen 2025; Amari Young, Miss Marion-Polk’s Teen 2025; and Josephine Cartensen, Miss Marion-Polk 2025

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Emily Kaelani Redling is the current Miss Linn Benton (OR). You can follow her on her title's Instagram .

This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.

Gown Shopping - A Blog by Hannah Roque

Hello everyone! My name is Hannah Roque; I’m Miss Route 7 2023 and I’m competing for the title of Miss Vermont 2023. This will be my third time competing for the title of Miss Vermont, and to say that I’m excited is an understatement! When Section 36 asked me to do a guest feature on my journey to finding an evening gown for the 2023 competition, I was elated. Gown shopping has always been one of my favorite parts of preparing for competition, but it does come with a whole set of anxieties for me. As a plus sized woman, shopping for gowns is incredibly stressful - you could face fatphobic comments from your stylist, the gowns in the store are often several sizes too small, and ordering gowns in extended sizes can cost up to $200 more with additional fees factored in. I was so thankful to have some incredibly positive experiences while shopping this year, and I can’t wait to talk you through my journey!

I’m a person that loves to be prepared, so my evening gown search always starts on the internet and social media to get a sense of what I might be interested in bringing to the competition stage. There are common themes that always stay the same for me: I want my gown to accentuate my curves, have some sparkle, and for a long time, every gown I ever wore was green! Last year, I was caught up in an idea of what I thought was my dream dress, rather than gowns that made me look and feel my best. I still love the dress that I wore, but I always felt self conscious when I put the gown on. If I were to give one piece of advice about gown shopping, it would be to let go of all expectations! By being flexible, you’re opening yourself up to find what gowns make you look good and feel even better. It’s important to be flexible and willing to let go of your previous ideas, because that’s when the magic happens! This year was the first year that I truly went in without expectations. While this may have made things challenging for my stylists, I feel like I finally got to find a showstopping gown that made me feel like Miss America. 

While I’m not going to show you the gown I will be wearing on the Miss Vermont stage (yet), I do want to show you gowns that were major turning points for me when I was shopping. It took me three appointments and about 25 gowns to find my dress, and several of those gowns proved to be instrumental in my journey to finding my dream dress. The first gown that I tried on was chosen by my stylist. It was this white gown with puffed sleeves and feathers. You can see by my face how much this dress took me by surprise! This sample dress was several sizes too small, but despite this, I was able to envision what this dress would look like on my body. This dress wholeheartedly took me by surprise, and it started off my gown shopping journey with so much joy.  This dress showed me a few things: first, to keep an open mind. Going into the day, I told my mom that I didn’t want a white dress and that I hated feathers - this dress had both, and I actually liked it. Second, this gown showed me that I loved sleeves - the puffed sleeves on this gown were to die for. There are certain “rules” that plus sized women are told to follow in order to flatter their bodies - wearing sleeves is a common suggestion for women who want to hide their arms. This gown made me want sleeves because I loved the detail it added to the dress, rather than to hide my arms. And third, I realized the beauty of simple, classic dresses. I’ve never worn dresses without some kind of sparkle, but this gown opened my eyes to the world of gorgeous, non-sparkly dresses. 

The second gown that made a big impact on me was this lovely, one shoulder green gown with a bow on the shoulder. I really did love the drama of the dress, and the bow on my shoulder made me feel like a movie star, but this gown showed me that I didn’t want to wear green this year. As I mentioned before, every gown I’ve ever worn has been a shade of green. At one point, I owned three gowns that were all this same shade of forest green! This is my go-to color both onstage and in real life, but as soon as I put on this gown, I knew I would be going in a different direction this year. 

With the new realization that I was not going to wear a green gown this year, I moved on to another gown that was a turning point. I was absolutely obsessed with this blue Sherri Hill gown. This was the first gown by Sherri Hill that I’ve ever been able to fit into. Formal gowns always run small, and Sherri Hill is no exception; for so long, Sherri Hill has been synonymous with prom and pageant gowns, and I’ve always wanted to wear one. When I put on this gown, the dress hugged my curves in all the right ways. I felt so beautiful and confident. It’s amazing how little things, even trying on a gown in a size that perfectly fits, can boost your confidence so much! I didn’t choose this gown ultimately because it didn’t feel like my competition dress. Sometimes you just know that the gown you are wearing would be an amazing dress to wear to an appearance, but not the one you want to win in. For me, this was that dress!

