Every RuPaul's Drag Race season 12 runway look, ranked

From sick to downright sickening.

RuPaul's Drag Race
Photo: VH1 (5)

Every RuPaul's Drag Race season 12 runway look, ranked

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1 (5)

Is she a lovely lady or a lackluster "lemurian" on the runway? The queens of RuPaul's Drag Race season 12 (Fridays at 8 p.m. on VH1) have brought it to the ball, and EW has ranked each lewk on the main stage thus far. From worst to best, see how season 12's fashions stack up in the gallery ahead, which will update every Monday with the previous episode's additions. (Note: Due to her disqualification from the competition, Sherry Pie will not be included in this gallery).

111. Brita's Balls to the Wall

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Brita
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Balls to the Wall)
Placement: Bottom Two
Verdict: In the spirit of inevitable comparisons, Manila Luzon's pineapple dress has been found dead in a dit— oh, nevermind, it's thriving, surviving, and unbothered.

110. Aiden Zhane's Buttons & Bows

RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Aiden Zhane
Episode: "World's Worst"
Runway theme: Buttons & Bows
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Aiden Zhane has all the potential in the world, but, when it comes to this outfit *clears throat and speaks in full Michelle Visage* it's… a piece of fabric.

109. Heidi N Closet's Lady Baller

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Heidi N Closet
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Lady Baller)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: To quote lauded wordsmith RuPaul: "Meh."

108. Aiden Zhane's Balls to the Wall

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Aiden Zhane
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Balls to the Wall)
Placement: Low
Verdict: It's about time someone put some respect on Oblina from Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.

107. Widow Von'Du's Night of 1,000 Michelles

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Widow Von'Du
Episode: "Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical"

Runway theme: Outfits inspired by Michelle Visage
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Widow THEE Von'Du, a legend in her own right, said it herself in her runway tag: This outfit looks "like an outfit I wore when I first started doing drag." That approach doesn't exactly scream "this is a good idea for the runway midway through the biggest drag competition in the world."

106. Crystal Methyd's Basketball Wife Realness

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Crystal Methyd
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Basketball Wife Realness)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: The least compelling of Crystal Methyd's ball trio is interestingly textured and serving femme realness, but the fit is off (especially around the chest) and reads slightly "drag open mic night." It's soft and pretty, but reads as if Crystal is struggling to conform herself to fit an aesthetic versus staking a confident claim on a new lewk.

105. Heidi N Closet's Sparkle

RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12. VH1

Contestant: Heidi N Closet
Episode: "I'm That Bitch"
Runway theme: Sparkle
Placement: Low
Verdict: Guest judge Nicki Minaj said she "hated" Heidi's face, but it's not the worst we've ever seen on Drag Race. It's all just painfully safe. In the immortal words of Detox: "I ain't sayin' I'm the best, but I ain't the worst."

104. Crystal Methyd's Buttons & Bows

RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Crystal Methyd
Episode: "World's Worst"
Runway theme: Buttons & Bows
Placement: Low
Verdict: Crystal Methyd is a blessing to the RuPaul's Drag Race franchise. This outfit? Maybe not so much!

103. Rock M. Sakura's Balls to the Wall

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Rock M. Sakura
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Balls to the Wall)
Placement: Eliminated
Verdict: We get it. Rock is never going to conform to anything, and her vision is respectable. From the knee up, this look is killer, but the bottom is too busy and should've been chopped from the beginning, but wasn't atrocious enough to warrant her bottom-two placement.

102. Brita's Sparkle

RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12. VH1

Contestant: Brita
Episode: "I'm That Bitch"
Runway theme: Sparkle
Placement: High
Verdict: Mawmaw serving mom-on-a-Saturday-night realness! It's cute, it fits the brief, but Brita is capable of pulling off far more complex (and impressive) looks than this.

101. Heidi N Closet's Balls to the Wall

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Heidi N Closet
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Balls to the Wall)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: We appreciate the vision, and it's almost the alienesque/Grace Jones masterpiece Heidi clearly envisioned, but a bit of editing (perhaps a smaller shoulder piece?) and a more flattering color would've taken this strong concept to the next level.

100. Heidi N Closet's Basketball Wife Realness

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Heidi N Closet
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Basketball Wife Realness)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Cast Heidi N Closet on The Real Housewives of Atlanta right now.

99. Brita's Buttons & Bows

RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Brita
Episode: "World's Worst"
Runway theme: Buttons & Bows
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Brita never looks outright busted, but there's always some intangible factor that keeps her outfits from soaring to great heights.

98. Rock M. Sakura's Basketball Wife Realness

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Rock M. Sakura
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Basketball Wife Realness)
Placement: Eliminated
Verdict: The shape is a bit jarring (those hip pads are massive), but Rock has never looked prettier in a gown that reads better from farther away (there are a few construction inconsistencies when viewed up close).

97. Widow Von'Du's Planet of the Capes

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Widow Von'Du
Episode: "Gay's Anatomy"

Runway theme: Capes
Placement: High
Verdict: We love Widow more than life itself, but this is the delightful queen's first true Von'Don't of the season.

