As Washingtonians frantically finalize plans for inaugural activities, over at Frugal Fashionista we’ve been brainstorming ideas for a swoon-worthy outfit for less than the price of most inaugural tickets. And who better to enlist for the task than former Miss DC and K Street Kate blogger Kate Michael? The pageant queen and model knows a thing (or 30) about dressing up, but she admits to frequently dropping more than a few Benjamins on dresses and shoes.

Before we got started, Michael was rattling off questions like a pro: Long or short? Was a bag included? Were any stores off limits? Even better, she was offering advice. It turns out that many of her pageant gowns, despite their black-tie formality, can’t be worn to events such as a ball—mostly because they have a train, which would rip or be soiled in a large crowd.

So we made the task hard for this veteran shopper—$200, no more, for a full inaugural-ball-worthy outfit that she herself would consider sporting to an upcoming event.

As far as rules go, we assumed that Michael was searching for a dress she’d wear herself but that her wardrobe was admittedly more limited than it is. We assumed she owned basic undergarments and tights—but nothing fancy.

Here’s what she found:

Sacha before her makeover. Photograph by Chris Leaman

Sacha Salazar, 30
National Security Sector consultant

Why she wanted a makeover:
Sacha had to follow strict hair restrictions for close to ten years because she was in ROTC and the Air Force. She and her husband, Juan, were married in August, and now that the wedding photos are out of the way and her parents have formal documentation, Sacha says she’s free to do what she wants: “I don’t normally do anything really drastic in terms of dress, makeup, or hairstyle. I was very limited on how I wore my hair. I don’t think this look will be something that I maintain. It’s more of a new me that I just need to do.”

Reaction when she found out she was getting a Washingtonian.com makeover:
“I was shocked and happy. I really want to do this, so I scheduled an appointment with my local beautician to do it if I didn’t get picked. I was floored.”

What she likes and dislikes about her current look:
“I like that I can change my hairstyle. I can wear it straight or curly, which is my natural look. I don’t like the fact that because I go a long time between haircuts, I get triangle hair—it’s a curly-hair problem. My mom tells me I don’t have a hairstyle. It’s sort of just medium length and kinda curly and brown.”

How she wants to look afterward:
“In the military you must have a natural hair color. You’re allowed to have most haircuts, but you have to be able to pull it back with less than one inch of bulk, like if you put it in a French twist. Or it must be cut right at the collar or above. No braids. You can wear clips or bands, but they have to be exactly the same color as your hair. It’s the same with makeup and nail polish—very natural-looking. I just want something color-wise that’s totally new for me. I want to surrender to the stylist and trust her.” Sacha has been told that a cut similar to Victoria Bekham’s would be flattering for her, and she wanted color similar to Reese Witherspoon’s blond.

See Sacha’s transformation after the jump!

Inaugural balls are places to see and be seen. But, oh, the horror of showing up in the same dress somebody else is wearing!

Enter DressRegistry.com. It’s a Web site that allows you to “register” your dress for an inaugural event in hopes that no one else will wear the same one.

As of this writing, there are 55 balls listed on the site. Some, like the recently-announced Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, have no dresses claimed. But others have more than a dozen. The Commander-in-Chief Ball, for example, has 21 dresses registered.

Posters on the site have the option to include details about their garb, such as the designer, color, length, and neckline. For the seriously Type-A partygoer, there’s also space to enter your dress’s UPC number, the code that specifically identifies it, leaving no question as to which dress you’re wearing. To further clarify, a description and a photo can be added.

Storm Garner, 25
Musician and student, Columbia University

Jonathan Vincent, 34
Singer and composer

What sort of music do you play?
Storm: “We just decided on the Wilder Worldwide for our name. It’s sort of cabaret-folk.”
Jonathan: “Sort of Tom Waits meets Nico meets Kurt Weill.”

What Jonathan is wearing:
Vivo Barefoot shoes (“I’m in love with these shoes”), H&M jeans, Urban Outfitters belt, wool sweater from a thrift store in Scotland, scarf from the Andover Shop in Massachusetts. The glasses are from 39dollarglasses.com, “but they were $59,” he laughs. The bag is Storm’s; her father brought it back from Tajikistan for her.

Jonathan: “Some guy rear-ended us the other day and her neck hurts, so I’m carrying her bag.”
Storm: “I think men should always wear purses. It’s the ultimate show of gallantry. And the strap across the chest is kinda hot.”

Last week, before heading off into the debauchery of New Year's Eve, we asked all you fashionistas out there to do a simple end-of-the-year fashion favor: vote on your favorite Sidewalk Style of 2008. And you responded in droves! Who won, you ask? Well, it wasn't even a contest. Check below for the reader-voted best Sidewalk Style of 2008.