The last gown I tried on was this blue velvet gown with a cape. This was the first gown I tried on that was from a collection made specifically for plus size women. This gown didn’t fit perfectly, but I instantly felt more validated and comfortable knowing this dress was made for bodies like mine. I also felt comforted knowing that there were no hidden costs associated with this dress; yes, I would have to pay to get the gown altered if I bought it, but I knew I wouldn’t have to face an additional $150 fee when I tried to purchase the dress in my size. This dress further showed me why representation in fashion is so important: for people who are larger than me, formal options are even more inaccessible. As a relatively small plus size person, I acknowledge that I have a lot of privileges when looking for formal wear. That being said, regardless of dress size, all people deserve to feel beautiful and validated by the gowns they choose to wear. Though I didn’t choose this particular dress, my gown is actually from a similar collection made specifically for plus size bodies!

When shopping for your gown, pick your team wisely. I had my mom and best friend Katherine with me as I shopped, and I felt so supported and loved through the process. Especially as a plus sized gal, having a supportive group of people at your side can make all the difference. It’s important to have people that can help you drown out the criticism of others. As women competing for a state title, we face an unending amount of criticism from anonymous message boards or even well-intending friends. Having people that help you shut out the haters, feel loved, and be your most confident self by your side when gown shopping can make all the difference. When you put on the right dress, it just feels like magic. As soon as I put on the gown that I will be wearing to Miss Vermont 2023, I knew it was the one. I cannot wait to show it to everyone on April 16th! 

Thank you all for reading about my journey to finding my evening gown! I feel so incredibly grateful to have worked with wonderful stylists and had an amazing support system while I was shopping. I was lucky enough to work with incredible stylists at both Infusion Boutique in Warwick, RI and at Alexandra’s Boutique in Fall River, MA. Trying to find a gown is hard enough, but plus size gals have a whole slew of other challenges that they face as they shop. My stylists at both boutiques helped me feel like Miss America as I was shopping! I also want to thank Section 36 for asking me to write this blog. I absolutely love dress shopping, but I also felt that it was important to shine a light on the challenges and joys that plus sized women face while trying to find The Gown. And if you want to see what gown I ended up choosing, check out my Instagram @missroute7vt, after April 16th! :) 

Miss America 2023 Recap - The Stories Behind the Gowns

You may remember the previous recap post showing off the incredible entrances some S36 Forevers made to the Miss America 2023 competition. All of the gowns were stunning on the contestants.

I can't be the only one who sees that procession and thinks, "All of those dresses are so beautiful and yet so different. I wonder how each woman selects the most important dress of her life.

Luckily, a few S36 Forevers did share the story behind their gowns on their social media, which is amazing. I thought it would be fun to share the stories here.

Once again, all the pictures were taken by Kelsey of K. Garcia Productions. She does amazing work, and was recently nominated as a Pageant Planet top headshot photographer AND top event photographer.

Let's see those stories.

From the Miss Connecticut Instagram: For as long as I can remember Latinas in media have always been portrayed as too loud, crazy, and feisty (while I do not confirm nor deny some of these traits 😅) I never saw us portrayed as eloquent, intelligent, or peaceful. Miss America allowed me to be what I didn't see, being that representation and walking the red carpet with the gown that exemplified the serenity, strength, and resilience of our island's heritage. 

From the Miss Utah Instagram: Utah is know as the beehive state. When I picked out this dress, it reminded me of honeycomb. This dress Is dedicated to my hive of bees who have gotten me here!

From the Miss Massachusetts Instagram: I designed her myself based on former Miss America gowns that I’ve loved since I was a child. Thank you to Anita at Infusion Boutique and the team at JOVANI for making my sketch come to life!

From the Miss South Dakota Instagram: A dress that had a classic feel to it but also some “spice”😜 It was an incredible feeling to walk on the Miss America stage in this gown! 

From the Miss Alabama Instagram: I worked with The Clothes Tree and JOVANI to design this custom gown. I knew I wanted to wear black velvet, and I got the inspiration for the sheer sides with nude/crystal beading from a photo of a wedding dress I found in 2019. Then Julie from JOVANI worked her magic to come up with this beauty! We also totally changed the neckline after the dress came in.

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I hope you enjoyed these stories, and the incredible pictures. Hopefully there will be more stories to share in the future!

Marissa Tilley, of Lady Black Tie, Visits Section 36 Forevers!

Marissa at showroom grand opening
November 201

Section 36 Pageants has another visitor! Marissa Tilley is the owner of Lady Black Tie, a formalwear showroom in Andover MA. Since so many of her gowns have been worn by prior visitors to Section 36, I was excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss her showroom, how she got into the business, and where she hopes to go from here. Hopefully you’ll enjoy this as much as I did.

So, let’s see what happens when Marissa Tilley visits Section 36

What was your first venture in fashion and formal wear?

