Peruse the fine print of any CIAA-centric party flyer, and you'll see a dozen variations of the phrase: "Dress to impress." Face it, CIAA is a fashion show -- but, frankly, some folks are going to wear some really, really ugly clothes this week. With that in mind, we consulted our resident fashion editor, stylist Garlana Hill, and asked her what gear people should and should not be sporting during the CIAA festivities.
Women
• "A lot of women turn to jeans and dress them up or down for certain casual or dressier events. But one thing women shouldn't wear with their jeans is a muffin top. If you have the jeans that kind of grip around your waist and you have some extra curves above your waist, that's fine; nothing is wrong with that. Curves are sexy, but presentation is everything. You want to make sure that you have on sweaters or tops that offer full coverage; they should come down long enough so when you bend over you're not showing us a little bit of a surprise."
• "If you're going to do stilettos or boots, make sure you do them without the knots. You know the little knots that show on top of your feet? If your foot is popping through the boot or shoe, it's too tight."
• "Because it's getting a little warm in Charlotte at this time, don't be afraid to look a little more transitional. You can start doing neutrals now with bold accents. You can add color, you can do wood jewelry, you can do bold silvers or golds. Things like that work really good when you're in doubt about what to wear between winter and spring."
Men
• "If you're going to wear the pointy shoe, make sure you balance it with a pair of pants that looks leaner. Don't do a baggy pant with a really pointy shoe. Especially if you're not a slim man because it makes you look like someone is drawing you off the page; it's kind of like your feet start to disappear."
• "I like when I see men in suits, but make sure your suit says, 'I'm out having a good time, but I'm not gonna leave the club and go to work the next day with the same suit on.' Sometimes I see guys out having fun with suits that look like business suits. Add a little color, do something with the shirt and tie that wakes the suit up or don't wear the tie. You may want to start looking at the softer knits to wear under your suit jacket."
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