The wonderful wackiness of the Miss Universe costume contest

It’s the most campy time of year. Yes, the Miss Universe pageant (airing Sunday at 8 p.m. on FYI), and that over-the-top, crazy event: the national costume contest.

Forget boring gowns and bikinis. These are kimonos, feathers, headdresses, tridents, wings. In 2015, Miss Thailand went as a motorized rickshaw known as a tuk-tuk. That same year, Miss Canada went as the Stanley Cup, complete with hockey sticks. While some of the “national” images are pretty obvious — Miss Japan this year is in a karate outfit holding a gold medal for the Olympics — half the fun is trying to figure out what flower, bird or symbol these intricate costumes are suppose to represent. Post critic Johnny Oleksinski and fashion editor Serena French take a look at some of the standout costumes of 2021: