WASHINGTON - The US capital is preparing to swirl with silk and sparkle with rhinestones as everyone from soldiers to Hollywood stars fetes Barack Obama's swearing-in at a bevy of inaugural balls.

Ten of the hundreds of galas will be official balls hosted by Obama as he takes up the presidency on his inauguration day on January 20.

They include invitation-only soirees for guests from different US regions and Obama's two home states of Illinois and Hawaii, members of the military, and young Americans, who were a key force in propelling him to his historic win on November 4.

And as part of his pledge to make his inauguration accessible to all Americans, Obama is also hosting a "neighborhood ball", offering cheap or free tickets to residents of Washington - his new neighborhood - and featuring technology that will link the festivities to other people's events.

Obama's transition team said the neighborhood ball broke with tradition, as past inaugural fetes have catered exclusively to a powerful, wealthy elite.

Tickets to the official balls are rare as pixie-dust, and those who are able to land one will have to work out what to wear and how to get to the dance without the aid of a fairy godmother to transform a pumpkin into a carriage.

"It's going to be almost impossible to get around the city that day unless you walk or take the metro, so a big, pouffy dress with a long train probably isn't a good idea," personal stylist Lana Orloff, who is busy helping several clients to clinch the right look for the big night, told AFP.

For events like the neighborhood ball, which is being held in Washington's Convention Center, Orloff said it would "be insane to wear a gown."

"There are going to be a gazillion people. Most, if not all, of them will be going to the ball by metro, and none of them are going to care about your shoes or your gown," she said.

"For events like that, especially with the economy the way it is now, you don't need to buy a new gown. You can get a three-quarter-length or cocktail dress in a sale - that's perfectly acceptable - and add some jewelry to brighten it up."

Talk show diva Oprah Winfrey has none of those worries and bought her inaugural gown before Obama had even clinched his historic victory in the presidential race, reports in the US media have said.

Winfrey will be bringing her popular talk show to Washington's Kennedy Center the day before the inauguration. Tickets to the show have sold out.

There was no official word on which balls Winfrey would be attending, but, being from Illinois, she could show up at the ball for Obama's home state.

She might also be planning to attend the chic Creative Coalition ball for which the cheapest tickets cost 10,000 dollars for a couple.

British rockers Elvis Costello and Sting will headline the entertainment at the Creative Coalition ball, and celebrity guests include Spike Lee and Susan Sarandon.

Visitors to Washington, who have not thought as far ahead as Winfrey, could always have last-minute evening wear made by US fashion designer Ralph Lauren, who will set up shop in the Mandarin Oriental hotel for inauguration goers.

"If a guest were to approach the Ralph Lauren folks and say 'I would like a Ralph Lauren gown', it wouldn't be a designer item - it would have to be an item that they offer in their collection - but they would be able to pick it out in the morning, have it altered, and it would be ready that night," hotel manager Erich Hosbach told AFP.

Others who leave things to the last minute but can't afford Ralph Lauren could always buy a tuxedo for 88 dollars from a factory outlet in Washington's neighbor to the west, Virginia.

"Everyone wants to dress up for Obama. It's very exciting, and at this price, they can afford it, too," Joe Samaha, manager of Sam's Factory Outlet told AFP.

George W. Bush's two inaugurations brought "a lot of big hair and cowboy boots" from his home state of Texas to Washington, an habitue of the capital's social scene told AFP, asking not to be named.

No one knows what the Obama inauguration will bring, but the biggest buzz surrounds what soon-to-be first lady Michelle Obama will wear.

"All eyes are going to be on Michelle, and we all cannot wait to find out what she is going to wear, which designer she has on," Orloff said.

"It's a little bit like going to a wedding - you don't want to outshine the bride - but whatever Michelle wears, no one will outshine her."

The Washington Examiner newspaper on Friday published a sketch of a purple evening gown by Tracy Reese, a New York-based designer with a story as Cinderella-esque as Michelle Obama's - both had humble, inner-city upbringings and have risen to the top of their fields.

The bare-arm, cinched waist top and flowing skirt gave "a hint of how designers believe she will dress," the paper said.

Reese's public relations team refused to comment on whether the Detroit-born designer had been contacted by the Obamas.