My Top 20 RuPaul's Drag Race looks of all time

As you may, or definitely may know, I have an undying obsession with RuPaul's Drag Race that began back in 2012, freshman year of college for me, when it was brought to my attention by aspiring drag babies living in my dorm building.

To give you context to my viewing experience, I binge-watched Season 4 right after it had finished, then went back and watched seasons 1-3, and followed the show in real time from Season 5 until now. And after watching every season of Drag Race, these I have decided are my favorite looks of all of the seasons.

Now is the time for a disclaimer: I don't think that these are necessarily the best outfits ever worn on Drag Race, most iconic or most memorable of the show. What I am saying is that based on my sense of style and my personal taste, these are the garments that wowed me the most and will always stick in my mind. So you will see the same queens several times on this list if their aesthetic appeals to me.

To give you context, I live in San Francisco and can always be seen wearing all black and donning winged black eyeliner, a strong brow and red lips. I have worked for a magazine and modern art museum in the past, as well as several lingerie stores specializing in retro or edgy leather and lace inspired lingerie. These are all factors that can affect the presence and score of each look.

On a sidenote: Looks can come from the runway of the show, or can be something that a queen wore to a reunion look, even outside of her own season. Let's get started.

 

#20 - Sasha Velour, Season 9 - Night of 1000 Madonnas

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With so many uninspired Madonna looks splashed across the Season 8 Snatch Game runway, I was so pleased to see Madge looks I could get behind in Season 9. And Sasha Velour's Erotica-inspired look was so pleasing to my eye and sensibilities that I am even thinking of wearing it for Halloween this year!

 

#19 - Miss Fame, Season 7 - Death Becomes Her

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Miss Fame was sucha  joy to watch on her season of Drag Race. I don't think I ever disliked a single look of hers. The silhouettes were so gorgeous and the glamour was always apparent. And that also goes for this stunning deadly garment worn for the Death Becomes Her runway. With the storyline that a woman found out she was sleeping with her husband and attacked her from behind, I cannot get this gory image out of my head...No pun intended. And with the glamorous Old Hollywood hair and dress, it's a standout in my opinion.

 

#18 - Valentina, Season 9 - Night of 1000 Madonnas

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Once again, I have to give major props to the Season 9 Madonna runway looks. They inspired me a lot and really gave me the feeling like the Madonna spirit was in the room. And I will never forget how gagged I was that Valentina walked out fully nude with just two censor bars over her, depicting the cover of Madonna's Sex book. It was extremely clever and something that made me really feel like true Madonna fans were finally going to be pleased.

Sure it is criticized for being simple or being a copout, but I completely disagree. If someone had walked out there with the two bars and any random blond wig, I would have rolled my eyes. But in addition to being a great concept, it was executed beautifully. Valentina was oiled up and golden, she got the hair and the accessories right, and she stood in a way that reminded us of the book cover. All these details really take this garment to the next level. This is NOT the Greedy lipsync. Valentina is NOT half-assing anything.

 

#17 - Valentina, Season 9 - Hometown Glory

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With Val's second look on my list, we have her Hometown Glory look from episode 1. I honestly think that if her Lady Gaga look had been a bit more ambitious, that she would have placed extremely high this week. I know my boyfriend is still scratching his head as to what a Matador outfit has to do with Echo Park, but I personally don't mind it just based on the detailed execution and dramatic and androgynous silhouette. I don't know much about Spanish garments vs Mexican garments, but maybe one of you guys can school me. But in the meantime, this is so lovely in my opinion and something that made me realize this was going to be a very special season of Drag Race.

 

#16 - Maxx, Season 7 - Bearded and Beautiful

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At the time that this episode aired, the world was all a twitter about gorgeous bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst. And were still talking about Season 6 bearded queen Milk. So it was no surprise that the Season 7 runway theme list included the concept of Bearded and Beautiful. There were so many looks that day that made me smile such as Violet, Trixie and Katya's looks...but the one that stood out to me the most was winner of the week, Max's look. This twisted mustache and beard combination was like nothing else the other queens wore, and really was paired well with a fencing prop and a garment from a time that was naturally more androgynous than today. I really felt like I was looking at a handsome man, a sexy woman and an edgy drag queen all at once. And that to me, made it the best look of that week's runway.

 

#15 - Sasha Velour, Season 9 - Faux Fur Fabulous

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I know you guys probably want to kill me right now with all of the Season 9 love. But it was just so stunning to me! I swear references to the older seasons are on just further up the list.

