13 March 2010 – Flower Power

Posted on | March 13, 2010 | 10 Comments

13 March 2010 – Flower Power, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

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

Endnotes:

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

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

Flower belt, originally uploaded by academichic.

Pattern mix, originally uploaded by academichic.

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

13 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

3 March 2010

Posted on | March 3, 2010 | 19 Comments

3 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Ruffled cardigan: Ann Taylor
Leaf print top: H&M
Trousers: Banana Republic
Pumps: Madden Girl, via DSW
Belt: thrifted

End Notes:

Like A., I was inspired by S.’s cardi pattern mixing and wanted to try some of my own. Unfortunately, I don’t actually own a patterned cardigan. (And I’m taking suggestions for one to add to my wardrobe this spring.)

I have, however, recently acquired this putty colored ruffle front cardigan from an Ann Taylor clearance rack. Ruffled and embellished cardigans remain popular for spring* and in some ways they can function much like a subdued pattern might, adding just a bit of visual interest and texture. So while it might be tempting to let the ruffles take center stage, they also provide a friendly baby-step into pseudo-pattern mixing.

3 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Despite the constrained color palette, I like how punchy this combination ended up being: soft ruffles against graphic black and white leaves. (I did belt the cardigan with to give a little more shape and even out the proportions of my epically long torso. Plus, introducing one more texture — leather — seemed like a good idea.)

I had a bit of a dilemma over whether or not to tuck the leaf print top into my pants or not. One the one hand, I like the more relaxed feel of the untucked top, and it allowed more of the pattern to be visible. On the other hand, tucking it in makes for a longer leg line, which I enjoy.

Have you embraced embellished cardigans?** How do you wear yours?

3 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

* At least, so says my unofficial perusing of J Crew and Anthropologie, an admittedly limited style sample. But whatever.

** If you’re unsure, stay tuned for a DIY post in the next few days explaining how you can make your own embellished cardi on the cheap.

2 March 2010

Posted on | March 2, 2010 | 10 Comments

2 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Striped Cardigan – J Crew
Plaid Shirt – Gap
Skirt – Old Navy
Grey Tights – BR Outlet
Wellies – Banana Republic
Belt – Thrifted
Earrings – Gift

Endnotes:

I was inspired by S.’s pattern mixing from yesterday to do a little of my own. I don’t own many patterned cardigans (mostly stripes) so I started with the cardigan and then went to my closet full of patterned plaid, striped, and floral button downs. I tend to be a bit more timid with my pattern mixing that either S. or E. so I stuck with a simple color palette of grey black and bright blue. I love the subtle small stripes against the bold large buffalo plaid.

Stripes on Plaid, originally uploaded by academichic.

Reader Kaite asked for advice on layering a cardigan over a button down. I have sported this look many times so I thought I would share some of my observations.

For today’s outfit, I chose a long loose cardigan and left it un-buttoned; buttoned-up it created to many lumps. I added the belt under the cardigan to remind you of the waist under all the loose layers.

The easiest cardigan/button-down combination is a sturdy cardigan layered over a close-fitting sleeveless button-down. I often wear my sleeveless white button-down under a variety of layers, including cardigans. Similarly, a sturdy sleeveless cardigan (sweater vest) will work well over a long sleeve button-down, this avoids arm lumps.

I have found that two types of cardigans work well for layering. First, larger cardigans that flow away from the body won’t look ton bulky, because you will be able to see that the bulk clearly comes from the cardigan and not your body. Today is a good example of this – of course when in doubt, belt!

Second, a sturdy material or a tightly woven sweater will work much better than cardigans that hold less of a shape. When the cardigan is thick and sturdy you can smooth out any lumps underneath. Whit these sweaters, you can belt over all of you layers, as I did with my argyle and light pink cardigans below. If the cardigan is less sturdy, leave it unbuttoned so that it floats away from the button-down, as I did with the black cardigan above and the purple one below.

As with everything, try different combinations on! A cardigan might work really well over some button-downs but not at all over others. Try belting both over and under the cardigan and try it out both buttoned and un-bottoned. If you really want to layer a cardigan over a button down and can’t seem to get rid of the bumps, you can always but a tight fighting cami in between the button down and cardigan to smooth everything out.

Do you have any tips you can share? A.

2 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Fashion 101 on Cardigans: Playing with Pattern

Posted on | March 1, 2010 | 32 Comments

Polka dots and Damask, originally uploaded by academichic.

This week we’re participating in a Fashion 101 course on Cardigans. I have a few patterned cardigans that I really like but don’t wear all too often because I feel limited in how to incorporate them into my wardrobe. Thus far, I have always worn them over solid tops, thinking that the cardigan’s pattern necessitated a simple solid colored top underneath. In an attempt to be more creative with my clothing and to get more use out of what I already own, I challenged myself to do some pattern mixing with said patterned cardigans for our Fashion 101 week.

