The Eurovision Song Contest of 2019 is already one week behind us, but this year’s fashion disasters have once again burned themselves onto the back of our collective retina. And that unfortunate but joyous tradition leads us to the Barbara Dex Award, which honours Eurovision’s Worst Dressed artists.
The award pays homage to Belgium’s 1993 contestant, who famously made the mistake of sewing her own costume. She ended up looking like a lampshade. The iconic award is handed out by our friends at the Belgian website Songfestival.be, who took over from the Dutch founders Rob and Edwin at the House of Eurovision following the 2016 edition.
Eurovision 2019: Who made the biggest fashion faux pas?
This year offered plenty of thrills and spills. It was the year of the knee high boot, with Finland’s Sebastian Rejman, Belarus’ Zena and Cyprus’ Tamta being among those to bring the leather to Israel. Speaking of leather, who can forget Hatari’s BDSM attire, which was completely inappropriate for the Tel Aviv sunshine.
But who of this year’s acts had you calling the fashion police the quickest? Who deserves to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner Eye Cue and that infamous back-to-front blazer?
The results of the official Barbara Dex poll will remain a secret until the winner is revealed by Songfestival.be. But as Europe debates the winner of the Barbara Dex Award 2019, we decided to run our own poll to handicap this year’s race. You can vote for as many acts as you would like, but you can only vote ONE time — so make it count! Then sound off in our comments box below.
[polldaddy poll=10326749]
Belarus Cyprus and Iceland were by far the worst costume this year
Portugal was weird and bizarre but it was not ordinary and vulgar clothing like the others
Ok, so Conan already (deservedly) won it! Cyprus and Belarus nrs. 2 and 3. I fully agree with this top
It’s baffling to me that Finland is not in the Top 2 here , people only support acts with songs they feel were robbed , duh !
I voted Cyprus. I can see why a lot of folks think Portugal or Croatia should get the award, but in those cases, the costumes were sort of in keeping with the overall act.
i’m up for a surprise, Maybe Serbia? Or even Norway
Hi
For me the worst dress and performence was
Madonna????????
Ass you know Madonna doesn’t participate. Soo the worst of the worst is…. M….Moldova or there neighbors Romania (even their song wasn’t that bad)
Zena’s outfit wasn’t very sexual or cheap for me. More high school/cheerleader/Britney/Hiphop dancer outfit. I liked it.
was cheap and teenager look….
I like the singer but didnt liked her outfit
It has it’s appeal if you are a straight man, bisexual, or a lesbian. And if the woman in question is an adult, of course (totally inappropriate for a 16yo).
Zena looked like a cheerleader in a cheerdance competition, but with high heel-shoes.
Zena’s outfit was only sexual if you’ve got a dirty mind – and an inappropriate one given she is 16 (unless you are 16 in which case it’s ok to fancy her) – but not if you’re over 20, that’s just wrong.
In what way was her outfit inappropriate then? I read your statement that you thought she looked like a hooker? Clearly that is sexual and in order for someone to find something sexual, surely you have to fancy it? I found absolutely nothing sexual in Zena’s outfit – it seemed to me to be a typical thing some 16 yo wear and I saw nothing wrong with it. If someone fancies her, it’s because they are attracted to her, not to her clothes. And if one is over 20, I would say it is the person doing the fancying who… Read more »
It was the comment “dressed as if she’s working the streets” that I found offensive. It suggested to me that you thought clothes could denote that someone was a prostitute (ie, looking for sex). I just find it odd that people criticize teenagers (most often girls) for dressing in a particular way. The connotation is that the way she is dressing means she is looking for sex, which is a dangerous philosophy.
Kosey, look back at your like 3000 posts from the last week and do some autocritics. You are not the one to talk about being offensive. And, as Tibor said, your lack of logic is as huge as your ability to say your personal opinions as if they were undeniable truths and to critizise each and everyone who does not agree with your “statements”
Zena, Eliot, Tamta, Roko and a dishonourable mention for Carlotta and Laurita.
My Dex contenders are: Armenia boots, shorts, dreadlocks wrong styling partly why it didn’t qualify… Cyprus enough PVC to think she must own a few companies selling the stuff … Portugal the green was just wrong I think … North Macedonia the colours don’t go for me … and a roughie it’s supposed to be about worst dressed but a lot of voters will not get that brief and vote for Iceland not aware that fashion is by and large the point of it with them.
