Happy Fashion week!

Notes On: Effortless Fashion

It's usually a safe bet that any look deemed 'effortless' is anything but. Take for instance that perfectly destroyed Balmain t-shirt gracing the pages of every known fashion issue (see Daria at left). After a wasted hour of going at, and completely ruining, my favorite Marc by Marc tee with a scissors and cheese grater, I can tell you that this particularly disheveled look is far from effortless. And unless you've been blessed with a mane like our model, Rachel, that breezy Wang braid is nearly impossible.

Lately, my schedule has been so packed with travel, fall market, dinner parties, fundraisers, meetings, photo shoots, collaborations and a rather intense remodeling project, I haven't even had time to tweet. Clearly that leaves zero time for creating inventive, or even interesting, looks from the emerging piles of clothing lying on my floor. In order to survive the rest of this daunting winter, I need a few go-to looks that really actually require only tiny amounts of effort.

Here are the pieces I consider to be relatively effortless and are currently being worn in heavy rotation:

ACNE Blackout Dress: So easy to put on over tights. I put a belt with it for meetings.

Charlotte Ronson High Waisted Shorts: I swear they really are effortless. They're enough of a show piece themselves, so tights and any top complete the outfit. I like to tuck in a white t-shirt if I'm going out, but they also look cute dressed up with an embellished tank.

Filippa K Long Slip Tank: It's long enough to wear alone with tights. So, I have them in a variety of colors. I always wear one over tights, and then just throw any cardigan, sweater, or jacket over it to complete the look.

Kerrigan Richard Jacket: I steal this out of my sister's closet to dress up my favorite t-shirts or to make my tank dresses wearable in the winter.

Temperley London Honeycomb Sweater: This is my all time favorite piece. I own it in 3 different lengths and colors.

Notes On: Hats

The hat is a fickle garment. It can just as easily ruin an outfit as it can make one. It can define your mood, your personality or even your job. There are rules about hats at dinner or during the National Anthem. Hats can be iconic like Faye's beret in Bonnie&Clyde or Harrison's hat in Indiana Jones. Hats can even affect one's level of attractiveness. I once dated a boy whom I was only attracted to when he was wearing a backwards baseball cap. I can't think of any other accessory that affects the wearer (or the gawker) quite as much.

Other than a brief cowboy hat phase in the fourth grade, I have never considered myself to be a "hat person." But that hasn't stopped me from being fascinated by them. It's a mystery to me that something so simple can instantly cause a specific reaction or behavior. For instance, yesterday I put on a Temperley cable knit beret that was given to me years ago. I asked my sister if I looked stupid in it and her reply was, "No, you look totally Parisian!" I was beyond ecstatic. I immediately went out for a tiny cup of coffee and had to stop myself from purchasing a pack of Parliament Lights just so I could carry around cigs all day.

Whether you're a hat person or not, there's actually a pretty fantastic selection out there for Fall/Winter 2009. My picks are:

Nobis Madison Hat $50 available at Atticus Shop

Nobis Isabella Hat $135 (Atticus re-order expected soon!)

Nobis Lucifer Hat $39 available at Atticus Shop

Eugenia Kim Woomi Earflap cap $188 available at Shopbop

Canada Goose Aviator Hat $145 available at Context Clothing

Your Favorites: October