Miss Italy contest bans bikinis to focus on ‘inner beauty’

London - The Miss Italia beauty contest’s swimwear section will no longer allow bikinis, with contestants being asked instead to wear more sober all-in-one costumes.

The organisers said the move was to ‘add a sober element’ to the contest and emphasised that ‘interior beauty as well as exterior beauty’ was important.

“With this type of costume we will be returning to the classical beauty of the 1950’s, the era of female legends who we still admire and respect even today,” the Daily mail quoted pageant organiser Patrizia Mirigliani, as saying.

“The costumes will really highlight feminine beauty and for next years competition I am already thinking of environmentally friendly outfits so the girls will do their bit for the environment,” Mirirgliani said.

The pageant is a national institution and will be broadcast live in September.

Other rules for this year’s contest include no tattoos or body piercing, while women who have had plastic surgery have been barred from entering.

In another surprising twist to the format, campaigner Tara Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, will share the judging panel as a special guest.

The position was previously reserved for Hollywood hunks such as Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone.

Mirigliani also said talks were ongoing to have actress Jane Fonda on the jury for the final show.

“Jane is a woman who knows how to age well, she was also a revolutionary and meant business,” she said.

Among the contestants who are participating in this year’s contest is Chiara Danese, who is representing the north west region of Valle D’Aosta and who is a witness in the bunga bunga sex case against former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.