How to do Charleston Fashion Week as an Unfashionable, Non-Model, Regular Person

This is my "regular person" face.

Everyone knows that Charlestonians are good-looking, but each year that sexiness gets taken to the next level when Charleston Fashion Week comes to town.  Not only do all the hottest locals congregate under the tents, but so do hot people from all over the country.  Charleston Fashion Week is an enigma to people like me, who don’t “understand” fashion or keep up with the latest trends. People like me wait to hop on the fashion train whenever cute stuff pops up at Uptown Cheapskate, and I get that adrenaline rush when it actually fits correctly.  For as many gorgeous, fashion-forward residents in the city, there are twice as many unfashionable Charlestonians wondering what the hype is about.  

Here are my tips for doing CHSFW as an Unfashionable, Non-Model, Regular Person:

1. Acquire tickets to an event from someone with fashionable, model-y connections.

My kickass boss hooked Charlotte and me up with two tickets to Local Night, where local designers and student designers showcase their collections.  If you are unfashionable and a non-model, it’s very important to get free tickets to only ONE event.  If you purchase tickets and/or hit up two or more events during CHSFW, sorry but you are probably fashionable with model tendencies and you don’t need to read this.

2.  Raid your closet for interesting clothing combinations but do NOT buy a new outfit for this event.

I was invited to this event on the DAY OF the show - as I was driving into work.  A fashionable model person would have obviously planned their outfits weeks in advance to be sure they stand out among the other hot people under the tents.  As an unfashionable regular person, you’ll need to start racking your brain for what you have in your closet that you can throw together in an interesting way.  Remember, you’re only going to one event, so why do you need to stress out over buying something new for it?  No matter what you’re wearing, you’re going to be out of your element anyway.

3. Get outfit approval from your more fashionable, model husband before leaving the house.

I know not everyone has a fashionable model husband like I do, so this tip can be applied to whatever situation you’re in.  Whoever you are, I’m sure you have a more fashionable friend you can request outfit approval from.  Shoot them a selfie and just make sure you don’t look ridiculous or like you’re trying TOO hard. 

What you’re looking for here are positive reactions in the form of a thumbs-up or fireball emoji, a simple “That’s cute,” or the ever-coveted “You look super hot."

Told ya he's a model.

4. Carb up before the night's festivities.

You don’t go to fashion events often, or ever, and we all know you’ll probably imbibe more than you should because you’re excited, so it’s important to grab some substantial grub.  Charlotte and I chose buffalo oysters and potato skins with a side of vodka at Closed for Business.  Just because you’re going to watch itty-bitty models saunter down the runway doesn’t mean you have to take on the burden of trying to look like a model all of a sudden. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so you might as well enjoy your meal.

CFB all up in our mouths!

5.  Get your swanky drink on at the Style Lounge before the show.

You absolutely have to get cocktails in the Style Lounge tent with all the other hot people.  As a regular person, it’s a great hot-people-watching spot and the lighting is really metro and colorful which helps you feel like you fit in.  

6.  Make friends with your seat neighbors and comment aloud on the runway looks.

I don’t technically know if this is proper “runway show etiquette,” but the guy next to me (Mike) looked really fashionable, and was audibly super jazzed about a lot of outfits.  Charlotte and I really got into it and started to voice our opinions to each other about the garments, which made us feel legit cool and fashionable. 

My favorite designer of the night, Mosaic.

7. Make friends with people in line for the bathrooms and get more free stuff.

Bathroom line conversations tend to be the most interesting conversations I’ve ever had.  It almost makes me not want to complain about how long it takes girls to do whatever they do in there.  Almost.  It’s important for a regular person to be open for dialogue in any situation, especially at fancy events, because you never know who you might meet. On this particular occasion, I was lucky enough to meet a super fashionable girl who worked for a big publication in town and offered me tickets to the “Official Afterparty,” which I VERY gladly accepted. I can always make time to party with hot people.

8. Don’t take it so seriously - just have fun!

All in all, what seemed at first like a daunting journey into unfamiliar territory ended up being an interesting and fun experience. I’m glad I didn’t pass on the opportunity because of self-consciousness or a stick-in-the-mud attitude. Getting a glimpse into the world of runway fashion was exciting. I still don’t see myself buying tickets for this week-long soiree any time soon, but I will gladly accept free tickets for any one event next year.  Even though I’m a regular person under the tents, I’m pretty irregular everywhere else.  It’s all about balance :)