An invitation arrives for you in the mail saying that you’re being cordially invited to a party two days from now. You get excited, and you immediately start planning what you’ll be wearing. You open your closet and begin to rummage for possible outfits to wear to the party. Then you pause—you just noticed that it’s a black-tie affair.

A black-tie party is very different from the casual parties or small get-togethers you usually attend. There are no silly games, no clowning around and no loud rackets during these events.

Rather, these gatherings involve fine dining, classy reception areas and guests that are elegantly-dressed. If you plan on going to the event wearing jeans, or a flimsy little number, forget it.

Here are the top ten women clothing items that should be banned from black-tie parties. Never, ever wear them. Or else.

10. Sneakers or rubber shoes

This is definitely bad news. Black-tie parties always have a no-sneakers and no-rubber shoes rule since they appear too casual, scruffy, and even dirty.

So even if your sneakers are new and white, resist the urge to wear them to the party. Save them for jogging or basketball practice instead. Besides, just imagine how you’ll look wearing them with your dress or suit. People will laugh out loud at you.

9. Skimpy shorts

This isn’t the beach, it’s a posh party. Skimpy shorts are out of the question, no matter how great your legs look. They are not only too revealing, but also take away from the solemnity of the event. Unless you want the usherettes to escort you out, or throw you into the pool, stay away from this kind of clothing. Save it for summertime.

8. Neon colored outfits

No matter how pretty you say your formal dress looks, if it comes in a flashy, distracting neon color, it’s still not appropriate. Guests who attend these events usually stick to dark or neutral colored clothes that appear elegant and stylish.

If you really want to wear some eye-catching colors, choose light, pastel colors instead, such as beige, pastel or lavender. If you really insist on donning neon colors, stick to not-too-flashy neon accessories, such as earrings or shoes that have neon embellishments on them. These will look great with a plain black dress.

7. Flip-flops

This is another clothing item that should be confined to beaches or your living room. Comfortable and cute, flip flops are not considered formal wear. They may look good with your walking shorts or pants, but if you pair them off with an elegant dress, they look stupid.

Never wear flip flops to black-tie events. If you want, just stick with the typical open-toed sandals. If your shoes hurt because of the heels, pick ones that have short heels, but still look classy.

6. Anything that looks like a tutu

A tutu is a short frilly skirt worn by ballerinas. They might seem adorable, even sexy, but if you’re thinking of wearing a gown with a tutu to a black-tie party, it’s plain weird. Unless you’re planning to do a solo ballet act during the event, dump this clothing idea.

5. Plastic jewelry

They’re funky, cute and they come in different shapes, ranging from simple circles and squares, to unique ones like stars and animals. Unfortunately, they’ll look very out-of-place at a formal event.

If the party is casual, and you’re wearing informal attire, plastic jewelry may look alright, but at a posh event, they’ll simply look cheap. Imagine that you’re wearing fake plastic accessories while other women are wearing elegant gold and silver jewelry embedded with beautiful stones. You’ll look completely out of place and cheap.

If the reason you’re wearing fake jewelry is because you don’t have any real jewelry, why not opt for imitation jewelry instead? It costs less, but it will look like real jewelry. You just have to choose carefully. If you still don’t want to buy, you can borrow from your relatives or your friends.

4. Henna tattoo

You want to give off a seductive air while you’re wearing your sleek and beautiful black, off-shoulder cocktail gown. So you get an exotic-looking henna tattoo on your chest. Bad move.

Many people perceive henna tattoos as elegant body art, but if you plan to attend a black-tie event while proudly showing it off, you’ll get frowned at instead of adored. Henna tattoos give an air of being deviant, and sometimes project a “sleazy” image.

If you really like body art, why not try to get a stylish glitter body art, instead of getting ink? It will look just as beautiful. Henna tattoos don’t belong at a black-tie affair.

3. Strong perfume

Everyone likes to smell good when they go to parties, but please go easy on that perfume. You should avoid using scents that are overwhelming or too nauseating, like strong vanilla or floral scents.

You don’t want the other guests to gag, cough and leave the party early to seek air. A drop or two on your wrists and on your neck will suffice.

2. Old, baggy underwear

If you think that underwear doesn’t matter when you go to a black tie event, think again. It might not be directly visible, but your panty lines may show through your dress.

Imagine yourself wearing a sleek and glamorous looking dress, only to have your backside all crumpled and unruly because of your baggy panties. What if you accidentally slip and fall? Not only will you have to endure the humiliation of the fall, but you’ll also have to keep in mind that the guests might have seen your old, baggy and graying underwear.

1. Gowns that are TOO see-through

You chose a beautiful black gown for your black-tie attire. It’s lovely and it fits you perfectly, but it’s also made from flimsy, see-through chiffon fabric. The result is most of your cleavage can be seen and even your underwear underneath is showing.

Remember this: Even though many black-tie party gowns are made to be a bit seductive and revealing, this does not give you an excuse to look like a floozy. Be careful when choosing see through outfits. Instead of making you look classy, they might make you look a bit desperate and sleazy instead.

A see-through dress worn by Geena Davis

Don’t worry; dressing up for a black-tie party isn’t difficult at all. As long as you have a neat, formal dress that looks presentable, you’ll be okay. Just stay away from the items mentioned above. Have a great time!