24 August 2010 – Olive You

Posted on | August 23, 2010 | 13 Comments

24 August 2010 – Olive You, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Top: Target
Necklace: Forever 21
Belt: thrifted
Skirt: Banana Republic Factory
Wedges: thrifted

End Notes:

Like A. and L., I had to let our color challenge spill over into the following week. I just wasn’t feeling a monochromatic look last week. But, never fear, I have prevailed. And with green, no less.

Ruffle and Necklace Detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

I usually wouldn’t wear a chunky necklace with a top that already has neckline details, like this one. One of the benefits of a monochromatic color scheme, however, is that it lets you play a little more with the “more is more” concept. Layering a yellow-green statement necklace over olive ruffles adds some textural interest within a limited color palette. (I also could have added baby e.’s yellow-green sippy cup to the mix, but I figured I already had enough going on.)

Also, I didn’t tuck in my top. Given my propensity for high-waisted everything, this is a departure for me. Granted, I’m still defining my waist — and adding some lovely drape and blousing — with a skinny belt, but the overall effect of a peplum of sorts is fetching, and it still keeps my never-ending torso in check. One of my fall style resolutions is to play more with drape and volume, and this is a good start, albeit a baby step.

Do you have any fall style resolutions?

24 August 2010 – Olive You, originally uploaded by academichic.

16 August 2010 – Splitting Complements

Posted on | August 16, 2010 | 21 Comments

16 August 2010 – Splitting Complements, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Top: Ross
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Belt: Old Navy
Skirt: Banana Republic Factory
Pumps: Dolce Vita, c/o solestruck.com

End Notes:

I think that this week’s color module — on monochrome and split complementary color schemes — is our most challenging, especially in the summer where there are fewer layering possibilities. Furthermore, trying to figure out what exactly constitutes a split complementary color scheme kind of makes my head spin.

Basically, a split complementary color combination means that you pick a color, draw a line straight across the color wheel to its complement, and then ignore that complement in favor of the colors on either side. For any given color on the color wheel, there are three split complementary color schemes possible.

Allow me:

Here I’m using blue-green as my main color. The complement of blue-green is red-orange, but the split complements are red and orange.

Blue Green, Orange, and Red, originally uploaded by academichic.

But, blue-green could also be on the “split” side of the equation. For example, if red was my main color, then the split complements would be blue-green and yellow-green (on either side of red’s “true” complement, green).

Red, Yellow Green, & Blue Green, originally uploaded by academichic.

Or, as I managed to cobble together today, when orange is the starting point, the split complements are blue-green and blue-violet, on either side of the “true” complement, blue.

Orange, Blue Green, & Blue Violet, originally uploaded by academichic.

Whew. I do think that split complementary color schemes, despite being a bit complex initially, have a big pay off. They’re unexpected and a little quirky and they have both the lush feel of analogous pairings and the pop of a complementary color scheme. Perhaps I need to introduce a personal mandate to wear a split complement at least once a month?

16 August 2010 – Splitting Complements, originally uploaded by academichic.

1 July 2010

Posted on | July 1, 2010 | 7 Comments

1 July 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Navy dress: Target
Scarf: gift from S. from Germany!
Necklace: polished garnets, from a street vendor in Chattanooga
Sandals: Jeffrey Campbell, via Rue La La

End Notes:

One of the most rewarding things about this blog is the ability to look back and see how I’ve been able to wear and re-wear a single item. So, much as I reviewed my remixes of my color block skirt, I’m gushing over the ways that I’ve been able to remix this navy dress.

Although this dress is a neutral color (navy), the full dolman sleeves and wide sash still give it “statement” elements. But, I think that I’ve been able to transform this dress in fairly significant ways through styling. The easiest — but still powerful — way to change the feel of this dress is of course through accessories, particularly pops of color. While today’s brown and blue accessories — tan sandals, a polished garnet necklace, and a patterned scarf — are fairly subtle, I’ve also worn patterned tights, saffron tights, and yellow shoes with this dress.

Layering has been another useful practice for re-styling a staple. I’ve layered a skirt over the dress to change the silhouette and I’ve layered a shirt under the dress to add pattern and color.

