Help a charity, bid on EBay for a Christian Siriano or Lauren Conrad dress

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Let’s say you’ve got a lavish affair coming up, and you’re the arm candy. It would be a faux pas to steal the spotlight from the main attraction, so yours must be the right mix: elegant enough to make the coworkers and wanna-bes jealous, yet creative enough to get their attention. It must give a glimpse of deja vu: Where have I seen that dress before? Why didn’t my stylist show it to me? Then they’ll come to you, their legs shaking as they gain the courage to approach your ravishing beauty, their words barely a whisper from their lips when they utter those four fabled words you’ve longed to hear: ‘Who are you wearing?’

Yes, for an evening such as this, it would be best to offer a one-two-three punch: a bit of name recognition, a recycled item (how green of you!) and a display of what a do-gooder and supporter of the arts you are. For that, look to EBay. From Aug. 24 to Sept. 3, the online auctioneer opens the bidding on items such as the black Lauren Conrad-designed Emmy presenter gown pictured at top, and the flirty layered Christian Siriano-designed one at left, both of which were worn during the 60th annual Emmys last year. Proceeds benefit the Television Academy Foundation’s educational outreach programs, which offer seminars and scholarships and help preserve the Archive of American Television’s interviews with TV legends and innovators.

For more information and to sign up for an e-mail reminder, check out the Emmys Foundation’s EBay page.

-- Whitney Friedlander

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