96. Widow Von'Du's Frozen Eleganza

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Widow Von'Du
Episode: "Snatch Game"
Runway theme: Frozen Eleganza
Placement: Safe
Verdict: As is the case with most of Widow's outfits, the idea is flawless (we absolutely would have made room on the floating door for this queen), but the execution hit an iceberg.

95. Heidi N Closet's Night of 1,000 Michelles

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Heidi N Closet
Episode: "Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical"
Runway theme: Outfits inspired by Michelle Visage
Placement: Bottom Two
Verdict: Props for originality (the Towie selection was an unexpected surprise), but the execution looks off-the-rack (though we'd love to bounce atop that hairpiece for days).

94. Heidi N Closet's Planet of the Capes

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Heidi N Closet
Episode: "Gay's Anatomy"
Runway theme: Capes
Placement: Bottom Two
Verdict: There's nothing wrong with what Heidi intended to do here — the contrast of the rainbow pattern with the slick-as-oil, form-fitting bodysuit is a delectable and visually pleasing one — but the execution above-the-neck (the hair is all wrong) throws things slightly off.

93. Aiden Zhane's Basketball Wife Realness

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Aiden Zhane
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Basketball Wife Realness)
Placement: Low
Verdict: The Peggy Bundy reference is there, and we love the contrast of the red shoes with the leopard print (subtly gaudy is an visual goodie in this case), but, as has been the case with most of Aiden's looks so far, it looks a tad too pedestrian and off-the-rack to warrant a higher placement among her season 12 sisters.

92. Widow Von'Du's Sparkle

RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12. VH1

Contestant: Widow Von'Du
Episode: "I'm That Bitch"
Runway theme: Sparkle
Placement: Winner
Verdict: Widow absolutely deserved to win the first challenge (anyone who raps about fries while bending over backwards is automatically iconic), but this outfit is a bit too busy and the construction is awkward (those shoulders would look much stronger if they perked up a bit). The makeup is stunning and the hair is lovely, though!

91. Heidi N Closet's Drag Family Resemblance

Drag race
VH1

Contestant: Heidi N Closet
Episode: "Superfan Makeover"
Runway theme: Make over a female superfan in the queens' personal style.
Placement: Bottom Two (Double Shantay)
Verdict: To be fair, I'm only judging Heidi's look and her partner's makeup, because there were clearly several factors out of Heidi's control working against her (why else would she have brought up the fact that she had to borrow someone else's dress to let her subject wear?). Heidi looks incredible, and if she only did what she did to herself to the woman on her left, it'd rank among the week's best creations.

90. Jackie Cox's Buttons & Bows

RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Jackie Cox
Episode: "World's Worst"
Runway theme: Buttons & Bows
Placement: High
Verdict: Jackie Cox is typically a feast for the eyes in and out of drag, but this busy dress is both too loud for fashion and not loud enough for true camp.

89. Rock M. Sakura's Buttons & Bows

RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Rock M. Sakura
Episode: "World's Worst"
Runway theme: Buttons & Bows
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Long hair… kind of care!

88. Brita's Basketball Wife Realness

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Brita
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Basketball Wife Realness)
Placement: Bottom Two
Verdict: It's… a pretty dress! And it fits well, it looks cute, but it's in line with most of Brita's output on the runway thus far: Decent but lacking that extra shot of eleganza to reach top-tier status.

87. Widow Von'Du's Lady Baller

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Widow Von'Du Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Lady Baller)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Giddy-up, the Widow is riding in to collect her millions.

86. Aiden Zhane's Frozen Eleganza

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Aiden Zhane
Episode: "Snatch Game"
Runway theme: Frozen Eleganza
Placement: Eliminated
Verdict: Paying homage to classic Claymation Christmas specials, this outfit feels like a campy tchotchke you'd find at a roadside gift shop, but it's too simple and understated (a referential point on Drag Race needs to be more than a sleep mask with googly eyes glued on) to snowball good favor on the main stage. It's not bad, it's just not enough.

85. Jackie Cox's Night of 1,000 Michelles

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jackie Cox
Episode: "Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical"
Runway theme: Outfits inspired by Michelle Visage
Placement: Low
Verdict: Yes, she got the details right (major points for the corset nails), but the rest of her outfit looks like an inexpensive Jersey girl Halloween costume. If this lewk — with this structure, aesthetic, and construction — appeared on any stage other than a Michelle Visage-themed runway, it would send the queen in question home.

84. Crystal Methyd's Lady Baller

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Crystal Methyd
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Lady Baller)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: The ball challenge couldn't have come at a better time for Crystal Methyd, who was, the week prior, (unjustly) read by Michelle Visage for having repetitive makeup. The first of Crystal's three ball-based lewks was cute, fun, and drastically different than what we've seen from her before, and shows both her versatility and willingness to conform to the competition when asked. God bless those years of her life she admittedly worked in a bowling alley basement (because of course she did).

83. Brita's Lady Baller

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Brita
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Lady Baller)
Placement: Bottom Two
Verdict: It's about time we saw a bona fide theatrical drag lewk from Brita! The fit is a tad off, but the oversized shoulders, knee-high stirrups, and use of props combined to make this the most performative (and, therefore, dynamic) look Brita has given us so far!

