Ever heard the saying 'fake it til you make it'? Well, given the current financial sitch, our closet's mostly packed with discount designer duds (i.e. Marc Jacobs markdowns) and items that could almost pass for the real deal. And since not everyone grew up on a steady diet of Loehmann's and Filene's Basement, we thought we'd share some of our tricks of the trade and show you how to get the look for less! Starting with: Lauren Conrad's latest red carpet ensemble.

LC looked like a million bucks at last night's Samsung launch party, sizzlin' in an LBD (with sexy, ruffled skirt), a flowy black cardigan and playful peep-toe pumps. Natch, we'd love to steal the clothes right off her back, but since we're stuck on separate coasts, we went to Forever21.com instead and found these similar styles (we particularly heart the tiered spaghetti strap dress!).

The best part? All together, the dress, cardi AND heels come out to just under $80 (the priciest item, the three-quarter length sweater, is only $27.80). Which means you'll still have plenty of loot left over to splurge on LC's metallic green mani-pedi before showing off that toe cleavage! Just make sure your nails are 100% dry before you go patting yourself on the back...

We've seen a lotta heartbreak on The Hills over the years. And watching Brody give Kristin the heave-ho tonight got us thinking about what helped us through our real-life breakups. Since we can't messenger over a pre-worn Juicy sweatsuit (and a half-empty box of mint chocolate chip ice cream), we've decided to give K-Cav and the gang the next best thing: a breakup playlist! Check it out, and read on to find out the perfect sad/angry/emo song for all your romantic foibles!

Situation: Your best friend (and former roomie) just moved in with that guy you hate
Your mood: Bitter and judgmental
Your ideal song: Something know-it-ally and disapproving. Our pick: Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" followed by Justin Timberlake's ultimate karma-is-a-bitch song, "What Goes Around Comes Around" and Beyonce's TTYN ballad, "To The Left."
Recommended dosage: Constant repeat. What, it's not like there's anyone around to hear it? (SNIFF!)

Situation: Your ex is STILL a commitment-phobic jerkwad.
Your mood: Furious ... but kinda turned on?
Your ideal song: Something loud that plays into your anger issues, like Jazmine Sullivan's "Bust Your Windows" or The Ting Tings' "Shut Up And  Let Me Go." After about a week or so, you can fall back into your old ways with Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" and Sheryl Crow's "My Favorite Mistake."
Recommended dosage: Once an hour, or until you stop mistaking every greasy-haired motorcycle guy for your ex.

Situation: Your ex is already dating someone else
Your mood: Psychotically jealous
Your ideal song: Something scary intense and extremely self-righteous. Hands down, we gotta go with Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know," but feel free to sulk/plot your revenge with Kanye West's "Heartless," Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" and Paramore's "Misery Business"
Recommended dosage: Twice daily. Works best if you listen first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed. (Warning: Discontinue usage IMMEDIATELY if you start having not-so-family-friendly thoughts about Joey from Full House).

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MTV stars tweeted up a storm again this week! So we've taken the best of the best and dished them out for your personal enjoyment. Find out who Paris Hilton really loves, hear Heidi Pratt 'splain why she's the next Rihanna and learn why Stephanie Pratt was hiding under the covers after a night out with her Hillzies.

Not to sound like a total prude -- or, worse, our mom and dad! -- but when we first saw these pics of The Hills' Lauren Conrad (from last night's Maxim party), we actually wondered if she'd forgotten to wear pants. Then we checked out Stephanie Pratt and Lo Bosworth's frocks and realized not ONE of their glittery getups even reached mid-thigh!

Okay, so obvs, the girls look fab (we heart their shimmers and sparkles and ruffles!) but just LOOKING at these outfits gave us a mini panic attack. And as we imagined all the things that could go wrong (what if they dropped something? or took the stairs? what if they SAT DOWN?!) we started wondering whether this rapidly disappearing dress trend's finally getting out of hand.

Are you guys ready to lop another six inches off your fave designer dresses? Or do you prefer a (slightly) less leggy look? Take the poll and tell us how short is too short!

