Before you assume you can’t wear white denim, consider these tricks. I’m not a size zero or two—far from it—and blanco jeans don’t look tragic on me.

• Buy a half size or a full size bigger. When they’re white, tight jeans flatter no one. Avoid the sausage leg look—no one is looking at your size tag. I’m a fan of the J.Crew cropped matchstick jeans with platform heels. [$85, J.Crew]
• You can go cheap—but try them on first. The cheaper the jean, the thinner the jean. With regular wash, thin is fine—but with white denim you can see everything. No one needs to see cellulite through your jeans. I have an old Gap pair that are super thick and cost me less than $60, and I love Lucky bootlegs. [$99, Lucky Brand]

Here’s Edie Beale in the original “Grey Gardens,” describing her “best costume for the day,” an insane combo of pantyhose and safety pins. Best costume, indeed.

The fashion expert claims, “I don’t like women in skirts…you understand.” We understand she means a plain old skirt. But a skirt fashioned out of a turtleneck or cardigan—now that’s another story, darling.

After the jump, the essentials of how to get Edie’s pantyhose-over-pants-under-skirt look. Note: You must pair with major attitude.

Breaking up is never a pleasant experience. The relationship moves from “You are awesome, let’s spend oodles of time together,” to “Actually, I’m not very fond of you, let’s never see each other again.” Tears fall, fists fly, hurtful things are said—and that’s when a breakup goes well. One of the most important things to decide when breaking up is where it will happen. The right place can help a break up go smoothly. The wrong place and you can wind up crying alone on the side of the New Jersey Turnpike. Not that that’s ever happened to me. In general, you’re looking for neutral territory, a transient place that will not hold the memory of your breakup. Here are four places to avoid and four places to go to have the dreaded breakup conversation.

Valentine’s Day sucks for single people.  Yeah, that’s what your disgustingly cute couple friends think, but they’ve got their heads too far up each others’ butts that night to look around and see how many people are out, single and ready to mingle! Unless you’re a sappy saint, getting laid on V-Day is like buying candy from the drug store. You can get whatever you like cheap and easy!  So miss, don’t get sour, go out and eat someone sweet. Here’s how to really feel screwed on the Hallmark holiday….

So you can finally afford an “It” bag (though you loathe the term), a vacation to another continent, and a couch that doesn’t require assembly. So why pray tell do you still have that sappy Klimt poster hanging over your bed? It’s time to outfit your pad with some REAL art. I’m not suggesting you hit Christie’s just yet. But somewhere between Damien Hirst and DIY-nude’s is a bounty of gorgeous pieces perfect for poshifying your home. Read on to find works at every price point..

Whenever I get on Facebook I feel depressed. I seem to spend most of my time untagging myself in pictures so my third grade boyfriend doesn’t see me looking like I have four chins and a lazy eye. To make matters worse, it seems everybody else is beautiful, photogenic and having The Best Time Ever. Given that I’m generally having a decent time and am at least moderately attractive, I believe the problem is the pictures.

Upon closer examination, most photogenic people (by that I mean anyone under 25) have a sort of signature look, the pose they do in every picture—whether it’s on The Great Wall or at their grandmother’s house—that they know makes them look fabulous.

I have no look. I have tried to create one, but I just end up looking pained. I figure it’s time to go the experts…

So this morning, I picked up my laundry from the dry cleaners and the bill: $299.58. I’m not kidding. Granted, 1) my lazy-ass boyfriend was in charge and took every article of clothing he owns, and 2) I just moved to the tony Upper East Side of NYC, where dry cleaning a dress costs $18. You can buy a cute dress for $18. I was ready to buy a washboard and head to the East River with my laundry basket, when I discovered there are actually many clever ways to save money on dry cleaning…

No matter how charmed (or challenging) life can be, the new year always seems to startle us into finding ways to make it better. Remember that trying to make too many changes at once may be so overwhelming that we quit before even getting started. But choosing one really important goal is doable, right? What is a must for you in 2009? Maybe you want to find a new love. Maybe your goal is a leaner, stronger body. Or, maybe your inner fashionista is calling for a new curly hairstyle, revamped wardrobe or makeup makeover. Whatever you choose, making it happen will take a little soul-bearing honesty and a lot of action. Here are a few ways we can all get started on our resolutions as we ring in the new year. And keep them.

Just because you lead a busy life that doesn’t mean you should put “have sex with significant other” in your PDA! If you want to keep your sex life spontaneous, you need to begin to see even the most mundane activities of your day in a more sensual context. Remember, what’s really sexy is not always being available, but when two people lead independent, exciting lives. Follow these suggestions and you’ll keep sparking each other for years to come.

“Why won’t he commit?”

“Get your man to say ‘I do!’”

“Why don’t guys call when they say they will?”

