Photos show how the winning gowns from the Miss Universe pageant have changed through the years

Samantha Grindell,Celia FernandezNov 18, 2024, 23:56 IST

The outfits Miss Universe candidates have worn to be crowned queen have evolved.Bettmann/Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic/Hector Vivas/Getty Images

The fashion of the Miss Universe pageant has evolved since the first competition in 1952.
The winners used to be crowned in their swimsuits, but that changed in the '60s.

The 73rd annual Miss Universe pageant took place on Saturday in Mexico after days of preliminary competition.

At the end of the night, Miss Denmark Victoria Kjær Theilvig was named Miss Universe 2024. She wore a Barbie pink gown as the crown was placed on her head.

Theilvig's shimmering dress was par for the course for modern Miss Universe contestants, who typically wear sparkly gowns with eye-catching details. But contestants chose simpler dresses for the pageant in years past, and in its earliest days, Miss Universe was crowned wearing a swimsuit.

Take a look back at the outfits contestants have worn to be crowned Miss Universe throughout the pageant's history.

Armi Kuusela was crowned the first Miss Universe in 1952.

Miss Universe 1952 Armi Kuusela is in the middle with the rest of her court.Keystone/Getty Images

Christiane Martel represented France at the 1953 Miss Universe pageant.

Miss Universe 1953 Christiane Martel sitting on her throne.Hulton/Getty Images

Miriam Stevenson was the first Miss USA to become Miss Universe.

Miss Universe 1954 Miriam Stevenson is crowned by 1953 winner Christiane Martel.Bettmann/Getty Images

Hillevi Rombin represented Sweden in the 1955 Miss Universe pageant.

Before competing, Hillevi Rombin was the Swedish national decathlon champion.Bettmann/Getty Images

Gladys Zender of Peru became the first Latin American woman to win Miss Universe in 1957.

Miss Universe 1957 Gladys Zender was crowned by 1956 winner Hillevi Rombin.Leonard McCombe/Getty Images

Luz Zuluaga, who won in 1958, was the only Colombian to win Miss Universe until 2014.

When Luz Zuluaga was crowned, the Colombian television and radio stations stopped their regular programming to report the breaking news.University of Southern California/Getty Images

Akiko Kojima was the first Japanese woman to win the Miss Universe competition in 1959.

Luz Zuluaga, Miss Universe 1958, crowns Akiko Kojima as Miss Universe 1959.Bettmann/Getty Images

Linda Bement was crowned Miss Universe in 1960.

Linda Bement was also the first to be crowned in a gown instead of a swimsuit.Bettmann/Getty Images

Iêda Maria Vargas was the first Brazilian to be crowned Miss Universe in 1963.

Unlike previous crowns and scepters, Iêda Maria Vargas' featured a bedazzled woman figure in the middle.Bettmann/Getty Images

Corinna Tsopei of Greece paid tribute to the country's flag with the colors of her winning gown.

Miss Universe 1964 Corinna Tsopei posed with the runner-ups of that year.Bettmann/Getty Images

Apasra Hongsakula represented Thailand in the 1965 Miss Universe pageant.

Apasra Hongsakula posed with the rest of her court after being crowned Miss Universe 1965.Bettmann/Getty Images

Margreta Arvidsson was the second Swedish woman to win the Miss Universe crown in 1966.

Margreta Arvidsson posed with the runner-ups after being crowned.Rolls Press/Getty Images

Sylvia Hitchcock represented the US at the 1967 Miss Universe competition.

Sylvia Hitchcock kept her accessories to a minimum so her dress would shine.Bettmann/Getty Images

Martha Vasconcellos brought the drama with her gown at the Miss Universe pageant in 1968.

When Martha Vasconcellos was crowned, she became the second Miss Universe winner from Brazil.Bettmann/Getty Images

Kerry Anne Wells wore a muted, flowy dress at the 1972 Miss Universe competition.