I started with the outfit shown above because I was fairly certain that this particular pattern mix would work: I’m mixing a large damask print with a dark, almost indiscernible small polka dot print. We articulated this pattern mix approach in our Fashion 101 on Pattern last year: it seems like mixing one dominant print (the damask here) with a small print (the polka dot) makes for an interesting yet not overwhelming result.

Polka dots detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

Feeling pretty pleased with the outcome, I thought I would give more pattern mixing a shot. I don’t believe that there is a wrong or right way to do this, since liking the outcome is all a matter of personal taste and aesthetics. What may strike one person as a harmonious combination might appear to someone else as chaotic and overwrought. Case in point with this next combination:

Bold Pattern Mix, originally uploaded by academichic.

This particular mix is too loud for my personal taste. You can see what a difference adding a second bright and large print to an already large and bright print can make. It appears like the patterns are competing for attention since they are equally dominant and bold. They are perhaps also too close in pattern shape, with the damask and floral being both composed of swirls and loops, which also adds to the seemingly combative appearance of this mix.

Dark Stripes and Damask, originally uploaded by academichic.

If two prints that are close in color, similar in shape, and equal in size appear loud and attention-grabbing, I reasoned that perhaps pairing the damask print with a different pattern shape, color, and size a more harmonious result might make. While the above combination of navy stripes with pink damask is interesting, I’m not certain that I love it. I feel neither appalled nor all too excited about it. What do you think of this one?

Light stripes and Damask, originally uploaded by academichic.

I thought that perhaps a lighter, less obtrusive stripe would make this pairing even more harmonious. As with the polka dots of the first example, this light striped pattern is inconspicuous enough that it hardly poses a threat to the damask and the two can co-exist in perfect harmony.

Stripes detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

As a last shot at stripes and damask, I pulled out this pink and white striped top thinking that it would be an absolute disaster with the pink damask. I assumed the monochromatic color scheme to confuse the eye wanting to make sense of different patterns of the same color.

Pink on Pink, originally uploaded by academichic.

I was, however, pleasantly surprised by the result. And then I remembered that we had discussed this phenomenon during out Pattern Mixing modules as well: one way to mitigate the busyness of multiple prints is by keeping the pattern in the same color family. That way you’re only dealing with one variable: the print. The pink on pink pairing shows that a monochromatic pattern mix can prove surprisingly docile.

Plaid and Damask, originally uploaded by academichic.

Lastly, I scoured my closet for what I was sure would be one more I’d-never-leave-the-house-in-this ensemble (as with the red and pink combo above) and pulled out this black and white plaid button down. On the hanger, the colors and print of this top promised to make an absolute awful match with the pink damask, but on myself, I actually love it. The lesson here being: try things on and experiment! None of these combinations ended up looking quite as I had predicted and I was surprised how many pairings that I had deemed inconceivable ended up working well (and vice-versa).

Graphic Tee and Damaks, originally uploaded by academichic.

I tried one last pairing with the patterned cardigan and a graphic tee. The graphic tee provides a small focalized pattern mix and can be an easy way to transition into more daring pattern combinations.

Overall, my two favorite pairings were these ones (the plaid and the small polka dot):

What about yours? How do these different combinations strike you?

I hope this visual exploration of how one might mix a patterned cardigan with various patterned tops has provided you with some inspiration for your own closet. While I am no expert and can only represent my own taste and style, I hope that the one thing you can walk away with, if nothing else, is to experiment and try stuff out. Style rules in the abstract are fine and good, but nothing beats actually trying things on and seeing how methodologies fare once put into practice. So go forth, experiment, and have fun with it!

25 February 2010

Posted on | February 25, 2010 | 17 Comments

25 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Jacket: Banana Republic Factory
Top: thrifted
Scarf as belt: courtesy of Echo Design
Pants: Old Navy
Pumps: Madden Girl, DSW

End Notes:

If our scarf month has made anything clear to me, it’s that I my collection was missing a good, patterned silk scarf. I say “was,” because the good folks at Echo Design graciously sent us some scarves to play with, including this long, narrow estate scrolls scarf. At first glance it may seem like a surprising choice for me, but I love the stylized, swirling vines and I think the red and tan color combination will actually prove surprisingly versatile.

Especially for renewed attempts at pattern mixing.

25 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

I actually really love how these patterns look together — the geometric diamonds with the more organic scrolls — and the color combination is classic as well. I’m excited to try this scarf out in other iterations, including as a “blouse” under a blazer or cardigan.

