LOOKS FOR LESS: Lace Up Your LBD

Your to-do list makes Santa’s accounting of the naughty and nice look like a post-it. But despite all you need to do, there’s one thing on your checklist you won’t want to neglect: The search for the perfect holiday frock. To find one that stands out from the rest, take a lacey cue from recent runway shows where the charming detail appeared as a sexy addition to the classic LBD (little black dress). Red-carpet fashionistas such as Blake Lively and Thandie Newton love the sexy trend as well. The biggest challenge with lace: It’s easy to look dowdy in the Victorian era fabric. So make sure to find a dress that’s youthful and accents your figure, so you’ll look modern, not matronly under the mistletoe.

(From left to right: Christopher Kane, Stella McCartney, Collette Dinnigan)

Start your search with these hot finds:

Left: This strapless sweetheart dress is sexy, yet still appropriate for an office party or family gathering. The stretchy material hugs your curves in all the right places.
Nicole Miller, $385, available at neimanmarcus.com

Center: The sequined neckline adds a splash of glam to this feminine frock. For more coverage, pair this ¾ length sleeved tunic with leggings and structural heels.
Bloomingdale’s, $168, available at Bloomingdales.com

Right: This lacey, tiered number is flirty and perfect for dancing the night away, and the low backline shows just enough skin to keep your man’s attention on you.
Express, $128.00, available at Express.com

REVIEW: Bigfoot Mystery Revealed

The mid-80s gem Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others by The Smiths blared in my head. Nightmarish visions of John Waters’ Baltimore Footstomper (pictured in action, below left) haunted me. Somehow my right foot had somehow grown an entire shoe size.

This is more common than one would think. Podiatrist Arlene Hoffman says up to 60% of the population has mismatched feet. And my tootsies were now what “shoe swappers” would dub a 14/13 (the right shoe is always listed first, although in 80 percent of cases, the left foot’s bigger), but there was hope. The internet was rife with shoe swaps. Consider this:

1.Oneshoetwoshoe.net
While this website sounds like something out of Dr. Seuss, it’s much more practical. Maybe a bit too practical. Selections ran the gamut from running shoes to Birkenstocks. Let’s just say the “sensible” shoe set will be happy here. The Naturalizer “Prissy” pump was the only shoe we could find with an actual heel, but at $24.99 for each shoe, the pricing was competitive with other sites and often times even as much at $15 cheaper. Plus, shipping’s free.

2. Healthyshoestore.com/conditions-different-sized-feet.html
This is another site the Birkenstock set will love. Just wondering, are lesbians predisposed or just preoccupied with what was once dubbed “happy feet” by comedian Steve Martin? (There’s even an entire section on women’s golf shoes, need we say more?) But the clog section is fun, albeit a little expensive with clogs just south of $100. Still, with both a giraffe and hot pink plaid pair, you can’t say it ain’t fun. Not so fun? This site will only cough up free shipping if you spend $75 or more, but returns are free and easy.

3. Oddshoefinder.com
This site is kind of annoying. It requires a login and is more search-based than scrolling through pages of tiny thumbnail shoes (and really, is there anything closer to heaven than that?). This is the mother of all shoe swap sites and really created the market. So if you have a specific shoe in mind, you might want to take advantage of its search capability. A few of our searches turned up lots of Steve Madden and Kenneth Cole, but only one pair of Manolos. Then again, we are a size 14/13. Mens!