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

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).  

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.

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.

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."

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.

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."

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.

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." 

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!

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.

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. 

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.   

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.  

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. 

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).

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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.  

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.

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. 

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.

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).

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!

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.

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.

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 :)

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.

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. 

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!

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.  

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.  

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. 

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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!

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.

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.

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. 

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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…)

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.