Okay, we're not going to bore you with the obvious (crumbs on your décolleté, wedgies, buttons in the wrong hole, cords in the summer, stilettos in the snow), but we are going to clue you in on some of the more insidious, oh-so-unattractive everyday blunders that change us from looking smart and poised to unkempt and misguided.

• See-through outfits
• Belly bulge: The unsightly "muffin top"
• Underarm cleavage
• Too-long pants
• Scarecrow sleeves
• Sweat stains
• Bunched-up panties
• "Whale tails": Panties on parade

Wearing see-through garments at the wrong time

If you're not old enough to remember Barbra Streisand in her now-infamous see-through dress picking up her Oscar for Funny Girl, take heed and check your gauzy and flowing frocks in various lighting situations. If your "home base" is exposed, you'll be blushing all the way home! To the rescue: Wear an opaque nude-colored slip or body stocking under flowing, gauzy apparel.

Belly bulge

We were never good in physics class, but somewhere in high school we did learn this: Just because you can squeeze into a size 6, that doesn't mean you should! Wearing pants or skirts that are too tight at the waist will cause the flesh there to be squeezed, giving even the slimmest women a conspicuous belly bulge. To combat this dreaded phenomenon (also known as muffin top), make sure your waist area isn't tight, not even snug.

Underarm cleavage

You know what we're talking about. That soft flesh at the upper section of the torso ‑- right where the breasts slope next to the underarms ‑- can, if squeezed, protrude in an unwelcome way. To avoid this, make sure the arm holes of your tops are large enough and low enough in the garment, and get a bra that really fits. The key is to make sure your bra is the correct size around your back and that you adjust the straps so that the cups are low enough to settle over your breasts effortlessly.

Pants that get caught in your shoes

Pant hems that become wedged under the heels of your feet when you're wearing mules can make it look like you're sporting footsie pajamas. This happens because the pants aren't quite long enough to hang past the heel of the shoe. To prevent it, have your pants tailored to hang far enough (approximately 3/4 inch) down beyond your heel when sporting open-back shoes.