16 March 2010

Posted on | March 16, 2010 | 5 Comments

Sources:

• Patterned top – vintage, thrifted
• Pinstripe skirt – Talbots
• Belt – thrifted
• Gray tights – drug store
• Boots – Banana Republic
• Navy vest – thrifted

Endnotes:

As E. already mentioned, this week is all about trying new things and breaking out of our belting routine. So I’m trying a conglomerate of new things with this look: wearing a high waisted shirt with the top tucked in; using a wider belt to join the seams of those items; pattern mixing to boot; and belting under a top layer such as this vest. (Also, don’t hate me for wearing the same skirt from two outfits ago, but I just brought this back from home with me and I suffer a mild case of separation anxiety every time I put it in the closet and attempt to wear something else).

So for the outfit breakdown:

1) Pattern mixing has been popping up everywhere and I love the richness and depth created by it, so I’ve been trying to experiment with it more myself. I like the general tule of thumb of pairing a bold pattern (colorful nature motif on the top) with a subtle pattern (horizontal pinstripes on the skirt).

2) I like the idea of “fusing” the two patterns together by covering where they meet with a neutralizing solid item, such as a belt.

3) Leaving the shirt untucked created a much messier and schizophrenic look with the overlapping patterns and didn’t quite look intentional, whereas tucking the shirt in and belting over the seams provides a nice buffer between the meeting patterns and gives the appearance of intentionality.

4) A wider belt covers more ground so it worked much better than a skinny belt as a cover for where the shirt and skirt seams meet (although my go-to in belting is a skinny belt for reasons stated below).

5) I have a short torso and belting with a wide belt and tucking in my top made me feel like my top half (from skirt waistline to shoulders) was only about 3 inches high. This look is really not something I usually opt for and I felt very stumped and scrunched in on top. Enter the elongating vest. I felt instantly taller and slimmer with the addition of the long navy vest, drawing the eye up and down and extending to my hips, creating the illusion of a longer torso and more proportional upper half.

I apologize for the epic size of this post, but there is still more to come. On our Belting Post, we received the following question from one reader:

I would love some tips on how to wear a belt with my body type, an apple! I’ve always heard that belts are great for every shape, but I feel like I have a hard time getting it right.

I feel like I should address this since I am also an ‘apple’ shape. For my thoughts on the matter, click to read more after the jump…

Read more

15 March 2010

Posted on | March 15, 2010 | 7 Comments

Sources:

• Ruffled cardigan: Ann Taylor
• Striped top: Old Navy
• Skinny belt: thrifted
• Wide belt: Target
• Cropped pants: Old Navy
• Ruffled pumps: AM, via DSW

End Notes:

Today’s outfit is a reinterpretation of an outfit that I wore (and loved) earlier this month. I once again paired a patterned top with the ruffled cardigan, and so I automatically reached for my newly thrifted skinny black belt that I wore the first time around.

(A brief digression. I’d like to announce that today’s outfit is a major style breakthrough for me. Yes, world, I have overcome my irrational fear of horizontal stripes. Somewhere along the way, probably due to watching too many episodes of What Not to Wear, I became afraid of horizontal stripes. I was convinced that they could only do my figure harm. But with stripes everywhere again this season, I decided that it was time to break free of my fear and try it out. And surprise. I think I might like them.)

Anyway, I kept the cardigan unbuttoned and tried on my skinny black belt. (My trick when belting over unfastened layers is to actually button part of the cardigan, belt, and then unbutton and rearrange. I’ve come to appreciate having that vertical strip of top creating the illusion of length.) While the skinny belt worked fine, and gave the outfit a nice bit of polish, it admittedly got a bit lost among the stripes.

So I pulled out my wider black belt and tried that instead. I appreciated how this wider belt was more visible, drawing attention to my waist and creating some visual rest in the outfit overall. Because my torso is so long, I tend to find that wider belts work best, allowing me to “fake” a higher natural waist and longer leg line.

But since this week is all about pushing the ways in which we use belts — rather than falling back on tried and true approaches — I thought I’d try one more option: belting under the cardigan. The results are pictured up top, and that’s the option I went with today. Although it may not necessarily be the most flattering in traditional terms, I liked how this combination played with softness and structure without being too predictable.

