Fashion guru Clinton Kelly conducted a style workshop and fashion show at Macy's in the Polaris Fashion Place Tuesday as part of his "What Not to Wear" tour.
As he does as co-host of TLC cable show, "What Not to Wear," Kelly gave witty and blunt fashion advice to audience members who volunteered to come on stage and allowed him to be their "360 degree mirror." To a teenager named Joy wearing a long-sleeved shirt with stars on it, he said, "This shirt is not joy for me, you look like the Star-Spangled Banner, and these thumb holes make you look like you're wearing a cast. But since your jeans are cute, I'll give you a B-minus."
To a woman who tried to cover up her rear end with a shirt, Kelly said, "When you cover your crotch, you cover your legs and look shorter, causing your legs to look like stubs."
For the past four years, Kelly has hosted "What Not to Wear." On the show, he helps women change and update their look.
"Stop beating up your bodies," he said to the crowd of more than 200. "Women in this country judge themselves too hard. Supermodels don't even look like supermodels, and I would know since I've worked for Marie Claire and Mademoiselle. There's a little computer program called PhotoShop."
Kelly also hosted a fashion show and offered style tips for each body type. He said the cut of an outfit is more important than the color or pattern.
"Let's talk about butts, boobs and crotches. Who's got problems with those areas?" Kelly said.
Several hands went up, and Kelly picked from the flabby-armed, saggy-chested, pear-shaped women in the crowd and offered advice.
For example, "Saggy-chested women should get a professionally-fit bra. This will accentuate the slim part of the body, which is the top of the ribcage," he said.
Dismiss antiquated fashion rules, Kelly told the group, such as matching the shoe to the bag to the pants. Instead, spice it up.
"Don't show up to a party with just a black dress and nothing else. Add some imagination, like a bright-colored jacket or shoes," Kelly said.
His tips for fall fashion include: wrap dresses, tops with ruffles to accent small frames, puff-sleeve dresses, trumpet skirts for a round look, the "shreater" or shirt/sweater combination, the mod-prop bag and skinny belts. Shimmery, silver-metallic clothing and accessories are also in this season, and V-necks are the most for flattering tops.
Kelly also had advice for college students.
"It's great if you want to wear your school colors all the time, but every college student should have a structured jacket," he said. "Don't just wear the crappy jeans. Wear a nice cut denim with a nice shoe, not just the basic athletic sneaker, those are for athletics. I'm not telling you to go around in a stiletto, but try a nice boot to step it up a notch. I think it shows that you really care about a class when you come dressed nicely. It shows you want to be there."
In addition to fashion tips, Kelly also answered questions about the TV show and gave a glimpse behind the scenes.
He said the show has been renewed for a fifth season, and the old clothes they take from women's closets do go to charity. He encouraged audience members to do the same.
"It's a tax write-off, gives you more closet space, and gets rid of the emotional baggage," he said. "Why still keep your old size 4 dress when you're now a size 14?" Kelly said.
He also revealed that every woman who appears on "What Not to Wear" gets a professional bra fitting, wears shapewear (a type of girdle) and has a tailor custom fit her clothes.
Kelly's many fans seemed to enjoy the show, lining up afterwards for his autograph and picture.
Estelle Peters of Circleville is one of his biggest fans.
"Clinton is so funny and fashion conscious," she said. "I would have never imagined him to be this friendly and down-to-earth in person."
Carol Jackson of Hilliard called him an inspiration.
"He clearly tells women what's the best look for them no matter what size they are," she said. "This workshop really enlightened me on what fall fashions to look for."
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