4 August 2010 – Happy One Year!

Posted on | August 5, 2010 | 26 Comments

Sources:

On S:

Silk lace blouse – gift from mom
Black tank underneath – H&M
Skirt – $1 sidewalk sale, consignment shop
Belt – Ralph Lauren
T-straps – Talbots

On T:

Retro print button down – thrifted in Germany
Shorts – J.Crew, thrifted
Sunglasses – street vendor in Puerto Rico
Shoes – Nike

Endnotes:

If you’ve been reading academichic for over a year now, then you may have been around last summer when T. and I got married. Hard to believe that a whole year has flown by already. Last night, we celebrated our first anniversary by dressing up and revisiting ‘our wedding restaurant’ for a patio dinner and drinks. And since it’s neutrals (with a pop) week, I made my outfit abide by wearing an all black ensemble with a pop of color from this bright blue skirt.

We both chose a dressy-casual look since we wanted to bike to the restaurant and the heat index was still well in the high 90s. Since T. wanted to wear shorts, I opted for a more casual skirt and top look rather than the dress I initially had in mind. The lacey top adds a good dose of ‘dress-up’ but the full cotton skirt provides a good balance and gives this all a more relaxed feel. I just found this skirt at a summer sidewalk sale for $1. It’s slightly too large on me (the waist is a bit too loose) but I loved the color and the good construction (it’s from Talbots originally) and decided to try to make it work. A useful little belt later, this skirt does just fine as a high-waisted belted bit.

T.’s outfit is similarly comprised of lucky thrift finds. His retro print button down comes from a thrift store in Munich that I used to frequent and his J.Crew shorts come from the same consignment store where my blue skirt was found. T. isn’t much of a shopper for clothes but he does give me free reign (and good indications of what he needs) and lets me fill his closet on my thrifting expeditions. Do you and your partner shop for each other?

On our way to dinner, we passed the ceremony site where we said our vows one year ago and stopped to enjoy the memories. It’s been such an eventful year and we’re so excited to see what adventures this next year will bring. After a short pause for nostalgia, we peddled on to the restaurant where cold mojitos and a delicious dinner awaited. Happy Anniversary, T! S.

20 July 2010 – Turquoise Two Ways

Posted on | July 20, 2010 | 16 Comments

20 July 2010 – Turquoise Two Ways, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Above:

Ruffle cardi: Ann Taylor
Belt: Forever 21
Skirt: Target
Cage heels: Target

Below:

Gray tank: Target
Necklace: bracelet-turned-pendant
Belt: Old Navy
Skirt: Target
Sandals: Target

End Notes:

I cannot entirely explain my affection for this turquoise tulip skirt. This is a pretty different silhouette than my usual fare of full skirts or structured pencil skirts: it adds fullness to a place that I usually prefer to skim on over and is shorter than many of my skirts as well. At one point while wearing this, I panicked and wondered if I was wearing the skirt equivalent of so-called “harem pants”.

But perhaps it is precisely the freshness of the silhouette to my wardrobe that has me reaching again and again for this skirt. (Plus, I figured that I could take a page from Dress Your Best week and acknowledge my birthing hips.)

On one hand, this tulip shape plays well with other stand-bys in my summer mom casual wardrobe: a simple tank, a belt, and colorful sandals. The skirt is breezy and quirky and a fun color to boot.

20 July 2010 – Turquoise Two Ways, originally uploaded by academichic.

Orange Sandals, originally uploaded by academichic.

On the other hand, the different-for-me shape also inspires different-for-me outfits, like the edgier look up top. Although there’s a lot going on — cage heels, draping, and ruffles — the relatively subdued color palette, with just a sole pop of color, pulls everything together. I actually really love of the play of soft lines up top, cut through by a strong belt and finished with the graphic geometry of the cage heels.

Cage Heels, originally uploaded by academichic.

If a single garment in your closet could be a style muse, I think this skirt might be mine of the moment. It is familiar enough to be a staple and just different enough to encourage experimentation. Do you have a garment that inspires you to try new things in your style? What is it?

Dressed for a Summer Picnic

Posted on | July 18, 2010 | 4 Comments

Summer Picnic, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Skirt – Gap
Ruffle Tank – J Crew
Belt – F21
Bracelets – gifts from S.
Sandals – Charlotte Russe
Basket – gift from Sister S.

Endnotes:

This weekend I spent a lovely evening with friends in a nearby park. My contribution to the picnic included plates, bowls, cutlery, cups, and a bottle of white wine (in the cooler not pictured), but I also tucked a bottle of ice water, some bug spray, sunscreen, and an umbrella into my multi-purpose red basket. My sister gave me this collapsible canvas basket for my birthday a couple years ago. I’m pretty sure she got it from The Container Store, but I recently discovered a similar item at Garnet Hill. They come in a wide selection of colors and patterns and even in different sizes. I’m adding a mini basket in blue and a large basket in brown paisley to my wish list.

I figure I could easily use one or two more, since I’ve used mine for hauling plants, shopping at the farmers market, transporting baked goods for my family or hot dinners for new parents (like E. and N.), and for packing up picnic supplies. Because it had been used for the dirtier plant hauling most recently, I lined it with a brightly patterned fresh linen for the picnic.

Picnic Basket, originally uploaded by academichic.

For my picnic-perfect ensemble, I chose a tank that would keep me cool but had enough detail for an evening out. I paired in with a full skirt so that I could sit comfortably on the picnic blanket and not worry about flashing anyone!

I love summer! Especially when spent with good friends and good food! A.

PS: Thanks for all of the interesting comments last week about slogan t-shirts. I responded to some of the questions/concerns raised in a lengthy comment of my own.

Summer Picnic, originally uploaded by academichic.

