5 Kitchen Fashion Tips from Giada De Laurentiis for Dinner Party Hosts

In a recent article for the Wall Street Journal, Food Network personality Giada De Laurentiis shared some of her top kitchen fashion tips with reporter Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan for readers who host dinner parties at their homes. The cooking show host's recommendations fuse practicality and panache. "I want people to feel like I made the effort to look nice because I'm excited about having them over," she revealed.

Here are Giada De Laurentiis' top 5 kitchen fashion tips:

1. Opt for lightweight fabrics with some stretch: Giada De Laurentiis favors empire-waist maxi dresses in jersey knits and other stretchy cotton blends that won't restrict her movements in the kitchen. Lighter fabrics also let the skin breathe -- a crucial factor when cooking in a hot kitchen.

2. Wear fitted three-quarter length shirts over long sleeves: Fitted shirts won't snag on surfaces like loose shirts can, and a three-quarter length prevents Giada De Laurentiis from pushing up her sleeves while cooking.

3. Ditch the shoes: De Laurentiis prefers to entertain guests at home while barefoot, adding that this "gives a relaxed feel to the whole evening." She avoids wearing heels in the kitchen at all costs, citing their restriction on movement and the increased likelihood of slips and falls.

4. Stick to minimal jewelry and hair styles: When she's entertaining at home, Giada De Laurentiis wears her hair pulled back to prevent hair from getting in her food, and keeps her jewelry to a minimum -- no rings, long necklaces or bracelets -- for sanitation purposes. "I'm always touching things with my hands," she explained. "I don't want to get food in my rings."

5. Wear dark colors to hide spills and splatters: De Laurentiis prefers to wear clothing in darker hues of burgundy, gray or black in the kitchen to hide sudden spills. She jazzes these outfits up with simple, tasteful accessories such as earrings or a fun, colorful half-apron.