By MIKE CHAIKEN
CTFashionMag.com
The day is drawing close.
On Sept. 11, the world will find out who will be the next Miss America. And it will be a chance for Alyssa Taglia, the current Miss Connecticut, to exhibit her sense of style.
Behind closed doors, in the days leading up to the finals, Taglia will have a chance to show off her intellect and share her views on the world with the judges.
But on the night of the nationwide broadcast, the focus will be on the visual. The finalists picked at the beginning of the night will show off their talent for all the world to see. They will show off their physique in a swimsuit before a television audience of millions. And they will show off their fashion sense in the evening gown competition before a world admiring (or critiquing) their choice.
Taglia was crowned in June and has been prepping for the big show since then.
We caught up with Taglia via email to speak about her approach to fashion.
Q: When you shop for gowns for competition, how do you know that what you see is “the one?”
A: It’s an indescribable feeling you get when you look in the mirror and see yourself staring back at your own self looking/feeling confident and beautiful.
Q: For your other outfits for Miss America, what will tell you that the garment has that Alyssa Taglia-theme?
A: I am all about class. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis has always been my style icon so when picking out my outfits I always think to myself, would this be something Jackie O would wear if she were with us today?
Q: I know the swimsuits are guided by Miss America with some opportunity for choice. What qualities are you looking for when you make your final pick?
A: The swimsuit phase of competition is all about confidence so when picking my Miss America swimsuit I made sure that I felt confident, comfortable, and beautiful.
Q: What are your go-to colors for clothes?
A: I love black, navy blue, and white, the classics. I believe those three colors are classy, timeless, and flattering. However, I also love red because it’s powerful and I believe complements my skin tone/hair.
Q: Who are your fashion icons?
A: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Audrey Hepburn, and Kate Middleton.
Q: For your hair, do you prefer it up or down?
A: It really depends on what I’m wearing or the look I am going for. For example, evening gown I typically like to wear my hair up because I want to accentuate my décolletage but when it comes time for swimsuit I love wearing my hair down with big voluminous curls.
Q: For make-up, natural or dramatic?
A: Again, it definitely depends on what I’m doing, where I’m going and the look I am trying to attain. I typically prefer more of a “natural” look with a light smoky eye and deep nude lip. But everyone knows I love a dark red lipstick to sometimes spice things up a bit.
“Miss America” will be broadcast on ABC on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 9 p.m.
PHOTOS by MIKE CHAIKEN
