Academichic Style Workshop: Holiday Party Dressing

Posted on | December 18, 2009 | 22 Comments

Dressing for parties during the holiday season is an endeavor full of unique opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, holiday parties are the perfect time to pull out fabrics, embellishments, and colors that you might not normally wear. Satin! Sequins! Red! On the other hand, determining the requisite formality of a given event — and picking an outfit to fit — can be a challenge.

A. and E. decided to have a little fun with a holiday party style workshop, trying out looks that would be appropriate at the holiday parties we’ll be (and dream about) attending.

Cocktails with colleagues:

Sources:

On A.:

Plaid shirt: Old Navy little boys
Ruffled black tank: Banana Republic Outlet
Patent leather belt: Forever 21
Pencil skirt: Banana Republic
Teal pumps: Seychelles, via solestruck.com

On E.:

Sequined tank: Target
Beaded cardigan: Banana Republic
Bermudas: thrifted, self-shortened Purple tights: Banana Republic
Black pumps: Madden Girl, DSW

End Notes:

Going out on the town for a holiday cocktail with friends is a great excuse to slip a little extra pizazz into an outfit. A., for example, rarely wears red during the rest of the year. But even she can’t resist donning this cheerful red plaid flannel shirt (from the little boys’ department of Old Navy, no less!) and dressing it up with a black ruffled tank, pencil skirt, and teal pumps. E., meanwhile, pairs up the only two sparkly tops she owns — a beaded cardigan and a sequined tank — for some festive fabulousness. Purple tights beneath bermuda shorts keeps an otherwise monochrome outfit from being too dull.

Party with Professors:

Sources:

On E.:

Ribbon tee: self-made
Jacket: Forever 21
Black ankle pants: Old Navy
Ruffled pumps: AM, via DSW

On A.:

Green ruffled blouse: Old Navy
Black wrap sweater: Banana Republic
Pencil skirt: Banana Republic
Tights: Forever 21
Pumps: DSW
Brooch as necklace: Vintage Threadz on etsy.com

End Notes:

Party-ing with professors (or bosses, as the gainfully employed might do), calls for outfits that are festive while remaining tasteful. This is not the time for too-short skirts or too-low tops. That’s not to say you need to be stuffy, however! E. puts a fresh spin on a pantsuit, wearing pants in a trendier length and pairing an embellished top with a structured jacket. A.’s green and black ensemble would be perfectly appropriate in a classroom, but the bright color and ruffle make it a sweet choice for a holiday evening as well.

Dinner with Donors:

Sources:

On A.:

Ruffled navy dress: JCrew
Black patent belt: Forever 21
Black clutch: grandmother’s
Black tights: Forever 21
Black pumps: Madden Girl, via DSW

On E.:

Gray ruffled “shrug”: “Scrunchy” scarf from Nepali by TDM designs
Black strapless dress: Ann Taylor
Black tights: Target
Black ruffled pumps: AM, via DSW

End Notes:

Alas, neither A. nor E. will be attending a holiday party that merits extra-fancy dress. But we can dream, right? Holiday parties that call for cocktail attire are the perfect time to pull out a bridesmaid dress that may be languishing in the back of your closet. E. wore this strapless dress as a bridesmaid last summer. To ground the floatier fabric for winter, she used a couple of safety pins and some ribbon to fashion a temporary shrug our of the soft cashmere “Scrunchy” scarf from Nepali by TDM Designs. Ruffles that help keep you warm and hide those pesky tan lines? Brilliant! In her chic navy dress (which she incidentally wore to S.’s wedding!), A. proves that rich jewel tones can be just as appropriate for evening as black. Black patent accessories add a little extra glamor to a dress that’s proven to be remarkably versatile through several seasons.

What will you be wearing to your holiday parties this year?

7 December 2009 – Opera Night(s)

Posted on | December 7, 2009 | 25 Comments

7 December 2009 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Purple beads – Yves Rocher and F21
Black onyx earrings – TJMaxx
Black dress – Target
Purple tights – Rewe (grocery store)
Gray wedges – Report, via Solestruck.com
Belt – Banana Republic
Flower pin – Dulken & Derrick, via Blue Onion Marketplace

Endnotes:

Last night I saw one of my favorite operas, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and it was amazing. The performance put on my the Munich Opera was beyond words, it was just soooo good. I’m still in awe.

I wore, of course, my same ol’ go-to: this little black dress and my gray wedges. The following montage shows how the same dress and shoes managed to look pretty different with just a bit of creative restyling using scarves, belts, and jewelry each time I wore it to the opera here. Even if it doesn’t look all that different to you, it felt like a whole new outfit to me each time and that’s the point; I didn’t feel like I was just wearing the same thing every single time I dressed up. I cast my vote for last night’s black and purple look as my favorite thus far. How about you? Which do you think worked best?

