On gravel even...what a badass!There’s something instantaneously empowering and uplifting about sliding into a pair of stilettos. Flats are cute. Sneakers are hot. And may the good Lord rain a heap of special blessings upon the comfort-minded geniuses who invented flip-flops. But nothing but nothing accentuates our natural, inborn, get ‘em girl sex appeal like a pair of sky-high skinnies. Slide a foot into them and they offer up an effortless boost of confidence and, unless you haven’t yet mastered the balancing act of remaining vertically upright and walking in them, a stroll that commands attention.

I am admittedly a shoe fiend. I love them across the gamut—except Crocs, clogs, and Uggs or any knockoff derivative thereof—but my heart percolates over heels. And guys love us in stilettos, which I don’t mind because I love stilettos, too. For different reasons, of course. 

How awesome is it that more and more women are hopping on the whole wearing flats instead of heels bandwagon? Don't get me wrong -- heels are absolutely adorable and make our legs look amazing. But blisters and sore feet are kind of a high price to pay for looking fashionable.

Granted, there are quite a few gals who have figured out of the secret of how to walk in heels without wanting to cry after 10 minutes, but for those of us who can't master stilettos to save our lives, this new flats-are-sexy trend is like a breath of fresh air. It's also a huge win for moms in particular. Let's face it, not all of us are able to pull a Victoria Beckham and successfully carry a baby without dropping her while wearing 6-inch-high strappy sandals.

Aside from flat shoes being more comfortable and easy to walk in, a new study suggests that wearing flats is better for the health of your leg muscles, and that heels may actually make you more prone to injuries. 

Sofia Vergara is being hailed yet again for her amazing curves now that she's been named the hottest woman of 2012 by AskMen.com.

The 39-year-old mom and Modern Family actress landed at the top of a list featuring some incredibly high-profile names, including Miranda Kerr, Kate Upton, Rooney Mara, and Kim Kardashian. But despite such stiff competition from those younger stars, few would be surprised that men find Sofia totally hot. What guy wouldn't drool over that voluptuous body?

So while there's no doubt that Sofia's sexy figure helped win her the most votes, she also has a secret weapon for looking her best and exuding the confidence needed to be crowned queen of all hotties.

Courtney Stodden gives us some great teachable moments. The 17-year-old teen bride who married that creepy old actor, Doug Hutchison, is becoming an excellent source for what not to wear round-ups. First there was her pumpkin pin-up look, and now there's this. Over the weekend, Courtney and Doug were photographed walking into an L.A. church. Yes, church. And that's our girl in a black dress so revealing that it made Jesus blush and metallic gold stripper heels so over-the-top that when she walked by, church-goers dropped to their knees and begged for salvation.

Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, and forgive Courtney Stodden, for she knows not what she does.

The Stir head honcho Tracy Odell gets to live the dream this Monday and attend a meeting at the White House with none other than Michelle Obama herself!

And Now Tracy wants to know the same thing any woman would be wondering before coming face to face with the stylish Mrs. O:  What to wear?

I've got a few ideas after the jump!

The 63rd Annual Emmy Awards have come and gone, and the only thing more abundant than laughs during Sunday night's show was the color red. From Lea Michele in Marchesa and Kate Winslet in Elie Saab to Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev in Donna Karan, I wasn't just seeing a whole lot of red, I was LOVING IT. Did you get a glimpse of Sofia Vergara's curvalicious Vera Wang dress?! I die! If only I had some fancy-schmancy gala dinner to go to.

What I really love about all these ladies in red is that they have different skin tones, body shapes, and hairstyles, but the color looked fab on 'em all. Could red be the new black?! Seems to me like after last night, it's at least going to be the "it" color this season, which means it's time to stock up! Check out these 8 great red dresses for fall:

Having lived in South Carolina for a few years, I've seen and reported on my share of hurricanes.

So I know what many of you along the east coast are going through right now. Hopefully, you are safely inland. But many of you will still be dealing with power outages, evacuation and stircraziness.

How can you make this situation slightly more bearable?

With a cute raincoat, of course! And boots! And an umbrella!

In honor of Hurricane Irene, I present to you a few of my favorite rain accessories to keep you (sort of) dry in the wet, blustery weather.

First off, I'm loving this classic trench (ASOS, $100.62) in orange. This will definitely make you a standout when you emerge from your quarters in search of milk.

Want to see more cute rain gear?

Read on!

So by now, we're all aware that things are slightly no bueno down on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost more than 600 points yesterday. The stock exchange is in a frenzy. I definitely overheard a distressed businessman screaming to a colleague about his children's college funds when I got on the train last night.

Is it scary? Of course. But you know what's even creepier? The fact that we could have seen this coming. One blogger recently wrote about an old wives' tale that says we can predict the trajectory of the stock market according to the length of women's skirts in fashion that season. Long skirts mean the market's about to plunge. Short skirts are a sign that it's going to shoot skyward. And, gasp, looking at designer after designer, she's totally right! Long skirts are everywhere right now!