As we all know, this weekend kicks off all inaugural celebrations for the President of the United States, President Obama. I could do an entire #FashionFridays about how stylish he and the rest of the First Family are, but they aren't going to be the only stylish people in the area this weekend.
For some people, this will be the first time they attend a black tie event, so I wanted to provide some helpful Inauguration Fashion Etiquette. I have the privilege of being invited to attend the H.O.P.E (Honoring Our President Elect) Inaugural Youth Ball at the historic Howard Theatre on January 20,2013. The Code Blue Campaign is hosting the ball. This is a campaign that was started by Jermaine Crawford of HBO's hit series, The Wire.
The purpose of this ball is to give the youth an opportunity to participate in inaugural festivities in our area. More importantly, this ball is a charity event to raise money to open Maryland's first TEEN only homeless shelter. Not only is this an opportunity for the youth to participate, but this is also going to be an educational experience that people will always remember. Considering this is Mr. Crawford's event, I reached out to him for some helpful tips to provide for my readers about Inauguration Fashion Etiquette.
Here are his top 5 tips:
This one has to be the most important by far: KNOW YOUR SURROUNDINGS! You must know the location the time, the mood, the atmosphere. Dress accordingly.
Make a statement, I always tell people your outfit is always the first "First" impression. What do you want your ensemble to say.
Pick your colors, this is January so maybe incorporate some nice Gray's and Black's but if you want to really make a statement do splashes of pastel colors, maybe it's the tie, the ascot or even the socks.
Make sure your clothes have pockets, you don't want to be the only one without their charger when midnight strikes and your battery is on 4%. As GQ would say look sharp, but live smart.
Finally, the last tip, BE COMFORTABLE. During inaugural season just about anything can happen. With events happening practically everywhere, don't allow your ensemble to restrict the moves people. Wear comfortable shoes.
I hope you all take these tips into consideration and purchase tickets for this event! As a bonus, here is a formal video invitation for my readers from Mr. Crawford himself !
