One of our lovely readers left a comment the other day asking a question:

I'm liking the nude pump deal I've been seeing all over the blogs. I'm just scared to wear them. I'm always afraid of nudes thinking they will wash me out but I LOVE the way the shoes look on other people. Any ideas on where to find an affordable pair and what to pair them with? Happy Shopping! Sara K.

Here's the deal, Sara. Nude pumps look great with everything. Honestly, they are the quickest way to make your legs look long and skinny. Check out the post I did a while ago after I picked up a pair. I hear what you're saying about getting washed out, but fear not. Continuing your leg into your foot only creates the illusion of length. Try them with a pencil skirt or even a pair of cropped pants. Just keep the colors around your face bright, and your skin will look great. I promise.

Check out the gams on Anne Hathaway, here. She's waving to her adoring fans, beckoning them to check out her legs, which start in Paris and end in China. (Unrelated: Anyone know where I can get a purse carrier man servant of my own?)

Then there's Emma Stone. Can't vouch for her skirt, which looks like it got caught in her belt while she was trying to flush the toilet with her foot and balance a cocktail, but there's no denying her shoes are great. That guy next to her (allegedly the director of Easy A) is all, "Eat your heart out, jocks who tortured me in high school. Get a load of these legs to my right."

And proving nude shoes can work on all skin tones, here's Glee hottie Amber Riley looking longer and leaner than ever before. She knows she looks good, too.

Now that we've convinced you to own a pair, here are a couple afforadable options:

Xhilaration Tacey ruffle platform sandals from Target, $19.99, which have a bit of fun metallic sheen. I have these in black and can testify that they are very, very comfortable.

Structured wood grain peep toe from Charlotte Russe. It says they're $40, but I've almost NEVER been to that store when they're not having some mega sale on shoes.

The Ryan, from Promiscuous (I don't know what they're trying to imply with that name), available at Zappos.com for $49. Shiny!

Feeling especially funky? Try the Golinda from Worthington, marked down from $70 to $39.99 at JCPenney.

Deal Diva Stephanie

Photos: Times files, Target, Charlotte Russe, Zappos, JCPenney