82. Jan's Night of 1,000 Michelles

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jan
Episode: "Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical"
Runway theme: Outfits inspired by Michelle Visage
Placement: High
Verdict: I don't know if the problem is the questionable runway theme (does Michelle Visage really have enough memorable fashion moments to receive her own "Night of 1,000…" before Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Kylie Minogue… you get the point) or Jan's approach, but this looks a tad pedestrian compared to what Jan has given us on the runway so far.

81. Jackie Cox's Black Wedding

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jackie Cox
Episode: "Droop"
Runway theme: Wedding gowns made with all-black materials
Placement: High
Verdict: We love Jackie Cox. Who doesn't? When she's good on the runway (hello, Basketball Wife Realness), she's really good. When she's not, she's decent, but not awe-inspiring. This is a prime example of the latter half of Jackie's output on the runway: It's wonderfully executed, but there's something clunky about it that we can't quite put our finger on.

80. Jackie Cox's Drag Family Resemblance

Drag race
VH1

Contestant: Jackie Cox
Episode: "Superfan Makeover"
Runway theme: Make over a female superfan in the queens' personal style.
Placement: Bottom Two (Double Shantay)
Verdict: It's… pretty I guess :)

79. Jaida Essence Hall's Night of 1,000 Michelles

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jaida Essence Hall
Episode: "Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical"
Runway theme: Outfits inspired by Michelle Visage
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Straight out of a 2009 pop video, Jaida Essence Hall looks lovely as always, but Visage's aesthetic — especially when lifted from earlier seasons of Drag Race — doesn't exactly lend itself to expensive-looking runways.

78. Gigi Goode's Night of 1,000 Michelles

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Gigi Goode
Episode: "Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical"
Runway theme: Outfits inspired by Michelle Visage
Placement: Challenge Winner
Verdict: Let's be honest: If anyone other than Gigi Goode wore this — to quote Michelle Visage — "piece of fabric," they'd be read for filth for doing as little as possible. It's cute, but at its core, it's still a simple yard of material stretched across a lovely frame that, from afar, is indistinguishable from any bikini Gigi could've purchased off the rack at Macy's. It's not bad; it's just not next-level.

77. Brita's Night of 1,000 Michelles

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Brita
Episode: "Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical"
Runway theme: Outfits inspired by Michelle Visage
Placement: Eliminated
Verdict: The gag of the season was, after practically coaxing us into willing her elimination from the competition all season, Drag Race placing Brita in the bottom two after a decent performance in the Maxi challenge and a lovely showing on the runway. Despite what the judges said, Brita's commitment to a character — her little notecard from this finale-inspired gown was a cute — took a one-note prompt and expanded it into a performance on the runway, tiny earrings be damned!

76. Widow Von'Du's Black Wedding

Rupaul's Drag Race

Contestant: Widow Von'Du
Episode: "Droop"
Runway theme: Wedding gowns made with all-black materials
Placement: Bottom Two
Verdict: For Widow Von'Du, it's a shame this challenge required all-black materials, as the detailing in the construction of this layered dress struggled to pop on camera as she strutted down the runway. Up close, it's a complex piece of fine craftsmanship, and that makeup hiding under a bejeweled veil helped the ensemble come alive — even as the eyes read, in the vein of Morgan McMichaels, "not bad for a dead bitch."

75. Widow Von'Du's Buttons & Bows

RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Widow Von'Du
Episode: "World's Worst"
Runway theme: Buttons & Bows
Placement: Safe
Verdict: In adorable, fashion-forward circus attire, a clown Widow Von'Du is not.

74. Crystal Methyd's Balls to the Wall

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Crystal Methyd
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Balls to the Wall)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: A cheery, playful nod to latin history cut from the same cloth as her entrance lewk is the perfect marriage of camp and Crystal's individual aesthetic.

73. Brita's Planet of the Capes

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Brita
Episode: "Gay's Anatomy"
Runway theme: Capes
Placement: Low
Verdict: Brita's over-confidence in her own fashions rubbed many the wrong way during this week's Untucked (she definitely hasn't served a look every week, as she posed), but nothing can tarnish the energy she brought this week. Regardless of what the judges said (the hilarity of Michelle Visage using "it looks very nightclub" to critique a performer who makes the bulk of their income working in nightclubs) Brita's bondage-infused hoe attire had us begging for mercy as the New York City queen's finest showing on the main stage to date.

72. Gigi Goode's Stars & Stripes Forever

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Gigi Goode
Episode: "Choices 2020"
Runway theme: Patriotic fashions
Placement: Low
Verdict: The construction? Fabulous. The face? Beat harsher than the British during the American Revolution. The only problem? Gigi fundamentally misunderstood the prompt and confused U.S. herstory, because the British were the redcoats, making this outfit inherently unpatriotic.

