At 7:30 a.m. sharp, 19 women scurry into the grand ballroom of the Renaissance Dallas North Hotel. Some have brought their gowns, sparkling with sequins and pearls, to drop off in the designated dressing room across the hall. For this final rehearsal, the instructions are as follows: Bring your pageant shoes; dress casual; and absolutely no hair rollers. With lips painted in bold pinks and reds, they excitedly chatter through their routines and the next few hours of makeup and hairstyling. Stockings on, prayers prayed, and now up to 6 inches taller in heels, they line up to reveal themselves to a sold-out audience. Only one would leave with the coveted, bejeweled tiara and the title of Ms. Texas Senior America 2023.
The Ms. Texas Senior America pageant celebrates Texan women aged 60 and older living through what the organization’s website calls “the age of elegance.” They are judged in four categories: interview, philosophy of life, evening gown, and talent (including, in this year’s case, trampoline-boosted toe touches, a boozy I Love Lucy comedy bit, lively interpretive and tap dances, and dramatic monologues). The purpose of the pageant is not to rank beauty but to recognize senior women who are empowered by their age.
