If You're Safe in NYC Right Now, Take This Opportunity to Be Cozy, Volunteer

It turns out there are remarkably few fashion angles to a hurricane story. Natural disasters have this annoying habit of putting things in perspective and summoning our hidden scruples: People lost their homes and lives last night; over six million people on the East Coast don't have power right now.

I'm just saying, I can't really bring myself to make fun of Robert Pattinson's new twelve-million-dollar contract with Dior fragrances for men. (Sorry, wait, can't stop: that's A LOT of money. I didn't know there were so many Twihards in the market for luxury men's fragrances.)

Anyway, I just wanted to ... you know, acknowledge the fact that a superstorm hit New Jersey last night and lots of people and places are struggling to cope with the damage. I hope you're safe and I hope that if you're safe, you're wearing the warmest, coziest socks you can find in your drawer and will join me in my pledge to spend the rest of the week in leggings. Wearing comfortable clothing and hanging out with your pets is the stuff of silver linings. 

If you can't curb the impulse to spend money while you're marooned (eek!) stuck in your apartment until the MTA resumes services a few days from now, skip American Apparel's truly indecent "☁ ☂ ϟ Hurricane Sandy Sale! ϟ ☂ ☁" and instead, donate $10 to the American Red Cross by texting "redcross" to the number 90999. 

Better yet, you could volunteer. The Red Cross is actively seeking volunteers and New York Cares is also coordinating Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. This is a good time to try to help.