A Throwback To Olivia Culpo's Miss Universe Gown

The Miss Universe 2015 pageant will air on the evening of Dec. 20. As we await to learn which of the women will impress the world the most, why not take the opportunity to look back at 2012's American winner, Olivia Culpo. Today, the star is known for her stunning sense of style. But her time in the limelight began only three years ago with the help of one incredibly stunning red gown. Of course, the dress wasn't everything. Yes, the sea of gorgeous gowns from around the world are stunning, but the true stars of the show are always the multi-faceted pageant contestants who compete for the crown.

That being said, Olivia Culpo's dress was undoubtedly stunning. It's definitely not the main reason this natural beauty — who caused controversy this year by disassociating herself with Miss USA due to Donald Trump's involvement — won the entire show. But that doesn't mean we can't celebrate the beauty that was the dress chosen by the first American to take the crown in 15 years.

This stunning red number was composed of a beautiful, floor length, red skirt, a plunging V-neck, and long sleeves made of velvet, giving Culpo an almost Disney princess look. However, Culpo won the Rhode Island competition while wearing a $20 rental dress, so her soar to success is clearly about more than the gown alone. After all, she could've been wearing the ugliest dress conceivable and still charmed the world.

It's been three years since Culpo's crowning, but now she's back, set to make an appearance on the judging panel at 2015's event, likely because Donald Trump is no longer involved. But as we eagerly anticipate what gowns are ahead for the 2015 show, I can't help but think that very few are going to be able to compete with the gorgeous red dress that helped America's sweetheart win it all.

My favorite part of this gown was definitely the red velvet upper half, which helped make this a total statement piece. In fact, the dress was so adored that you can even buy your own version from The Celebrity Dresses for only $189.99. Yep, you too can recreate this bold look for what I'm sure is a fraction of the price. And haven't you always wanted to wear an iconic gown just to clean the house in? I wonder if Olivia Culpo does the same thing with hers, because I know I would.