It's amazing how far you can get by showing a bit of skin. One of the oldest truths in the world (although I'm sure they put it somewhat differently 3000 years ago) is 'sex sells'. Or really, I suppose, more accurately, the suggestion of sex is what sells. Show too much, or the wrong bit of flesh, and you become prime gossip magazine fodder, and that's really not the most flattering form of publicity. Of course, there's a wide discrepancy between sexy, and just plain tarty. UK tabloid favourite Jodie Marsh falls squarely into the tarty category, and has done very well for herself out of it (I saw her house on MTV Cribs once during a bout of insomnia, surprisingly tasteful). The best example I can think of for working sexy in a classy way in order to further your career is Elizabeth Hurley. In 1994, the then largely unknown actress accompanied her then-boyfriend, Hugh Grant, to the London premiere of his file Four Weddings and a Funeral, and was wearing 'That Dress' as it came to be known.

Italians, are, notoriously, world-leaders in fashion. It's something in their blood, effortless elegance. Even outside of the great Italian fashion hubs of Milan, and more recently, Rome, a glance around the piazzas, restaurants, and streets of even a small town will generally indicate that Italians are forerunners of sophistication and style, the everyday adherent to fashion following the trends that suit them, highlighting their own strengths and concealing their flaws, while still impeccably groomed and their outfits perfectly put together.