What's the Deal with Effortless Style?

People who create content about fashion (myself included) use the term “Effortless” as if it is a thing to aspire to. 

9 Effortless Ways to Style Your Blazers This Spring - Vogue

16 Best Button-Down Shirts for Women to Master Effortless Dressing - Glamour

The 26 Best Crossbody Bags for Effortless Accessorizing - Harper’s Bazaar

Search Instagram or YouTube and you will find seemingly endless results for outfit ideas and how to’s.

But what’s all the fuss about looking Effortless really about? Is it something we should be aspiring to? And what does it even mean to look Effortless?

Ok, let’s take these one at a time.

What’s all the fuss about looking Effortless really about?

There are many ways to answer this question, but here’s my hot take.

Women live in a world of impossible dualities. (Bet you didn’t see that coming, huh?)

  • Have a body that meets the current beauty standards but don’t admit how much time you spend on your diet, exercise or skincare because it’s vain and embarrassing.

  • Work hard and climb the corporate ladder but don’t be too assertive or confident because everyone will call you a bitch.

  • Don’t age but don’t talk about your plastic surgery or get too much because it’s vain and embarrassing.

  • Project manage everything around you or it will all fall apart but don’t be too controlling.

The concept of Effortless dressing is just another one of these. You should look beautiful and put together at all times but it can’t seem like you tried hard because that’s vain and embarrassing. 

Is it something we should be aspiring to?

I say hell no!

The dirty secret is that a lot of people who look Effortless, actually put a lot of effort into achieving that look. Especially if they’re doing it for social media or any kind of publicity.

My question is – what’s wrong with putting effort into how you look? 

I spend a lot of time thinking about what to wear, how to put things together, what to buy, etc. Ok, yes, it’s my job, but I’ve always been like this. 

I think it’s cool to work hard on something and be proud of it. 

Do you need to tell every person you meet about how many pages of Google Shopping you scrolled to find the exact right black tank with the perfect square, but still a little round, neckline? Probably not.

But when someone compliments you on how perfectly that tank goes with your necklace, instead of saying “Oh yeah, I just threw it on” what if you said something like “It took some digging to find the perfect one but I think it was worth it!” Or, just spitballing here, what about a good, old-fashioned “Thank you!” instead of diminishing yourself and your hard work.

Discounting the work that goes into looking great is just another way to minimize ourselves. Let’s not do that. 

What does it even mean to look Effortless?

I recently spent an afternoon having a leisurely lunch and people watching with Mr. Wardrobe Editor and this topic came up. He asked me to explain how the fashion world uses the word Effortless. While I could not define it, I could very easily point out which passersby were, and were not, exuding Effortless style. After about an hour of this, I still couldn’t land on a definition but I was able to make a (non-exhaustive) list of things that constitute Effortless and those that, in my opinion, do not.

Effortless

  • Head to toe neutrals of varying shades

  • One piece in your outfit that doesn’t go with anything else

  • Baggy and/or distressed denim

  • Slightly worn in shoes and bags

  • Anything slightly oversized, untied, unbuckled or hanging off

  • No visible logos

  • A loose ponytail or low bun with uneven wisps framing the face

  • Baseball hats and beanies

Not Effortless 

  • Outfits comprised of only two or three colors, including the accessories

  • Clothes and accessories that all look brand new

  • Perfect bows – in hair, on clothes, in shoelaces, etc

  • More than one brand logo, bonus points for multiple logos of the same brand

  • Slicked back hair, perfect ponytail or top knot

  • Fedoras, cowboy hats, large brimmed sun hats, berets

Do you see what I’m getting at?

Effortless is a little messy, not perfectly coordinated, worn in but still looking great. It’s “I woke up like this” and “Oh, this ole thing?” energy.

Not Effortless is matching, polished clothing choices that feel intentional. It ranges from “I put some thought into my outfit” to “I meticulously thought about every detail of every item I’m wearing.” The latter usually applies to special event looks and celebrities, though I did once see a woman at a Thierry Mugler exhibit at Brooklyn Museum whose outfit was the epitome of this and she looked AMAZING. I’ll never forget her.

Some visual examples:

Effortless

 
Sienna Miller in a blue dress with a strap hanging off and yellow shoes.

Strap just slightly hanging off, yellow shoes that seem random but somehow also work.

Model in a blue button down with a black jacket draped over one shoulder.

Jacket half off, bra showing, necklaces akimbo, sleeves too long, random yellow socks…and yet, it works.

Model wearing a black leather jacket, red skirt and white tennis shoes with a red swoosh.

Athletic shoes paired with a fancy outfit shouldn’t work, but it does.

Not Effortless

 
Alexa Chung wearing a khaki suit with a black sweater and black sandals.

Khaki, black and gold – everywhere you look.

Naomi Harris wearing a pink dress with gold buttons, black bag with a face on it and black sandals.

Pink, black and gold from head to toe.

Model wearing a white jacket with black fringe, black tights, boots and gloves.

Black and white, perfect ponytail, flawlessly applied makeup.

So how should we think about Effortless dressing?

While it would be nice to be able to roll out of bed, throw on whatever you see and look great – that’s not realistic. Not everything you own goes together, nor should it. A wardrobe should represent the different versions that exist within each of us. 

Some days you may want to be a glamazon, rock a power suit or feel super polished when you’re trying to impress someone you’re intimidated by. Other days, a more thrown-together look with one or two fun details could make you the person other people are intimidated by. (Even though I’m sure you’re perfectly lovely.)

Each of the examples above and all of the fabulous women I see in NYC look great. 

The issue for me is really about the term and not the style itself. As I ranted above, the term Effortless implies that it’s important to look good without trying and that’s something no one can achieve on a regular basis. 

But the styles that encompass what this term has come to represent? 

A loose bun, low slung jeans and a perfectly rumpled yet chic button down? *Chef’s Kiss*

An outfit consisting of khaki, denim and olive green with a lightly worn handbag and unbuckled boots? Yes, please.

The style itself can be a part of anyone’s fashion arsenal.

It’s time to coin a new term for Effortless. Worn In Chic? Messy Modern? Intentional Sloppy?

I’ll keep noodling on this.

While I do that, next time you see someone who embodies Effortless style – ask yourself, is her button down unevenly front tucked just so by accident or did she watch 3 tutorials before she left the house? 

And regardless of which is true, should we care? (I say, no!)

 
Gab Saper