Color Review Symposium Part 2

Posted on | October 22, 2009 | 12 Comments

A while back we posted a CFP for your best color combinations following our reviews of the color modules. We received some wonderful submission for the first part of our color symposium and we are excited to present you with the second part of the symposium below:

Cinderella’s Folly sent us this lovely green – purple- and -orange triad combination, with the orange coming in subtly through the brooch. We love many of Cinderalla’s Folly gorgeous color combinations and professional outfits and think you, too, should check out her Flickr set.

For a monochromatic combination, we received this lovely submission from Lana in a rich chocolate brown. Lana’s attention to the details – the lace trim on the top, the sheer layer and lace detailing on the skirt – gives this monochromatic outfit added interest and depth. Great job!

Rose of From Sneakers to Stilettos sent us this beautiful analogous combination of teal and olive green. Rose tells us of her long running love affair with this particular combination and we couldn’t agree more: it’s lovely! Rose was also inspired by A.’s self-made flower belt to recreate a similar one using her olive green flower brooch and a ribbon tie.

Meanwhile, Christina of The Story of Wonderful tried her hand at a triad, using a slight variation of the straight red-blue-yellow mix, and opting for a subtler pink-blue-yellow triad instead. In her own words: “I also convinced myself that I’m channeling S’s very inspiring “preppy romantic” style by incorporating a full floral skirt with a more traditional cardigan and loafer.” – Well played, Christina! You’ve definitely nailed the Preppy Romantic Look here!

Missy P sent us this lovely monochromatic mix of denim and blue. Not only is this a great monochromatic ensemble, but we also love the idea of using a vest as a way to create a waist and give definition to a tunic dress. If you’re less enthusiastic about belting, then make sure to bookmark this clever idea!

Sharon of The Other Side of the World also constructed a monochromatic blue outfit, using jeans with varying shades of blue to create this rich and anything but monotonous monochromatic outfit. We think Sharon may be giving our own queen of layering, A., a run for her money! The tube top worn as vest over the button-down looks great!

Camera shy Lauren sent us an analogous color combination of purple and blue. The scarf of blues and purples brings this already lovely combination seamlessly together. And we also love the subtle pattern mix of the floral lace on the cami and the abstract print of the scarf.

The always glamorous Bella, a favorite wardrobe remixer of ours, sent us a monochromatic combination of neutrals. Yet another great vest look and definitely an academic ensemble far from the polyester suit. We love the sophisticated elegance created by the pale colors and slim lines.

Mariel of Preppy with a Twist constructed an analogous combination of red and magenta. In her words: “I definitely wouldn’t have paired red and magenta together before, but after the color review I’m seeing my closet in new ways. In this outfit, I was super comfortable yet felt stylish fabulous at the beach”. This outfit is Fabulous with a capital F, Mariel!

Wardrobe remixer Wearabouts Town has created an entire Color Review Symposium Set on Flickr, showcasing her many great triadic, analogous, split-complimentary, and monochromatic ensembles. With so many wonderful choices, we had trouble selecting our favorite but this look won out due to its subtle analogous mix of purple and blue. We also loved the preppy touch of the tied oxford shirt and the lovely nude wedges.

Thank you, all, for your wonderful submissions! As always, we love being inspired by our readers just as much as we hope to provide inspiration in return with our Color Modules and Pattern Workshop!

Mobile Fashion: Exploring Cycle Chic

Posted on | October 13, 2009 | 21 Comments

I recently put out a Call For Papers asking for your best cycle chic submissions. I received some lovely entries and have added some of my favorite cycle chic images from the interwebs to share with you as well. Enjoy the following eye candy that more than proves how fashion, fitness, and eco-friendly living go beautifully together:

The lovely Miss Sarah, who blogs about style and cycling on Girls and Bicycles (among motherhood and other things), has been showing fellow Canadians a thing or two about traveling in style. I love this gorgeous dress and that she’s not afraid to don it while cycling to her brunch date.

Similarly, the lovely Cosmo who co-blogs at Lost Angeles Cycle Chic, proves that showing up on a bike for your date is just the thing to do. I’m sure you’re date was as impressed as we are! (You can also find Cosmo’s fashion blog at I Do It Cosmo Style).

Fellow German-based Kasmeneo shows off his wonderful cycling and everyday style in his Flickr set and in the Velocouture group pool. Kasmeneo’s funky and wonderfully color-driven outfits not only question the notion that cycling can’t be stylish but also challenges gendered fashion as a construct.