I wore my hair in a dutch braid that wraps around into a messy side knot and I accessorized with layered necklaces and a gorgeous purple flower pin from Blue Onion Marketplace. Speaking of which, make sure to check back later today to see if you were one of our three lucky winners who will receive their own Dulken & Derrick flower pin following our weekend giveaway! S.

7 December 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Details in purple, originally uploaded by academichic.

1 December 2009

Posted on | December 1, 2009 | 10 Comments

1 December 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:
All remixed except tights:

Black dress – Target
Black asymmetrical cardi - Banana Republic
Belt - Banana Republic, altered by me.
Clutch – Ann Taylor
Tights – H&M
Wedges – Report, via Solestruck.com

Endnotes:

On Sunday, T’s last full day here, we enjoyed a matinee opera performance of Hänsel and Gretel. Since it was a mid-day performance and a children’s opera, I decided to have some fun with my outfit. Enter floral tights.

I’ve been seeing floral tights everywhere this season. And you know me and floral; a match made in heaven. First I saw this amazing photo featuring these gorgeous floral leggings by German designer Michael Michalsky in a recent issue of sleek. magazine for art and fashion:

Then, I drooled over Jessica’s amazing floral tights collection over at What I Wore, particularly smitten by her black lace ones and these gorgeous red and white ones. I have also noticed that Modcloth has been carrying some gorgeous specimens of floral leg wear, such as these black floral leggings and these dramatic ‘Staffordshire’ tights.

Flower Power, originally uploaded by academichic.

Since the tights are rather colorful and quite the statement piece on their own, I kept the rest of the outfit monochromatic black. Gray and pink in the shoes and clutch pull on colors already present in the outfit, so they don’t compete with the existing look. My tights got a lot of looks on the subway and at the opera and I’m pretty certain that they were the envy of every 9 – 12 year old girl there. I can’t wait to see how else I can wear these puppies. S.

Belt detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.

1 November 2009 – NaNoWriMo and Opera Sunday

Posted on | November 1, 2009 | 21 Comments

1 November 2009 – Opera Outfit, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:
All remixed:

Black dress – Target
Black belt – Banana Republic
Silver clutch – Charlotte Russe, thrifted
Black tights – Grocery store
Gray wedges – Report “Calico”, via Solestruck.com
Ripple shawl – Blue Onion Marketplace
Earrings – side walk sale, my wedding earrings

Endnotes:

So it doesn’t quite have the same ring as Superbowl Sunday or Ice Cream Sundae, but it does describe what I did yesterday and it is as exciting to me as football and ice cream might be to others.

We’re officially off! National Novel Writing Month began yesterday and if you’re participating then you’re likely sharing my nervousness and excitement as you begin your novel. Thank you to the lovely Andrea for putting a little NaNo support group together and encouraging everyone to share their first paragraph on her post. I’d also love to hear from any of you who are partaking in this – I invite you to NaNoWriMo obsess away in the comments section of this post! (And if you want to add me to your writing buddies, my NaNoWriMo name is Academic Abandon.)

Wedding Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.

As for my outfit yesterday, I did not wear this to write but I did wear this to the Opera after my required word count was met. One of the things I love about being in Germany is being able to get 6 Euro tickets to attend the Opera! No joke, attending the Opera here can be cheaper than going out for two beers and by far more chic!

I told you I’d likely keep wearing this same black dress over and over, and so I did. This time around I went for a more dramatic effect with black tights, a black velvet belt, and a POP of color (that’s how loud it was) with this red-orange ripple scarf from Blue Onion Marketplace. Sorry about the poor image quality, but I snapped this just on my way out and the lighting in my room is horrible. So you can just pretend to be seeing this outfit with this background and then you get the idea. How else would you style this LBD other than with a pashmina scarf and a belt? S.

Ripple Shawl detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

24 October 2009 – Night at the Opera

Posted on | October 25, 2009 | 13 Comments

24 October 2009 – Night at the Opera, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

On S1 (above):

Black dress – Target, remixed
Silk tie belt – from another (thrifted) dress, remixed
Vintage brooch – was my grandmother’s
Pink pashmina – H&M, remixed
Gray wedges – Report, remixed
Pink clutch, Ann Taylor, remixed

On S2 (below):

Ivory shimmery top – recent H&M purchase
Black pencil skirt – recent H&M purchase
Ribbon weave pumps – bought in Romania years ago

Endnotes:

Saturday night found S2 and I enjoying a wonderful production of Janacek’s Janufa at the Munich Opera House. The night ended with enthusiastic Bravas and Bravos from the audience and we, too, shared that enthusiasm despite having seats that allowed us to see no more than 65% of the stage at all times… ahh, the nosebleed section of the Opera.