FOR EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO POST THEIR TOP 41, THEY CAN DO IT IN EITHER DUNCAN’S WINNING POST OR WIWI JURY’S TOP 41 LIST. I WILL PROBABLY POST MINE ON THE WIWI JURY SCORE LIST. I HOPE MANY OF YOU JOIN, CAUSE I’D LIKE TO KNOW HOW THINGS CHANGED AFTER THE SHOW FOR YOU. 🙂
Thanks, Una! I believe the post most suited for that would be Wiwi Jury’s 2019 list of review scores. It’s the first page which comes-up when you go to “reviews” section.
WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING IN CAPS LOCK? 😀 Love you anyways, Colin xoxo
OK, Colin. See you there!
Tamta (Cyprus), I liked song then I saw her performance meh
Definitely Madonna.
We don’t talk about that
My top 5, in no particular order: – Jonida Maliqi (Albania): I read that Graham Norton said her dress could be “repurposed as a Christmas decoration”. – Conan Osíris (Portugal): It’s supposed to be showy, and while outrageous, was not necessarily the ugliest costume of the Contest. – Tamta (Cyprus): Not just the chandelier bodysuit, but her backup dancers also looked like BDSM Zorro impersonators! – Roko (Croatia): Yikes, those angel wings and the all-white costume! It looked like he was looking for the American Idol finale and found Eurovision instead. – Tamara Todevska (North Macedonia): The black coverup paired… Read more »
Remember a country flag …..black,white,green and red….now …..think….Conan dressed in Portugal show : black in semifinal and white in the final. Conan dressed in Eurovision: Green! All performances image: red rose. That’s it! Conan is Conan ! The best. Flag……..Country is…..P…….????No….insn’t Portugal…is…P…..
P.s: see the army eagle.
Lets see: who voted for Conan, so I can sweep your asses with my flip flop?
Barbara Dex was robbed in 1993 like Sergey has been robbed this year and in 2016.
Juries only go with the boring irish songs in the early 90s like this year with boring North Macedonia and The Netherlands.
Ivanov still trolling here at Wiwiblogss??……. Wow! that’s pathetic!
There’s the Barbara Dex, ….but what about the Freddie award (named after Freddie from 2016) for people just wearing casual every day clothes on stage like they didn’t even try?
I nominate Zala and Gasper, but half the contestants this year are contenders
Omg poetaytoe :))
My Freddie awards for the most effort-less fashion in the show, will go to Austria. I mean, as I look back at it, I feel it was meant to portray vulnerability but the execution was just wayyyyyy too casual.
Czech Republic! But while being effortless, they made the flag of Belgium.
I’d give it to Victor Crone or Michael Rice
Now, for best dressed… who will win the Elina Nechayeva award?
Keiino, Carousel and Tulia were well dressed for the performances they had. They were well balanced as groups. Kate was beautiful too, even if I get that her glamorous style wasn’t for everyone. I loved Jonida’s dress. Also, Duncan, Sergey, Victor, Jurij and Kobi looked quite dapper. IDK if there is one big standout, but several contestants looked good.
I actually love Carousel, Victor and Jurij’s look! Simple and well stated.
I don’t understand the purpose of the side pocket on Jurij’s shirt though. It was distracting onscreen. Hehe
If only Mahmood tucked his shirt. It didn’t look flattering on camera but that is just me.
The problem was not the shirt but too many wide shots and a restless camera work.
Jonida had the best dress
Hottest person in this year’s ESC <3
North-Macedonia! That dress was a nightmare. Beautiful woman in that hidious dress, it’s a crime.
Conan ruined his Eurovision by dressing up as a frog. Such a brilliant song ending up in a quagmire …..
Not a frog, a praying mantis.
One third frog, one third praying mantis, one third broccoli (romanescu, not calabrese)
Hahaha Conan is my king but you are funny
I read on a Portuguese fan site that Conan looked like a ‘walking spinach’.
Poor beautiful Conan. Atleast it looks like he will win one award from this song contest, not the one he would have wanted but atleast he will always be remembered. I really dont like saying anybody should be the “worst” at anything but if i had to pick one it would be Cyprus, that bodysuit was not really nice at all.
Tamta looked like a sexualized chandelier
I dont even know how to reply to that!!! lol
Eliot. He looked like a trump in that oversized jacket.
Albania or North Macedonia by a mile. Tastesless women…
Tasetelss stylists* not the women themselves.
Finland just for those jeans…. yikes
I know I commented earlier, but here’s who I voted for: Conan Osiris- I’m mostly just disappointed that he didn’t wear his white national final outfit, which is an iconic look. This green outfit makes him look a little too stiff Eliot- His outfit was SO unfitting with his song and staging. Same goes for his backup dancers? What were those peace sign fingers supposed to represent? He looks like he’s about to play sports, NOT do Eurovision Ester Peony- Her outfit gave me a weird teacher/school vibe. I did not like that at all. This is another example of… Read more »
I voted for Croatia, Belgium, Iceland and Austria. Whoever thought it was a good idea to wear wings the colour of burnt urine should get fired.