Peruse any magazine rack and various Web sites and you’ll see headlines such as these splattered all over. Inside you’ll read article upon article about how women can decode, seduce, corral, turn on, and coerce men.

The first thing anyone asks a battered woman is, “why did you put up with that?” Domestic violence is the only crime I can think of—well, besides rape—where the victim is treated as complicit in her own abuse.

This is why I rarely talk about my two-year relationship with a batterer. I wasn’t a housewife with no resources, I was a teenager and he was my first boyfriend. He beat me, raped me and stalked me. After I escaped, it was years before I told anyone what I’d been through because I was so ashamed. I still avoid the topic with those close to me.

What people don’t understand is that abusers don’t generally punch you in the face on the first date. If they did, nobody would ever go out with them twice. But there are some early warning signs—and as much as you might hate to admit it to yourself, the fact is, even a strong, smart, independent woman can find herself on the wrong end of the fist. Here are some behaviors to watch out for…

Getting laid on New Year’s Eve is like shooting fish in a barrel…a barrel full of alcohol. So, if you want to put the lick in liquor this New Year’s Eve, here are our tips for getting frisky…

1. Slut It Up: This is the one holiday you can truly strut around in your slinkiest cocktail attire!  Bust out of your dress and throw on those “do me pumps”—the fancier the better. My girl friend Megs wore a Gautier sequin top last year and down the front was a sexy lace cut out.  Racy for her normal corporate job, but on New Year’s, that mutha was turned out! And the difference from her usual look got her a lot of added attention.

TIP: Wear something you feel confident in. Nothing kills your sex appeal quite like giving off an awkward vibe. You don’t want to look like you’re rocking heels for the first time. Put on an outfit you can get festively drunk in that takes your personality to the max! 

If 2008 has been any indication, expect quite a few of us to start working from home in 2009. From an increase in telecommuting jobs to taking on blogging gigs and freelance work to make ends meet, more and more of us will be earning our keep from the comfort of our own homes. It’s a great setup if you can get it, but it holds the danger of being a little lonely; for some, the prospect of spending their lives working in pajamas with dust bunnies their sole source of company threatens their sanity. After the jump, 18 tips to keep sane and help you maintain a healthy work/life balance when clocking in from home.

Every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings. So it’s your civic duty to get someone to ring your bell on Christmas! Hooking up on the holiday is one part finesse, one part alcohol, and one part restraining yourself from stuffing your face. But it is possible to make babies on Jesus’ B-Day, no matter your religion. Here’s how you can be naughty on Christmas Eve and Day…

There’s nothing wrong with vowing to lose weight or quit smoking, but as far as most New Year’s resolutions go, they’re a bit tired and uninspired, don’t you think? For your health and happiness, by all means put down the cigarettes and pick up some hand-weights, but in the interest of personal growth and feeling more connected to the world around you, I suggest you adopt these six resolutions in the new year, too.

It’s Christmas Eve. Dinner is ready, the house is decorated, and the lights are aglow with holiday magic. You are about to relax in the recliner with some eggnog and watch “A Christmas Story” when you get a call from your brother. He has decided to bring his new girlfriend and he forgot to get her a present—would you mind? Or maybe you are heading out to a party and realize you forgot to get the host a gift. Maybe things have been so crazy, you forgot you have three nephews, not two. Whatever the reason, you need a gift, you need it now, and all that’s open is Walgreen’s, Bob’s Liquor, and Safeway. Take a deep breath, down the eggnog, and grab your keys. You’ve heard of last-minute gifts? Here are some last last-minute gifts that don’t seem so, well, last minute.

I’m still adjusting to single life since my breakup, but I’m making a lot of progress, and it’s gotten me thinking about what kind of person I want to be with in the future. For most of my life, instead of approaching relationships with a checklist, I was flattered someone—anyone—was interested in me, and I didn’t stop to question whether we had much in common. In some ways, my ex was perfect for me, but in others we weren’t so compatible. Both the good and the bad taught me about what I want next time.

Not long ago, I had a boyfriend. Now, I’m single. Again. I’d been feeling like my relationship wasn’t working for a while, but that hasn’t made the breakup any easier. I miss my ex, but even more, I miss the idea of us having a future together. At the same time, I’m getting into the idea of being single, and trying to embrace that rather than rushing to find someone to replace him. (There are few people I’ve had my eye on.) I’m reminded of “Single Girl” by Lush. It starts with “Single girl/who would want to be a single girl?” and ends with “I’m so happy I’m a single girl.” In the interest of focusing on the latter rather than the former, here are the top 10 reasons I’m happy to be single.

You know what you ought to do before you turn 30 (1, 2, 3, 4), but what do you do afterward? Believe it or not, life doesn’t magically come into focus the second that you’re no longer 20-something. Creating the life you want in your 30’s takes work. To make the transition into your new decade as smooth as possible, here are a few tips for navigating those first 30 days.