Marissa Walking
Fall 2015

When I trace back my interest in formalwear, I would say the seed was planted when I was 19 years old. I was in the right place at the right time; I got invited to walk the runway in New York Fashion Week Fall 2008 for Couture evening gown designers. I had only a few days notice to attend the casting and I had never modeled before. I had to show up looking like I belonged, so I had a photographer snap some artsy photos of me wearing one of my prom dresses in the woods. I used these photos to print out a comp card. (Long before Instagram, having a comp card was a must for modeling!). Before I knew it, I was cast and a few days later, I was on the runway in New York Fashion Week. I walked in 9 different shows my first season and wore the most glamorous formal gowns. I continued to come back to NYFW almost every season through my 20's - always walking in stunning couture gowns. I would say this experience left me with a romanticized impression of the formal wear niche. Almost 10 years after my very first runway show in September 2008, here I am opening my own formal gown business in November 2018!

How did you come up with the name “Lady Black Tie”?

I wanted a name that was simple and also summarized what we do. The best business names are the ones that are simple. When I first thought of “Lady Black Tie” I typed it into search engines and all that came up (at the time) were random articles in Vogue and other magazines titled ‘How to dress for a black tie event” and not much else. So I thought, "Wow, no retailer has taken advantage of this space on search engines?”  I searched social media and nobody had taken the name there either. I liked how simple and succinct the name was. We sell black tie attire for ladies. So, I filed a trademark on it and claimed all the social media handles.  Voila! We have a name.

What do you like about your showroom location in Andover MA?
Opening shop in Andover was significant for attracting in-store

Marissa
Spring 2016

visitors when we first opened. I opened the store strategically just before prom season in November 2018 so I could have two solid months of heavy social media marketing before Prom shopping rush in January. Downtown Andover is very charming and it's also convenient to drive to. Most of our prom customers are located within a 30 mile driving radius from Andover; with the bulk of our business coming from customers who live within a 10 mile drive from us. A lot of major highways and roadways connect around Andover, so we won a lot of business from Mothers and girls who found it convenient to drive to our store first; before trekking to the other side of the North Shore (where other Prom stores are located). The roadways make it inconvenient to get over to where the other stores are. Our location was a contributing factor to our early success. 

How do you decide what styles/brands of dresses to carry?
Lady Black Tie carries a lot of unique designers and styles that you don't really see in other local formalwear stores; this was intentional. We work with American and Australian designers. The American designers we carry are very fashion forward, keeping pace with the ever-evolving consumer demand that is influenced by what's trending on social media at the moment. As per our Australian influence - I spent 2 years living in Sydney, Australia and my family is half Australian so my husband and I travel there every year. Australian fashion is positively different to what is trending in the US market. Our customers responded very well to the styles we'd bring in from Australia so we just kept reordering over and over again as the styles would sell out so quickly. Our customers really love that they can  shop for styles with us that they can't easily find anywhere else nearby.

What has surprised you the most during the six months or so Lady Black Tie has been open?

Marissa
Fall 2008

Honestly, our website’s unexpected and incredibly fast growth. It only took a few months in business before our monthly web sales started outperforming our storefront’s sales. I didn’t expect it would be this way so soon and I feel lucky to be in this position.  At this point, I’ve doubled down on what's working and we’ve been investing a lot into our growth online because it’s where the potential lies. Someday our storefront will eventually hit a peak for the amount of business we can bring in (limited to customers in driving distance). Whereas our website can grow far beyond that and at a much faster rate.We have shipped dresses to all 50 states and all providences in Canada. We’ve shipped to Europe, Australia and some parts of Asia by now. The success with our online sales changed my perspective on how I originally planned to invest in and operate the business. Maybe I’ll change my mind on this statement; for now, I’m thinking we may keep our storefront small and just keep expanding the online business. We're not even a year old and we're already exploring renting warehouse space for inventory and operations. It's been fantastic.

What is your favorite part about owning Lady Black Tie?
There are two things I love about owning Lady Black Tie . 1. Every day is entirely different and equally exciting. You don't always know what you're walking into and it isn't always predictable. 2. Owning your own business is incredibly freeing. Even though I put in a lot of hours - far more than I did in my boring corporate jobs- it doesn't ever feel like 'work' when I'm here. I remember in my stint in a corporate job, I'd find myself looking at the clock often to see when the day would be over. I never get that feeling at Lady Black Tie because I'm doing what I love every day. 

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That’s definitely the goal!

As always, I want to give huge thanks to Marissa for doing this interview. I’m glad we were able to make it happen. I also want to thank her for providing the pictures to accompany the interview. I loved the look back at her getting her start in the industry.

If you looking for a formal gown, know someone who is, or just enjoy looking at amazing fashion, I encourage you to check out Lady Black Tie. You should follow all of the Lady Black Tie social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) as well as check out the official website. If you’re in the area, you should really swing by the showroom on Chestnut St in Andover MA. It will make picking out the perfect gown even easier.

And, if you talk to Marissa don’t forget to tell her you saw her on Section 36 Pageants!

Thanks again Marissa!