academichic

Sources:

Polkadot dress – Target
Tank – Be Maternity, via Target
Cardigan – Banana Republic
Tights – TJMaxx
Boots – Banana Republic
Pendant – Anthropologie
Brooch – vintage, via consignment store

Endnotes:

Do you know of the new site called Everybody Everywear? The two talented bloggers Linda and Liz came up with this project, which takes a theme and features a vast collection of images from bloggers all over the internets showcasing how they incorporate it into their outfits. This month? Polka dots! It didn’t take much arm twisting for me to get on board with that. I own a fair amount of dots in my wardrobe (after florals, my second favorite pattern) and it’s been so much fun to see how all these stylish women are wearing their polka dotted items. It’s given me much inspiration for future pattern mixes, color combos, and layering strategies. I also like that clicking on a particular image takes you straight to a blogger’s site so that you can continue to see more of the blogger whose style really caught your eye.

Some of my previous polkadot looks…

Inspired by the brazen pattern mixing going on at Everybody Everywear, I decided to do what I’ve been wanting to do more of and paired this polka dot dress with a marble print cardigan. (You may recognize this cardigan pattern from the BR dress I styled a few weeks ago. I didn’t end up buying the dress but I got the cardi version from the winter line, which was now on super clearance. Score). I think this pattern mix works because the polka dots are fairly small and innocuous and don’t conflict too much with the bolder marble patten of the cardigan. And both patterns are in a dark neutral – black and navy. To add a bit of brightness and color, I added some gold and yellow accessories with a necklace and vintage brooch.

Are you a fan of polka dots? If so, you may want to check out all the fabulous polka dotted items on Everybody Everwear and submit your own look as well! And if dots aren’t your thing, check out all the Blazer looks, the Gingham submissions, and keep an eye out for next month’s theme. ~ S.

Sources:

Blazer – MaxMara, hand me down
Striped sweater – Gap, thrifted
Jeans – ON Maternity
Boots – Banana Republic
Necklace – thrifted
Bike – 70s Peugeot Mixte via Craigslist

Endnotes:

E. is not the only one embracing stripes during her pregnancy. It seems like stripes are everywhere this season and after seeing the lovely Miss James rock them all the way to the end of her pregnancy, I became convinved that they were not to be eschewed just because of that extra belly roundness. In fact, how cute is this…

{image courtesy of Bleubird Vintage}

I’ve also been restocking my patterns because I’m really liking the rich effect of pattern mixing as of late. Although I wear a lot of pattern and don’t shy away from loud or bold prints (E. and A. have joked that I have a bit of a 70s couch aesthetic when it comes to pattern choosing), I don’t often brave the mixing of those. I’ve been clipping lots of pattern mixing images to my desktop inspiration folder and am looking forward to getting more adventurous with pattern this year. A sneak peak into my inspiration file…

{Clockwise from top: Dear Baby, Rockstar Diaries, Lucky Magazine}

It seems that stripes work particularly well with florals, as these clippings demonstrate. Since I own a fair share of florals, this should be a cinch. Do you mix patterns? How do you go about making sure the final result is interesting and rich without seeming overwhelming and dizzying?

On a more serious note, I’d just like to express my great sympathy for all those affected by the Tsunami that hit Japan this morning and then made its way to Hawaii and is continuing towards the coast of California. My heart goes out to everyone in those areas and I’m saddened by the loss of so many lives already. May you and your loved ones stay safe! ~ S.

Sources:

• Sweater: Clements Ribeiro
• Trousers: Banana Republic Factory Outlet
• Belt: J. Crew
• Scarf: Filene’s Basement
• Shoes: Steve Madden via DSW

Endnotes:
Grey and yellow, aka “grellow”, is not a new pairing by any means, but it is a new combination for me. Inspired by Audi of Fashion for Nerds as well as my cobloggers, I thought I’d give it a shot, and thus far I’m very happy with it. For my third to last day of school before spring break I thought a bright shot of sunny yellow would be appropriate and pulled out one of my favorite light-weight sweaters. My mom and sister got this for me at London Fashion Weekend in 2003, and though yellow has not traditionally been a big player in my wardrobe, the silk applique of the redheads and the bright colors made this sweater perfect for me. I threw on a purple infinity scarf to complement the yellow as well as to cover more of my neck since it’s still chilly here!