71. Jackie Cox's The Color Purple

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jackie Cox
Episode: "One-Queen Show"
Runway theme: Purple outfits.
Placement: High
Verdict: This season, Jackie Cox has smartly worn what clearly makes Jackie Cox feel most comfortable on the runway: A little bit classic, a little bit sexy, and not pushing too far into the realms of camp or comedy. We appreciate the New York City queen taking a risk and going full camp with this ambitious design, but the execution feels, as RuPaul said during the episode, a bit too cheap-looking for its own earnest intentions.

70. Crystal Methyd's Planet of the Capes

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Crystal Methyd
Episode: "Gay's Anatomy"
Runway theme: Capes
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Crystal is an absolute delight, even when she's not (see: buttons and bows). After a few initial missteps, Crystal has settled into a vibe that's addictive for us and, finally, acceptable to Michelle Visage from the neck up. This pantsuit with a cape is serving every warm-weather vibe we need to take our brains out of quarantine and into the sunny tropics, and the first of Crystal's looks that looks as expensive as a month-long sojourn to the islands.

69. Nicky Doll's Balls to the Wall

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Nicky Doll
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Balls to the Wall)
Placement: High
Verdict: Yvie Oddly called (from space), she wants her farm-to-runway dress back.

68. Aiden Zhane's Lady Baller

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Aiden Zhane
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Lady Baller)
Placement: Low
Verdict: If Bettie Page were a Rockford Peach… or, well, a Rockford Prickly Pear… it would look something like this divine throwback lewk that's the most impressive thing Aiden Zhane has shown on the runway so far.

67. Heidi N Closet's Buttons & Bows

RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Heidi N Closet
Episode: "World's Worst"
Runway theme: Buttons & Bows
Placement: High
Verdict: We're not as sold as RuPaul on "Heidi N Closet" being an awful name, but a temporary name change to "Heidi Ho" would add a delightful zest to this cutesy getup.

66. Heidi N Closet's Stars & Stripes Forever

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Heidi N Closet
Episode: "Choices 2020"
Runway theme: Patriotic fashions
Placement: High
Verdict: It's cute. It's sparkly. It's a fashionable cheerleader. It's nothing we haven't seen before.

65. Widow Von'Du's Basketball Wife Realness

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Widow Von'Du
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Basketball Wife Realness)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Smother us with sleeves, mother!

64. Gigi Goode's Drag Family Resemblance

Drag race
VH1

Contestant: Gigi Goode
Episode: "Superfan Makeover"
Runway theme: Make over a female superfan in the queens' personal style.
Placement: Safe
Verdict: The cracks in Gigi Goode's pristine armor are beginning to show. The face was… nice. The coat was… nice. For the third or fourth time this season, Gigi's output was very "I can throw this look together after spending an hour at a thrift store and 20 minutes at the mall makeup counter." It's decent, but it's not next-level drag worthy of the season 12 crown.

63. Crystal Methyd's Stars & Stripes Forever

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Crystal Methyd
Episode: "Choices 2020"
Runway theme: Patriotic fashions
Placement: High
Verdict: Saddle up, because Crystal Methyd is taking you on a rich lady fantasy with this slightly chaotic (but nonetheless polished, for Crystal, that is) cyclone of references that works more on the fumes of sheer bravado versus actual execution.

62. Jan's Frozen Eleganza

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jan
Episode: "Snatch Game"
Runway theme: Frozen Eleganza
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Jan's first fumble on the runway is an interesting concept, but there's ultimately something about dangly silicone flopping off her body that sends shivers down our spine on a purely textural level.

61. Jackie Cox's Sparkle

RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12. VH1

Contestant: Jackie Cox
Episode: "I'm That Bitch"
Runway theme: Sparkle
Placement: High
Verdict: You know what they say: The higher the hair, the closer to high-fiving Divine in heaven. We'll dream of Jackie Cox forever thanks to this ethereal, retro eleganza that kicks old-Hollywood boudoir glamour up several jewel-encrusted notches.

60. Crystal Methyd's Sparkle

RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12. VH1

Contestant: Crystal Methyd
Episode: "I'm That Bitch"
Runway theme: Sparkle
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Get yourself a girl who can do both HIM and Miss Bellum. While Crystal Methyd clearly has a strong sense of self and a powerful signature aesthetic, this fun, devilish look felt a tad overcooked in the flames of Party City hell.

59. Jaida Essence Hall's Buttons & Bows

RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Jaida Essence Hall
Episode: "World's Worst"
Runway theme: Buttons & Bows
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Jaida Essence Hall is the epitome of class and sophistication, and this gorgeous runway look is no exception.

58. Aiden Zhane's Tulle

RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Aiden Zhane
Episode: "You Don't Know Me"
Runway theme: Tulle
Placement: High
Verdict: She's serving Trinity The Tuck teas in a fun, colorful look that, like her fall and spring challenge attire, delightfully contrasts the grim, spooky aesthetic many expected to see from this ghoulish gal. We stan a versatile queen!

57. Brita's Frozen Eleganza

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Brita
Episode: "Snatch Game"
Runway theme: Frozen Eleganza
Placement: Bottom Two
Verdict: Brita's finest outfit to date feels like a sweet drop of sweet snow melting on our tongues.