Trisha and Dottie prove that you can have fun discovering a new town by bike and maintain your sense of fashion with this snapshot from their trip to Littlehampton, England. While Trisha is rocking the skinny jeans with a fabulous ruffle trim blouse, Dottie is looking very chic in a lovely dress and scarf combo.

And speaking of biking in dresses, check out this rockin’ picture sent in by Gee from Curitiba, Brazil. Gee’s blog Curitiba Cycle Chic aims to demonstrate, in her own words, “sustainable mobility with style.” Right on!

Brazilians aren’t the only ones who cycle in chic dresses: San Francisco moms do it too! If you’re familiar with cycling blogs, then you’re already well aware of Change Your Life: Ride a Bike! written by Adrienne (above) and Meligrosa (below). This is my favorite picture of Adrienne in her stylish wrap dress with her son on the back of the bike. I think it more than exudes confidence, style, sustainable living practices and good role modeling.

Not only is Meligrosa the talented co-blogger of Change Your Life: Ride a Bike! but you can also find her wonderful photography and chronicles of her rides through San Francisco at Bikes and the City.

Moving further north to the chilly climate of Minnesota, brings us to one of my favorite Velocouturists Mamichan. Biking to work in the busy city of Minneapolis, Mamichan proves that you can stay true to your professional wardrobe and still get around by bike. Mamichan has also committed to sustainable fashion choices by supporting local designers and crafters, showcasing her unique and wonderful style choices in her Flickr set.

Making yet another geographical jump, brings us to the talented writer and style blogger Jane in England, who is also likely to be found wearing a gorgeous dress while commuting around town on her bike. Jane, of the one-year-shopping-ban-project, also tackles sustainable living practices by using her bike whenever possible.

The lovely and always colorfully dressed Franca of Scotland has also been posting increasing images of her with her bike, venturing into the world of everyday dressing while bike commuting. If you’re looking for someone to inspire some awesomely bold and beautiful color combinations in your own approach to fashion, then Franca’s blog Oranges and Apples is a must-read for you.

I myself have recently rediscovered how much fun a bike can be and have challenged my own assumptions about the incongruences of fashion and fitness. You can find my cycle chic posts here, to which I hope to be able to add more to in the near future (am still bike-less in Munich but have received several offers of bike loans). I also want to direct you to the Velocouture Flickr group if you’re not already familiar with it, which is a constant source of inspiration, as well as the many style and bike blogs out there which are easily found by perusing any of the blogrolls of the cycle chic blogs named in this post.

What I especially loved about compiling this collection of images is the internationality of its sources: England, Brazil, US, Scotland, Germany, Canada… I love seeing how all over the world people are embracing sustainable living practices and consciously posting their efforts for others to feel inspired. Finding these examples on the internet pushed me to pull out my long neglected bike and attempt my first bike-in-a-skirt adventure. I hope that this post will similarly serve as a starting point or inspiration for someone else reading it and that it will add to the ever growing velocouture and eco-conscious living movement. S.

CFP: Mobile Fashion – Exploring Cycle Chic

Posted on | October 4, 2009 | 2 Comments

Image courtesy of Let’s Go Ride a Bike

As you may know, I’ve been recently discovering the joys of bike commuting and have overcome my prejudices about style and its impossibility on a bike. Although I’m temporarily bike-less, I’m itching for more cycle chic inspiration and would like to further promote the idea that fashion and cycling are not at odds by showing off some of your wonderful cycle chic looks.

If you’re ever in need of convincing, just check out two of my favorite fashionable ladies who bike commute in style (credit for the lovely image above goes to them). Now it’s your turn to show of your vélocouture, lovely readers!

Send us your favorite cycle chic look and help spread the word that fashion, fitness, and eco-friendly living make quite the happy trio!

CFP: Color Modules Done by You!

Posted on | September 10, 2009 | 2 Comments

A little while ago, we reviewed our Fashion 101 Color Modules using our summer wardrobes. After reviewing the first two modules, we put out a CFP asking you, our readers, to submit any images showing how you put those modules into practice. We received many fabulous entries, showing just how stylish and color savvy our readership is. Now we’re looking for examples inspired by our second portion of the review, which covered Triads and Analogous Colors and Split Complementaries and Monochrome color combinations.

