The Miss Universe organization held the national costume competition on 13th May 2021 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel, Florida where divas from all over the world paraded on-stage with confidence and poise, representing their countries through their beautiful traditional costumes. The competition is a separate part of the pageant and doesn’t count towards contestants’ overall scores.

We have selected our favorite costumes who we believe not only stood out in the competition but also celebrated the country’s unique traditions and cultures embedded in their traditional outfits. Without further ado, let’s look at the national costumes at Miss Universe 2020 (in no order):

India

Miss Universe India 2020 Adline Castelino donned a beautiful costume that embodied the true essence of a woman. The stunning pink saree is a traditional attire binding the whole country together and the color of the saree is inspired by the national flower of India, the Lotus. The saree's border and pallav are encrusted with embroidery depicting the three-hundred-year-old Pichwai art form, which adds grace. Adline looked graceful and proud to be depicting the essence of a woman on stage and the entire outfit is very attractive, thus, making it our favorite. Adline's costume took five months to complete, and the effort is evident.

Nepal

Miss Universe Nepal 2020 Anshika Sharma’s national costume, ‘Ode to Mountaineers', was created as a tribute to the thousands of mountaineers who visit Nepal and the mountains. The diva donned the national costume with utmost pride and honor and was very confident as she walked on stage. Describing the costume, Anshika had mentioned that she decided to go with ‘Ode to Mountaineers’ as she wanted to do something that had never been done on the Miss Universe stage to take the pride of Nepal onto the next level. She looked happy and very content with her costume and, thus, made her way into the favorites.

Peru

Miss Universe Peru 2020 Janick Maceta Del Castillo’s national costume was inspired by ‘Parihuana’, a beautiful bird with red wings and white breasts that, according to the story of the famous writer Abraham Valdelomar, served as inspiration for José de San Martín to create the first flag of Peru in September 1820. Janick seemed confident and powerful as she walked on stage donning the outfit and the beautiful colors used in the costume made it more attractive.

Puerto Rico

Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2020 Estefania Soto Torres’ national costume is inspired by Puerto Rico's astrologer Walter Mercado. The violet color represents mystery, spirituality, wisdom, and nobility. The golden color represents creativity, abundance, wealth, and power. The crown on her head denotes the 12 Zodiac signs. Estefania walked on-stage with elegance, confidence, and carried the costume with utmost pride.

Chile

Miss Universe Chile 2020 Daniela Nicolas’ national costume, ‘La Pincoya’, is one of the favorite costumes at Miss Universe 2020 and is inspired by an imaginary marine creature belonging to the mythology of Chiloé, in southern Chile. The legend says that she appears from the depths of the sea, semi-dressed in a sargassum costume to dance on the beaches and that, through the orientation of her dance, she signals whether fishing will be abundant or scarce in the coming season. Daniela looked perfect in the costume as she walked on stage showcasing her country’s tradition and culture at its best. She is surely one of the strongest contenders for the title.

Brazil

Miss Universe Brazil 2020 Julia Gama's national costume, dubbed "The Queen of Cotton," shone brightly in the competition. The national costume has significance to the country as Brazil has occupied the fifth position in the production of cotton. It's not by chance that the product is called "white gold". Julia seemed proud and happy with the way she performed in the competition and, thus, made it to our favorites.

Australia

Miss Universe Australia 2020 Maria Thattil’s unique and attractive national costume symbolizes hope and the diva showcased it perfectly on-stage. She shared, "5 minutes before going on stage, we realized the motor on my wings was damaged in transit and they had broken." But the diva did not let this setback affect her as she adjusted her crown and went on-stage with a smile, gratitude, and poise. She showcased hope on stage and that’s one of the reasons why she is one of the favorites for the Miss Universe 2020 crown.

Venezuela

Miss Universe Venezuela 2020 Mariangel Villasmil Arteaga’s national costume, ‘Goddess of Ologa', looked stunning on-stage and for Mariangel, the imposing light that the Catatumbo Lightning emanates over the skies of her home state reminds her of the power and strength that is within each one of us, and that no one can extinguish. She seemed proud and honored to be walking on stage in an outfit that showcased her culture and tradition just the way she expected.

(Photo Credits: Contestants Instagram)