I used to worry about buying items that were, in my mind, “too statement-y” (yes, I made that up). I thought that if a garment had too many details, too many things that made it visually interesting, it would also be too recognizable and thus I wouldn’t get that much wear out of it. I think that this navy dress has put that myth to rest. Sure, this is not as bold a statement as, say, my candy striper dress, but I do think it manages to hit a great balance between versatility and not-boringness.

1 July 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

17 June 2010 – Suggested Readings

Posted on | June 17, 2010 | 14 Comments

17 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Plaid tunic button down – Zara
Gray tank – Hanes
Skinnies – S.Oliver
Orange sandals – American Eagle
Scarf – Echo Design
Silver cuff – gift from dad

Endnotes:

So here’s another incarnation of my ‘uniform’ look that I last wrote about. Except I’ve switched out the flats for orange sandals. This for two reasons: I like how the orange sandals pick up the shades of orange in the plaid button down tunic without being too matchy-matchy, and my much worn Palladium flats have finally been retired after four years of faithful service and many many miles together. They tore at last and I’m putting them to rest in Europe, where we have shared many a pleasant trip together. Thank you, Palladium flats, you were a wise purchase indeed.

So it was in this comfy reiteration of the same look I’ve been sporting for a while now that I enjoyed yesterday’s day despite the rain and clouds.I took cover in one of my favorite bookshops in Munich – the five floored Hugendubel on Marienplatz – and cozied up in their top floor cafe with a hot mint tea, a good cycling book, and some intermittent people watching on the square below…

Cycle Readings, originally uploaded by academichic.

Rainy days in Munich, originally uploaded by academichic.

The second challenge for the LGRAB Summer Games included reading a book on cycling, so I began that task with Mark Beaumont’s The Man Who Cycled The World. Beaumont writes about his adventures riding over 18,000 miles on his bike in 194 days and 17 hours (making him the new world record holder). This book is his personal account of that incredible and often painful yet undoubtedly amazing journey on his bike.

I love reading books about the sports I enjoy, such as running and now cycling. (So the girls over at Let’s Go Ride a Bike didn’t really need to twist my arm with this one). But I’ve never been one to get all technical and read about the mechanics of said sport. Rather, I really love a good adventure memoir that focuses on the thrill, excitement, and discovery resulting from engaging in a given activity. I also like historical or theoretical readings on the development of a sport, which trace the social response to and understanding of said activity. Some of my favorite reads on these topics are:

Running:

McDougall, Christopher. Born to Run. A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen. Knopf, 2009.

(This one made me seriously think that I should be running ultras. It just made me fall in love with the art of running all over again.)

Murakami, Haruki. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. Knopf, 2008.

(I put it down and vowed to also run one marathon a year for the rest of my life. So I’m not really going to be able to do that, but I still think the book is beautiful and brilliant).

Cycling:

Mackintosh, Philip Gordon and Glen Norcliffe. “Men, Women and the Bicycle: Gender and Social Geography of Cycling in the Late Nineteenth-Century.” Cycling and Society. Eds. Dave Horton, Paul Rosen and Peter Cox. Burlington: Ashgate, 2007. 153-177.

Oddy, Nicholas. “Bicycles.” The Gendered Object. Ed. Pat Kirkham. New York: Manchester University Press, 1996. 60-69.

Simpson, Clare S. “Capitalising on Curiosity: Women’s Professional Cycle Racing in the Late-Nineteenth Century.” Cycling and Society. Eds. Dave Horton, Paul Rosen and Peter Cox. Burlington: Ashgate, 2007. 47-65.

(All really great and accessible articles on the social development of cycling and the gendered aspects of said activity, especially in the early stages on bicycle development).

Aesthetics and Sport in General:

Gumbrecht, Hans Ullrich. In Praise of Althletic Beauty. Harvard University Press, 2006.

(A beautiful and moving book on the aesthetics of athletics. I read this for a class on aesthetics a few years back and have since reread it for pleasure. Gumbrecht is a professor at Stanford University and I had the pleasure of meeting him shortly before coming to Germany. I had him autograph my book. Yes, I’m an academic groupie).

Do you have any great adventure memoirs you’d recommend? What are some of the books (aesthetics or athletics related) that have moved you? I’d love to get your reading tips! S.

