Pre-Wedding Dinner

Posted on | July 6, 2010 | 10 Comments

Pre-Wedding Dinner, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

On A:

• Dress – Max Studio, via Marshals
• Shoes – Seychelles, via DSW
• Earrings – gift from S.
• Bag – Crystalyn Kae

On A’s Mom:

• Navy Jersey Cardigan – Talbots
• White Cami – Talbots
• Seersucker Capris – Talbots
• Sandals – Born

On A2 (below):

• Navy Button Down – Ralph Lauren
• Seersucker Pants – Gap
• Sandals – Reefs

On A’s Dad (below):

• Polo – Ralph Lauren
• Shorts – Ralph Lauren

Endnotes:

The night before the wedding the we went to one of favorite old stomping grounds for dinner and micro-brew. Everyone arrived in town at different times and just showed up to the brewery to join our enormous table in the rooftop beer garden.  There was no need for a rehearsal so we all just enjoyed relaxed evening laughing, swapping stories, and  getting excited about the big day.

My mom and I did not coordinate our outfits, but clearly we were on the same wave length with our navy ensembles finished off with our strikingly similar  large brown totes.  I loved my mom’s little jersey cardigan paired with her cropped blue and white seersucker pants.  She was trendy but age appropriate.   We both wear blue well because it makes our eyes pop.  I get my blue eyes from both my parents, but you can clearly see I get my height from dad.

As it turned out A2 apparently also got the memo about navy being our pre-wedding color.

Blue, originally uploaded by academichic.

Both of my parents are brand loyalists.  A majority of my mom’s wardrobe comes from Talbots, including the beautiful black linen dress and blue linen jacket she wore for the actual wedding.  My dad is a true Ralph Lauren fan and owns a polo in just about every color and his wedding suit was also Ralph Lauren.  In the past, I have rarely found much from either of these companies (though A2 swears by Ralph Lauren with her own impressive collection of polos) but have recently been liking more and more from Talbots (more on that in a post to come).

Finally, dearest readers, thank you so much for the outpouring of well wishes and kind words.  It has been so much fun and incredibly heart warming to read all of the comments on the wedding post, so thank you all for adding to the incredible high I’ve been on all week!

A & A2, originally uploaded by academichic.

28 June 2010 – Taboo Hues

Posted on | June 28, 2010 | 34 Comments

28 June 2010 – Outdoor Wedding, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Pink eyelet dress – Ann Taylor, thrifted in San Fran
• Pink flower pin – H&M
• Yellow shoes – Gianni Bini
• Silver cuff – gift
• Gold clutch – BR, gift from mom
• Flower earrings – my wedding earrings, side walk sale

Endnotes:

This past weekend, T. and I attended the wedding of two good friends of ours. It was a beautiful outdoor ceremony in a park followed by a wonderful reception at a local restaurant. The couple looked gorgeous and the day couldn’t have been any nicer or more enjoyable. Everything was great, barring perhaps the insanely hot temperature – close to mid 90s during the outdoor ceremony part. I knew it was going to be sweltering and so I tried to dress accordingly.

I had initially planned on wearing this light and airy white dress (also thrifted) that has a tulip shape to the skirt and a deep V cut-out in the back. It’s also knee length and somewhat more formal than the pink cotton number I ended up wearing. I had envisioned adding the same flower brooch for that touch of summery flair and my red wedge sandals…

But after I brought up the discussion on wedding guest attire during my last wedding-related post, so many readers chimed in with emphatic protests to wearing white as a guest that I first wavered and then retreated entirely from said ensemble above.

Although I still don’t agree with the idea that certain colors (even white or black) should be taboo for a wedding, I couldn’t help but lose my resolve to wear what I wanted to wear because I realized how many people might read my choice as something other than what it was. I wanted to wear a dress that would be elegant yet summery and day-wear appropriate; light and breezy for the heat; and flattering on my body shape. I had no intentions of outshining the bride or diverting attention to myself. And while I know that, I decided that a sign is not only what you (the wearer) decide it is, but also what the other person – the receiver – reads it to be. So despite my best intentions, if the majority of readers (and by extension, perhaps the people attending this wedding?) would misinterpret my wearing of white (with polka-dots, mind you) to a friend’s wedding, then it would be a battle lost.

28 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

In the end, I was happy with the pink dress, I don’t think the bride would have cared either way about my choice, and I forgot all about my outfit once the celebration started and I enjoyed the time with my friends. But this incident just reminded me once more how powerful certain sartorial symbols are and how ingrained certain signs and signifiers continue to be. I’m appreciating that even when I don’t agree with said symbolisms and signs, I still cannot opt out of what they mean to others. S.

8 June 2010

Posted on | June 8, 2010 | 20 Comments

8 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Pearls – borrowed from my mom
• Polka-dot dress – Target
• Red tank – ON
• Red wedges – thrifted vintage Etienne Aigner
• Pearl earrings – my wedding earrings, sidewalk sale
• Wildflowers – picked in field outside of town

Endnotes:

Dear Readers, I’m back. I’ve been a pretty bad blogger lately but for good reason; I’ve enjoyed some much needed time away from the computer and with my husband and my family in Romania. Now that I’m back in Germany, I do have pictures to share from my time traveling and I hope to make a more regular appearance around here.