The second book of Lauren Conrad's L.A. Candy trilogy (Sweet Little Lies) isn't due out 'til February, but the HIllzie's already moved onto the final phase: the glitzy, "about the author" photo! Last night, LC took to her Twitter to tell fans she'd taken a fab pic, thanks in large part to the styling efforts of Gary Samuelian, a.k.a. one of the talented newbies on MTV's Styl'D. Now if only Gary could get that kinda love from the senior stylists at MMA ... (Yeah, we're lookin' at you, Julie Weiss!)

+ Get the latest L.A. Candy scoop, plus read Gary's post-show musings and see what other celebs are saying on That's What He/She Said.

First, she battled it out with Lauren Conrad over Stephen Colletti. Then, she waged war with Audrina Patridge over Justin Bobby. Now, she's pushing Jayde Nicole's buttons (and getting pushed around by Playmates) over Brody Jenner. So what's Kristin Cavallari's deal, anyway? Is she always picking the wrong men? Or is she just more interested in the chase (or, in her case, the catfight) than the dudes themselves?

Here's what we know: Kristin's got the head-turning looks, the fun-loving personality and the sexy, confident, swagga that guys go gaga over. And yet, somehow, she always seems to end up chasing after the one boy she can't actually have. So what's really going on here? Well, either K-Cav's a master of self-sabotage (i.e. she's attracted to all the wrong guys), or else she secretly lurves the drama that comes with moving in on another girl's turf.

+ Think you've got K-Cav all figured out? Take the poll and tell us whether you think the tough-talkin' Hillzie's got a thing for boys with baggage -- or guys with girlfriends!

In a juicy, no-holds-barred interview with the UK's Daily Mail, City girl Whitney Port explains what it's like to be a shy, "non-attention seeking person" starring on an MTV reality show. Among the topics du jour? Whit opens up about having "fat days," feeling out of place on The Hills and having a lingering obsession with Jay Lyon's music.

We've laid out our five favorite quotes below (including the part where Whit describes costar Olivia Palermo as "difficult, cold and aloof"), so read on to hear Whitney dish the dirt about being in the spotlight.

On getting overshadowed by her Hills costars:
"[W]hen I was on The Hills, there wasn’t a focus on me, I just got on with my day job. But I became genuine friends with Lauren [Conrad] and I got to know the gang – Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, etc – who were already well-known. But in terms of attention, I just wasn’t in their league."

On how she ended up with her own spinoff:
"I think [MTV] recognized that I am a neutral person, that they could base The City on me and I’d be the solid one, the one that people could relate to. And I gave them a disclaimer; I said, 'If you guys are looking for me to start the dramas, then I’m not that person.'"

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This past Friday, Lauren Conrad and Lo Bosworth buddied up for a fun-filled night in L.A, although you'd never know they were out together from lookin' at these paparazzi pix!

While both girls twittered up a storm from their side-by-side seats at the Lakers game, they walked the red carpet alone, stopping only for solo shots on their way into the Staples Center's Hyde lounge. Check out these pics of LC and Lo striking separate poses and tell us which bff had the best Friday night attire!

If you like Twitter and heart The Hills, you'll love our late Friday edition of the Hills Twitter roundup! After the jump, find out what's got Justin Bobby pre-programming his DVR, Lauren Conrad snickering under her breath and Lo Bosworth thinking 'bout exploring her sporty side.

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When Heidi told Spencer she wanted to have a birthday party this year (needy, needy!), all we could think was: 1) Will they invite Enzo? and 2) Where have we seen that nifty side-braid before? Well, turns out, this party was an adults-only affair -- good thing, too, given Audrina and Kristin's potty mouths -- and, after staring at Heidi's hair for a few secs, it finally hit us: that blink-and-you'll-miss-me braid is LC's trademark look!

+ Think Heidi's intentionally channeling her ex-BFF? Or are we just imagining the similarities? Take a look at these side-by-side pix then tell us whether Heidi's walking around with a lock of Lauren's hair!