56. Jan's Planet of the Capes

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jan
Episode: "Gay's Anatomy"
Runway theme: Capes
Placement: High
Verdict: Say what you will about Jan's harmless girl-next-door demeanor, the girl brings it to you every runway with killer fits, construction, and quality that give her a formidable edge on the main stage — even if the look itself isn't the most inventive vision.

55. Dahlia Sin's Tulle

RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Dahlia Sin
Episode: "You Don't Know Me"
Runway theme: Tulle
Placement: Low
Verdict: Ross Mathew's absurd criticism of Dahlia's flawless makeup had us scratching our scalps until they were as red as the Brooklyn queen's fun and flirty '80s eye-popper.

54. Rock M. Sakura's Lady Baller

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Rock M. Sakura
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Lady Baller)
Placement: Eliminated
Verdict: It's basic from the neck-down, but wisely so: It's a canvas that allows the literal TETHER BALL WIG SWINGING AROUND HER FACE to exist on its own. Automatically iconic, this look would KILL in a live setting, and being an ace entertainer who can work a crowd is what it's all about. It's not fashion, it's FUN!

53. Jaida Essence Hall's Lady Baller

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jaida Essence Hall
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Lady Baller)
Placement: High
Verdict: Love and Basketball for Best Picture!

52. Gigi Goode's Frozen Eleganza

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Gigi Goode
Episode: "Snatch Game"
Runway theme: Frozen Eleganza
Placement: Challenge Winner
Verdict: As was the case with Gigi Goode's Planet of the Capes design, this outfit is solid, if somewhat predictable, outing for Gigi. The construction is flawless, the fit is perfection, but Gigi's runways are starting to feel static and all cut from the same cloth. The way she hammed it up with the ice cream cone baby, though, gave the look a much-needed theatrical boost.

51. Crystal Methyd's Frozen Eleganza

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Crystal Methyd
Episode: "Snatch Game"
Runway theme: Frozen Eleganza
Placement: Low
Verdict: Drag Race hasn't seen anything quite like Crystal Methyd, and this silken pantsuit shouldn't work, but on her — complete with her Mr. Freeze-inspired body paint — it's a frozen delight.

50. Crystal Methyd's Night of 1,000 Michelles

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Crystal Methyd
Episode: "Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical"
Runway theme: Outfits inspired by Michelle Visage
Placement: High
Verdict: Leave it to Crystal to make this week's, uh, choice of a runway theme absolutely work. A throwback dream that blends the best of '90s pop fashion with Michelle Visage's penchant for volume all over her body.

49. Dahlia Sin's Buttons & Bows

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Dahlia Sin
Episode: "World's Worst"
Runway theme: Buttons & Bows
Placement: Eliminated
Verdict: Unfortunately, the sensual Dahlia Sin met her untimely demise wearing one of the best runway lewks of the week: A super-gay interpretation of Donnie Darko… Donnie Dark-ho, perhaps?

48. Nicky Doll's Buttons & Bows

RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Nicky Doll
Episode: "World's Worst"
Runway theme: Buttons & Bows
Placement: Bottom Two
Verdict: Rodent couture never looked this… well… has rodent couture even been a thing? Well, it is now.

47. Gigi Goode's Balls to the Wall

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Gigi Goode
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Balls to the Wall)
Placement: Challenge Winner
Verdict: May Queen? More like haaaaaay, kween! A bowl of fruit loops floating atop a bowl of creamy milk, we just want to slurp this creation up.

46. Jackie Cox's Balls to the Wall

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jackie Cox
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Balls to the Wall)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Jackie Cox is notoriously modest about her own fashion sense, but this vintage-inspired raincoat over a silky jumper proves her intuition is more focused than she's letting on — a smart move when you can set expectations low and deliver a knockout of innovation and throwback energy like this.

45. Widow Von'Du's Balls to the Wall

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Widow Von'Du
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Balls to the Wall)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: It is now a national law that, instead of a Christmas tree, from here on out you must erect a recreation of Widow Von'Du's Balls to the Wall gown for the holidays.

44. Jan's Lady Baller

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jan
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Lady Baller)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Is it a cow? Is it a soccer ball? Does it matter when it looks this good? Recalling Aquaria's wrestler-chic ball getup from season 10, Jan's fusion of her fashionable intuition with her soccer-jock past prove any hole is a goal (after goal, after goal, after goal…)

43. Jackie Cox's Frozen Eleganza

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jackie Cox
Episode: "Snatch Game"
Runway theme: Frozen Eleganza
Placement: High
Verdict: From the waist up, Jackie Cox looks flawless in her icy eleganza, but the fit on the bottom half keeps this from fully crystallizing.

42. Heidi N Closet's The Color Purple

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Heidi N Closet
Episode: "One-Queen Show"
Runway theme: Purple outfits.
Placement: Eliminated
Verdict: Heidi N Closet's makeup has taken several steps up since the infamous Nicki Minaj read at the beginning of the season, but the rest of the look is standard Heidi elegance: Beauty, class, and sophistication, but very little innovation.