Since I’m abroad this year and have a limited wardrobe, I wore my one black dress that I packed and will likely wear for all formal events to come. By styling it differently each time, I hope to avoid having you (and me) groan, this outfit again?! as I pull it out over and over. This time I added a pink and tan obi belt, which comes from this silk dress I wore on my last opera visit, and a pink pashmina. I also took a cue from A., who’s done this brilliantly a few times lately, and added a sparkly brooch to my belt for added drama and dazzle.

Vintage Brooch, originally uploaded by academichic.

Ideally, I would have worn these shoes with the above outfit, but had I packed those, last night would have likely been their main starring role on this trip. Instead, I brought my trusty gray wedges, which can be dressed up enough to go with a Little Black Dress but are also a smarter every-day, get-lots-of-mileage-out-of-me shoe choice.

24 October 2009 – Night at the Opera, originally uploaded by academichic.

Meanwhile, S2 looked stunning this this ivory shimmery cowl neck top and black pencil skirt combo. But I think her shoes truly did steal the show here: cream peep-toes with a dark brown ribbon weave, lovely! A great example of how a patterned shoe can add the perfect finishing touch to a basic outfit.

Ribbon weave shoes, originally uploaded by academichic.

I think it’s also worth noting that we went to the Opera wearing outfits comprised almost entirely of Target, H&M, and thrifted pieces. And we didn’t look that bad, right? I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend as well, whatever Saturday night found you doing. S.

Munich Opera House, originally uploaded by academichic.

S2 – European Wedding Attire

Posted on | October 14, 2009 | 30 Comments

S2 – European Wedding Attire, originally uploaded by academichic.

Endnotes:

Allow me to introduce you to S2, my oldest childhood friend and one of my most favorite people in the world. I’ve known S2 since she was born and I was two year old and our parents brought us together to play. We were attached at the hip through out our childhood and many summers of our young adult life.

As luck would have it, S2 happened to be offered a position in Germany for the exact year that I came here for my research year abroad. So if you’ve been wondering who’s been taking my great “street style” photos here, now you know who has been behind the camera all this time.

I figured that she’s spent enough time behind the lens and asked her to please get in front of it for a guest post. Like A., S2 also spent this past weekend attending a formal wedding and she obliged and documented her wedding attire for me. S2 has a fabulous sense of style and of course did not disappoint. I love the black and white color scheme and how the detailing of the bow around the lacey mid-section is picked back up in the bows of the shoes. The black and white swirl cuff similarly echoes the swirls of the lace embellishment. Black and white is such a timeless and elegant combination, it’s no wonder White House Black Market has built a whole business concept around it. Now if I could just get my hands on that dress…

Look for S2 in more future posts in which she will be “guest lecturing”! S.

9 October 2009 – Saved by the Sparkle

Posted on | October 10, 2009 | 10 Comments

9 October 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Black Jersey Dress- Banana Republic
Earrings – Birthday Gift
Brooch – Vintage Threadz, etsy
Clutch – Grandmother’s
Shoes – Seychelles, via solestrcuk.com

Endnotes:

When we posted advice about what to wear to a winter wedding last weed, we certainly were not thinking winter wedding season would be so soon be upon us. It was cold and gloomy last night in Academichic Central, perfect weather for a movie night at home, but I had an elegant evening wedding to attend!

Based on the formal language of the multi-layered invitations I deduced that this would be a rather chic event. I have been to a few black-tie optional weddings and have always worn the same black halter dress from Banana Republic, changing out the accessories and shoes. I love the dress and I usually love how it looks on me, so I didn’t even bother trying it on, but for some reason, last night I just wasn’t happy in it. A2 tried to convince me to wear it, but I wasn’t leaving the house in something that didn’t make me feel good.

Packing Update!, originally uploaded by academichic.

Suddenly I had very little time to throw together a formal look for a gloomy night. I dug through my closet but everything was either too casual or too summery. I settled on this jersey dress because the color, the unique neckline, and detailing at the waist all making it a little more evening appropriate. Yet, it was still jersey dress. I decided it was nothing that a great shoe and a little sparkle couldn’t fix!

Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.

Brooch, originally uploaded by academichic.

I premiered these sparkly dangle earrings A2’s nieces sent me for my birthday and this gorgeous vintage brooch from Vintage Threadz on etsy. Vintage Threadz is a fabulous little etsy shop with tons of great vintage finds and, if you contact Vintage Threadz and tell her you heard about the shop on Academichic, she will give you %25 off all items $20 and over.

Have you ever found yourself scrounging to put together an evening look? What are your quick-save tricks?

Reader Question: A Winter Wedding

Posted on | October 5, 2009 | 6 Comments

We received this two-part question from one of our lovely readers:

I’m attending my boyfriend’s brother’s wedding in Chicago in early November. I’ve already selected my dresses for the wedding and dress rehearsal, but have yet to choose the shoes.