For an absolutely invaluable breakdown of the power of belting, check out Audi’s guest post on Already Pretty on the why’s and how’s of belting.

Fashion 101: Experimenting with Belts

Posted on | March 15, 2010 | 16 Comments

Last week, as we focused on Tights for our Fashion 101 course, E. demonstrated how significant of a change can occur when simply swapping one pair of tights for another. I was curious to see whether changing one’s belt could likewise result in such a different look or register (level of formality). To try this out, I kept everything other than the belt consistent and simple – a black dress, black tights, and black boots provide the backdrop to this experiment.

When you have an all-neutrals outfit with few embellishments or adornments, pretty much any belt will provide that instant focal point. So it makes sense to choose a piece that’s deserving of that kind of attention – like this pretty coral and gold flower one (above). Since everything else is pretty much a blank canvas, the belt sets the tone and in this case evokes a bit of a romantic bohemian feel.

Changing the delicate flower belt to a wide white leather one makes for a striking difference in result – now the black dress feels more mod and retro. (And for a side note on belt width: I usually prefer skinny belts and have but few wide ones like this one. I have a short torso and wearing wide belts usually stumps it even more. But I have found that when it comes to belting a dress and not a top or cardigan, a wide belt can work and even work well. I attribute this to the length of fabric that is presented by the dress that leaves the question of where one’s torso ends more to the imagination.)

So a belt can make the same LBD look retro or boho chic and it can also just serve as a pop of color to an all-neutrals base. I’m not sure I’m crazy about this combination, but the bright yellow does add an unexpected punch of brightness to the all black outfit.

Even better than the yellow, this skinny red belt likewise adds a pop of color while keeping the shock factor to more of a minimum. Since this is not patent leather like the yellow belt above and also a bit skinnier, it makes for less of a statement piece. It’s just the right amount of color to break up the black and add a bit of fun. I think this look would look great with some red accessories (earrings or a cuff) to pick up the red from from the belt and extend it to a few more items in the outfit.

Since I mentioned that I’ll make an exception for a wider belt when worn with a dress, I thought I’d give another one of the wide variety a try. This studded black leather belt with the oversized buckle gives the dress a casual yet modern look. Although it’s less striking than one of the boldly colored options, I like the fluidity that this monochromatic color scheme provides and I’d probably choose this over the wide white belt shown above.

I have worn this dress several times to the opera and each time, I’ve reached for this thin black velvet belt with a delicate jewel-encrusted buckle (below). I feel like wearing this elegant piece instantly lifts the dress to a more formal register and, even when paired with boots, the belt does its magic and gives the LBD more elegant of an appearance than the wider versions of the above examples.

For being such a small part of an outfit, a belt can have quite the power in setting the tone of one’s look. Belts are also excellent ‘outfit transformers’ since they’re small, compact, and easy to travel with. One could forgo packing a collection of several dresses and simply alter the level of formality and look of one dress with the aid of several diverse belts when on vacation.

Which one of these Belt+LBD combinations is your favorite? I think any of these pairings could work and my choice would be likely dictated by the event and context in question. S.

Fashion 101: Belting

Posted on | March 14, 2010 | 5 Comments

Webster’s dictionary defines a “belt” simply as “a strip of flexible material worn especially around the waist as an item of clothing.” Belts can be utilitarian — to hold up pants or a skirt, to hold a garment closed, to hold tools — or purely decorative, just adding visual interest. If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you’ve probably realized that all three of us are devoted fans of belting. In fact, at one point last year we were challenged to go a week without belts, an endeavor that certainly pushed us to be careful with our belting love.

For this Fashion 101 on belting, we will again be pushing ourselves to think creatively about belting and to articulate the reasons behind our choices, rather than relying on them simply as an easy or default accessory.

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Explain and demonstrate different reasons — both functional and formal — for using belts
• Demonstrate an understanding of what width of belt best suits their figure and a specific outfit
• Demonstrate how different color belts — both neutrals and brighter colors — can change the appearance of an outfit
• Demonstrate how belts of different materials can change the appearance of an outfit
• Demonstrate how a belt can change the shape or proportions of an outfit
• Create belts using scarves, ribbon, or other materials

To see our belt related posts for this course, check the Tutorials and DIY sections on our Taking Notes page.