Today’s outfit shots are from some time last week when we celebrated my grandfather’s and my husband’s recent May birthdays at a little family and friends’ dinner out. I knew that there would be a good chance that I couldn’t get away with wearing jeans and sporty flats my entire vacation, so I had wisely packed one semi-formal dress and my red wedges for just such an event. This black and white polka-dot dress is dressy enough for a special occasion dinner without being so formal that it begs for attention.

Wildflowers and Polka Dots, originally uploaded by academichic.

When packing without quite knowing what my itinerary will entail, I like to choose items that can function for multiple occasions or registers and that can be mixed and matched in various ways. That often means neutrals (like this black and white dress) and semi-casual dresses or skirts that can be elevated to a more formal look or dressed down for everyday wear with the use of shoes, jewelry, or the right accessories. If a garment only appears to be useful for a certain type of event or setting and will likely only be worn one way, I tend to not pack it in favor of something that will present me with more options at my destination. Unless, of course, I’m packing for something very specific and unique, like a black-tie wedding.

How do you choose what to pack and what to leave behind? And since I’ll be doing a lot more packing in the weeks to come (as I leave Germany and head back to the US), what is some of the most useful packing advice you’ve received and could kindly share with us? Thank you! S.

For a plethora of packing-related posts, make sure to check out our Academichic Travels section here. Ever the academics, we love to document and theorize even our bag-packing methodologies.

Red , originally uploaded by academichic.

2 June 2010 – Wedding Attire

Posted on | June 2, 2010 | 52 Comments

2 June 2010 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Black dress – Banana Republic
  Cord as belt – was my mom’s from twenty or so years ago
  Gold clutch – Banana Republic
  Gold sandals – Antonio Melani
  Pashmina – shop in Romania
  Coral earrings – gift from dad

Endnotes:

This past weekend, T. and I attended a friend’s wedding here in Romania. It was in a beautiful spot in the mountains and the whole affair was pretty elegant and formal. The last time I posted my friend’s wedding-guest attire, many readers chimed in with concern at wearing black (or white) to a wedding.  While I respect that different cultures have different customs, those comments came as a surprise to me. And neither my mom (this being a Romanian wedding, I thought I’d ask her first)  nor others I have since asked about this ‘taboo’ had ever thought anything of wearing black to a wedding. In fact, at this particular black-tie event, the maid of honor wore a beautiful ankle-length black gown, which looked stunning next to the long white dress of the bride.

Thus consulted, I decided that my little black dress of the more formal variety would be just the thing for this event. I love the rushed semi-circle neckline and how it ends just above the knee. I gave it a bit of shape by belting it (otherwise it’s just too loose and shapeless), and added gold and red accessories to complete the look. Gold sandals, a gold clutch, and a pashmina in warm red and orange colors with gold thread woven throughout give the black dress a bit of a ‘warmer’ look.

Details, originally uploaded by academichic.

The wedding was wonderful and T. and I had a great time. In true Romanian fashion, there were over 250 guests present and the party lasted until the early morning hours. Among those many attendants, women could be seen wearing all sorts of dresses in all sorts of colors. Including many black, some off-white lace, and plenty of colorful numbers. But not one could hold a candle to the bride, who looked absolutely stunning. (And I would argue that not even the guests wearing the off-white dresses ever stood the chance of being confused for the attendant of honor – the bride.)

I would love to hear more of you chime in on this topic – do you feel strongly about certain colors being ‘taboo’ for a wedding or for a certain type of celebration? Alternately, how were those impressions formed? Where did you learn of those ‘taboos’? S.

14 May 2010

Posted on | May 14, 2010 | 6 Comments

14 May 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Dress – Old Navy
• Back Halter – Old Navy
• Belt – Old Navy
• Wedges – Kenneth Cole Reaction, via DSW
• Earrings- F21

Endnotes:

For my final DYB post, I am dressing for my arms.  One of the most fascinating and wonderful things about this project has been to see how many different ways there are to love your body.  Many bloggers wrote about embracing the parts of their body that serve an important function, as S. and I did with our legs, and E. with her mom arms.  Others wrote about learning to love something society or shopping has taught them not to, like my ass and E.’s skin tone. And many wrote about loving a body part they have had to work, have invested time and energy into making it what it is.  That’s the case with my arms!

Arms!, originally uploaded by academichic.

I have naturally long limbs and after years of running muscular legs,  but my arms are not naturally muscular (and I have no baby lifting to make them strong).  I have long been admiring the fabulously toned arms of a good friend (and running buddy and colleague).  Her arms look amazing all the time!  After complimenting her on them many times and on a few occasions admitting my jealously, she offered to help me work on my arms.  I joined her a couple times at a total toning class on campus and then we went to the gym and she laid out a training schedule for my arms (I love running schedules, so this was right up my alley).

I have been working on my shoulders, triceps, and biceps on and off now for a few weeks and already see such a difference.  My super-armed friend suggested I wear a halter to show off my progress.  I’ll report back in a month or so with hopefully even toner triceps.  Next, I’m on to my back!

14 May 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Fashion 101: Experimenting with Belts

Posted on | March 15, 2010 | 22 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.

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.

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