Catwalk
You are the moment.
Catwalk is 30% of your National Outstanding Miss™ competition score.
This is your opportunity to step onto the stage with confidence, style, and presence.
But before we go any further, let’s clear up two things:
Catwalk is not Evening Gown.
Catwalk is not Fun Fashion.
Think red carpet meets runway.
This is formalwear with room for personal style—and the woman wearing it is always the focus.
So… What Is Catwalk?
Catwalk is NOM’s formalwear competition.
We chose not to call it Evening Gown because we don’t want to limit women to one particular silhouette, style, or idea of what formalwear is supposed to look like.
And while Catwalk isn’t Fun Fashion, we do expect fashion.
This is your opportunity to show us your personal style through an elevated formalwear look that feels polished, intentional, and appropriate for a national stage.
Classic. Modern. Dramatic. Understated. Vintage. Minimalist. Avant-garde. Somewhere in between.
There isn’t one right aesthetic.
There isn’t one NOM look.
There is the look that suits you.
The Woman Wearing It
We love beautiful clothes. This is still pageantry, after all.
But Catwalk isn’t ultimately about finding the best dress in the room.
It’s about the woman wearing it.
Your wardrobe should complement you. It should help you feel confident. It should move with you rather than require your constant attention.
If the judges remember your outfit and forget the woman wearing it, something has gone wrong.
Your wardrobe should complement you—not compete with you.
Wear Your Style
If you wear vintage every day and that’s genuinely your aesthetic, lean into it. If the vintage gown is the one that makes you feel most like yourself, wear the vintage gown.
If you’re a minimalist, you don’t need to suddenly become a maximalist because you’re walking onto a national pageant stage.
Maybe your style is romantic. Tailored. Glamorous. Bold. Classic. Unexpected.
Let your personality show through your wardrobe choice.
There is no right or wrong aesthetic here.
What matters is choosing something that suits you—in fit, style, color, and personality.
You’ve probably heard the old pageant adage that “winners wear white.”
Not at NOM.
We don’t have a preferred Catwalk color. White doesn’t score more points, and neither does any other color.
Wear what flatters you.
Choose the look that makes sense on you rather than the one you think a pageant contestant is supposed to wear.
Take One Thing Off
Coco Chanel famously advised women to look in the mirror before leaving the house and take one thing off.
There’s some wisdom in that for Catwalk.
Before you decide your look needs an overskirt, a cape, another embellishment, or whatever happens to be the current pageant trend, ask yourself:
Does this actually make the look better—or am I adding it because I think I’m supposed to?
More isn’t automatically better. Trendy isn’t automatically more fashionable. And neither one is automatically more you.
That doesn’t mean your look has to be simple. If dramatic fashion is authentically your style, be dramatic.
It means every element should feel intentional.
Editing is part of style.
Choose the formalwear that makes you feel extraordinary. Then take a good look at the finished picture and make sure everything you’re wearing deserves to be there.
Everything you’re wearing should have a reason to be there.
Let the Clothes Do Their Job
Your wardrobe should complement your presentation—not become your presentation.
Formalwear moves. That’s part of what makes it beautiful.
But if you’re spending your time onstage repeatedly flipping fabric, arranging your outfit, or creating “moments” with what you’re wearing, the judges aren’t watching you anymore.
They’re watching your clothes.
Choose something you can move in confidently. Something that works with you rather than something you have to manage every few seconds.
Your wardrobe should support your Catwalk—not require its own choreography.
Movement Should Look Natural
A pageant mentor we know always says:
“I’m not here to teach you how to walk. You’ve known how to walk since you were a toddler.”
We heartily agree.
We aren’t looking for a specific “pageant walk.” We want to see you move naturally—and that means letting your movement create momentum for whatever you’re wearing.
Know how your formalwear moves. Know how you move in it. Let your walk make the fabric move rather than stopping to make the fabric perform.
Will we have a prescribed walking pattern?
No.
All we ask is a strong hello when you enter the stage, that you give the judges and audience your attention while you’re onstage, and a strong goodbye as you exit.
However you choose to use the stage in between is up to you.
You’ll have 60 seconds for your Catwalk showcase.
That doesn’t mean you have to use every second of it.
You may have heard the pageant advice to continue for another ten seconds after time is called, giving the judges a little more time to watch you.
At NOM, there’s no need.
We will have a bell to mark the end of your 60 seconds. If you hear it, simply finish your movement and make your exit.
By then, the judges have seen what they need to see—and those extra seconds aren’t going to change the impression you’ve already made.
Make your entrance. Own your time onstage. Know when you’re finished. Make your exit.
There is no prescribed Catwalk. There is only your Catwalk.
What Are the Judges Looking For?
Catwalk isn’t a clothing competition. Judges are evaluating you.
They’re looking at things like:
Your wardrobe contributes to your overall presentation, but the price, designer, label, or number of rhinestones isn’t a judging category.
The question isn’t “Which outfit do I like best?”
It’s closer to:
“How does this woman present herself when she owns the stage?”
Practice—But Don’t Choreograph the Life Out of It
Yes, you should practice. Know how your formalwear moves, know where your hem is, and know what happens when you turn. If you’re wearing heels, make sure you can actually walk in them.
Practice enough that you aren’t thinking about your clothes when you step onto the stage, but leave enough room for the presentation to feel alive.
A great Catwalk presentation shouldn’t look like you’re mentally counting every step, turn, and pose. We want confidence, not choreography.
Know your wardrobe well enough that you can stop thinking about it.
When You Step Onto the Stage
This is your time. Not your designer’s. Not your coach’s. Not your wardrobe’s. Yours.
Walk onto that stage in something that makes you feel extraordinary. Stand tall, take your time, connect with the judges and the audience, and let your personality come through.
You don’t need to wear what everyone else is wearing.
You don’t need to choose the color someone told you always wins.
You don’t need to add something simply because it’s trending.
And you don’t need to manufacture a moment.
You are the moment.
We don’t stand still. We stand out.™