41. Aiden Zhane's Planet of the Capes

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Aiden Zhane
Episode: "Gay's Anatomy"
Runway theme: Capes
Placement: High
Verdict: The lambs are screaming "yaaaas, queen!" Say what you will about Aiden Zhane's performance throughout the rest of the competition (it feels like Aiden realized Drag Race wasn't a fit for her after week No. 1, yeah?), but this divinely crafted and textured marriage of European style and pop cultural prowess (she used a REAL moth for a sickening nod to Silence of the Lambs) made us forget all about the fact that she's wearing that same damned wig under that to-die-for hat.

40. Jackie Cox's Lady Baller

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jackie Cox
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Lady Baller)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Suze Orman on the rugby field realness!

39. Jan's Tulle

RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Jan
Episode: "You Don't Know Me"
Runway theme: Tulle
Placement: High
Verdict: She might come off as the girl next door, but Jan's offbeat presentation of tulle — a fabric that most easily (and obviously) lends itself to flowing gowns like her season 12 sisters created — proves that this New York City queen is packing far more heat in her tulle-belt than her mild-mannered demeanors suggests.

38. Jan's Balls to the Wall

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jan
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Balls to the Wall)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Shape! Construction! Color! That face! Jan brings it to you (every ball or non-ball, for that matter!).

37. Jaida Essence Hall's Planet of the Capes

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jaida Essence Hall
Episode: "Gay's Anatomy"
Runway theme: Capes
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Jaida Essence Hall: Confirmed resident of Chromatica. Her mind!

36. Gigi Goode's The Color Purple

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Gigi Goode
Episode: "One-Queen Show"
Runway theme: Purple outfits.
Placement: Low
Verdict: Gigi Goode's Scooby Doo-inspired outfit would've gotten away with being the best of the week if Crystal Methyd and Jaida Essence Hall hadn't meddled so hard in next-level fashions to make this otherwise standout effort a shrinking violet in comparison.

35. Gigi Goode's Basketball Wife Realness

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Gigi Goode
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Basketball Wife Realness)
Placement: Challenge Winner
Verdict: The coat and collar of season 12? Divine. As polished as this reptilian look is, it's further sold by Gigi's confidence on the runway, as it's — controversial statement coming — reading less as a complex construction and more like a "I purchased this at Nordstrom."

34. Gigi Goode's Planet of the Capes

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Gigi Goode
Episode: "Gay's Anatomy"
Runway theme: Capes
Placement: High
Verdict: Hear me out: Gigi is a goddess of the runway, but she's settling into an almost predictable pattern (heavy materials, vintage vibe) that makes it as if she's being less inventive and more "I pulled this off a hanger in my closet." There's no denying how amazing she looks, I just want to see something a little more daring from the woman who's setting the standard for runway excellence on season 12.

33. Gigi Goode's Eleganza Extravaganza

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Gigi Goode
Episode: "Viva Drag Vegas"
Runway theme: Elegant drag
Placement: Challenge Winner
Verdict: More costume couture than a standout look, Gigi Goode's final runway showing is a perfect example of why she feels so edge-less in the context of season 12: It's campy, it's well-made, and it tells a comical story, but there's no soul to it. It's a beautiful queen playing dress up, and it doesn't feel like as much of a lived-in aesthetic (like Crytal and Jaida's) as it does a constructed image.

32. Jackie Cox's Eleganza Extravaganza

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jackie Cox
Episode: "Viva Drag Vegas"
Runway theme: Elegant drag
Placement: Eliminated
Verdict: Jackie's makeup and hair have never looked better on the runway, and this splatter-couture gown is a visually textured delight with eye-popping colors fit for the fireworks display she bowed out of the competition to during her final lip-sync.

31. Jan's Basketball Wife Realness

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jan
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Basketball Wife Realness)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Yes, it's a sweatsuit, but the little, divinely constructed details (the Janel shotput purse? HELLO!?) lift Jan's Olympic housewife realness up to the heavens.

30. Jackie Cox's Stars & Stripes Forever

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jackie Cox
Episode: "Choices 2020"
Runway theme: Patriotic fashions
Placement: Bottom Two
Verdict: Much like Widow Von'Du's take on the stars & stripes format, Jackie Cox chose to make a strong political statement instead of worrying about the overall execution of her garment — a wise choice, as the point comes across loud, in-your-face, and radical as traditional drag mothers intended the medium to be, regardless of the "fashion" value this stunning piece might hold.

29. Jaida Essence Hall's Tulle

RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Jaida Essence Hall
Episode: "You Don't Know Me"
Runway theme: Tulle
Placement: Win
Verdict: Silky, smooth, buttery, and sweet, Jaida Essence Hall's delectable gown and elegant paint established her as a sophisticated force on the runway.

28. Heidi N Closet's Frozen Eleganza

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Heidi N Closet
Episode: "Snatch Game"
Runway theme: Frozen Eleganza
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Heidi's first legitimately good showing on the runway gives us the heat of an Egyptian goddess vacationing in the Swiss Alps for a marriage of taste, elegance, and ferocity that takes an ice pick to the competition.

