# Is Miss Australia's national costume is a 'travesty' or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 30, 2010, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558 "2010-07-30T06:30:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/1 "2010-07-30T06:30:31Z")
It’s a little involved, but I think it’s kind of interesting. [Miss Australia’s national costume is a ‘travesty’.](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/7916048/Miss-Australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty.html) > [@](#): > > 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. [Larger pic](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PxZyE6Jgabo/TFF7LUde4qI/AAAAAAAAhGs/q37ZAUk4-Qo/s1600/miss-universe_1687461i.jpg) [Video of her wearing costume](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ny7-7QMSdI) ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/2 "2010-07-30T06:44:26Z")
Travesty, and I cringe for my country. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/3 "2010-07-30T06:46:35Z")
I just think it looks silly and that the skirt looks more Spanish than Australian, but don’t all the national costumes at events like this look over the top? I wouldn’t go so far as to say a “travesty”, though, a travesty would entail something like wearing a dead koala as a hat or having a dress with built in speakers that played Shannon Noll non-stop. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/4 "2010-07-30T06:48:14Z")
It looks like she rolled through a jumble sale covered in glue. That said, I do like the swimming costume part. I think she’d look much better if she took it all off, but that’s just me… ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/5 "2010-07-30T07:03:13Z")
The skirt needs to rest a little higher on her hips, and the vest-thing could use to be made of something that wasn’t so stiff, but otherwise it seems fine. All the lines are in flattering places and the color scheme works together. The only thing to not like about it is that it’s odd. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/6 "2010-07-30T07:07:54Z")
That’s one cheerful lookin’ Sheila mates! ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/7 "2010-07-30T07:19:06Z")
The swimsuit looks good, but that’s about all I can say in favour of it. The concept of high-heeled Ugg boots alone is a travesty. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/8 "2010-07-30T07:23:28Z")
I’m Australian, and it looks terrible. Also, Ugg boots worn outside the house is a bogan stereotype. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/9 "2010-07-30T08:05:41Z")
Oh dear I didn’t notice the ugg boots. That pushes it a lot further into “travesty” territory. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/10 "2010-07-30T08:12:57Z")
That’s exactly what I think of when I think of Australia. Well, maybe along with the dress she could be wearing one of those military hats that pin up on one side, or a Crocodile Dundee hat with a ring of crocodile teeth in the hatband, but otherwise: perfect! ETA: some “Australian cleavage” woudn’t be remiss either. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/11 "2010-07-30T08:23:04Z")
Let’s not judge until we see the stats on that outfit. The boots, for instance, probably give a large bonus to dexterity, while the skirt is (obviously) charisma booster. And I assume that fur thing on her shoulders provides resistance to enchantment – looks expensive, 15 gold at least. Again, I don’t want to judge before the facts are in, but I’m willing to bet that, if you put a mid-upper level bow in her hands, and she’d be a welcome addition to most any party. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/12 "2010-07-30T08:28:36Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > Let’s not judge until we see the stats on that outfit. The boots, for instance, probably give a large bonus to dexterity, while the skirt is (obviously) charisma booster. And I assume that fur thing on her shoulders provides resistance to enchantment – looks expensive, 15 gold at least. > > Again, I don’t want to judge before the facts are in, but I’m willing to bet that, if you put a mid-upper level bow in her hands, and she’d be a welcome addition to most any party. Bow or not, she’d be a welcome addition to the party in my pants… Was that my out-loud voice? ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/13 "2010-07-30T09:02:51Z")
Another Australian, another vote for travesty. ---
**Author:** ![Anomie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4491bb/32.png) [@Anomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anomie)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/14 "2010-07-30T09:14:26Z")
The outfit is hilarious. I am, however, in favour of Miss Universe’s new format: _ **Two women enter, one woman leaves.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/15 "2010-07-30T09:24:54Z")
Two women are entered, one woman comes? ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/16 "2010-07-30T09:41:25Z")
Aussie here and think it looks appalling. Like a Western bar-girl who joined the Vikings. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/17 "2010-07-30T09:50:05Z")
Come on it’s a pisstake, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/18 "2010-07-30T10:03:31Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > That’s one cheerful lookin’ Sheila mates! Please don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/19 "2010-07-30T10:23:18Z")
It looks like she just walked off the Xena set. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558/20 "2010-07-30T10:28:39Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > It looks like she just walked off the Xena set. Ha; yeah, “Hey, that looks like something out of _Xena_” was my first thought too. That said, “travesty” is way too strong a term. An outfit made from the last members of a species or embroidered with racist slogans would be a travesty. This is just a little odd looking. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-miss-australias-national-costume-is-a-travesty-or-not/548558.md?page=2)