For me this is Romania 100%. Iceland and Portugal weren’t my faves either, but it did fit the song so I don’t think they should get this award. Belgium is also an option, cause that was also really really off.
For me the worst outfit of the year was Zena’s. The combination of colors would have been tolerable on its own, but was it really necessary to have her wear her own name graffitoed all over?
Not that Tamta is very far behind, though. Shoddiest bodysuit I can recall having ever seen.
Agree she looked so cheap
Croatia partially because the winner has been from a former yugoslav country for the past 3 year now.
UK. He looked like he’d been dragged up on stage to reluctantly sing a karaoke number after he’d nipped into a pub to get out of the rain on his way back home after a 12 hour shift. Literally no effort was made and it showed.
Haha, good point. Those skinny jeans looked terrible on him
Cyprus. She looked great in her many outfits in the music video, but the live looked like a 90s adult movie costume. Did not like it at all.
Honorable mentions to Sebastians boot jeans and whatever D-Mol was wearing.
Hoestly? The Netherlands.
I don’t think Hatari should win this like they look good? and Conan’s outfit is different but really cool so I also don’t think should be named the worst, I think Eliot, Ester or Sebastian should win it their outfits were just not good…
I think Slovenia was the worst. They looked like two pillowcases. Come on, t-shirts?
I found Srbuk‘s outfit absolutely unflattering. If you present your song with a rad hairstyle like that you better fancy it up with something ethnic as well.
I mean, Roko’s wings were tacky but the actual outfit wasn’t bad at all. Also Ester looked pretty nice to me (though then again I do love the whole “girl in tux” aesthetic).
My votes are:
– Portugal (the green didn’t fit the song at all, plus they looked like praying… mantises? Mantise? Mantis?)
– Greece (unflattering)
– Belgium (do they rock climb in Belgium?)
– North Macedonia (color is nice but didn’t suit the song, should’ve gone for dark blue or black)
– Belarus (tacky)
Have to agree about Ester. I was getting Wednesday Addams vibes. My favorite outfit of the contest.
Yes we do rock climb in Belgium. Lol
Ester should have really gone with a classic dress.
I know they went along with the “Dracula” theme again, but She really looked like a confused, creepy business woman.
I’ll be fuming if Hatari win this! They’ve inspired me to get a rubber suit!
I love Conan and João, but those outfits… No, just no. Though Colin has a point: the Portuguese duo, Roko and his tacky angel wings and Eliot’s ugly jacket were all part of a wider visual concept. While Sebastian doesn’t have much of an excuse, so he would have my vote.
Cool that you are seconding my vote, Sabrina. 😉
Like most, my money is on Portugal.
By far…
People are so ignorant… ETHICS are ALWAYS above AESTHETICS!!! Conan is dressed in Green against Red background with WHITE and DARK light – guess whose flag colours are these…
HATS OFF for PORTUGAL and ICELAND for standing up for HUMAN RIGHTS
Ok, but the costume was still ugly. The shoes alone deserve the award.
He was dressed as a praying mantis. I think he meant to be an ugly bug that prays for regeneration/transformation – in this case towards peace. It is ok if ppl don’t like it, it is not visual appealing and hides his handsome body but there’s a concept behind it and it is important to be brought up
You know green and red just so happen to also be Portugal’s own flag colors, right?
Don’t be ignorant Efraim. They meant to portray P@lestinian flag. It happened that I follow Conan’s instagram account and read all his interviews
1.Portugal
2.Finland
3.Cyprus
4.Iceland
5.Greece
It won’t win, but I think Norway’s stylist deserves an award for making sure that the age gap between the guys and the lady isn’t visible at all.
I was actually surprised to hear that she is 22(?)
Poor girl, I would give her 30+
KEiiNO had the best costumes! <3
Isn’t Conan’s outfit Avant Garde? It looks unfair for Avant Garde outfits to receive high points. At least the outfit isn’t that lazy and distasteful looking.
It makes me think: what are the criteria for someone to win this particular award? Should it be someone with a strange-looking outfit or just a bad-looking outfit? At least strange-looking outfits can be considered as art and all even if it’s not that pretty for the common eye.
Portugal as much as I loved his song, the green and the chin strapped beard, no, that was not good I’m sorry, hes got a great voice but his style doesn’t match that voice.