Sasha really dazzled me in this Bolshevik-inspired garment. I love that she really took us back to her Russian roots in a stylish, but still highly referential manner. This to me was such a unique silhouette and such a fantastic take on the fur runway, which was pretty lame in my opinion besides this look. From top to toe, this really made me happy. And her little Kazotsky kick at the end of the runway was just the cherry on top.

 

#14 - Detox, Season 5 - Entrance look

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Season 5 was the first season of Drag Race I watched in real time with everyone else. And to this day is one of the best seasons I've ever seen. And it's all due to the fierce sense of competition, which I clearly saw in the eyes and stance of Detox when she walked into the workroom two seconds into the season. She was stunning in a bumblebee-like yellow and black corset and skirt, with a top hat and an extremely sleek pair of black pumps. I couldn't get my eyes off her as she pranced around the room, and the feeling only got stronger as she plunged into the waters during the photoshoot mini-challenge. Her fashion still gags me and her fearlessness comes across every time I see her. If I could speak to her now, I'd say "Thank you, Detox for getting me geared up for Season 5 in this look."

 

#13 - Max, Season 7 - Fall Collection

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Max is back, back, back at it again with another stunner. When this look pranced onto the Fall runway, I wanted nothing more than to look like Max. With her signature silver hair, her over the top beautymark (which is right where my own beauty mark on my face is) and this extremely edgy and elegant runway look, I couldn't wait to see more from her the rest of the season. I want to know where she got the coat, the pants, the boots, the top and those fingerless gloves. This from top to toe is what I think people in an ideal world would dress in to go grocery shopping.

 

#12 - Violet Chachki, Season 7 - Leather & Lace

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And now we've come to Violet Chachki. When I heard that there would be a leather and lace runway, I got extremely excited. Then when I saw most of the queens' interpretations of the theme, I got less excited. But my excitement shot straight back up when I saw Violet come out in this latex bodysuit and thigh-high boot combo. It really reminded me of Betty Page meets the best silhouettes and styles of BDSM fashion. This to me was so sexy and fitting of the challenge, that I couldn't take my eyes off it. Nevermind that she was dripping from the lube it took to get into that garment. In my opinion, it was well worth it.

 

#11 - Violet Chachki, Season 7 - Death Becomes Her

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Violet, Violet, Violet...a queen after my own fashion heart. Told you my love of lingerie would influence this list! The Death Becomes Her theme was taken to such unique heights with this look. Violet knew just how to merge her aesthetic in with the challenge, and really showed off how tiny her waist was. The concept was beautifully executed, not to mention the thought of asphyxiation really did the job of creeping me out.

 

#10 - Violet Chachki, Season 7 - Grand Finale

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What is there to say, you guys? Violet Chachki was ridiculously well dressed in her season. And she did not disappoint on the night of the finale when she accepted her scepter. Throughout the whole finale, I couldn't take my eyes off of this violet sequin garment. It was opaque and transparent in all of the perfect places, really spoke to her aesthetic and drag name, and made me happy to see her as America's Next Drag Superstar (even though I'd been a Katya-stan all season long.)

 

#9 - Rujubee, All Stars 1 - Super Heroes vs Super Villains

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While this outfit combo and their concept for their Super Hero and Super Villain put them in the bottom against one another, I still thought they looked really cool. Jujubee as an Asian with red hair and a fierce bang really touched my heart, and Raven's mask and makeup combination in this challenge was truly unforgettable. She really looked evil up until the moment when she removed her mask to cry battling against Jujubee in one of the most memorable lipsync battles of all time. It was almost like watching the true heart emerge from an infamous sci-fi villain. And I will never forget it.

 

#8 - Manila Luzon, Season 3 - Fabulous Drag

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Being half Filipina myself, I cannot create a list without including the gorgeous Manila Luzon in it. And she has had so many incredible campy looks from Season 3 and All Stars from her Big Bird look, to her Teletubby look to her Geisha-inspired garment. But the one I remember the most is her infamous pineapple dress, complete with matching clutch. I rarely like campy and literal garments on queens, but the way Manila does it is always so graphic and feminine that I always make exceptions. This look was so well thought out from the bodice of the dress, to the headpiece, to the pineapple rings on her ears, to her jeweled clutch that would put Bob the Drag Queen out of business in the purse department. To this day, I've never seen a queen do literal camp the way she does. And I don't think I ever will.

 

#7 - Raven, Season 2 - Grand Finale

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Raven has always been the Drag Race queen I compare myself to the most. Defensive and bitchy, with a soft side to her that comes out when necessary, and a good damn reason behind every opinion she has. And I'd say her finale look from Season 2 matched my tastes perfectly as well. This corset and boot combo mixed with the pixie haircut, is to this day one of the most memorable silhouettes in all of Drag Race herstory. People may copy it from time to time...or hell, even literally wear the same garment on the runway 6 years later. But Raven did it first and will rightfully always be remembered for bringing this brand of edge and fashion to the show.