27. Widow Von'Du's Stars & Stripes Forever

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Widow Von'Du
Episode: "Choices 2020"

Runway theme: Patriotic fashions
Placement: Eliminated
Verdict: Widow Von'Du had a vision as a vision in black and white, draining color from her stars & stripes eleganza to make a bold statement about black culture in American society. Like Jackie Cox's approach to this challenge, Widow's high ranking comes not because of the garment's aesthetic value, but because of Widow's willingness to take drag back to its radical roots as an art form filled with rage, rebellion, and relevant cultural commentary. From the color to the way the stars were made to detach during the lip-sync, every inch of this dress was devised as a metaphor, and that's a total Widow Von'Yes-She-Betta Du.

26. Jaida Essence Hall's Drag Family Resemblance

Drag race
VH1

Contestant: Jaida Essence Hall
Episode: "Superfan Makeover"
Runway theme: Make over a female superfan in the queens' personal style.
Placement: Challenge Winner
Verdict: A glamorous diva, a classique woman of the moment, Jaida Excellessence Hall continues to make many points on the runway (though this challenge was absolutely Crystal's to win).

25. Nicky Doll's Basketball Wife Realness

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Nicky Doll
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Basketball Wife Realness)
Placement: High
Verdict: We mean this in the best way possible: Come through, feather duster realness!

24. Jackie Cox's Basketball Wife Realness

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jackie Cox
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Basketball Wife Realness)
Placement: Safe
Verdict: This is the prettiest Jackie Cox has looked on the runway to date, and she's serving a divine swish of sexy realness that deserves a monumental palace erected in its honor.

23. Jaida Essence Hall's Basketball Wife Realness

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jaida Essence Hall
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Basketball Wife Realness)
Placement: High
Verdict: Make room for a high-rolling icon at the country club, because Jaida Essence Hall could run any board room (and the champagne room) in this spectacular dress dripping with confident sex appeal and stately glamour.

22. Jackie Cox's Planet of the Capes

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jackie Cox
Episode: "Gay's Anatomy"
Runway theme: Capes
Placement: High
Verdict: Jackie's subdued personality in the main competition (so far) has resulted in a relatively muted response to her consistently lovely turnout on the runway, including this middle eastern-inspired mixture of harem pants, golden wings, and a jaw-dropping headpiece.

21. Nicky Doll's Lady Baller

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Nicky Doll
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Lady Baller)
Placement: High
Verdict: Lady Gaga's Super Bowl ensemble, eat your f—ing heart out.

20. Jaida Essence Hall's Balls to the Wall

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jaida Essence Hall
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Balls to the Wall)
Placement: High
Verdict: A walking vision with stems for days, Jaida Essence Hall's trio of ball-based lewks shows versatility and a commitment to excellence and construction. We'd scrub her bubbles any day.5.

19. Jaida Essence Hall's Black Wedding

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jaida Essence Hall
Episode: "Droop"
Runway theme: Wedding gowns made with all-black materials
Placement: High
Verdict: A Woman™. That's all.

18. Gigi Goode's Lady Baller

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Gigi Goode
Episode: "The Ball Ball"
Runway theme: Create three looks with a "ball" theme (Pictured: Lady Baller)
Placement: Challenge Winner
Verdict: From the flannel to the footwear, this is a superbly stitched with an otherworldly fit that functions as runway-ready fashion and gag-worthy, show-stopping drag. We'd gladly let Gigi Goode beat us with her mallet into fashion oblivion any day of the week.

17. Gigi Goode's Black Wedding

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Gigi Goode
Episode: "Droop"
Runway theme: Wedding gowns made with all-black materials
Placement: Low
Verdict: There's something so Grease-meets-Hairspray-meets-Crybaby about it all, and it's the perfect blend of Gigi Goode's impeccable knack for vintage fashion and a progressive, dark edge she's lacked this season so far.

16. Jaida Essence Hall's Stars & Stripes Forever

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jaida Essence Hall
Episode: "Choices 2020"
Runway theme: Patriotic fashions
Placement: Challenge Winner
Verdict: We pledge allegiance to Jaida Essence Hall's star-spangled, patriotic pelvis, now and forever.

15. Jaida Essence Hall's Frozen Eleganza

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jaida Essence Hall
Episode: "Snatch Game"
Runway theme: Frozen Eleganza
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Hurricane Hall is here to decimate every house, tree, and skyscraper in the impact zone. This is one Storm we'd love to get caught in.

14. Jaida Essence Hall's Eleganza Extravaganza

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jaida Essence Hall
Episode: "Viva Drag Vegas"
Runway theme: Elegant drag
Placement: Safe
Verdict: I'm sorry, but this is now the Statue of Liberty.

13. Gigi Goode's Buttons & Bows

Ru Paul Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Gigi Goode
Episode: "World's Worst"
Runway theme: Buttons & Bows
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Chic. Sophisticated. Heavy (ma'am used 25,000 buttons, ffs!). Gigi Goode is a Working Woman™ earning every penny of her check in this power (bottom) suit-skirt hybrid.