As always, we welcome your questions and your participation!

14 March 2010

Posted on | March 14, 2010 | 30 Comments

Sources:

• Bow Tee – Gap
• Skirt – Banana Republic
• Tights – HUE  (from E.)
• Belt – New York & Co.
• Earrings – American Eagle
• Black Heels – Madden Girl, via DSW

Endnotes:

For my last assignment for this week’s Fashion 101: Tights,  I took these patterned tights from E., send to her by her Mother-in-Law (thanks D.!).  I love the ensembles E. and S.  created this week featuring their brightly colored patterned tights, but still think I would have a hard time pulling them off.  Even these much subtler, almost monochromatic patterned tights are taking me well outside my comfort zone.

Often after a new haircut, I am feel a little more playful in my style.  So, I decided to take it and run with it and combine these whimsical tights with a full skirt, a tee with a bow, and even little bow earrings!  As I was adding all of these elements together, I was worried that it might be a little too whimsical altogether, but I think the black and grey palette keeps it age appropriate and sophisticated.

Are you embracing the patterned tight trend?  A.

13 March 2010 – Flower Power

Posted on | March 13, 2010 | 10 Comments

Sources:

• Pale pink top – TJMaxx
• Blue cardi – H&M
• Flower belt – really old J.Crew, hand me down
• Striped skirt – Talbots
• Floral tights – H&M
• Gray wedges – Report, via Solestruck.com

Endnotes:

I couldn’t let Tights Week pass without pulling out my crazy floral tights. I got these this past winter and only wore them once because they’re somewhat of a tough item to style, but I stand by them nonetheless and think they are pretty fabulous. They’re just so crazy and fun and colorful, so practicality be damned.

Last time I wore them, I timidly paired them with an all black outfit. They’re so loud that I was afraid to add any other color or pattern, fearing the whole outfit would spiral out of control and into bright clown territory. But I think the black was actually too harsh and did more harm than good. One insightful reader suggested I try lighter neutrals, so that was my starting point this time around. This pinstriped skirt appears almost like a pale gray and the pale pink top, while not technically a neutral, serves the same purpose a beige or off-white top might do. With a base of light colors grounding the outfit, I took the plunge and added some brighter touches.

Not only did I try color this time – bright blue cardi, coral flower belt buckle – but I even ventured into pattern mixing territory (pinstripe and floral). While this may sound like a recipe for disaster, I actually think this works much better than my ’safe’ all-black version. What do you think? How else would you wear these tights? S.

12 March 2010 – Sisters in Harlem

Posted on | March 12, 2010 | 16 Comments

(from left to right)

On L.:

• Dress: Ann Taylor Loft
• Scarf: borrowed from P.
• Bag: Forever 21
• Patterned tights: Anthropologie, gift from Mom
• Boots: Banana Republic

On P.:

• Top: H&M
• Skirt: Gap
• Tights: Anthropologie, borrowed from L.
• Shoes: Vaneli, borrowed from Mom
• Bag: Coach, hand me down from Mom
• Denim moto jacket: Zara, borrowed from Mom

On H.:

• Coat: Ann Taylor Outlet
• Dress: Ann Taylor Loft
• Wine cardigan: Target
• Belt: borrowed from Mom
• Gray tights: Banana Republic
• Boots: DSW
• Bag: Target

On E.:

• Scarf: Anthropologie
• Denim trench: adopted from sister-in-law P.
• Tights: Celeste Stein, gift from MIL
• Boots: Steve Madden, via eBay

(underneath)

• Navy dress: Target
• Gray blazer: C&C

End Notes:

Baby e. and I are in New York for a few days, visiting my sister-in-law P. Mom-in-law and the two other sisters-in-law are here too, and we’re having a grand old time shopping, seeing the Whitney Biennial, catching a show on Broadway, eating excellent food, and just wandering about town. I had warned my sisters ahead of time that this week would be tights week at Academichic, and I knew that they would all have some great tights-based looks to share.

And I was right. Click through the jump for individual shots, details, and a gratuitous shot of baby e.