I love it, but because it is so distinctive I only wear it for special occasions or when I need a real pick-me-up. Seeing as how I am thisclose to spring break, I knew the yellow could carry me through until the weekend. I like how the yellow and grey play off of on another, and I think a key to wearing this combo is make sure that the tint is the same (i.e. the same level of lightness or darkness despite the difference in color/hue). Audi’s lemon yellow pairs nicely with a light heathery grey and E.’s saffron/marigold colored sweater looks great with her darker grey skirt.

Since I enjoyed the tucked in cardigan look I tried last week, I thought I’d do it again and wear a bright belt. I like how this looked and the only thing that I didn’t like was that these trousers are a little big on me, so I looked pretty rumpled on my bottom half. I love these little flats and they looked surprisingly good with darker grey stockings. What fun outfits are keeping you going until spring comes?

~L.

Belt and Re-Belt – Wrapped, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Blazer: C&C
• Dress: Olian, via consignment store
• Obi belt: from another dress
• Gold belt: thrifted
• Scarf belt: Target
• Tights: Target
• Boots: Steven Madden Iriss, via eBay

End Notes:

When S. was visiting Academichic Central a couple of weekends ago, we made time to go to a local consignment shop that specializes in children’s clothing, toys, and maternity wear. S. walked away with a bundle of great finds that you’ll certainly see soon, and I happily paid a little extra for this Olian Maternity flower print dress. I love pretty much everything about this dress…the abstracted chrysanthemum motif, the color scheme, the surplice neckline, the slightly tulip rather than a-line skirt, its body versatility… In fact, the only thing I’m not crazy about is the attached sash.

I have a love-hate relationship with dresses with attached sashes. On the one hand, it’s nice to know it’s not going anywhere and to have built-in fit-enhancing capabilities. On the other hand, the attached sashes don’t always attach where I want them to, and they don’t always lend themselves well to layering. What to do?

I’m tempted to go ahead and cut this belt off and transform it into a wider (multi-strip) belt that’s tacked directly to the dress without any “tails” to get in the way. But, while I work up the courage, I tried to figure out how to best work with the situation and still use some of my own belts to add a little color.

I tried a skinny gold belt, sitting it right below the sash (tied in front). I think it’s too skinny, though, and to me it got a little lost amidst the print.

Next, I thought I’d try my hand at pattern-mixing, and brought out this orange leaf-print scarf for some complementary color action. I wrapped the sashes around front, back, and front again, tied a knot, and tucked the ends in. Then, I wrapped the folded patterned scarf over the whole business, tied that in the back and tucked the ends in. It looked pretty gnarly in the back, but with a little blazer thrown over it you couldn’t really tell. While I liked this in theory, it didn’t quite do it for me this morning.

Finally, as you see in the top look, I pulled back out the obi belt that I wore earlier this week. I know. It’s so soon. But look how nicely the softer salmon color plays with the blues of the dress and how the draped ties of the obi make the longer blue ties of the built-in sash seem more purposeful. I was sold.

Do you have a preferred version? How do you handle dresses with attached sashes?

Sources:

Striped top – Banana Republic, hand me down
Dress – thrifted and chopped by me
Belt – thrifted
Tights – TJMaxx
Pendant – Anthropologie (the original chain broke and I thrifted a ‘new’ chain for it)
Loafers – Michael Kors, thrifted
Bike – 1970s Peugeot Mixte

Endnotes:

In thinking about how belting has been discussed on our site and on other blogs, I can’t help but draw parallels between the debate on ‘belting’ and the discourse around ‘corseting’ today and in the past. Perhaps you haven’t given this particular comparison much thought but since I am devoting a chapter of my dissertation to the practice of corseting, I don’t even know how to contain the thoughts I have on this to one little post. So I will try…

Ready to up the nerd factor?

» Read the rest of this entry «

15 February 2011 – Layred Tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Patterned Top – BR Factory Store
• Navy Cami – American Eagle
• Grey Pencil Skirt – Banana Republic
• Navy Tights – Target
• Grey Lace Tights – Gap
• Shoes- Banana Republic
• Necklace – Gift from A2
• Earrings – Morocco, gift from a professor

Endnotes:

Yes, this is just a slight variation on the outfit I wore only a couple of months ago.  I often re-wear outfits I like, sometimes exactly as I wore them before, but I don’t usually document the repeated wears.  I loved this outfit the first time I wore it and knew I would likely repeat it, especially as the weather warms up.