Finally, I’ve loved readings everyone’s comments on A.’s post about dressing for different audiences and identity groups. As you can probably tell from my post about dressing to announce a cultural affinity back in January and Sally’s guest post on style and the social self, this is a big, recurring question that we all return to frequently. And yet, there’s always more to say!

25 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

24 February 2010

Posted on | February 24, 2010 | 27 Comments

24 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Pink Button Down – J Crew
Scarf – Old Navy
Navy Skirt – J Crew
Tights- BR Outlet
Shoes – Anthropologie, via ebay

Endnotes:

In our last few days of scarf month I am taking on E.’s challenge to me to do a little pattern mixing, so I have paired this bold hot pink and paisley scarf with my bright pink pinstriped button down. I like the result of a business silhouette with such bold and daring colors and patters. I felt professional enough to teach and attend a job-search-committee meeting but I also think I brought a little extra life to both of these activities!

pink pattern on pink pattern!, originally uploaded by academichic.

Now for a digression: This past weekend I took a group of students to an LGBT college leadership conference. I learned quite a bit and was reminded about many things I had learned long ago and have been excited to talk all about it with E. S. and lots of other people. But, here I want to reflect on how the whole conference experience, particularly the key note speakers and discussions with my students pushed me to think about clothing and self presentation.

While preparing to pack for the weekend I was struggling with what would be appropriate. E. asked me if I thought I would dress differently for such a specific crowd – LGBT college students. I think at some point in my life, I likely wold have chosen less “feminine” items and thought more about how I could easily convey lesbian through my appearance. I am now much more comfortable in both my sexuality and my physical appearance than I was back as an undergraduate, so that was not the issue (more on this later). Instead, I was caught up on the word “conference.”

These days conference conjures up some pretty specific attire, but this was not an academic conference and I was not a presenter, yet I did want to be distinguishable as an advisor (not an undergraduate student) and was aware that I might make some professional connections. I ended up choosing jeans with my wrap cardigan and skinny cords with a button down and was very happy with my choices all weekend.

Since this is getting so long already, I’ll save my next installment, in which I will suggest we are all dressing in drag, for tomorrow! In the mean time, I would love to hear for you. How much do you change your style depending on audience and situation? I’m not talking about the difference between pencil skirt for the office and jeans for the bar – but rather how do different crowds of people, and your desire to connect with them, influence your style? A.

24 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

18 February 2010

Posted on | February 18, 2010 | 27 Comments

18 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Cream Sweater – F21
Brown Pinstripe Skirt – Gap
Brown Tights – Talbot
Plaid Scarf – BR Outlet
Brooch- Gift
Red Wedges – Anthropologie, via ebay

Endnotes:

This is not at all what I had intended to wear today. I knew I had a full day so I laid out an outfit last night but the only items I actually used from what I laid our are the scarf and the tights. The purple jersey dress I had planned to wear apparently shrank in it’s last run through the wash and now looks more like a maternity top than a dress. So, I quickly improvised!

I still wanted to use this plaid scarf and I had the tights on already so I worked from there. I have been wanting to wear one of my full skirts since E. wore her white one last week. The brown pinstripe worked with the tights I already had on and created a nice pattern mix with he scarf. I pulled out the cream sweater as a nice neutral and a good blank canvas for the scarf. I chose these maroon wedges instead of the boots I had planned to wear because it is finally a bit warmer and it broke up all the brown on the bottom.

Shoes and Necklace, originally uploaded by academichic.

For the scarf, I have worn this belted and so wanted to try out something new. I tried out E.’s “flop knot”, but it wasn’t laying right. I just started playing around with it and discovered that the way I wanted it to lie was not accomplish-able with any scarf tie I knew, so I decided to pin the two sides together with a safety pin. I liked the drape but found that it looked like it was floating so I added the brooch, which gives the impression that it is holding everything in place.

scarf and brooch, originally uploaded by academichic.

I’m excited that I found a way to mix patterns, don a brooch, and wear a full, light-weight skirt in the dead of winter. But, I think the overall look has a Scottish vibe I wasn’t planning on. I think I will reuse elements of the ensemble but perhaps not in this current iteration.

18 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

20 January 2010 – First Day of School

Posted on | January 21, 2010 | 15 Comments

20 January 2010 – First Day of School, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Plaid dress (worn as blouse): Converse, from Target
Belt: jersey tie from another dress
Wool skirt: Gap, hand me down from SIL
Patterned tights: Hue, from TJ Maxx
Ruffled Pumps: AM, via DSW
Apple: Trader Joe’s

End Notes:

While I’m still on a break from teaching responsibilities this semester, I am returning to the classroom to finish off my last coursework requirements. I had my first seminar yesterday, and I dithered for a while beforehand about what constituted appropriate first day of class, PhD student style.

