Not that anyone needs an excuse to shop the fashion halls of Calgary's downtown, but a June 18 event is upping the ante.

Fashion expert Clinton Kelly, from TLC's What Not to Wear, will be offering up his brand of warm humour and style advice at an event called Styling Your Life, with some dos and don'ts thrown in for good measure.

"Calgary's ready for this," says Studio Gorgeous president Karen Judge, who is also producing the event.

"Especially right now -it's a new season, there are promising economic signs and the fashion scene here really is starting to explode. And there's life outside New York -why can't we be fabulous, sophisticated and fun?"

Fun will be a major part of the event, along with raising funds for the Canadian Women's Foundation (net proceeds are going to the foundation, which is dedicated to improving the lives of girls and women, canadianwomen.org).

The event includes a red carpet arrival for everyone, reception, opening presentation featuring a video makeover for one of the women whom the foundation has helped, fashion show (think styles for everybody, with a little twist of urban western thrown in as a nod to the Stampede just weeks away) and then Kelly's speech.

"We've called it Styling Your Life for a reason," says Judge. "My passion is that when you take care of the outside, it sparks something on the inside. It's not about fashion or being superficial -it's about style, about you owning your look, and showing up for yourself in life."

Which is why she chose Kelly.

"He's the perfect fit for the message that we're trying to send: he's talented, he knows what he's doing and he does it with charm."

Perhaps best known for his work on What Not to Wear, Kelly has also been on the editorial staff at Marie Claire and Mademoiselle magazines and has written several books, the most recent of which is Oh No She Didn't: The Top 100 Style Mistakes Women Make and How to Avoid Them.

But for Judge, it's not just about bringing Kelly to Calgary.

"This event is really for the people coming -it's about celebrating your friendships with your girlfriends, giving back to the community and making a difference in other women's lives, having some fun, doing some shopping and walking your own red carpet," she says. "And don't feel pressured that you have to be the next "it" cover girl. Just come, being your best."

Her definition of style, she says, is that it's your relationship with yourself: building your confidence and representing who you are.

"It's about feeling like you're important and starting your day believing in yourself," she adds. "Bring that to the event, and you'll have laughter and smiles and sparkle. I want people to leave feeling like they love being alive."

SPOTLIGHT

Styling Your Life, including an appearance by fashion expert Clinton Kelly, runs June 18 from 1 to 4: 30 p.m. at the Telus Convention Centre,

with an after party at Fashion Central from 5 to 6 p.m. Tickets for the main event are $99; VIP tickets that include reserved seating and the after party, where you can meet Kelly at a book signing, are $159. For information and to purchase tickets (on sale today), visit studiogorgeous.com.

The Calgary Herald's

Real Life section and HERS magazine will also be giving away six pairs of tickets; we will announce contest details in the upcoming weeks and feature an exclusive interview with Kelly.

YJEFFERY@CALGARYHERALD.COM