What to buy? What to wear? What a conundrum.

Don't we all wish that sometimes we had the bucks to hire someone like uber stylist Rachel Zoe to give us advice for what to wear to the big holiday party? After all, that's what the real stars do like her clients Salma Hayek, Jennifer Garner, Cameron Diaz and Mischa Barton. She's with Mischa, on right, below.

Get some help or give some help to a friend with Zoe's first book, Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty, & Everything Glamour (Grand Central Publishing, $24.99). It's great stuff with some insight to what the stars go through at pre-Oscar fittings.

Love her advice. Here's her checklist for putting together a star-studded look for your holiday party:

1. Classic black dress
2. Nude or black patent pumps
3. Great gold cuff or bracelet
4. The right red lipstick
5. Fishnets and black tights
6. An all-season wrap or shrug

I just love this stuff. Don't you? Tell me what you think of celeb stylists? Love 'em or leave 'em?

XO XO -- C.V.S.

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