17 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

14 June 2010 – Deep Thoughts on Fashion Blogging

Posted on | June 14, 2010 | 42 Comments

14 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Sunnies – drug store
Silk scarf – 1 Euro find at Vienna flea market
Eyelet top – TJMaxx
Brown cardi – TJMaxx
Skinnies – S.Oliver
Flats – Palladium
Pendant – Anthropologie
Earrings – gift from husband

Endnotes:

These are my last travel photos from Cluj, Romania. As you can see, I wore more of the same ‘uniform’ I’ve been sporting throughout my trip to Prague and Romania. I pretty much switched between two pairs of skinny jeans, rotated through a variety of loose, comfortable tunic-like tops, and wore the same tried and tested pair of Palladium flats each day…

This look works really well for me because I’m somewhat of a straight-up-and-down rectangle, so tunics, empire waist tops, and loose blouses work really well with my shape. Someone with more of an hourglass figure might do well to pack tops that define a waist and show off some curves, but for me, it ends up working quite well to highlight my thin legs in skinny jeans and not bother trying to create curves where there are none. When I’m just trying to get dressed quickly and comfortably, that is. Style savvy-readers like Sal mentioned trying travel outfits on at home before packing and I have definitely approached my packing in that well-planned way before. But when time is short and I just want to throw things in my bag that I know will work, I stick with simple pieces that work with and not against my figure. And with well worn-in and tested shoes. Even if it means that I wear pretty much a version of the same outfit each day. When I’m traveling, I want my surroundings to be my focus and not my outfits.

To vary my looks a wee bit and to make me feel like I’m adding a dash of style to my ‘travel uniform’, I packed a bunch of scarves and used those to add color, texture, and diversity. Scarves are great because they’re so light and small that you can pack a whole lot of them without sacrificing much luggage space at all…

I have actually been feeling a bit like a ‘one trick pony’ since so many of my outfits have been of this skinnies + tunic + flats variety and even wondered whether to post them or not, but then A.’s last post really struck a chord. I liked her honesty in saying that she doesn’t always look put-together, nor that she tries to always look put-together, and that she questions whether style bloggers ought to admit that or pretend otherwise. I have often thought about this myself (being of the not-always-so-put-together-as-I-may-like-to-pretend variety) and it seems to me that what sets fashion blogging apart from magazine spreads and professional models is the portrayal of a somewhat more realistic approach to style, fashion, clothing, and wearability. (Although the spectrum of fashion blogging runs broadly enough that arguments could be made both for and against this). Our site has always been about showing what we would wear on campus, to teach in, on research days, for office hours, or for any other given activity that we would realistically engage in. Thus, it follows that I shouldn’t have to edit out those images of me repeating the same jeans and top for the sake of creative documentation. At the same time, showing off the same look over and over defeats the purpose of creating a platform that seeks to inspire creativity and innovation in one’s approach to dressing.

If you’re still with me and I haven’t lost you with my ramblings, I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Where do you see the role of fashion blogging fitting in? Is it more of an art form and should a good blogger strive to create the kind of unique, often extravagant, and decidedly varied looks found in the pages of your favorite glossies, or rather, is it about documenting the everyday, albeit at times repetitive and perhaps even lackluster outfit creations of regular people? (And yes, I realize that I’m creating a somewhat oversimplified dichotomy here, but you get what I’m saying…)

So which type draws you in more?

Close-up, originally uploaded by academichic.

14 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

And as I leave you to ponder those questions, I will offer you a few more images of gorgeous Cluj… Hope you enjoy! S.

Cluj, Romania, originally uploaded by academichic.

9 June 2010 – Sojourn in Sibiu

Posted on | June 9, 2010 | 5 Comments

9 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Polka dot bouse – Gap, thrifted
Navy tank – ON
Scarf – courtesy of Echo Design
Jeans – S. Oliver
Flats – Palladium
Green tote – Kenneth Cole
Earrings – gift from A.
Sunglasses – drug store

Endnotes:

These photos were taken one day last week spent in Sibiu, Romania. I posted some pictures of Sibiu the last time I was there in September of last year and I took a bunch more on this trip because it’s just such a beautiful and picturesque city.

