Sandra Lee Rewears — and Restyles — CMAs Look for Big Night Out: Photos (Exclusive) ...Saudi Arabia

Sandra Lee is taking Parade behind the scenes of getting ready for her big night at the Women Making History Awards Gala.

"It's a gala, and it's in the evening. It has to be something formal," Lee, 58, exclusively tells Parade of how she decided on her look. "Not too sexy. It's a women's event. Don't wear too sexy at a women's event."

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Lee tells Parade that she ultimately decided on wearing a dress she wore to the CMAs years ago; however, she restyled the long gown into a cocktail dress for the big occasion. (See how the dress looks before and after below.)

Courtesy of Sandra Lee

Courtesy of Sandra Lee

"I just lost 25 pounds. I have to try things on and really commit to what I'm wearing," she adds.

The event, which took place on Thursday, March 20, at The Anthem in Washington D.C., honors women who have "made major contributions to their fields, worked for equality, and championed women’s representation." Lee herself was honored in 2019, and this year's honorees include Sara Blakely, Dr. Opal Lee, Shirley Ryan and brand Mattel.

"There's a lot of women that are honored this year, but we have some really special things this year," Lee, who serves as host of Netflix's Blue Ribbon Baking Championship and Roku's Dinner Budget Showdown, tells Parade. "Dr. Opal Lee, [she wrote] Juneteenth: A Children's Story Special Edition. And Meryl Streep is actually the gala chair this year. I haven't been back since I received it in 2019, so it's really exciting. When I started the UNICEF board in Los Angeles with my two girlfriends, Mattel was one of our first honorees. So to have them there, it's gonna be a really great event. All the women they honor every single year are amazing."

Courtesy of Sandra Lee

Lee, who is coming up on the anniversary of being cancer-free this May, continues: "It's so distinguished who has received this award, and I didn't even realize. They notified me that I was going to receive it, so I obviously went to Washington, D.C., in 2019, and I was just blown away by what they stand for, who they honor, their point of view on mentorship and really facilitating and uplifting and insulating the next generation."

The Emmy winner goes on to tell Parade she feels that continuing to lift up the next generation is a responsibility she takes seriously as she gets older — especially during Women's History Month in March.

"That's something that Julia Child does. That's something Martha Stewart does," Lee explains. "In fact, when I put together the Julia Child exhibit at the Smithsonian, I was one of 50, I believe, that was chosen as the most impactful in the culinary arts in the last 50 years. So my picture hangs there at the Smithsonian."

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Lee goes on to tell Parade that she's proud of that accomplishment, noting that she's also proud to be "part of a collaborative group that really tries their very hardest to work hard every day to not only set an example, but to contribute in every single way that they can."

Lee, who sits on the White House Historical Association National Council, also tells Parade all about her plans while she's in the D.C. area.

"I have a board committee, and I will be visiting our new museum, which just opened up in the last few months, so that's very exciting," she says. "And of course, I'll be going by the World Food Program offices. I sit on the board of the World Food Program, and so I would like to swing by there, but other than that, I'll be coming back to New York for a little bit of work."

In addition to her continued advocacy, Lee is one of the world’s most popular home-life personalities, with 27 bestselling books and more than a dozen highly rated programs broadcast on ABC, NBC, Fox, HBO and Discovery’s network of channels, airing in 63 countries worldwide. 

Related: Sandra Lee Documentary Rx: Early Detection Follows the Food Network Chef's Breast Cancer Journey

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