15 February 2011 – Layred Tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

Since it is Tights Week here at Academichic, I decided to switch up the tights and shoes.  The navy tights worked so well with it last time so I kept them and simply layered these grey lace tight over the navy, creating a rich pattered and textured look.   I think they plays off the pattered ruffly top really well.

I chose to wear them with my grey suede peep-toes.  Last time we experimented with tights I did a long post on wearing tights with open-toe shoes and then became an addict to the look for the rest of the spring.  When I did the little experiment, I was surprised how much I liked the lace/open pattern tights with the cut-out shoes.  The one aspect I wasn’t crazy about was how my bare legs/toes looked peeking through the tights – layering fixes everything!

Layred Tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

I stuck with the blue earrings from Morocco that I originally wore with this ensemble, again because I love the way it plays off the top.  This time I added a more substantial necklace – this little mirror on a chain A2 bought for me years ago.

I’m so happy I figured out this lace/open pattern tight over solid tight deal, because I had several of these kinds of tights in the back of a drawer that are now getting to see the light of day.   A.

Sources:

Cardi – Tulle, thrifted
Paisley top – dollar clearance at consignment shop
Jeans – ON Maternity
Boots – Dillards
Bangles – thrifted
Necklace – thrifted (“edited down” by me)
Tote – Nomi Network

Endnotes:

When the Nomi Network contacted us and asked us to review a few of their items and learn more about their campaign, we were all intrigued by this interesting logo: “Buy Her Bag, Not Her Body”. So what is the Nomi Network and that provocative statement all about? Well, in their own words…

Sex trafficking thrives where there are large populations of unskilled workers and few employment opportunities. Nomi addresses these issues by equipping at-risk women with valuable skills and creating a market for their products. This demand for their products provides steady employment and a stable income. Empowered with financial independence, these women are no longer available or attractive to sex traffickers who target poor and vulnerable women. In order to effect lasting change, Nomi coordinates the efforts of women vulnerable to sex-trafficking, manufacturers, retailers and consumers to give women an alternative to sex trafficking.

The Nomi Network site estimates the market of ‘illicit human trafficking’ to be around $32 billion. Nomi’s signature bags are made by survivors or at-risk women who are given a chance to earn an income through the manufacturing of these fair trade items. The proceeds go towards job training, skill teaching, and education for these at-risk individuals.

We are excited to be working with Nomi by reviewing their products and spreading the message about such a valuable organization. And it’s an easy product to get behind – not only do we appreciate the work that purchasing such a tote would fund, be we also love the bags themselves. I am using the Slogan Zip Tote here, which can be zipped down into a neat little pouch…

… and then unzipped to a full sized bag that can hold as much as my laptop, wallet, students’ papers, cell phone, and Kindle as shown here…

It’s made of recycled rice bag material and comes in this burnt orange color scheme or in dark blues. When used in its tote form, the zipped pouch becomes a pocket on the outside of the bag (on the back, non-logo side). I love how spacious it is, how sturdy the straps feel, the beautiful color scheme, and the logo and information readily available on it, making it a great conversation starter. And it comes with a very affordable price tag of $30. I love my tote and can see getting a lot of use out of it – be it to cart things to campus now or to carry my towel, books, and sunscreen to the lake come summer.

In fact, if you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day gift for the feminist in your life, we think these would make the perfect present! Not only is it a stylish bag, it also would warm the wearer’s heart knowing that the purchase of their gift helped fund such a worthy cause.  Take a look at this and the other fair trade items in Nomi’s shop as you’re stocking up on your Valentine’s Day presents! ~S.

27 January 2011, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Navy Sweater – Gap
• Grey Skirt – Banana Republic
• Purple Tights – BR Factory Store
• Scarf – Old Navy, gift
• Olive Pumps – Urban Outfitters

Endnotes:

Today was one of those days when I pulled half my wardrobe out before deciding on this rather simple outfit (yes, it is still strewn across my bed and floor).  I knew I wanted to take advantage of our small heat wave (high of 40 degrees today) and wear heels instead of boots.  Once I had picked my shoes  I decided to pull a bold scarf and then build a simple outfit around that.  I ended up wearing my purple tights only because I couldn’t find my navy ones, but I think I like the bold mix of fuschia, olive, and purple grounded with navy and grey.

