We all know and praise the iconic Hermes Birkin bag — the symbol of utmost poise and status in our modern society. But what makes the Birkin bag ever so special is the origin of its nature — Miss Jane Birkin. After all, a bag as sacred as the Birkin bag must have some hidden layers to its allure.

In a word, Jane Birkin is the human embodiment of whimsy — a shining ray of sunshine that lives through images left behind for us to gaze upon. While I can’t say I knew her personally, her lightness lives on in more ways than just the luxurious namesake bag.

I find Jane so utterly fascinating because though her name is plastered across Hermes’ entire brand identity, she remains somewhat of a mysterious soul. Her life resembles a life of joy and passion, which transferred over to her innate sense of style we have seen replicated even today.

Birkin was a long-time “It Girl” before the Birkin bag came into its true form. Carrying a simple wicker basket as an everyday purse, Birkin caught the attention of Jean-Louis Dumas, the CEO of Hermes in 1983. The rest was history.

You may be thinking — the Birkin bag is not a new topic, nor is Jane Birkin, why on earth do you feel the need to deep dive this subject, Kate? Fantastic question, and one that I will answer.

Jane Birkin sadly passed away almost a year ago this time, leaving her legacy with the Birkin bag’s iconic essence and gracing us with her effortless style scattered throughout various images of her during the 60’s and 70’s.

Even though Jane is no longer with us, her presence on nearly every form of social media is still quite strong. At least once or twice a day, I come across either a video where someone “Birkin-fies” their bag, simply meaning putting an exuberant amount of charms onto a hobo style bag, or a get-ready-with-me where the outfit is chic and simple, paying homage to the great Jane Birkin. But no one does it quite like the original; Jane Birkin is truly the human likeness of the time-old phrase, “Je Ne Sais Quoi.” Thus, inspiration struck and compelled me to deep dive on this subject that I find utterly fascinating— Miss Jane.

NYC has had a hard transition to the fall season — AKA, I’ve seen like 20 leaves fall and it’s now somewhat acceptable to wear a cardigan outside without overheating. All of this led me to wonder, what fashion aesthetic will I be hyper fixating on this season? Jane Birkin’s style, just felt right. Her style was always simple, a mixture of staple pieces you could mix and match as you so please, with a hint of timeless elegance — and of course, accompanied by her wicker basket purse. She was the type of passer-by that would make anyone do a double take.

So behold, a basket bag lover, style role model, and the ultimate carefree diva. These are just a handful of outfit ideas from Miss Birkin that I will absolutely be incorporating into my every day attire this season, because God only knows I need a new obsession every turn of the season! Thus, I am going to dissect each classic Birkin fit for classic pieces that can be styled with just about anything for any reason. For all you Birkin lovers, I hope you enjoy!