Miss America Pageant: How Body Types, Swimsuits And Evening Gowns Have Changed

Miss America contestants' body types have radically changed since the 1920s. Now that Savvy Shields, Miss Arkansas, has become Miss America 2016, let's look back at some different paradigms.
In the 1920s, a skinny, boyish figure was preferred. By the 1950s however, the age of Marilyn Monroe and other bombshell movie stars, women with hour-glass figures were considered to be the most desirable. However, that all changed in the '60s, the era of Twiggy and other skinny models. That ideal continued right up until recent years. Nowadays, women with healthy- looking bodies with a definition honed in the gym, are considered to be the best-looking.

In 1996 viewers were invited to call in and vote on whether or not to keep the swimsuit section of the competitition. An overwhelming majority voted to keep it. The following year, 1997, two-piece suits were allowed for the first time.

Evening gowns have mainly followed fashion, from big shouldered "Dynasty" styles in the 1980s to minimal slip dresses in the 1990s.

Click through the slideshow to see the way that contestants' body types have changed.