Amidst the sea of size zeros flooding Hollywood, Ugly Betty star America Ferrera serves as a refreshing testament to the fact that you don’t need to be a stick to look amazing and pull off an array of styles. Whether she’s decked out in designer duds on the red carpet or keeping it fun and casual in a pair of jeans, America knows what she’s got and is finely in tune with how to show it off to perfection which is why she is this week’s date-night muse!

As if I haven’t said it enough, I heart Mad Men and am on the edge of my seat for this Sunday’s season two premiere. I especially love foxy redheaded Queen Bee of the secretaries, Joan Holloway. Her approach to getting ahead at work may not be ours (but then again, we don’t have to contend with 1960’s sexism!), but her style is hot. Embracing her womanly curves, the character always looks chic and well put together, and getting the look yourself, while staying modern, is actually pretty easy. Check out three options we put together, based on Joan’s fashion from last season, after the jump.

It may be a case of life imitating art, or maybe its art imitating life—either way blonde beauty Blake Lively has a man and wardrobe sparking envy from women everywhere both on-screen in the mega hit Gossip Girl as well as off. With boyfriend Penn Bagdley always by her side, Blake has been looking more radiant, confident, and gorgeous than ever. And thanks to many public appearances and tons of leaked Gossip Girl images, we’ve been treated to a vast array of date-night outfit inspiration. Here are three of my favorites, after the jump….

When it comes to color, electric purple is often a shade that gets overlooked despite being equally, if not more, sexy and flattering than the usual suspects like black and red. To help launch Sensuous, a new fragrance from Estee Lauder, the brand’s longtime spokesmodel, the gorgeous Liz Hurley, donned a killer form-fitted plunging v-neck cocktail dress. But you don’t have to be a supermodel to rock this bold color. A few months ago I veered away from my usual color scheme comprised of dark and neutral shades and wore an electric purple dress to a fashion event. The fashion risk paid off and the gorgeous bartender/model—because at fashion events, these labels are one and the same—complimented my color choice (and no, he was not gay), saying he’s always drawn to girls who go for such a shade because it radiates confidence and sex appeal.

Based on this tale, and how utterly phenomenal Liz Hurley looked in her purple frock, I’d say you’re insane not to give it a go and blaze an electrifying trail in this fierce color. To help you get the look, I’ve rounded up 5 dresses covering all price ranges,

Normally Kirsten Dunst gets on my last nerve, but I am loving this outfit. Softing shorty-short-shorts with a Paul Bunyon-esque plaid shirt and low wedges is a smooth move. There are three version of her look after the jump, for every size bank account, but you can also add additional accessorites, like a white tote bag and the latest copy of Rolling Stone with Barack Obama on the cover. Oh, and a lemonade.

Summer time opens the door for a myriad of new date-night destinations, mainly, the daytime, outdoors date. This scenario can sometimes pose a bit of a dilemma, one that I actually grappled with last Sunday. On the one hand, you want to look cute and make a lasting impression. On the other, you don’t want to be that girl strolling around in an ensemble that should never see the light of day and has everyone wondering if you’re embarking on a notorious walk of shame. To help you find the perfect day-date ensemble, I’ve looked to the queen of laid back, summer-cool, effortlessly chic style, Lauren Conrad. Lauren stepped out at the Celebrity Carnival in a summer white Foley + Corinna dress that was totally day-time appropriate with a subdued, understated sexy vibe.

If closets could speak, I think they would say a big thank you to Sienna Miller for rescuing them from a life of terminal boring-ness and providing them with a wealth of fabulous items. Thanks to her eclectic, avant-garde, anything-goes style, Sienna has cultivated a signature status as one of the world’s most celebrated style icons, one which she has kept firmly intact pretty much since the first time she ever graced a red carpet. That’s why I’m using her as my muse for this week’s Stylehiving, drawing inspiration from the super-chic ensemble she recently sported while promoting her new flick The Edge of Love during the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

All the talk surrounding Reese Witherspoon’s jet-setting outfit made us love it all the more, so we decided to compile how to get the look on every budget. Were it not 80 degrees outside today, we would totally be rocking her style right now.

Little Ms. Hilary Duff is all grown up, no longer lives at home, is making serious films, and befriending Scorpions. She’s also really coming into her own-style wise. The once adorable pop tart showed up at the 3rd Annual LOVEDAY Cartier Benefit in a striking, strapless blue Phillip Lim dress which she toughened up with a pair of vixen-esque gladiator pumps (we all know these are the end all, be all when it comes to trends at the moment). Hilary balanced the boldness of the dress and shoes by keeping the accessories minimal and unfussy—a chic, scalloped necklace, a cocktail ring, and a muted clutch—and in the end, she created a killer look that you can totally try out for your next big big night out.

Only a sexy mama like R&B singing sensation Rihanna could take an umbrella—an insignificant item that exists for pure practical purposes—and turn it into the sexiest must have accessory ever! What is the source of her immense appeal? Well just look at the girl! She’s not only gorgeous, she exudes fierce confidence and bold sex appeal no matter what she’s doing or what she’s wearing. For this week’s date-night edition, three of Ri Ri’s hottest looks to help you rock it like this stunner on your next big date.