If you played along and created outfits showcasing the above color combinations, please send us an image and a brief description at the below address. We look forward to your submissions!

1 September 2009

Posted on | September 2, 2009 | 3 Comments

1 September 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed except bracelet

Patterned Tee – Banana Republic
Brown Cami – Gap
Grey Skirt – Old Navy
Brown Wedges – Kenneth Cole Reaction, via DSW
Bracelet – gift
Cream stone on chain – grandmothers
Turquoise stone on chain – made by me

Endnotes:

It’s no secret that pattern scares me a bit, but I have been trying very hard to meet that fear head on. Since staring this blog, I have purchased patterned shoes, patterned tops, and a boldly-patterned dress. I bough this shirt on super sale last fall because the pattern was small and it was a favored color pallete. I wore it a few times last winter as a layering piece, but had never actually worn it on its own.

Today I decided to wear it and play off the pattern a bit in my accessories. I dug this bracelet out of my jewelry box (I had forgotten how much I like it). I love how the round beads echo the circles on the shirt and how the little painted dots add another layer of this shape. I pulled out two simple necklaces – a cream pendant and a turquoise round bead pendant – and wore them both, bringing the dot pattern up around my neckline.

This is by no means pattern mixing, but I would argue it should count as pattern playing! A.

Dots on Dots, originally uploaded by academichic.

Color Review Symposium Part I

Posted on | August 19, 2009 | 9 Comments

We have been experimenting with our Fashion 101 modules on Color around here and have been very fortunate to have some of you partake in these challenges as well. We love being inspired by our readers and have loved receiving your submissions to our CFP. Here is a selection of the wonderful outfits created by you, putting our color theory into practice:

Neutrals:

While here at Academichic Central we are struggling to beat the heat with cool neutrals, our lone all-neutrals submission came from a far away reader in a winter climate. We love how Missy P made her winter white really pop by pairing it with layers of rich brown form head to toe.

Neutrals with a Pop:

We are all jealous of Missy P’s beautiful coat collection, particularly this striking red wool coat which provides the perfect pop in a mix of cozy neutrals. What a great way to add some color to a dreary winter day!

In Dawn’s own words: “I decided to mix navy, black & cream with red, and felt fabulous breaking one of the central commandments of style!” We adore this fabulous example of why some rules are just meant to be broken!

Titi wears clothes took this neutrals ensemble and gave it two pops of color, and an analogous one at that! We love the little peak of yellow under the gray as well as how the green bag stands out against this sophisticated dark color palette.

Two-Thirds of a Triad:

This beautiful predominately neutral look – made extra special with the addition of two pops of color – is a perfect example of the two thirds rule- Esstea explains: “I love how just those two little bursts of color played off each other and made the neutral charcoals and blacks look zippier.” We couldn’t agree more!

We also love this take on the two-thirds rule: Pairing the brightest pink in her closet (red) with her darkest navy denim (blue), Esstea creates yet another stunning color combo. Very chic!

Water Girl put together a two thirds of red-blue-yellow triad, writing: ”I love blue and red together, but always struggle with making sure I don’t look like a 4th of July firecracker”. Well no problem here! This belted jacket and pretty skirt combo are nothing if not chic and put-together!

Krissie’s take on the blue-yellow-red triad combined blue and yellow in this elegant professional look. Taking her cue from A’s DIY flower and ribbon belt, she finished off this ensemble with her own version in rich brown hues.

Complimentary Colors:

Orange and blue, complimentary colors often sported by both S. and E., seemed to be by far the most popular complimentary color submission. Here Krissie is employing the little trick of letting a pattern do the color mixing work for you with this beautiful abstract print skirt.

Redcactusflower was inspired by E.’s recent orange and blue outfit to wear a color combination she wouldn’t normally try. We love the sleek look of this ensemble with the structured tan skirt and the unexpected burst of orange from this gorgeous bauble necklace.

Clare’s casual version of a blue and orange complimentary look is bold and summery. We love the slight variation on the ‘true’ colors with her choice of red-orange and blue-green and we’re also mighty impressed by how not even an arm cast can dim her sense of style! Rock on, Clare!

Titi wears clothes also sent us a complimentary color submission, one that is often more difficult to pull off given its very ‘Christmassy’ associations. There’s no danger of that with this outfit, which beautifully pairs a blue-green shirt dress with a maroon hobo bag. Excellent casual elegance!