This course is with a new professor, so I wanted to make a good first impression and establish myself as an advanced grad student but without looking like I was trying to assert classroom authority. Thus, while I would likely have worn a structured jacket for my first day teaching, I decided to eschew it yesterday in favor of a skirt and “blouse” pairing that — I think — injected a bit of trend into an otherwise staid combination.

20 January 2010 – First Day of School, originally uploaded by academichic.

Patterned Tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

I’m glad I did, too, because I also ended up having two former students in this class with me. (Because my program has hefty coursework requirements and because upper level seminars tend to be mixed with grad students and undergrad seniors, this situation of former student turned fellow student is actually not that unusual. Doesn’t make it any less weird, though.) Ah well. Much awkwardness can be glossed over if you at least know that your outfit is non-awkward.

And yes, it’s the return of the Converse plaid dress, back in action after a brief hiatus due to very cold weather and a lack of inspiration. When I first pulled this skirt on over the dress, I was worried about bulk and bunching. However, because this wool skirt has a lining and a good bit of weight and structure, it actually smoothed everything over just fine. As an added bonus, I didn’t have to worry about my shirt untucking when I sat down or reached for something.

Like an apple.

Happy new semester! And don’t forget to check out other great first day looks submitted over at the Fashionable Academics First Day Virtual Conference!

20 January 2010 – First Day of School, originally uploaded by academichic.

20 January 2010

Posted on | January 20, 2010 | 21 Comments

20 January 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Navy cardi – H&M
Eyelet top – from my grandmother’s closet
Red tank – Old Navy
Jean capris tucked into boots – Younique Jeans
Boots – Banana Republic
Scarf – thrifted in Romania recently

Endnotes:

One thing I am actively going to try to incorporate in my wardrobe this year is pattern mixing. This adds inordinate depth and richness to an outfit when done just right. We outlined some of our thoughts on wearing pattern and mixing patterns in our Fashion 101 post of last spring, which you can find here. This year, in addition to keeping those tips from last year’s Fashion 101 in mind, I am also taking cues from probably my favorite store ever. If there were only one store left in the world, I’d want this one to be it: Anthropologie…

I love Anthropologie’s deliberate mix of florals and stripes, of vintage-inspired with modern. As this year progresses, I’m going to push myself to experiment with different patterns and prints worn not just together in the same outfit, but actually next to each other or layered on top of each other, as with this scarf and eyelet top.

I’m not sure why this pairing works so well, but I think it does. Probably because neither print is too overwhelming and because the orange and white floral pattern of the scarf echoes the red and white floral pattern of the eyelet top (orange and red are analogous colors, so they make a very soft and harmonious match). Whatever the methodology behind pattern mixing, Anthropologie sure has it figured out and I’m determined to tap into some of that wisdom myself. So stay tuned.

To easily access all our pattern mixing outfits in the archives, just click on the “Mixing Patterns” category on the sidebar!

Pattern Mix, originally uploaded by academichic.

4 January 2010

Posted on | January 4, 2010 | 15 Comments

4 January 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Cardigan – BR Outlet
Blouse – BR Outlet
Jean Skirt – BR Outlet
Sweater Tights – Banana Republic
Wellies – Banana Republic
Belt – Ann Taylor
Earrings – Banana Republic

Endnotes:

It wasn’t until I wrote up my sources that I realized almost everything I am wearing is from either Banana Republic or the Banana Republic outlet. This is not the first time this has happened, of course.

These BR wellies were a Christmas present from my Mom and I can’t get enough of them. They keep my feet dry and warm yet are versatile and stylish too. All of the other BR items I’m wearing today were bought on sale! I mentioned the other day that one of my favorite post-holiday activities is shopping. I love the sales and the sense of freedom to experiment when things only cost $3!

Bakelite Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.

I bought this floral blouse the day after Thanksgiving for a whopping $7. It’s rather outside my comfort zone in both fit and pattern and not something I probably would have ever tired on with its original price tag still attached. The cardigan on the other hand, purchased on post-Christmas sale, was a bit more of a splurge, but I’ve had my eye on it for a while. What better way to wear two new patterned items, than together? My tights are patterned too!

Pattern Mixing, originally uploaded by academichic.

In time, I’ll be revealing more of my great post-holiday finds. For now, a few thoughts on post-holiday shopping: hit the store early for more selection; if you have time, go back later in the week to see what you missed and push yourself to consider items outside your comfort zone; visit a Banana Republic, Gap, etc outside of the mall, or in a office district where there isn’t much weekend traffic (often you will find these locations deserted after the holidays and thus have the best selection); skip the bargain stores because their stuff is always cheap; buy things you would normally pass up but keep all the tags on until you’ve had a chance to reevaluate all of your purchases (try things in different combinations with items in your existing wardrobe). What are your post-holiday shopping strategies?