CPAC kicks off on Thursday, with hundreds of conservatives flooding Washington D.C.’s Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center for the occasion. But, according to one CPAC ticketholder, the matter of what to wear to CPAC has troubled many a first-time attendee. It’s an issue that 31-year-old conservative blogger and digital media professional Adrienne Royer struggled with at her initial conference. So in an effort to help 2013’s newbies dress for success, Royer created an infographic titled ‘What to Wear at CPAC,” and uploaded it on to her Pinterest page.
Though completely unaffiliated with CPAC’s official organizing committee, Royer still felt that the conference’s college-aged attendees needed some fashion schooling. “I remember thinking that the college girls [at the conference] who were only a couple of years younger than me didn’t know how to dress professionally,” she told The Daily Beast when reached by phone on Wednesday.
Her graphic explicitly outlines the do’s and don’ts of CPAC sartorialism. It asks questions like, “Would I wear it to Walmart?” and, “Would I wear it to a bar?,” the latter of which recommends against wearing club-going gear to the conference’s many panels. “There are many after-hours events where you can show off your halter, strapless shirt or dress, or mini-skirt,” Royer wrote.
While only shared with friends and Pinterest followers, the graphic immediately received attention for its conservative stance from press outlets like Salon and New York Magazine. “I was completely blown away,” Royer said of the reaction. “They latched onto it in a Stepford Wives, pearl-necklace wearing woman, sort of way. There are no pearls in the infographic, and I’m not a Stepford wife. I’m 31, single, and living in D.C.”
The infographic also serves as a legend for outfit assembly. Business suits, blouses, and ballet flats are all for the taking. She advises to avoid rompers, “dressy” shorts, and -- despite their recent comeback in the fashion world -- Uggs.