Kerry Anne Wells was announced as the winner by Bob Barker, who served as a host for 20 years.Bettmann/Getty Images

Margarita Moran was the epitome of elegance in this gown at the Miss Universe pageant in 1973.

Margarita Moran represented the Philippines at the 1973 Miss Universe competition.CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Shawn Weatherly stole the show with this beaded gown in 1980.

Shawn Weatherly represented the US at Miss Universe in 1980.Keystone/Getty Images

Irene Sáez brought the drama with her gown at the 1981 Miss Universe pageant.

Irene Sáez represented Venezuela when she was crowned.Bettmann/Getty Images

Karen Baldwin was the first Canadian to win the Miss Universe competition in 1982.

Karen Baldwin happily took her throne after being crowned.Bettmann/Getty Images

Yvonne Ryding's dress at the 1984 Miss Universe pageant looked simple at first glance.

Yvonne Ryding right after being crowned Miss Universe 1984.Images Press/Getty Images

Deborah Carthy-Deu was the second Miss Puerto Rico to win the Miss Universe competition in 1985.

The gold of Deborah Carthy-Deu's dress matches her Miss Universe 1985 trophy.Images Press/Getty Images

Angela Visser represented Holland at the 1989 Miss Universe competition.

According to the Miss Universe website, Angela Visser was a "virtually unanimous choice for Miss Universe 1989."George Rose/Getty Images

Mona Grudt was the first Norwegian to win the title of Miss Universe in 1990.

After her reign, Mona Grudt appeared on an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation."George Rose/Getty Images

Lupita Jones was the first Mexican woman to win the title of Miss Universe in 1991.

After her reign, Lupita Jones created Nuestra Belleza México, the official competition for choosing who was going to represent Mexico at Miss Universe.George Rose/Getty Images

Dayanara Torres, who was crowned Miss Universe in 1993, was wearing the thigh-high slit years before it became a trend.

During and after her reign, Dayanara Torres became an ambassador for UNICEF.Omar Torres/Getty Images

After winning the 1994 Miss Universe competition, Sushmita Sen went on to pursue a career in Bollywood.

Sushmita Sen was the first Indian woman to win the Miss Universe competition.Romeo Gacad/Getty Images

Chelsi Smith was the first Miss USA to be crowned Miss Universe in 15 years.

After winning Miss Universe in 1995, Chelsi Smith worked as a model and actress.Philip Littleton/Getty Images

After winning Miss Universe 1996, Alicia Machado pursued acting and appeared on various reality competition shows.

Alicia Machado was the fourth woman from Venezuela to win Miss Universe.AFP/Getty Images

After winning Miss Universe 1997, Brook Lee went on to host TV shows in Asia and the United States.

Brook Lee was the first winner from Hawaii to take the Miss Universe crown.Chris Bernacchi/Getty Images

Wendy Fitzwilliam made history at the 1998 Miss Universe pageant as the first contestant to win wearing a bikini in the swimsuit competition.

Wendy Fitzwilliam is the second Miss Universe in history from Trinidad and Tobago.Reuters

Mpule Kwelagobe, crowned in 1999, was Botswana's first-ever Miss Universe winner.

Mpule Kwelagobe was also the first Miss Universe Botswana to participate in the Miss Universe competition.Getty Images

Lara Dutta took the Miss Universe crown in 2000.

After her reign, Lara Dutta focused on working in Hindi films.Nicholas Kamm

Denise Quiñones won the Miss Universe title in 2001.

In 2018, Denise Quiñones was named the new pageant director for Miss Universe Puerto Rico.Reuters

Oxana Fedorova was crowned Miss Universe in 2002.

Oxana Fedorova is from Russia.Jose Jimenez/Getty Images

Amelia Vega was the first person from the Dominican Republic to win the Miss Universe title in 2003.

At 18 years old, Amelia Vega was the youngest winner crowned since 1994.Teresita Chavarria/Getty Images

Jennifer Hawkins looked like a walking gold statue at the 2004 Miss Universe competition.

