Spanx

Thanks to all things backless, strapless, sheer, and body-conscious, finding the right underthings in the Summer can be especially tricky. To ease your style woes, we've curated a shop featuring the best fashion solutions and shapewear from brands like Spanx and Victoria's Secret for all your skin-baring looks.

>> Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen and Spanx inventor Sarah Blakely are the only two names in fashion to land on Time's annual list of the world's 100 most influential people.

Burton famously designed the wedding dress Kate Middleton wore when she married Prince William last year, and has been running Alexander McQueen since its founder Lee McQueen committed suicide in 2010. In the entry accompanying Burton's name, Sarah Jessica Parker — a longtime McQueen supporter — celebrates Burton's dedication to her craft. "She thinks about women and art and stories, weaves her tale into the future of fashion," Parker writes. "On the runway she is inspired."

Journalist Katie Couric penned Blakely's entry, in which she jokingly points out that Blakely doesn't need to wear her own waist-slimming products. "Poor thing," Couric writes, "She was a size 2 when the idea hit her."

The list honors other fashionable women who aren't in the industry — Viola Davis, Claire Danes, Rihanna, Adele, Pippa Middleton, and Kate Middleton are all included. An increase to two fashion names on the list is an improvement over last year; in 2011, Tom Ford was the only designer on the Time 100.

But Time hasn't forgotten about the runway set. The magazine recently released a list of the world's 100 greatest fashion icons, which includes Anna Wintour, Naomi Campbell, Steven Meisel, and Coco Chanel, among others.

Photo: The finale of Alexander McQueen's Fall 2012 show.

Spanx is a word that most women are familiar with. It's a type of shapewear that helps to smooth away lumps and bumps and also leaves no trace of a panty line. The creator of this product, Sara Blakely, has been inducted to this year's Forbes billionaires list, which was released yesterday. Spanx, an international undergarment company, is worth an estimated $1 billion. Here are a couple of interesting facts about her from a Forbes feature:

• She learned how to write her own patent from reading a Barnes and Noble book and she saved $3,000 in legal costs.
• She worked at Disney World for three months and spent eight-hour days buckling customers into a ride.
• She's the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world.
• She has never spent money on advertising.
• She owns 100 percent of the company.
• She went from just having $5,000 in savings when she was 29 to owning a billion-dollar company at the age of 41 today.
• She has her eccentric moments, and her husband describes her as "50 percent Lucille Ball, 50 percent Einstein." Some of her goofiest moments include wearing a boot on one foot and a Christian Louboutin heel on the other in Bloomingdale's, and wearing stretchable candy necklaces and bracelets (bought from a nearby candy store) to the Screen Actors Guild Awards because she left her jewelry at the hotel.
• She witnessed a car run over her best friend when she was only 16, and facing mortality at such a young age has driven her. "I think that when you witness death at age 16, there's a sense of urgency about life," Blakely says. "The thought of my mortality — I think about it a lot. I find it motivating. It can be any time that your number's up."

Blame it on celebrities and their Spanx, Lady Gaga's corsets, or Mad Men—but shapewear is officially back as a wardrobe basic. Thankfully, Cynthia Rowley is designing a collection of body sculpting undergarments that don't look like your granny's girdles. Called Slim by Cynthia Rowley, the new collection of high-waisted bikinis, body-hugging slips, and minimizing bras are color-blocked in nude with turquoise or black with gray and look nothing like those other flesh-toned biker shorts. Slim by Cynthia Rowley will be in stores this summer and retail for $118 to $226.

Things are starting to heat up on Gossip Girl. This week, we see the romance between Vanessa and Dan unfold. Will it be a seamless transition from friends to lovers? For now, let's observe Vanessa's hot ensemb. Her Diane von Furstenberg Lele print dress — which, by the way, is on sale and available online — is undeniably hot. Swiss dot tights, metallic pumps, and a black bib necklace add the perfect funky "Vanessa touch."

Get the rest of this week's Gossip Girl outfits via CelebStyle.com.
Photo courtesy of the CW

I lean on TrèsSugar to keep me abreast of the latest trivia. She's a no-nonsense kind of gal, but she loves fashion as much as the next girl. She's gone a little J.Crazy with her Fall look, notice the layered necklaces and cool striped cardi.

Here's what she's wearing:

• Her cardigan is this J.Crew Forever Stripe V-neck Cardigan but it's sold out. Here's an alternative: Paul & Joe Sister Grey Ferdinan Striped Cardigan ($113)
• Wet Seal 28" Deep V-Neck Tee ($7)
• J.Crew Vintage Cord Co-ed Mini ($30, originally $50)
• J.Crew Skinny Patent-leather Belt ($30)
• SPANX Reversible Tight-End Tights Panty ($34)
• J.Crew Cadogan Leather Ankle Boots ($225)
• Her charm necklace is this J.Crew Jeweled Garland Necklace; alas, it is unavailable. This AE Charm Bow Necklace ($16) is a cutie.
• J.Crew Opera-length Pearl Necklace ($495)

Check out rundowns of all the Sugar girls' new Fall outfits!

I've heard friends say they're one of those things that are fun in theory, but dicey in reality. And don't plain black tights seem so . . . boring? Exhibit A: Diane Kruger at the ELLE Women in Hollywood awards. Even though her Balenciaga dress had a marbelized print, she opted for Swiss dot hose and a hot pink clutch. Sometimes more is more, and that means you shouldn't hesitate to whip out those striped, dotted, or zigzag tights you've been jonesing to wear. Patterned tights add depth, texture, and spunk to any ensemble.