12. Jaida Essence Hall's The Color Purple

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jaida Essence Hall
Episode: "One-Queen Show"
Runway theme: Purple outfits.
Placement: Bottom Two
Verdict: Similar to this decadent offering's eye-popping hue, Jaida Essence Hall has our faces turning purple thanks to her heel pressing down firmly atop our necks.

11. Gigi Goode's Sparkle

RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12. VH1

Contestant: Gigi Goode
Episode: "I'm That Bitch"
Runway theme: Sparkle
Placement: Top two (no bottom two this episode)
Verdict: Yoanna House from America's Next Top Model cycle 2 is shaking, because there's a new queen of reality TV helmets in town. The texture of Gigi's expertly fitting glittersuit gorgeously contrasted the slick of latex on her chest, with shoulder pads and crisp lines harsh enough to cut a bitch down to size. Vroom vroom, gals and gays!

10. Nicky Doll's Planet of the Capes

RuPaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Nicky Doll
Episode: "Gay's Anatomy"
Runway theme: Capes
Placement: Eliminated
Verdict: In one of the most baffling critiques in Drag Race history, this heavenly, Game-of-Thrones-meets-Fifth-Element warrior princess had us gagging on its goddess eleganza, from the blissful contrast of the sheer cape against the metallic body pieces to the fur-lined cape draped across Nicky Doll's shoulders before the reveal. This is a true fantasy that showcased Nicky's keen eye for fashion as well as her mastery of selling a drag queen fantasy that didn't get its proper due on the runway — especially considering someone like Courtney Act would've been deemed safe on an outfit like this alone back on season 6.

9. Heidi N Closet's Black Wedding

Rupaul's Drag Race
Heidi N Closet on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 12. VH1

Contestant: Heidi N Closet
Episode: "Droop"
Runway theme: Wedding gowns made with all-black materials
Placement: Challenge Winner
Verdict: Hurricane Heidi has finally made landfall, and this perfectly cut, impeccably designed, fully conceptual, and a timeless, walking piece of high drag art.

8. Rock M. Sakura's Tulle

RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Rock M. Sakura
Episode: "You Don't Know Me"
Runway theme: Tulle
Placement: Safe
Verdict: Few queens could pull off a look as garish as this, but even tucked among 900 yards of tulle, Rock M. Sakura's mammoth personality bursts through this puffy ensemble's seams. It's not the most fashionable look on this list, but it's high camp, high energy, and the magic of drag to the highest power.

7. Jan's Black Wedding

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Jan
Episode: "Droop"
Runway theme: Wedding gowns made with all-black materials
Placement: Eliminated
Verdict: Unfortunately, Jan met her end in one of the best runway looks of the season. Here's hoping her spirit will haunt the Drag Race halls in every inch of this black-feathered fantasy.

6. Nicky Doll's Sparkle

RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12. VH1

Contestant: Nicky Doll
Episode: "I'm That Bitch"
Runway theme: Sparkle
Placement: Low
Verdict: Simple and chic, divine yet domineering, Nicky Doll's iron-feathered shawl and perfectly beaten mug aligned atop a black dominatrix fantasy to create a high-fashion dream straight off the couture runways of Paris. Bonjour, bitch, because the Queen of France said "off with their [wigs]."

5. Jan's Buttons & Bows

RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 CR: VH1. VH1

Contestant: Jan
Episode: "World's Worst"
Runway theme: Buttons & Bows
Placement: Safe
Verdict: A huge risk that could've turned into a massive voo-don't, Jan's demonic doll couture gave us a fashionable fright we don't want to shake anytime soon.

4. Crystal Methyd's Black Wedding

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Crystal Methyd
Episode: "Droop"
Runway theme: Wedding gowns made with all-black materials
Placement: High
Verdict: Crystal Methyd will show up to your funeral dressed to: A) Kill, B) View the body, and C) Be the body itself. Find us (and our wigs) dead in a ditch.

3. Crystal Methyd's Eleganza Extravaganza

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Crystal Methyd
Episode: "Viva Drag Vegas"
Runway theme: Elegant drag
Placement: Bottom Two
Verdict: Few have attempted to pull off what Crystal Methyd has dazzled us with across season 12, and even fewer could actually make half of what she's worn work. This velvety, blueberry-hued masterpiece is squarely within the prompt (it's elegant as hell) but also quintessentially Crystal, proving her mastery of a competition many suspected would have no clue what to do with her. But, they've got it all wrong: It's not Crystal that needed the competition to spruce her up, it's the other way around.

2. Crystal Methyd's The Color Purple

Rupaul's Drag Race
VH1

Contestant: Crystal Methyd
Episode: "One-Queen Show"
Runway theme: Purple outfits.
Placement: Challenge Winner
Verdict: Remember Clarabelle Cow? She's a high-fashion lesbian now. This is pure genius.

1. Crystal Methyd's Drag Family Resemblance

Drag race
VH1

Contestant: Crystal Methyd
Episode: "Superfan Makeover"
Runway theme: Make over a female superfan in the queens' personal style.
Placement: High
Verdict: To anyone who ever said Bert & Ernie were gay: You were correct. Not only are they gay: Harold, they're lesbians.

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