27 January 2011, originally uploaded by academichic.

27 January 2011, originally uploaded by academichic.

I think this last-minute and rather fortuitous color combination worked much better than Tuesday’s outfit, which was though out the night before…

Pop of Colbalt Blue, originally uploaded by academichic.

Pop of Colbalt Blue, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Sweater Dress: Banana Republic Factory
• Belt: Anthropologie
• Tights: Italy
• Shoes: BR
• Blazer: Anne Taylor Loft
• Scarf: thrifted
• Bracelet: Accessorize

Endnotes:
I’ve been on the hunt lately for dresses because life is so much easier when I can just match tights, belt, shoes and dress rather than several layers of separates. Basically, it’s the end of January and I’m feeling lazy! I scored this sweater dress (very similar to E.’s great burgundy dress) at the BR factory outlet recently and was trilled that it was on sale. I was a little worried that it was a tad short for teaching, but like E. said with her new yellow skirt, I decided that with tights it was fine. Even as a petite woman I’ve been finding it really hard lately to find dresses or skirts (that aren’t pencil skirts) that come to an inch or two above my knee rather than three or four inches above my knee. Is anyone else having that problem? I thought I’d treat maroon as a neutral and pair it with navy blue and brown (a combination with which E. has also dabbled). I added the blazer because it’s still freezing out.

This scarf is something that I thrifted when I was 5. Yes, you read that correctly. I remember going to the church fair with my grandmother and picking this one out specifically because of the gold details and the brilliant blue and orange. I guess it was only a matter of time before a few of my friends asked me to join their style blog (wink wink). The combination of the diamond patterned tights and the more scrolling floral motif of the scarf also counts towards my new quest to mix patterns!

It has languished in my dress-up box since I was about 10, but I recently was digging through the attic at home and salvaged a few items (including this costume jewelry pin) from my treasure trove. What items do you still have in your wardrobe from when you were a kid?

~L.

Lola Jeans, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Shirt: Banana Republic Factory
• Sweater: BR Factory
• Scarf: gift
• Belt: BR Factory
• Jeans: c/o Lucky Brand Jeans
• Shoes: Frye

Endnotes:
The bright sunshine pouring through my window this morning prompted me to throw on the brightest items I could find to top off these amazing new Lola Skinny Jeans (generously provided for review by Lucky Brand). I have to warn you that I’m going to gush because I honestly really like these jeans. The moment I unwrapped them, I put them on and they fit perfectly. I got the “short” inseam length (30”) and it is exactly right. As you all know, it is nearly impossible finding jeans when you’re a) 5’3”, b) athletically shaped (i.e. you have a butt and thighs), and c) have a smaller waist. Anything that fits my thighs inevitably gaps around the waistband and is always too long… but not with these jeans! They are also real denim with a very small touch of stretch, and the lower leg isn’t too tight. Like E., I wore these repeatedly and they didn’t stretch out much in the waistband (which is incredible). They are “mid-rise” so when I sit down I need some coverage, but I like where they hit on my hips and in front. I have worn them a lot in the last two weeks, and I’ve washed them once, which I personally find is a big test for jeans – how will they fair in the dryer? Having dried them on low settings, they snapped back into great shape. All in all I’m very happy! The “mossy waters” color is great for daytime, but I’d love the dark indigo wash for dressing up and evenings out.

Pattern and Lola Jeans, originally uploaded by academichic.

Aside from the jeans, this outfit reflects my 2011 resolution to play with patterns and try to incorporate more prints into my wardrobe. The abstract inkblot pattern and the polka dotted scarf may seem busy except that the similar palette of purples and pinks makes things cohere. I love this scarf, which was a Christmas gift from my mother, because it has every color that I love: turquoise, purple, fuchsia, green, golden yellow, and blue. At first I didn’t have the sweater on, but since it is still in the negative numbers outside I figured that a long sleeved shirt and scarf were not going to cut it. The solid color of the sweater also keeps the competing patterns at bay. How do you mix patterns in your wardrobe?

~L.

Lola Jeans, originally uploaded by academichic.