“The only thing you can count on in life is death and taxes”.
It’s a cliche, but true.
Everyone gets older. From the moment you’re born, you start to age. The great news is this: human beings have no “best by” date stamped on them! I tell this to clients who are parents of young pageant competitors in the context of competing for/holding one title at a time. “You have plenty of time!”
But what if I don’t?
This really depends on your goals and the title for which you are competing. Right now, there are pageants for every age. More pageants are being held every year. I tell my clients “there’s a pageant for everyone” because it’s true. Whether what’s available to you is what you want? Well, that’s another story.
It’s age discrimination!
No, it isn’t. Age can be a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ)*. If you are competing for “Miss [Title]” and the organizer has set an age limit for that title, then age is part of the qualifications for that job. You might not like it, and it might not seem “fair”, but it is perfectly fine. Other BFOQs include:
- Religion
- Gender
- Nationality
- Height
- Body Measurements
- Marital Status
- Maternal Status
In short, anything but race can be a BFOQ in the world of pageantry. Does that make it right or fair? To quote my favorite legal expert: “It depends”.
Think Globally
Many pageants that use a restricted age range as a BFOQ are not based in the US. There are different cultural expectations regarding pageantry, especially with regard to age, height, and body measurements. For many women, the dream is to achieve one of the “Grand Slam” pageant titles:
- Miss Earth – 18-28 years of age
- Miss World – 17-27 years of age
- Miss Universe – 18-28 years of age
- Miss International – 18-27 years of age
- Miss Supranational – 18-28 years of age
If the title you’re dying to win is one step closer to the World/Global/Universal/International title, and that organization has specific BFOQs? If you don’t meet the qualifications from the head office, it doesn’t matter how great you are in an interview, how you slay a runway, or how fit you are. You aren’t the candidate they are looking for. And that’s OK. Your worth isn’t determined by your age or titles achieved.
The Good News
Many organizations have revamped their age divisions because they realize that limiting their pool of contestants to a narrow age range was hurting them financially. Miss America traditionally had an upper age limit of 24 years of age. In 2018 it was raised to 25, and in 2022 it was raised to 26 for the following year. Miss America’s Outstanding Teen has raised the upper age limit to 18. National American Miss raised the age limit for their Miss division to 24 years of age in 2018. Previously, the age limit was “19-20 years of age as of January 1st”.
The Better News
Even if you are older than 24-28 years of age, there are plenty of events where you can compete for an international title!
- World’s Perfect Miss/Woman/Classic Woman – 20-29/30-49/50+ years
- Ultimate International Miss/Ms/Elite – 19-25/19-44/45+ years
- Royal International Miss/Ms – 20-24/25+ years
- International United Miss/Ms – 20-24/25+ years
- PURE International Miss/Ms./Elegant Ms./Elite Ms./Classy Ms.- 19-24/25-34/35-44/45-54/55+ years
- World Imperial Beauties Miss/Ms/Classic Ms – 20-29/30-49/50+
- Majestic International Pageant Miss/Ms/MIP Woman – 20-29/30-50-51+
- Mrs/Ms Earth – 21+ (Over 40 is titled “International”)
This list is by no means exhaustive. I’m sure there are more events that celebrate women of every age. Full disclosure: at the time of publication, I am the reigning Mrs. Earth Air International 2022. That means I’m over 40 and finished in the Top 5 at Mrs. Earth International, earning an Elemental Title. I also am on staff at World’s Perfect as the emcee and office manager during pageant week.
Why Not Miss?
Traditionally “miss” refers to a young, unmarried woman or girl. Pageant organizers understand that the life experiences of a 19-year-old, 39-year-old, and 59-year-old are vastly different even if they are unmarried and child-free. There has to be some way of defining that difference and it generally comes down to Ms, Ms Classic, Woman, Elite, or some other term. Just because you aren’t in the “miss” category doesn’t mean it’s a sure win! Some of the most fierce competitors I know compete in the Ms/Woman/Classic divisions.
The key here for you, competitor nearing your later 20s, is not to get hung up on the word “miss”. Be glad that pageants don’t define your age range as “spinster” or “matron”. We’ve come a long way, baby. Celebrate your success and your journey. I’ll never be Miss America even though that was 10-year-old me’s “dream job” that started me on my pageant path. I’m too old, too short, and too fat. You know what? It’s alright. It’s OK. I know my worth and know that I’m not defined by an age limit or any other BFOQ.