Female sportswriters are a rare breed. Female sportswriters portrayed on television are an even rarer breed. But P.J. Franklin (Jordana Spiro) of "My Boys" is the perfect depiction of a former tomboy yearning to balance her feminine side with her rough and tumble, one-of-the-boys demeanor. She's sugar, she's spice, and she'll drink you under the table and pound you on poker night.

And while P.J. can wear a dress with the best of them, she tends to lean more toward tanks and halter tops -- especially if she's hanging with her boys.

When you think about it -- and that's what we get paid to do -- tank tops are an interesting mix of both feminine and masculine. Exposed shoulders and arms show off a girl's guns just like a guy's, but a tank's tendency to be tight in the chest area tells anyone with eyes that the wearer is all woman. (Wow, does anyone else notice the obnoxiously high level of alliteration this week?)

Halter tops are the female equivalent of the unfortunately named wife beater, except they come in a wide array of colors, fabrics and styles, as is the case with most women's clothing options, making at least some of them appropriate for virtually any occasion. There are halter tops perfect for a summer wedding, and there are halter tops perfect for drinking beer on the pontoon boat.

(For those of you struggling to decipher the difference between a tank top and a halter top -- a tank has straps while a halter top is just like a tank but with the straps tied around the neck.)

Costume designer Danielle Launzel ("Beverly Hills, 90210," "Six Feet Under") perfectly captures P.J.'s two opposing sides while recognizing what she looks best in. And if you venture to www.bluefly.com, one of our favorite fashion Web sites, then search women's sleeveless shirts and blouses, you'll be confronted by a bevy of fabulous tanks and halters that would fit P.J. -- and you -- to a T. One of them is a Ya-Ya taupe silk "Lanai" halter top made of crinkled silk chiffon and featuring a scoop neck with a floral mesh lace halter. The gathered front is flattering for most bust sizes and is perfect for a night on the town or in a pub after the Cubbies pull out a squeaker.

Another perfect choice for P.J. is in the tank top section of www.shirtsnob.com -- a Jersey Bella top in fern by Ingwa; Melero. Not for the faint of heart, this tank is low in the bodice and even lower in the back. It features a scoop neck, a keyhole at the bust and an empire waist all lined with cut-out embroidered trim. There's also the ever important ruching at the neck and a tie in the back. It's sexy, it's fun, it's a camisole, it's a tank. It's all things in one -- just like P.J. And it's a great look with jeans or a dressier bottom.