Habitually Chic Weekend Picks to Beat the Heat

We've been having a never ending heat wave in New York and the forecast for tomorrow is 100 degrees! It's hard to look chic when you're sweating through your dress so here are a few options to beat the heat this weekend!

There is no cooler place than a movie theatre so take in a movie to cool off. I'm not excited by many of the films right now but Inception could be a good option. At the very least, you can ogle Leonardo DiCaprio and enjoy the free air conditioning for two hours!

I'm going to buy stock in Goody hair accessories soon if the heat doesn't subside. Every girl in New York has been wearing her hair up so take a page out of Olivia Palermo's book and throw it back in a messy bun. Hot boyfriend sold separately!

You could always just stay home in the air conditioning and shop online. Saturday at 11:00am EDT, designer and blogger Grant K. Gibson will be selling his treasures at the One Kings Lane Tastemaker Tag Sale. It's too hot to hit the flea market so buy Grant's vintage finds instead!

Better yet, take a taxi to The Metropolitan Museum of Art and see the Picasso exhibition before it ends on August 15, 2010. You'll be so cool you won't even care that the women have noses coming out of the sides of their heads!

Those of you who are lucky to escape the city heat in the Hamptons should visit the Hampton Designer Showhouse in Sag Harbor. The Gala Preview Party is Saturday, July 24th and it officially opens to the public on Sunday, July 25th. If you're still hot, you can ask them if you can take a dip in the pool! It's amazing!

Make sure you turn up the air conditioning on Sunday since it's the season premier of the hot hit show Mad Men at 10:00pm EDT on AMC. Until then, fix yourself a cocktail and read an amazing article on Vanity Fair online about the creator of the show Matthew Weiner and his ridiculous attention to detail when it comes to authenticity on set.

If all else fails, share your ice cream and go jump in some cool water!

Bon Weekend!

Top photo Clifford Coffin and bottom photo Arthur Elgort

Who Wears Short Shorts

I was working on a post about looking chic in shorts when I came across the photo above on The Sartorialist website. Of course, the photo was taken in Paris where everything looks chic but I love how pulled together she looks. The temperature is supposed to reach over 100 degrees today so looking and feeling cool will be a challenge but maybe shorts are the answer! Enjoy!

Olivia Palermo and hot boyfriend

Olivia Palermo is the queen of shorts!

Vivianna Volpicella

Gwyneth Paltrow

Rachel Bilson and Kate Moss

Jennifer Aniston

Miranda Kerr

Kate Bosworth

Leighton Meester aka Blair Waldorf

Chic in the Heat

"Sex appeal is fifty percent what you've got and fifty percent what people think you've got." - Sophia Loren

I love this photo of and quote by Sophia Loren. It's been so insufferably hot and humid in New York lately that I'm having trouble feeling chic. I wish I could wear a scarf on my head with as much confidence as Sophia but I'd probably end up looking like a milk maid. I'll guess I'll have to find another way to look chic in the heat! Keep cool and carry on!

Hot Town

We dream all winter for summer weather to arrive and then we complain about it when it does. But in our defense, it really has been hot and steamy in New York this week. I don't want to wish summer away but really I am looking forward to fall when I can wear chic outfits like these seen in Vogue recently. Of course, I probably like them even more since they were shot in Paris. Doesn't everything look better in Paris? Wonder what their weather is like this week.

Photos by Mario Testino

Favorite Things: Summer in the City Edition

Memorial Day always heralds the beginning of summer in the city even if the calendar still says spring. My office has already begun summer hours and the rising temperatures are necessitating a change of wardrobe and accessories so I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite things that help me get through summer in the city.

First up are dresses. The one above is from Vera Wang Lavender Label but any dress will do as long as it keeps you cool and comfortable. Just throw it on and run out the door and then smile smugly at all the men wilting in their suits. Looking good is the best revenge!

One minute you're sweating outside and the next you are freezing to death in an arctic office. My favorite solution is the summer weight cashmere cardigan from J. Crew. Pick a color, any color. Chances are they have it and the best part is that they are thin enough to stash in your bag when you go back outside.

I'm like a Magpie when it comes to shiny shoes and I have a special weakness for gold. They look great with tanned feet and Jack Rogers makes one of my favorite pairs. I consider them a classic and I love the fact that you can wear them every summer and not worry about them ever being out of fashion. They're definitely on the preppy side but I think the gold makes them a little more St. Tropez than Nantucket.

If you're going to wear a dress, you better make sure your legs are up to par. Everyone always asks me how my legs look so tan and I always admit my secret is Estee Lauder Go Bronze Tinted Self Tanner for the Body. The tint makes it easy to apply and the color looks very natural. But some people swear by Neutrogena and other Clarins so by all means figure out what works for you but just make sure you rub in and wash your hands. There is nothing worse than seeing badly applied self tanner streaks and orange palms.

We've already had one hazy, hot and humid day this week and my hair would have looked much worse were it not for Phytodefrisant. I love it so much that I buy the large economy size otherwise I'd look like Monica in Hawaii! There is nothing chic about frizzy hair.

I've already mentioned my summer perfume, Mimosa by Calypso, before but the deliciousness of this clean scent bears repeating. When everyone else is smelling not so fresh, you'll be smelling like you just stepped out of the shower. It's worth keeping a travel size in your bag for when you have to sit next to some Sweaty McPherson on the subway. You've been warned!

The very best part of summer for me is reading a lite book in the park or on the beach all day! I have a friend going through a divorce right now and she can attest that it's no party but the book, The Divorce Party, is getting great reviews. It's set in Montauk so even if you're stuck on the subway reading it, you can dream about being at the beach.

And if all else fails, you can always call in sick and go lay out in Central Park. Just make sure you wear sunscreen so you don't get caught!