After her reign, Jennifer Hawkins went on to cover major Australian magazines like Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Maxim.Martin Bernetti/Getty Images

Natalie Glebova was only the second Canadian to hold the Miss Universe title.

Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova.Adress Latif/Getty Images

Zuleyka Rivera wore one of the most daring gowns of the 2006 Miss Universe competition.

Zuleyka Rivera was representing Puerto Rico. She became the fifth Puerto Rican woman to win the Miss Universe title.Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

Riyo Mori was the second Japanese woman to be crowned Miss Universe in 2007.

Riyo Mori's gown looked like it was straight off the runway.Victor Chavez/Getty Images

Dayana Mendoza was crowned Miss Venezuela 2008 before winning Miss Universe.

Dayana Mendoza wore matching shoes with her dress.Gaye Gerard/Getty Images

Stefania Fernandez's 2009 Miss Universe win was a milestone since it was the first time a country won back-to-back crowns.

Stefania Fernandez was representing Venezuela.Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images

After her Miss Universe win in 2010, Ximena Navarrete went on to star in Spanish soap operas.

Ximena Navarrete became the second Mexican woman to win the Miss Universe title.Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Leila Lopes made history as the first woman from Angola to win the Miss Universe pageant in 2011.

Since finishing her reign, Leila Lopes has gone on to act, host, and model.AFP/Getty Images

After being crowned Miss USA, Olivia Culpo went on to win the title of Miss Universe in 2012.

Within 15 months, Olivia Culpo had won the titles of Miss Rhode Island USA, Miss USA, and Miss Universe.Marcel Thomas/Getty Images

When Gabriela Isler was crowned Miss Universe 2013, she made history as the seventh woman from Venezuela to win.

Gabriela Isler went on to serve as the national director of the Miss Venezuela organization.Alexander Nemenov

Paulina Vega won the title of Miss Universe in 2014.

Paulina Vega was the second Colombian woman in 56 years to win the Miss Universe crown.Larry Marano/Getty Images

Pia Wurtzbach was the third woman from the Philippines to win the Miss Universe title in 2015.

Pia Wurtzbach trained for three years before she won the Miss Universe Philippines pageant, which advanced her to Miss Universe.Ethan Miller/Getty Images

When Iris Mittenaere won in 2016, she was the first Miss France to do so in 63 years.

Before entering the pageant, Iris Mittenaere was in her fifth year of a dental surgery fellowship.FOX/Getty Images

Demi Nel-Peters was the second Miss Universe winner from South Africa.

A few days before winning the Miss South Africa 2017 competition, Demi Nel Peters graduated from college with a bachelor's degree.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Catriona Gray was crowned Miss Universe in 2018.

Before being crowned Miss Universe, she earned the titles of Miss Universe Philippines and Miss World Philippines.Lillian Suwanrumpha/Getty Images

Zozibini Tunzi represented South Africa at the 2019 Miss Universe competition.

Zozibini Tunzi was crowned the 2019 Miss Universe.Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Andrea Meza was only the third Miss Mexico to be crowned Miss Universe.

Miss Mexico Andrea Meza is crowned the 69th Miss Universe.Rodrigo Varela/Getty Images

Harnaaz Sandhu was also the third Miss India to be crowned Miss Universe.

Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu is crowned Miss Universe 2021.Miss Universe / MENAHEM KAHANA / Contributor / Getty Images

R'Bonney Gabriel was the ninth Miss USA to be crowned Miss Universe.

R'Bonney Gabriel is the first American to win the Miss Universe competition in a decade.TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

Sheynnis Palacios was the first Miss Nicaragua to win Miss Universe in the pageant's history.

Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios is crowned Miss Universe in 2023.Camilo Freedman/picture alliance via Getty Images

Likewise, Victoria Kjær Theilvig became the first Miss Denmark to be crowned Miss Universe in 2024.

Victoria Kjær Theilvig became Miss Universe in November 2024.Hector Vivas/Getty Images

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