2 July 2010 – Bike Picnic

Posted on | July 2, 2010 | 12 Comments

Sources:

Gray tee – Gap, thrifted
Navy skirt – J.Crew
Black patent sandals – Target
Pendant – Anthropologie
Bike – Electra Hawaii Cruiser
Helmet – Nutcase

Endnotes:

I apologize for the poor quality of this picture, but this photo was taken pretty late in the day as T. and I set out for an outdoor concert on our local college campus. (You can read all about that here, should you be so inclined). This was by far one of my favorite ‘dates’ we’ve had recently and one I’m sure we’ll repeat. Since the evening would go down as a date and we would be cycling, I needed an outfit that would meet the criteria of both….enter What Would a Nerd Wear.

Tania of What Would a Nerd Wear is one of my favorite style bloggers and not only does she look super cute all the time, she also does so while riding her gorgeous vintage bike. So she would to be my outfit muse for this one…

One of Tania’s signature looks is pairing a simple fitted top with a high-waisted fuller skirt. This ensemble always ends up looking polished while still playful and laid-back. I have long shied away from this particular silhouette because I tend to want to hide my midsection and wear things that flow away from my torso, but sometimes a bit of experimenting with new shapes and lines is all you need to spruce up an old wardrobe. And I’ve found that wearing a high waisted skirt that fits well with a not-too-tight tucked in top can actually create that coveted silhouette of the small waisted even for those of us not blessed by nature in that department.

I also love the juxtaposition of the plain and simple gray cotton tee paired with the more polished and formal navy skirt. And I’ve discovered a new favorite for cycling; while this skirt is on the shorter side, the stiffer and heavier material translated into it staying in place and hardly blowing ‘open’ while pedaling … win!

Thanks, Tania, for a great outfit idea. I know I’ll be replicating this look a lot more this summer, be it for bike dates, coffee shop outings, or even just for showing off to my dog at home. S.

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.

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.

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.

28 April 2010 – Feminist Intersection: Appropriate vs. Appropriation?

Posted on | April 27, 2010 | 43 Comments

28 April 2010 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Navy blazer – J.Crew
Gold shimmery top – Old Navy thrifted
Maroon purse – Picard, thrifted
Jeans – S.Oliver
Wedges – Report, via Solestruck.com
Gold and pearl necklace – gift from mom
Earrings – UO, gift from A.

Endnotes:

This is what I wore the other night to a girls’ night dinner followed by a concert (John Butler Trio puts on a mean show!) The shimmery gold top and gold accessories were perfect for the concert venue, but the navy blazer toned things down a bit for the pre-show drinks and food. And I also have to add that if you’re going to be standing on your feet and dancing in place for several hours and want to wear heels – wedges are the way to go.

Details 1, originally uploaded by academichic.

Details 2, originally uploaded by academichic.

I used to be wary of wearing gold accessories and have only recently embraced this trend. The reason being that the few times I wore gold (especially in the form of big hoop earrings), I would get told by well intentioned people and without a trace of irony, ‘you look like a gypsy’. This would especially happen when wearing my hair down, long and curly. For some reason, this statement always made me feel a wee bit uncomfortable. As E. would say, ‘there is a lot here to unpack’.

I suppose that it’s easy to gloss over statements like these when ‘gypsies’ are mythical figures from Disney movies, stories like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and popular Halloween costumes. But it carries a different connotation when you’re aware of the actual group of people, Roma and Sinti, who form a disadvantaged and disenfranchised minority in most European countries. Romania, my birth country, hosts the largest population of Roma and Sinti in Europe and the racial and ethic tensions between Romanians and Roma is rife. So it makes me somewhat uneasy when I’m told that I am unintentionally appropriating symbols of ‘exoticism’ from a culture that I know little about and that has such tenuous relations with my birth country.

Add to that this recent article in the feminist magazine Bitch, that sparked a huge controversy in the comments section and has given me even more pause when wearing garments and symbols that could be construed as appropriating another (disadvantaged) culture’s artifacts. While I don’t entirely agree with the position taken by this article’s author, I do think that it’s worth exploring the role that fashion and the media plays in disseminating tokens of a specific culture and turning them into articles of mass consumption, completely divorced from their original meaning and symbolism.

Yes, that’s a lot to unload on you just to say that I’ve steered away from gold accessories in the past. But, really, this is more about my thinking of how certain symbols of exoticism come to signify ‘Otherness’ and how that meaning remains ever-present due to popular media and an all too often lack of reflection regarding the things we wear. I have no answers or concrete conclusions, I’m just trying to think about what this means for my own appearance and for the way I sometimes (even quite unintentionally) present to others.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter! S.

Post Script: Thanks to reader Amie for pointing me towards this great post over on a l’allure garconniere on cultural appropriation in particular to Native culture. I agree with much of what Julia writes in her post, especially about the importance of context and of making self-conscious sartorial choices. It’s the thoughtless appropriation that leads to reductionist assumptions of Other cultures that is harmful and it’s for those reasons that I like Julia’s points about asking yourself the following questions when incorporating tokens from another culture or group (I’m paraphrasing here):

how are you incorporating these items into your existing outfit? Are you creating a romanticized and fantasized depiction of a cultural persona that has little to do with the actual group or person you’re emulating?
are the items you’re including mass produced by a company that has unethical business practices in some far away factory but is selling these ‘ethnic’ goods as ‘authentic’ cultural artifacts?
are you asking yourself what it is about a particular ethnic aesthetic that appeals to you and why? and why you associate these particular associations with a given ethnic group and their aesthetic?

I suggest taking a look at Julia’s entire post here and also checking out the recommended reading sources she lists at the end of her post if you’re interested in further exploring this topic. Great post and thanks for pointing us that way, Amie! S.