 

#6 - Violet Chachki, Season 7 - Season 8 Grand Finale

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Now back to Violet. After a year of refreshing Violet's Instagram page over and over again to give me my needed doses of her aesthetic, I finally got a serving that will last me for years and years during the Season 8 Grand Finale. Violet went out with a bang as she handed over the title of America's Next Drag Superstar to Bob the Drag Queen. With a corseted waist, a skirt silhouette that probably brushed up on the faces of several people in the audience and a crown growing out of her skull, she was really untouchable that evening and honestly from now on. With this look, Violet cemented her stamp on Drag Race fashion, and the fact that she will forever be in touch with her status as Next Drag Superstar.

 

#5 - Violet Chachki, Season 7 - Fall Collection

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Last Violet look, I promise. Although I'm not sorry about any of it. We all could tell that Season 7 was going to be a fashion season one Violet came out in this tartan plaid reveal garment. She went from strong independent businesswoman to flying equestrian squirrel ready to slay the children in the club scene with just the removal of a belt. This was clearly the moment that Violet made the statement that you had not seen even the half of what she had to offer, and is to this day one of the best first fashion impressions we've ever gotten on the show. Which in my opinion, made up for a lot of the sassy comments she doled out in the workroom the moment she walked through the door.

 

#4 - Raja, Season 3 - Season 5 Grand Finale

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For any of you going crazy that I had not yet mentioned Raja, here we are. At the Season 5 finale of Drag Race, Raja seriously impressed me with her interpretation of the goddess Kali. I thought this was such a unique nod to her Cambodian roots as well as a beautiful merge of culture and high fashion. The makeup and the attention to detail in the accessories still leaves me speechless at times. Leave it to Raja to steal the show while all of the past winners stood on stage to crown the new queen.

 

#3 - Sharon Needles, Season 4 - RuPocalypse

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With Season 4 being the first season I ever watched, the RuPocalypse episode became my first ever episode of Drag Race ever! And what an incredible first episode it was. In this sewing challenge, the queens were instructed to use random fabrics and clothing pieces to create garments they would wear during the drag apocalypse. And while many made very beautiful garments reminiscent of warriors and heroines that would save civilians from the apocalypse, Sharon Needles took it in the opposite direction and joined the undead in this thrilling sci-fi inspired garment that still makes us think. Her win in this first challenge not only cemented this to-be winner in the competition, but also opened America's mind as to what the possibilities of drag were. It surely made me realize that the show was even more out of the box than I was planning on giving it credit for. And made me fall madly in love with this show from the start.

 

#2 - Courtney Act, Season 6 - Black & White Drama

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Anyone who knows me personally knows how thoroughly inspired and gagged I was by Courtney Act's Klaus Nomi look during Season 6's Black and White runway. I loved the androgyny, the use of black and white, the graphic shape, and how she feminized it by a ton. It caused me to look up Klaus Nomi, do my own research and fall in love with his style of performance. I got so into it all, that I actually went as this look for Halloween that year! This will always be one of my favorite looks of all of Drag Race, because nothing screams drag like an updated and unique take on something from gay culture's past.

Please enjoy the very blurry photo of me down below during Halloween 2014. Props to my mother for still helping me with my Halloween costumes this late into my life.

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#1 - Raja, Season 3 - Season 4 Grand Finale

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If this seems like a random choice for my number one look of all time on Drag Race, you must not have watched the Season 4 finale. This was the first finale I ever watched of the show, and had no context as to who the other queens were from past seasons. But when Ru looked into the crowd and acknowledged the Season 3 reigning queen, I was stunned by the way she looked. Very Leigh Bowery inspired in her tartan plaid and covered face. With a stunning contrasting hat on and huge sunglasses. I had to find out who this creature was. And so the solo watch party of Season 3 began, and I fell in love with who Raja was and with her love for high fashion, culture and subculture. I discovered so much about myself and what my interests were in subculture through Leigh Bowery's work, and was happy to add to my interests by researching Sutan Amrull's work as well. Raja will always be one of my favorite queens on the show of all time, and I don't see this changing it's rank as my number one Drag Race look of all time anytime soon.

 

I hope you've thoroughly enjoyed my list. If you are terribly angry at me for having Violet on here so many times, or for not mentioning one of your favorite looks, feel free to leave a comment and let me know. I love to talk Drag Race!

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