Please don’t tell Clinton Kelly what not to wear.
It’s not clever, it’s not funny, and you won’t be the first person to do so. Since becoming a TV icon, the fashion expert and co-host of TLC’s makeover show called–what else?–“What Not To Wear,” says he constantly receives unsolicited comments on this clothes.
“I can’t walk out of the house now without people saying, ‘Should you be wearing that?’ ” he says with a laugh.
On a recent visit to Chicago, the affable Kelly, a former magazine editor and Northwestern alum, looked every bit his fashionable self in jeans and a pink button-up shirt under a dark gray blazer with pinstripes–pink, of course.
But lest you think Kelly is a fashion snob, he has had his fair share of run-ins with bad fashion–and he’s not ashamed to talk about them.
On his worst fashion phase: “I tried to combine both preppy and the whole acid-washed ’80s thing, so I had a pair of Z Cavaricci triple-pleated, acid-washed, tapered jeans.They were like clown pants. And I would wear them with polo shirts. And I had sort of a semi-mullet–I did the Flock of Seagulls thing on top and then in the back it was long. It was so awful.”
Note: Tapered jeans are never flattering, in Kelly’s opinion.
He also told RedEye about the celebrities he wants to dress, the one piece of clothing he can’t live without and the importance of flip-flop etiquette.
Is it ever OK to wear a flip-flop to a formal event–say, a photo op with the president?
I really love a flip-flop. It’s like the perfect shoe. And whether or not I like the president is beside the point–but I would not wear a flip-flop to meet the president. Flip-flops really are not OK for formal wear. They’re not OK for office wear either, quite frankly.
Even if it’s a really expensive flip-flop–like a $300 Louis Vuitton?
The type of person who would buy a Louis Vuitton flip-flop for $300 should have enough money so that they can relegate those flip-flops to their casual wear. Like, if you go to Monte Carlo, they’re wearing those Louis Vuitton flip-flops–but they’re wearing them to the pool. They’re not wearing them out to meet the president or the queen or whoever’s in charge of Monte Carlo. I don’t care how much you paid for them. It’s still tacky.
If “What Not To Wear” had a celebrity edition, who would need to go on the show?
Why does Larry King spring to my mind? [Laughs] Those suspenders look like they’re about to break. I want to introduce Larry to a belt.
And for women, I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on Ellen DeGeneres. I think she’s well-dressed, but I think that she’s not really dressing her body the way it would be the best-dressed. She looks like she wears luxe menswear.
Who’s your ultimate shopping partner?
It has to be somebody who would shop for like an hour, and then have a break and have a couple of cocktails. [Laughs.] I sort of look at it as a job … I don’t do shopping socially. Just wandering around doesn’t do it for me. If you spend 40 hours a week shopping, talking about shopping, then you’re not going to do that on your day off.
What’s the one thing you can’t live without?
I have an Armani suit that I think if my apartment were burning down and I had a choice between the photo album and the Armani suit, I might just take the Armani suit.
3 quick questions for Clinton
Deep-dish or thin-crust?
How can you do that to me? I love meat, so I’m gonna go with the deep-dish because you can get more meat in the pie.
Cubs, Sox or Yankees?
Yankees. Laughs. I gave you deep-dish. I’m not giving you Cubs or Sox.
Boxers or briefs?
Boxer briefs.
The necessities
Clinton’s five fall must-haves for women:
– Little black dress
– Velvet jacket
– Handbag with hardware
– Ballet flats
– Something in tweed
For more clothing tips, see Clinton’s new book, “Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That’s Right For Your Body,” written with “What Not To Wear” co-host Stacy London.
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tha@tribune.com
Edited by Curt Wagner (cwwagner@tribune.com) and Kris Karnopp (kkarnopp@tribune.com)
