Miss Australia's national costume is a 'travesty'

[Honey]

Jesinta Campbell wearing the outfit she hopes will help her win Miss Universe


Jesinta Campbell will be wearing high-heeled Ugg boots

The costume, which will be worn by Jesinta Campbell at the competition in Las Vegas next month, features high-heeled Ugg boots, a brown one piece swimming costume hand-painted by an Aboriginal artist and a lamb's wool shrug. The ensemble is topped off by a voluminous flamenco-inspired rainbow skirt.
While Miss Campbell, 18, has said that she thinks the costume is "incredible", the pastiche of styles has failed to win many fans in Australia, and has been called eye-catching, but for all the wrong reasons.

Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper said the costume was "a national joke" and members of the fashion industry have agreed.
Clare Maclean, fashion features editor of Australian Grazia magazine, described it as a "travesty", but admitted that bizarre costumes were part of the Miss Universe tradition.
"She's bang on trend with the shrug and boots shearling is very hot right now but the skirt looks like it was made for a flamenco dancer from discount fabric bin scraps," Maclean said.
Miss Campbell, who faces having to parade on stage wearing the outfit in front of thousands of viewers has defended the look, which was created by the Sydney designer, Natasha Dwyer, saying she was proud to wear it.
"Part of our Australian identity is our indigenous heritage and it was so important that it was included in the national costume," she said.
"An Aboriginal artist hand-painted my swimsuit, which is the base of the outfit, which is very special.
"I have a little sheepskin shrug, which I think is very Australian – very Outback."
In the national costume section of the pageant, entrants are invited to capture the essence of their home nations through fashion. In the past, Australian entries have included Crocodile Dundee-inspired outfits, a simple bikini and a dress featuring maps of the Sydney city centre and the world-famous harbour.

Miss Australia's national costume is a 'travesty' - Telegraph

[Brookie]

Ew.

[Little Goon]

I love this comment from the original article:

"Leave off the criticism. Oz is a highly progressive society, and blind fashion designers deserve a chance."

[msdeb]

High Heeled Uggs? Good gawd even *I* wouldn't be caught dead in those.

[McJag]

Oh,my. There is tacky ,then there is this.

[heart_leigh]

Wow, what a horrible costume. I don't know whether I should laugh or shake my head in disbelief.

[VenusInFauxFurs]

LAWLAWL so fug.

[Wiseguy]

Major FAIL.

[Sleuth]

The Aboriginal hand-painted swimsuit isn't bad.. the rest is fricken attrocious.

[azoria]

I'm ok with travesty.

[A*O]

"I have a little sheepskin shrug, which I think is very Australian – very Outback."

She's right - EVERYONE wears sheepskin shrugs in the outback. It's a fashion 'must have'.

[sputnik]

she looks like a viking piñata.

[jennyjane]

what the hell???? << that was my first reaction, and it still is while Im writing this.

[twitchy2.0]

And yet it's really no worse than any other "national costume" in a beauty pageant.

[angelais]

Oh, she is so proud of herself. Someone needs to kick her ass back into reality.