The Style Insider could stand to gain from a few fashion resolutions. Despite our sage advice for you, we’re as bad as everyone about adding new wardrobe items, getting rid of things we’ll never wear, ‘fessing up to what fits and what doesn’t, what looks good and what doesn’t.  

Thus, our collective brain trust has come up with 10 resolutions for 2009. Perhaps some apply to you: 

1. Act as if we are French. The French have it nailed when it comes to wardrobe and style (see the lovely French woman above?). A

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What? Santa didn’t bring what you really wanted? 

Then go get it for yourself. This is important: If you are going to make one winter investment it must be a sturdy, gorgeous pair of booties.

Whether you chose black, purple, red or white, they are the best way to dress down a fancy outfit or spice up a pair of jeans. We know we can’t all afford the gorgeous Manolos and Jimmy Choos, but they are still fun to look at for inspiration. 

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Basically, there are two ways to show up at a New Year’s Eve party: One is wearing the safe look (as in black dress, black tights, black pumps).

The second is to be amazing. Needless to say, we prefer you go for the latter. The only way to pull that off is with a pair of strut-your-stuff, fantastic shoes they’ll buzz about long after you stroll out the door.

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True story: We once knew a mother who made her children get dressed, have their hair brushed and even eat breakfast before they could see what Santa brought on Christmas morning. We like this family otherwise, but this made an impression that we have not been able to shake.

Thus, here is our detailed Christmas morning routine: We get coffee, and we put on slippers. Amen.

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Shoes for shopping are a complicated issue. We need to walk a lot, so they need to be flat, or nearly so. We want them to be comfortable - blisters are not on our Christmas list - but we don’t want them to be slouchy. And, fa la la la la, they must be cute, or what is the point?

Kate Spade’s Gwenda flat sets the perfect example, all soft and suede in fuschia and orange, just right for trolling the mall. Yes, you’re right, in these colors they’ll see you coming. And they’ll want your shoes. At Nordstrom ($248, pictured at the top, above).

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Have you seen the commercial where it’s raining shoes? A woman is driving to work and all of a sudden there’s an absolute shoe downpour? She gets out, grabs a couple hundred shoes, throws them in the back of her car, gives the world a confident head toss and gets back in?

What is that commercial advertising? We don’t know, we can’t stop looking at the raining shoes. Thus, we offer our blog version: we’re raining shoes upon shoes upon shoes down on your head. Sadly, they’re not as free as rain. But you’ll still feel that head toss when we’re through.

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Ahh, remember the good old days, when ballerina flats and low wedges were in style? Tory Burch ruled the roost and we all walked comfortably.

Wear ‘em while you got ‘em, cause spring ‘09 is going to be one of the most towering, teetering, terrifying shoe seasons on record if the samples on the runways are any indication. Every designer trotted out sky-high strappy sandals and ankle-wrapped stilettos and wedges on the runways, much to the dismay of several models - who fell flat on their faces trying to maneuver in the monsters.

Photos: Top left, Alexander McQueen; top right, Bottega Veneta; bottom left, Christian Dior; bottom right, Dolce and Gabbana, all from Style.com

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