Since I knew I would be doing a lot of walking on this trip to Romania, I packed sensibly – comfortable flats, sunscreen, and shades were on top of my list. (But more about my packing later). T. and I spent a good deal of our day in Sibiu walking around and exploring the city with intermittent coffee breaks keeping us juiced up and energized. Since we didn’t have much time on this particular visit, we didn’t enter any museums, but I did briefly pop into a promising looking thrift store…I just couldn’t resist.

Traveling/Thrifting, originally uploaded by academichic.

I love a good thrift store at home and I love it even more when traveling because it’s the perfect way to find some unique treasures or some very cheap souvenirs. T. actually suggested I go in when we passed it, which I’m taking as a sign of true love. He really knows me by now. And that’s where a large tote really comes in handy. While carrying a smaller purse is great in terms of weight, when I’m traveling, I need a big bag to hold my essentials, some handy wipes, any postcards and gifts I pick up, an umbrella (a proven way to ensure that it won’t rain!), and, of course, my camera. And, on this trip, the couple of goodies I picked up at said thrift store, which I’m excited to reveal sometime soon.

Are you also a well stocked traveler or do you like to keep things loose and breezy? S.

9 June 2010 – Old City of Sibiu, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sibiu, Romania, originally uploaded by academichic.

1 June 2010

Posted on | June 1, 2010 | 20 Comments

1 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Green Tank Dress – Gap Outlet
Navy Tank – Gap
Teal Belt – Old Navy
Earrings – F21
Wedges – Kenneth Cole Reaction, via DSW
Wooden Bangle – gift from S.

Endnotes:

I found this kelly green tank dress at Gap Outlet when shopping with E. It’s similar in style to E’s. homemade one, but the tank is the same color as the solid colored skirt part, which is cotton and lined. The tank has an unfortunately placed pocket that I just couldn’t get over, yet also just couldn’t pass this one up, so decided I would take it home and make it work. I immediately arrived home pulled it out of the bag and created five possible outfits from it and then text-ed E. to share my success. You will no doubt be seeing this dress remixed several times this summer – I will be sure to post a picture of the dress as it came next time.

I was drawn to the dress primarily because of it’s color. I love almost all shades of green but find this kelly green (with a bit of blue undertone) to be one of the more flattering on me. I made a tight analogous pairing between the skirt and teal belt and another, more distant, analogous pairing with the belt and tank.

analogous colors, originally uploaded by academichic.

I folded the bottom of the ruffly navy tank under so that it ended around where the original tank portion of the dress ends and then belted it into place. I like that it still looks like a tank dress, rather than a skirt and top.

I wore this ensemble to attend a few graduation parties over the weekend. The rest of the weekend I mostly spent in either running clothes or gardening/construction clothes. Here is a little sneak peak of my latest summer construction and garden project. It’s become a bit of an obsession, so I will save the details for a post of it’s own – check back later this week!

Summer Project Sneak Peak, originally uploaded by academichic.

1 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

21 May 2010

Posted on | May 21, 2010 | 19 Comments

21 May 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Pashmina scarf – small shop in Romania
Blue cardigan – vintage, was my grandmother’s
Jeans – thrifted
Boots – Banana Republic
Cropped coat – from “free” pile in dorm
Tote – Kenneth Cole
Bird earrings – gift form A.

Endnotes:

These pictures are from a little while back when my friends were in town and we spent one day visiting Regensburg, Germany. Regensburg is a beautiful old city in Bavaria that dates back to the Stone Age and that definitely merits a visit if you’re in the Southern Germany area.

Unfortunately, our weather here has been cold, rainy, and gray for the most part of May, so back out come the sturdy boots, the heavy coat, and the thick scarves. Good thing I came across this warm yet cropped (and therefor less wintery) wool coat in the ‘free’ pile in my dorm foyer. It’s proven just right for this cold spell we’ve gotten.

Little Bird Earring, originally uploaded by academichic.

Pattern Mash, originally uploaded by academichic.

I’m now hoping for nicer weather since my husband just arrived in Germany and we’re spending some time here, some time in Prague, and then a little time in Romania in the coming weeks. I would love some nicer weather to really enjoy our sightseeing and traveling together. We have never been to Prague before, so I welcome any tips and suggestions any of you might have!