Summer is in the air, a time of year to get in touch with your softer side—softer hairstyles (my favorite being soft, loose, beachy-waves), softer makeup, softer colors, and softer silhouettes. While my personal style is kind of on the edgy/eclectic side, I have a friend who seldom navigates away from flirty, ultra-femme styles. She rocks this look everywhere, from formal dates, to casual dates, from upscale bars to seedy, dive bars, this gal loves to embrace her femininity. This style is also a favorite of one of my favorite fashion trend-setters, Zooey Deschanel (one half of Frisky favorite, She & Him), who appropriately graces the cover of Lucky‘s July issue in a sweet floaty number, a style she’s loved for as long as she can remember.

Last week I provided date-night ensemble ideas inspired by images from Sex and the City and now that the day is finally here, I’ve decided to go into a bit more depth with fashion rules and guidelines inspired by TV’s most beloved fab foursome. For six seasons, these ladies taught us to adopt an ‘anything goes’ approach to fashion, among other things—though we still haven’t forgiven Patricia Field for those giant flower pins.

For six seasons, Sex and the City made it its mission to shape pretty much every aspect of our lives—the cocktails we drank, the ensembles we wore, the way we dished about sex, how we dealt with men, how many friends we had (you know you feel kinda like you’re living in your own little SATC world every time you’re out with four friends!), how we defined ourselves (I consider myself a “Carrie”, what about you?), and so much more. The SATC impact is so strong, it continued on unabated well after the series ended. May 30th is just around the corner, a date marking the much anticipated SATC movie premiere where we will all be reunited with our four favorite fictional gal pals. Once it hits, there is little doubt that this is all anyone will be talking about (well, the entire female population at least), and any garment even remotely resembling an item seen on the big screen will fly off the racks faster than you can say Manolo Blahnik.

Thanks to a little thing called “promotional pictures”, we can satiate out intense need for a SATC fix, plus get a head-start on replicating the signature styles of our favorite socialistas. Why not start by channeling your inner Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, or Charlotte on your next big date?

Part three in our series about The Hills’ girls’ style is Audrina Partridge. The most “rock ‘n’ roll” of the group, Audrina has a real knack for infusing even the most basic items with a edge, which she softens with feminine touches. She’s not afraid to play up her sexuality but always manages to stop short of being too overtly sexual.

Whitney Port, from The Hills, manages to infuse even the most daring items with sleek femininity and sophistication for a unique sense of style. Whitney loves to mix it up by playing with the unexpected and not being afraid to try a range of looks, from demure and dainty to scandalous and sexy. She’s a big fan of adding offbeat elements, like a rare vintage top or statement-making accessories; to showcase her utterly unique sense of style that is so effortless.

Week after week millions of viewers tune in for another gripping episode of pseudo reality series The Hills, oftentimes for reasons that they themselves don’t understand. Whether you love it or are fed up with all the hype and the never-ending Heidi vs Lauren feud, there’s no denying that this show is perhaps the guiltiest of guilty pleasures. While Lauren Conrad’s relationship track record is pretty bleak, her date-night ensemble choices have rendered her a bona fide fashion mini-icon. As long as you stay away from dating complete tools, borrowing a play or two from the LC fashion play book can really help you score big on your next date.

It seemed like it was never gonna happen, but spring is finally in the air! While some celebrate by partaking in any possible outdoor activity—long walks, picnics, sitting outside and reveling in the fact that such an act is no longer torturous—others, like yours truly, reach for their favorite warm-weather appropriate ensembles. Mine is comprised of a formula that is quite basic and yields solid results. Ready? Super short shorts, a cute top, and killer heels. This look is all about the legs, hence, all other areas of skin aside from your face should go into hiding—you gotta leave something to the imagination. I tend t think the top should also be relatively subdued, so no crazy patterns, embellishments, ruffles, and so on. The key here to keep it effortlessly sexy. A thin top, floaty blouse, or even a mildly sexy cami topped with a thin cardigan are all great ways to keep it mellow on top. My suggestions, after the jump!

To dress to impress on a date, one must first possess a firm understanding of what guys find sexiest on their ladies. And there is no better way to acquire such knowledge than to hear it straight from the fellas themselves. So far, you’ve seen my take, opinions from ‘regular guys,’ and tips I acquired on the matter from Tyson Beckford and some of his underlings on the Bravo series Make Me A Supermodel. For this week’s post, I’ve decided to take it up a notch and went through all of my celebrity interviews to see if there was anything I could work with.

I’ll admit that my understanding of the inner workings of the male mind is sort of limited. However, that doesn’t mean you should discard the suggestions I provide in my weekly date-night articles because let me tell you, I do my homework. In addition to soliciting tips and probing the minds of every one of my guy friends, their friends, and pretty much every dude that crosses my path, I also make sure to ask every male celebrity for his take on what makes a girl look sexy and what they like to see their ladies wearing on a date. Sure I have to deal with the fact that they usually interpret this as me hitting on them, but it’s all in the name of research!

I don’t know how many of you watched the show Make Me A Supermodel. I was given the chance to interview all the cast-offs plus the show’s co-host, Tyson Beckford, and made sure to find out what gets their pulses racing a little faster. Let’s see what they had to say, shall we?