Miss Universe 2010 National Costume

Miss Great Britain Tara Vaitiere Hoyos poses in her national costume - a Beefeater's uniform with wet-look leggings. Because that's what we all wear in Great Britain, obviously

Rima Fakih, Miss USA 2010, wears a costume inspired by the Seal of the President of the United States as a tribute to Barack Obama. She apparently drew a basic design, and then Victoria's Secret Fashion Show designer Martin Izquierdo came up with the final creation.

Name a famous Belgian. Kim Clijsters, you say? So that's why Miss Belgium Cilou Annys is decked out in tennis paraphernalia

Miss Philippines in a gorgeous gown waving traditional fans

Miss Egypt Donia Hamed poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

Think "France" and you think berets, the Tricolour and the Eiffel Tower. All Miss France Malika Menard is missing is a bicycle and a string of onions

The costume worn by Jesinta Campbell, Miss Australia 2010, was described as "a dingo's breakfast" by some, though the Telegraph's Fashion Director, Hilary Alexander, quite liked it, saying: "the sheepskin shrug is bang on trend, the Ugg boots are as quintessentially Australian as Aussie Rules, and having the 'togs' hand-painted by an Aboriginal artist is a master-stroke"

Miss Brazil Debora Lyra poses in her national costume at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada August 16, 2010.

Miss Australia strikes a nice pose as well

Organisers originally claimed that the costume worn by Maiko Itai, Miss Japan 2010, was designed by John Galliano. But when a missosology.org forum member pointed out that the dress was ripped off from a Yumi Katsura 2008 collection, the claim was retracted

Poor Miss Zambia 2010, Alice Musukwa. Not only does she have to carry a large calabash, she also has two gourds for a bra, and phallic gourds on her dress

Asselina Kuchukova, Miss Kazakhstan 2010, seems to be courting favour by wearing all of the other countries' flags in her elaborate headdress

Miss India with a traditional namaskar greeting

Miss Venezuela Marelisa Gibson wears a costume covered in glittering shards in tribute to a glass monument to revolutionary icon Ernesto "Che" Guevara that was shot up and destroyed less than two weeks after it was unveiled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's government

Miss Colombia Natalia Navarro is dressed as India Catalina, an indigenous woman who acted as interpreter and intermediary for the Spanish invaders. To many people in Colombia, she is an icon of the extermination of the Precolumbian inhabitants

The costume worn by Miss Bahamas Braneka Bassett is called The Flamingo. We assume that's the Las Vegas casino

Miss Curacao Safira de Wit has sequined hibiscus flowers on her head, a dress that opens to reveal a harbour scene, and ruby slippers. There's no place like home!

Miss Ukraine Anna Poslavska poses in a dress which appears to be covered in wheat, while her hairstyle seems to be a nod to former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko

Miss Albania Angela Martini wears a costume inspired by the country's flag - and a trip to Ann Summers

Miss Italy Jessica Cecchini wears a Roman Gladiator costume. Thumbs up or down?

Miss Switzerland Linda Faeh seems to be prepared for battle with her sword and shield. We thought they always remained neutral

The designer of the costume worn by Miss Ireland Rozanna Purcell says it "incorporates Irish lace, Celtic Symbols, and the rich colours of Ireland". We can't help thinking she looks more like a swords and sorcery fantasy illustration

Miss Kosovo Keshtjella Pepshi has a gold antelope head on her head and a sceptre. No, we don't know why

Miss Angola Jurema Ferraz clearly doesn't believe in the maxim "less is more"

Kenia Martinez, Miss Honduras. Where the tigers come from, right?

Miss Guam Vanessa Torres seems to have had a long run through lush tropical foliage on her way to the pageant

Awurama Simpson, Miss Ghana 2010, wears an adaptation of traditional West African women's wear

Many of the Caribbean and Latin American countries have chosen flamboyant Carnival costumes. Here's Miss Nicaragua Scharllette Allen Moses

Anyoli Abrego, Miss Panama 2010

Miss Dominican Republic Eva Arias

Miss Paraguay Johana Benitez Olmedo

Miss British Virgin Islands Josefina Nunez

Miss U.S. Virgin Islands 2010 Janeisha John - neither from the U.S. nor an island

Miss Haiti Sarodj Bertin

Cunningly, Elena Semikina, Miss Canada, distracts attention from the fur she seems to be wearing by flashing a bit of leg