For now, I leave you with a few images from gorgeous Regensburg and I hope to report back with more beautiful backdrops to future outfit shots and hopefully some more bike adventures (weather permitting) to contribute to the LGRAB Summer Games as well. S.

11 May 2010 – Hair Matters

Posted on | May 10, 2010 | 14 Comments

11 May 2010 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Pink and white striped top – J.Crew
Gray tee (underneath) – HRC
Rolled skinnies – S.Oliver
Flats – Palladium
Trench – vintage, was my grandmother’s
Scarf – courtesy of Echo
Pendant – Anthropologie
Bag – Etienne Aigner hand-me-down

Endnotes:

One of my best features is my hair. It has taken twenty-seven long years for me to say that: I love my hair. Growing up, it was more often a frizzy and unruly mess that I would pull back into a tight ponytail for the lack of any other styling expertise. Not knowing how to style curly and frizz prone hair made me resent my natural curls and wish for the easy straight and luxurious locks of my school mates. Even for most of my adult life, I spent hours under a hot blow dryer, brushing and bullying my hair into submission.

Over the course of the last year, I have come to embrace my hair in all its curly and unruly glory and this shift in attitude has worked wonders. Now that I let it be and have researched a bit the stylings and hair care needs of curly hair, it looks healthier and better than it ever has before. I think my hair story in an example par excellence of how working with what you’ve got, rather than against it, proves so much more fruitful and effective.

11 May 2010 , originally uploaded by academichic.

For some tips and suggestions on caring for curly hair, check out these following resources:

NaturallyCurly.com
The Curly Girl Method
List of Sulfate-free Shampoos (I use this)
List of Cone-free Conditioners (I use this)
To Plop or Not to Plop (I plop and use an Aquis towel - awesome little guy!)

Care to share any curly hair tips of your own? Please leave them in the comments below!

As for a side note on the outfit – I have friends in town and I’ve been spending the last few days doing much walking around the city, enjoying lots of little wonderful coffee breaks (or beer breaks in Munich’s beer gardens), and being a tourist here myself. This requires above all comfortable shoes. Because it’s been rainy, I added my trench coat, I rolled my skinnies to keep the cuffs from getting wet, and threw a mini umbrella in my purse. And presto, I’m good to go. And speaking of which, I better get going right now… S.

I , originally uploaded by academichic.

10 May 2010 – In Which I Come to Terms with My Long Torso

Posted on | May 10, 2010 | 16 Comments

10 May 2010 – In Which I Come to Terms with My Long Torso, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Gray knit blazer: C&C
Gray embellished tank: JCrew
Lavender cami: Target
Gray skinny chinos: Banana Republic
Patterned wedges: Kenneth Cole Reaction, via DSW

End Notes:

For my inaugural Dress Your Best Week post, I’m giving a gold star to my height. That might not be a body part per se, but I owe a good bit of my 5’9″ frame to my tremendously long torso, a feature that I have spent a lot of time trying to mitigate in the past. But today, torso? Today I’m making good use of you.

This outfit is a combination of elements that accentuate my height with elements that take advantage of the fact that I’m tall. It’s a funny push and pull and I feel like I’m simultaneously following and breaking all of those style suggestions for petites who want to look taller: the monochrome gray palette and cropped jacket visually lengthen, while the longer-length tank and the cuffed, light colored pants supposedly truncate. But you know what? Even though I cannot explain why I love cropped or cuffed skinnies with heels, I do know I have inches to spare and gosh darn it, I’m going to put them to work.

Wedges, originally uploaded by academichic.

I’m celebrating being a tall girl in heels. Today I don’t care that I sometimes feel like a sore thumb when I’m surrounded by my shorter Japanese relatives, that airplane seating is cramped, that dresses are frequently too short, and that jacket sleeves are rarely long enough. Instead, I’m celebrating the fact that I can reach the top shelf, that my long stride lets me keep up with my 6’3″ husband, that I can stand in the back of a crowd and still see the stage, that I never have to hem my pants, and that I can be memorable as “that tall girl.”

(Don’t forget to check out all the other folks who are dressing their best this week!)