As the wedding will be in the fall and who knows about snow, I realize strappy sandals aren’t appropriate. At the same time, I don’t just want to wear standard black pumps, but I’m beginning to think that may be just as good a decision as any.

Our reader also sent along pictures of the dresses she’s chosen. The one on the left from Ann Taylor Loft and the one on the right by Donna Ricco from Nordstrom:

While you certainly can’t go wrong with a standard black pump, we do think there are some other fun options out there to go with the dresses you’ve chosen. We’ve picked three shoes that could add a little something to either or both of the dresses:

Metallic:

Since it will be too cold to wear strappy sandals, a shoe in a metallic ups the fancy-factor of the overall outfit. These classic pewter pumps could later do double duty by adding a fun punch to more conservative work looks.

Print:

Another route might be trying a patterned pump. Perhaps leopard? Or zebra?

Unexpected Color:

You might also consider wearing a pump in an unexpected color. A rich wine color, like this patent pump, would be a delightful twist.

The question continues:

Also, what do you suggest to cover up strapless/sleeveless dresses in the winter? A pashima, sweater type shrug? I know I’ll have to wear my black or camel peacoat from the car to the church/reception, but once I get inside I’d like to have a nice cover up that is elegant as well.

All of us are big fans of using pashminas as cold-weather formal wear wraps. With these dresses, we might suggest a charcoal wrap, perhaps with a tone-on-tone pattern. Another option might be to wear a thin, buttonless cardigan and belt it with a matching sash, like S. did when she went to the opera in San Francisco.

Whatever she chooses, our reader will certainly look lovely in these classic frocks!

24 September 2009 – Playing Dress-Up

Posted on | September 23, 2009 | 18 Comments

24 September 2009 – Paying Dress-Up, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Dress and Bolero – from my grandmother’s closet
Shoes – my often remixed Report wedges

Endnotes:

Some of my favorite activities at my grandparents’ house include looking at old photographs and raiding their closets for abandoned treasures and vintage finds. The former we spent hours doing the other day, while the latter resulted in this fabulous find I’m wearing here. This was my grandmother’s one formal dress, which she wore to several weddings and special occasions starting in the late 1970s. It’s a handmade fuschia gown that she had custom made to fit her along with this matching purple and black bolero. Small rhinestones adorn both the dress and the bolero’s clasp, giving it an extra touch of festivity (Unfortunately, I don’t have a scanner at my disposal, so I can’t share the photos of my grandmother in this dress. You’ll just have to take my word for it that she looked stunning).

I have always thought this dress beautiful in pictures, but this was the first time I tried it on. My grandmother, now 82, could not have been more thrilled to see me take interest in it and most graciously offered it to me to keep. While I may not have any occasion for it anytime soon, I am touched to own it and have certain visions for this dress in the future. Meanwhile, I am in love with this unique bolero and would like to incorporate it into my wardrobe sooner. I would wear it for an elegant evening out to a concert or to the opera – I’m just not sure how to wear it.

What would you do to make this 30 year old bolero contemporary for a night out? How would you style it so that it looks sophisticated and stylish rather than costumey? Please advise! Thank you! S.

6 September 2009 – Mountain Wedding

Posted on | September 9, 2009 | 8 Comments

6 September 2009 – Mountain Wedding, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed except brooch

Navy Dress - J Crew
Silver Brooch – Grandmother’s
Brown Wedges – Kenneth Cole Reaction, via DSW
Earrings - Anthropologie
Silver Bracelet – gift from S.

Endnotes:

This weekend I traveled to Montana for the wedding of one of my closest friends from my master’s program. The wedding was beautiful with the reception being held in an old barn below the mountains.

This wedding was a bit of a challenge to dress for. The bride wore a pretty traditional long white gown but several guests were dressed more for a barn than a wedding! While I was one of the dressier attendees, I was happy and comfortable all night in my ensemble.

I think the beauty of this dress, which I bought for S.’s wedding, is that it can work in a variety of situations: the fact that it is cotton, makes it more casual, but the sheen of the cotton makes it dressy; navy is a classic color that can go either way; the shape and shorter hemline keep it simple, but the ruffle detailing at the neck makes it special.

dress belt detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

I was excited to have another reason to wear the dress but wanted to do something different with it. My brown wedges fit the barn setting a bit better than the fuchsia pumps and since they have been my go-to shoes this summer, I was happy both walking the grounds and hitting the dance floor in them. I still wanted to spice it up a bit with my accessories. I tried my DIY flower belt with it, but it just wasn’t the look I was going for. All the talk about brooches and my new commitment to wearing things from the bottom of my jewelry box led me to pull out this silver brooch that belonged to grandmother. I think it gave the perfect added touch!

What’s your favorite way to remix a simple dress?