Style Note

In the late 1970s, Norma Kamali made a name for herself by recreating what it meant to dress casually. Her clever take on the everyday fabric of sweatshirts became a revolution within itself - the "ladies who lunch" were seen toting their Hermès Birkin's while donning soft, grey hip hugging pencil skirts made of the soft, unfussy fabric normally reserved only for Saturday morning breakfast.

Enter 2008. Sweatshirts have become a staple in every college student's wardrobe, and whether or not they are still fashionable remains an ever-present question in the minds of many voguettes. This season, YSL decided to do their take on sweatshirt dressing by sending out gorgeous pieces to an art gallery opening. The sweatshirts were elegant enough to wear, yet comfortable enough to know that you would never feel the need for Scotch guard for those last minute alterations. And though sweatshirt dressing has had its fair share of critique on and off the runway, one can only wonder how exactly to incorporate the "lazy luxe" trend, as Elle magazine calls it, to work for a number of occasions, in and out of the classroom.

Karen Nelson, of The New York Times, looked to stylist Aleksandra Woroniecka for some advice. "It's like a T-shirt or a pair of jeans - a good basic that you can dress up," Woroniecka said of the trend. Woroniecka recommends balance, which, as it seems, is key for this style to come out looking "just right."

Jeans and a sweatshirt can look frumpy on most days, but when paired with a sharply tailored boy's blazer from Brook's Brothers, and a frothy, layered necklace à la Erickson Beamon or Subversive Jewelry for Target, the outfit can end up having the perfect balance of chic and casual. But the sweatshirt itself must be chosen carefully. Hooded sweatshirts have plenty of mass appeal, especially on cold winter days, but the outfit looks cleanest with a crew neck cut - American Apparel makes versions that seem to have infiltrated into the closets of fashion editors and Brookers alike.

This trend is clearly not a new one. For years we have been trying to incorporate high and low fashion sense, and it is one's dream to be able to wear formal wear that actually looks and feels good. But this rejuvenated trend is the perfect answer to the layering effects that cold spring mornings and warm afternoons have inflicted upon us. It also answers our desire of being able to look good for class, yet not amazingly overdressed or formal. The sweatshirt can take you from your 9 a.m. coffee to your 8 p.m. post workout dinner. Just be forewarned that you should never try too hard with this style-casual luxury is best attained as you rush to the door, late for class, grabbing that favorite raglan and a scarf to match.