Read more

Experimenting with Tights and Peep-Toes

Posted on | March 11, 2010 | 14 Comments

• Tan Cardigan – Banana Republic
• Grey Tee – Banana Republic
• Scarf – Old Navy
• Brown Cord Skirt – Old Navy

• Grey Tights – BR Outlet
• Brown Lace Tights – Gift from S.
• Brown Ribbed Tights – Talbots
• Pink Peep-Toes – Seychelles, via DSW
• Brown Peep-Toe Wedges – Steve Madden, via DSW
• Navy Peep-Toes – Off Broadway

Some things I learned along the way:

• tights with toes that match the pattern of the rest of the tights work best
• your bright toe nail polish will show through thinner tights
• any combination is worth a shot

First for the navy peep-toes – I think these rather dressy navy shoes just don’t work with the rest of this outfit, so for me, it wasn’t a fair test.  I tried them with brown and grey tights and liked the way the shoes worked with both tights but not so much with the overall ensemble.

I tried these lightly ribbed brown tights with all three pairs of peep-toes and (aside from the Navy) I think these tights are the safest but also the most boring option.  They looked better with the pop of pink, but I still didn’t love the brown corduroy skirt on brown corduroy-like tights. I would wear either of these, but do to a bit of experimenting, I now know there are more fun options!

One such fun option…

I’ve had these lacey brown tights for a while now (thanks S.) but unfortunately they don’t get much wear, because I’m never quite sure how to use them.  I initially thought the brown lace tights with pink peep-toes would be a ridiculous combination, but I was pleasantly surprised.  I still think its a bit too busy for my tastes and don’t know that I would actually wear it, but I do wonder how it would look with a different skirt.

Like with the ribbed brown tights, I felt the brown lace tights with the brown wedges made for just too much brown, but would again give this a try with another skirt or dress.

My favorite combinations came from the grey tights.  I pulled these out mostly because I thought they would make the best pairing with the navy shoes, but loved the look with both the brown wedges and the pink pumps.  I like that the grey is a different color form the skirt, breaking up all that brown, and that it picks up on the grey tee and the dark grey in the scarf.

The grey tights with brown wedges felt the most me (a mix of neutrals) but I went for the pink with grey because I love these shoes and don’t wear the nearly enough!

Which is your favorite?  A.

Tights While Prego: Ruminations

Posted on | March 11, 2010 | 10 Comments

One of our readers asked if I wore tights during my pregnancy or if I became strictly a pants and bare legs girl. Because the weather was warming as my bump grew, I actually never had to make that choice. I did, however, wear a couple of pairs of regular tights when the bump was still in its mini stages because I just loved skirts and dresses too much to give them up, even in the cooler months.

I took two approaches to transitional prego-tights wearing. First, I bought some low rise tights from Target, thinking that they could go under my burgeoning bump. While this worked well for the very first stages of the bump, I soon ended up abandoning them for another option (explained below). The low rise led to too much awkward bunching and fears (however irrational) of tights rolling down.

My other option was pair of purple tights from Banana Republic, purchased in their “Tall” size. That gave me extra fabric in the rise that could stretch over the bump. This actually worked really well for me, as demonstrated in the pictures above and below, taken at about five months pregnant. I actually liked the support of having something stretched over the bump, but that’s a personal preference.

…

Had I been more pregnant during the cooler months, I’m pretty sure that I would have sprung for some maternity tights. Motherhood Maternity offers affordable maternity tights, though the color selection is certainly not as varied as non-maternity options. And Target has recently begun carrying a new line of maternity hosiery that’s received some good online reviews.

Do any of our readers have recommendations for maternity tights, especially in fun colors?

11 March 2010

Posted on | March 11, 2010 | 10 Comments

Sources:

• Striped top – Ralph Lauren, hand me down
• Sweater – J.Crew
• Brown tank – ON
• Purple cord skirt – American Eagle
• Black thermal tights – from Romania
• Knee socks – Target
• Boots – Dillards
• Bag – thrifted

Endnotes:

While we all three are quite quick to ditch the tights and throw on knee socks with boots at the slightest rise in temperature, we don’t very often experiment with the socks over tights and with boots look. Which is a shame, since I’m finding this option to not only add warmth but also a fun pop of color to a simple black pair of tights. Last winter, I had many more colorful and patterned pairs of tights to play with but most of those got stuck somewhere in storage during my move and I was reluctant to invest in more than just a few basic pairs in neutrals for this season. But I’ve found that even a simple black pair can be considerably spruced up with the addition of a pop of color from a pair of knee socks. (And they can also be used for a wee bit of pattern mixing as is the case with the stripes and floral example below).

