Think back to the last pageant you watched and tell me the color of the winner’s gown. Most of you will answer white, or some shade of it. Neutral colors of white, beige, gold, champaign, and black dominate the crowning moment followed by shades of blue and red. There are exceptions to this “white wins” paradigm but for the most part, when you look at the stage of contestants, it’s a sea of white.What do you think? Here are photos from 2010’s Miss America, Miss USA, Miss Universe, Mrs. United States, Mrs. America and Mrs. International pageants. For even more, click on this link to see the top five in 48 states in the 2010 Miss USA pageants, and you’ll see neutrals, red and blue (with a couple other sprinkles thrown in). http://www.pageantupdate.info/missusa2010/topfivegroups.htm Most people see this pattern but never take the time to understand why. I receive greater insight into this phenomenon each time I judge. Simply put, whites and neutrals are safe and draw the focus to the woman in the dress. I use the word “safe” because the colors don’t elicit strong emotional reactions from the judges. Think about your own feelings when you see certain colors. Some colors make you go “ugh” while others make you scream “I like it”. Even in the most beautiful green gown, if two of your judges love your choice and the third doesn’t, you won’t score as high. Remember, one point could be the difference between the Queen and the 1st runner up.   Every human being has emotional reactions to colors. All you have to do is sit out in the audience and listen to the comments made when the crowd sees certain gowns. Or, just pay attention to your own thoughts and feelings when you’re looking at color.   Judges try to be as objective as possible; but when it comes right down to it, they trust their gut feeling about a contestant, and the color of a gown will affect how some people feel.Because the crown goes to the contestant with the highest composite score from all of the judges, a contestant needs to connect with every judge in each area of competition. So you don’t want to be wearing something that will potentially turn judges off. That’s why I say neutrals are safe. I’m not saying everyone should wear white or a neutral color. There are some skin tones that need brighter colors to make the contestant radiant.   Whites and neutrals draw the focus to the woman in the dress. The style and color of your gown should work together to highlight your physical beauty. More importantly though, the gown should bring attention back to your face, where your inner beauty shines through your eyes and smile. That’s where you want the judges to be focusing anyway. If they’re admiring (or distracted by) the color and detail of your gown, they’re going to miss YOU. That’s where you get comments like “the dress wore her”. The contestant must wear the dress if the crown is to come to her.   When you’re at a Red Carpet event or making an appearance, you can make a bolder statement. But when the opportunity of being a titleholder is being decided by a panel of judges, you need to find the middle ground. When competing in a pageant, this is the one time when I will say, it’s safer to drive down the middle of the road than to veer too far to the left or to the right. Your judging panel will be a mix of people. That’s why it’s safer to choose a timeless classic gown. It appeals to the masses. You must be true to who you are. Never be someone or something that you’re not. Choose a gown that has a color and fit that highlights who you are without being overbearing. Remember, it isn’t the color alone that wins.  It’s what the color brings attention to and that should be the real you. Request my free special report, 10 Insider Secrets to Winning, and receive  for my free award winning newsletter weekly. Just click the GET YOUR FREE REPORT button at the top of this page. Then fill out your name and email address in the boxes. Rhonda Shappert is an expert pageant coach, an iPEC Certified Professional Coach, an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner, and a member of the International Coach Federation. She created Winning Through Pageantry® to partner with pageant contestants and their support people to provide complete pageant preparation, achieve winning results in life through pageantry, and to Succeed From The Inside Out®. She has over 30 years experience in the pageantry world as a contestant, judge, emcee, staff member, mother of daughters who compete, Mrs. Ohio America 2005, and has held multiple titles at the local, state and national levels. Rhonda graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors degree in Musical Theater from The Ohio State University and has performed on stage in 15 countries on the Asian, European and American continents. This mother of three home educates their children and has been married 21 years to her husband Stephen, is the former mayor of her community, and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Ohio Virtual Academy. She and her husband perform original contemporary Christian music. Their music CD entitled Cana is available through  www.cdbaby.com/cd/shappert  or on her website. For more information on Rhonda, visit  www.WinningThroughPageantry.com .