Jessica took a different approach to the same red-green complimentary color combination by pairing a pink top with a mint green floral skirt. The delicate beaded necklace of pinks, browns, and greens brings this entire outfit seamlessly together.

Thank you, all, for your wonderful submissions! We’ve really enjoyed being inspired by you and hope that our readers will find equal enjoyment in perusing these beautiful pictures and stunning color combinations.

CFP: Color Review Put into Practice by You!

Posted on | August 2, 2009 | 1 Comment

Have you been following along with our reviews of the Color Modules? We hope our workings with Complimentary Colors, Two-Thirds of a Triad, Neutrals, and Neutrals with a Pop have inspired you to play with the colors in your wardrobe.

Now we’d love to be inspired by you! If you created outfits with any of the above color combinations, send us a picture and a brief description and we’ll feature it in our upcoming Color Review Symposium. Like true academics, our work is never done until we’ve spread the knowledge to others in the field, and we’d love to have your help in doing so.

29 July 2009 – Coleus and Impatiens

Posted on | July 29, 2009 | 11 Comments

29 July 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Gray nursing tank – Target
Magenta cardi – H&M
Gray grosgrain ribbon – craft box
Green jersey skirt – Target
Patterned flats that make everything better – Old Navy

End Notes:

In theory, I like the complementary color scheme of pink and green. It’s a sweeter, non-holiday version of the proper complements, red and green. But, as I explained back in April, pink is just not my color. So while I loved how A. did preppy chic yesterday with her pink polo and green accessories, I feel more comfortable moving one step over on the color wheel to pair red-violet and yellow-green.

This outfit is also an example of how the choice of a neutral can change the overall effect of the color palette. A white cami would have given this a crisper feel. Brown probably would have taken the whole “organic inspiration” bit too far. But this heather gray keeps everything softer and more subtle.

And… I match my potted coleus and impatiens. Nature is, of course, a fantastic source of inspiration for color pairings. I started wearing orange and purple together, for example, after realizing that they looked quite fantastic in a sunset sky. What color ideas have you found in nature? Have they always translated to outfits or are there some combinations that are better left outdoors?

29 July 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Pattern Mixing Symposium: Fashion 101 Modules Put Into Practice By You

Posted on | May 8, 2009 | 8 Comments

After the wonderful submissions for our Color Symposium, we decided to ask readers to submit examples of outfits they created using our Fashion 101 Playing with Pattern. Once again we received many great submissions and have definitely been inspired by all of your fabulous pattern mixing!

Here are some of our favorites:

The lovely Kasmira of What I Wore Today sent us several great outfits to pick from. This one wins our vote for both pattern and color mixing!

Loyal reader, Diana of Simple Elegance, mixed multiple patterns and textures but kept it chic by using all cool blues with classic black and white. Beautiful!

We adore the analogous color play in this submission from Danielle of Just My Style. She makes stripes and florals look like the were designed for each-other!

This lovely blue pattern mixing comes from Clare of Between Laundry Days. This is just one of a week’s worth of fabulous pattern mixing from Clare.

We love this beautiful ensemble from reader, Kristen. The floral belt worn as obi and the bit of lace (yes, we count that as a pattern) peaking out make this plaid dress look so sophisticated.

Lovely reader, AJ, sent us this great look. We love the playful mix of pattern and color and this she looks fabulous.

The adorable Andrea of A Cat of Impossible Color sent us incredible mix of all thrifted patterns. The black base in each of the pieces pulls these bold prints together beautifully.

Finally, in true academic fashion, a late but fabulous submission came from Camille of I Get Dressed. We love how she boldly mixed the ruffles and polka-dots with a stripped floral skirt.

Thanks again for all the great submissions. We had so much fun seeing how all of you have been experimenting with pattern and, once again, found ourselves truly inspired!

CFP: Pattern Mixing Done By You!

Posted on | April 26, 2009 | 4 Comments

Dear readers,

some of you have left us comments saying that you were inspired by our pattern mixing module a little while ago. We constantly draw inspiration from other style bloggers and real people who put style theory into practice. We would love to see examples of how you got creative with the patterned pieces of your wardrobe!

If you would like to share your images with us and to be featured on our site, send us your lovely pattern-playing examples at the address below by Sunday, May 3rd!.

keep looking »