For this look, I layered a pair of mustard colored socks to play off the deep purple of the skirt, creating a muted complimentary color pairing. While I rarely wear purple and yellow in their crayon box variety together, I’ve learned from E, that slightly muted or saturated versions of the complimetaries can create beautiful combinations together.

I also like how the mustard yellow echoes the color of the oversized wood buttons of the sweater, bringing the top and bottom of this outfit together through this shared color match. And all aesthetic reasons aside, adding knee socks over tights is really just so practical when you’re trudging through snow in cold temperatures and need to keep those feet warm and toasty. S.

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Appendix

• Calls for Papers
• Fashion 101
• State of the Field
• Taking Notes

Historical

• March 2010
• February 2010
• January 2010
• December 2009
• November 2009
• October 2009
• September 2009
• August 2009
• July 2009
• June 2009
• May 2009
• April 2009
• March 2009
• February 2009
• January 2009

Categorical

• Academichic Product Review
• Beltless
• Calls for Papers
• Color Combinations
• Conference Wear
• Dresses for Day
• Dresses for Evening
• Fashion 101
• Independent Study (DIY)
• Lab Friendly
• Layers Upon Layers
• Mixing Patterns
• Monthly Roundtable
• Night Without Grading
• Office Hours
• Our Best Flatware
• Pants Please
• Preggers
• Proportionally
• Q&A
• Reaching New Heights
• Research Casual
• Resources
• Sabbatical
• Skirting the Issue
• Spotlight Series
• Style Workshop
• Taking Notes
• Teaching Moment
• Teaching Outfits
• The Short of It
• Theoretical
• Uncategorized
• Vélocouture
• Visiting Lecturer
• Wardrobe Challenge
• Weekend Wear

Bibliography

Monographs
A Cat of Impossible Colour
A Dress and a Bike
Already Pretty
Archibald Maximilion
Between Laundry Days
Bits and Bobbins
Blue Collar Catwalk
Bryn Alexandra
Clothed Much
Daddy Likey
Darling Dexter
Deep in Vogue
Delightfully Tacky
Fab Finds Under $50
Fashion for Nerds
Fell 4 Fashion
From Tomboy to Fashionista
Future Lint
Goober
HUzzah! Vintage
Idée Géniale
Interrobangs Anonymous
In Kari's Wardrobe
Internal Sequins Issues
Is that new?
Jean C'est Quoi
Jen loves Kev
Kansas Couture
Kendi Everyday
Le Quaintrelle
Mamichan
More Magic Always
Musing Around
My Edit
My Fashion Chronicle
My Wardrobe Today
Oh Honey. No.
Only Shallow
Oranges and Apples
Orchids in Buttonholes
Orchid Grey
Passementerie
Piksi
Renee Sturme
Sea of Shoes
Selective Potential
Sisters and Dresses
Smiles Go With Everything
String Zine
Stuff Under Twenty
SzafaN
The Glamorous Grad Student
The Small Fabric of my Life
This Little Piggie Went to Market
Threadbared
Thrift Candy
Über chic for cheap
What I Wore
What I Wore Today
What Would a Nerd Wear
What would Krissie wear
Work With What You've Got

Anthologies
Cute on the Cheap
Fashionable Academics
Let's Go Ride a Bike
The Sartorialist
The Stitch Society
Urbn Style (Bucharest)
Urban Weeds: Street Style from Portland
Vélocouture Flickr Group
Vélocouture Blog
Wardrobe Remix
Weardrobe
You Look Fab

Affiliations:

Contextual

Three feminist PhD candidates at a Midwest university, on a crusade against the ill-fitting polyester suit of academic yore.

Funding

Fellowships

Contact

Curriculum Vitae

Networking

Academichic on Facebook

Image Appendix

www.flickr.com

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