Most of the time when I think of what to wear to a party, I envision myself in a dress with 5-inch stiletto heels, spending a considerable amount of time in front of the mirror trying to perfect my hair and makeup. However, when the word “tailgate” is thrown in front of “party,” visions of boring t-shirts and jeans start seeping into mind instead. Obviously, tailgates are by no means a high-fashion outing, but this doesn’t mean you can’t still look fabulous. It’s all about achieving the right balance between stylish and casual.

Accessorizing your outfit with head jewelry is a must for perfecting the fabulous-yet-casual tailgate outfit. Sporting headbands or hair clips of your team’s color is a great way to show your school spirit, and gives an instant edge to your entire look. Also, instead of wearing a manly trucker hat, rock a visor! It adds a feminine touch to your tailgate outfit. Keep your earrings simple to maintain that “casual-yet-sexy” feel.

Moving on to the actual outfit. Of course, you can never go wrong with sporting the jersey (spice it up with a cropped jersey) of the team you root for. Apart from jerseys, there are five types of tops that are perfect for the occasion: off-the-shoulder tops, crop tops, tube tops, t-shirt dresses and V-neck boyfriend cardigans. Chicka-d, Victoria Secret’s PINK line, the Alyssa Milano line for NFL and Simply Sporty are all great places to pick up cute team apparel. These feminine and fashionable clothing options will definitely put you into the mood for a tailgate! On the downside, like most sports logo apparel, these items can cost more than the average college student’s budget. One easy way to show your team spirit in a more affordable manner is to find clothing items at inexpensive boutiques (like Forever 21, for example) that incorporate your team’s color. Plan around the colors of the team you are supporting and you are good to go!

Progressing to the bottom… Hardcore supporters may want to show their spirit by wearing pants in their team’s color, but from a fashion perspective, anyone would look a bit foolish in color-matching tops and bottoms. A better suggestion is to wear any bright or bold-colored denim shorts (tie-dye works too!) to show that you are a lively and energetic fan! Hot pants are especially awesome for fending off the heat and showing off your legs on those extra humid and hot days.

Finally, we are at our final destination: what shoes to wear! It’s all about booties and boots. They are stylish and are made for walking, which makes them appropriate for a day-long grind like this. Gameday Boots has a wide variety of custom boots of your favorite team for you hardcore sports fans. Note: wearing boyfriend-inspired grubby sneakers is a super bad call. They might be comfortable, but they are definitely not attractive at all! Another big “don’t” is wearing flip-flops. Yes, they are comfortable in the beginning, but I guarantee the comfort will be gone in an hour or two. And who knows how much germs and dust will be set on and under your feet!

On a last note, the first and foremost goal for a tailgate outfit is to be stylish yet COMFORTABLE –so please leave your stilettos and skin-tight mini skirts in the closet for another event!