16 March 2010

Posted on | March 16, 2010 | 5 Comments

16 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Patterned top – vintage, thrifted
Pinstripe skirt – Talbots
Belt – thrifted
Gray tights – drug store
Boots – Banana Republic
Navy vest – thrifted

Endnotes:

As E. already mentioned, this week is all about trying new things and breaking out of our belting routine. So I’m trying a conglomerate of new things with this look: wearing a high waisted shirt with the top tucked in; using a wider belt to join the seams of those items; pattern mixing to boot; and belting under a top layer such as this vest. (Also, don’t hate me for wearing the same skirt from two outfits ago, but I just brought this back from home with me and I suffer a mild case of separation anxiety every time I put it in the closet and attempt to wear something else).

So for the outfit breakdown:

1) Pattern mixing has been popping up everywhere and I love the richness and depth created by it, so I’ve been trying to experiment with it more myself. I like the general tule of thumb of pairing a bold pattern (colorful nature motif on the top) with a subtle pattern (horizontal pinstripes on the skirt).

2) I like the idea of “fusing” the two patterns together by covering where they meet with a neutralizing solid item, such as a belt.

3) Leaving the shirt untucked created a much messier and schizophrenic look with the overlapping patterns and didn’t quite look intentional, whereas tucking the shirt in and belting over the seams provides a nice buffer between the meeting patterns and gives the appearance of intentionality.

4) A wider belt covers more ground so it worked much better than a skinny belt as a cover for where the shirt and skirt seams meet (although my go-to in belting is a skinny belt for reasons stated below).

5) I have a short torso and belting with a wide belt and tucking in my top made me feel like my top half (from skirt waistline to shoulders) was only about 3 inches high. This look is really not something I usually opt for and I felt very stumped and scrunched in on top. Enter the elongating vest. I felt instantly taller and slimmer with the addition of the long navy vest, drawing the eye up and down and extending to my hips, creating the illusion of a longer torso and more proportional upper half.

Subtle pattern mix, originally uploaded by academichic.

I apologize for the epic size of this post, but there is still more to come. On our Belting Post, we received the following question from one reader:

I would love some tips on how to wear a belt with my body type, an apple! I’ve always heard that belts are great for every shape, but I feel like I have a hard time getting it right.

I feel like I should address this since I am also an ‘apple’ shape. For my thoughts on the matter, click to read more after the jump…

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12 March 2010 – Sisters in Harlem

Posted on | March 12, 2010 | 16 Comments

…

Sources:

(from left to right)

On L.:

Dress: Ann Taylor Loft
Scarf: borrowed from P.
Bag: Forever 21
Patterned tights: Anthropologie, gift from Mom
Boots: Banana Republic

On P.:

Top: H&M
Skirt: Gap
Tights: Anthropologie, borrowed from L.
Shoes: Vaneli, borrowed from Mom
Bag: Coach, hand me down from Mom
Denim moto jacket: Zara, borrowed from Mom

On H.:

Coat: Ann Taylor Outlet
Dress: Ann Taylor Loft
Wine cardigan: Target
Belt: borrowed from Mom
Gray tights: Banana Republic
Boots: DSW
Bag: Target

On E.:

Scarf: Anthropologie
Denim trench: adopted from sister-in-law P.
Tights: Celeste Stein, gift from MIL
Boots: Steve Madden, via eBay

(underneath)

Navy dress: Target
Gray blazer: C&C

End Notes:

Baby e. and I are in New York for a few days, visiting my sister-in-law P. Mom-in-law and the two other sisters-in-law are here too, and we’re having a grand old time shopping, seeing the Whitney Biennial, catching a show on Broadway, eating excellent food, and just wandering about town. I had warned my sisters ahead of time that this week would be tights week at Academichic, and I knew that they would all have some great tights-based looks to share.

And I was right. Click through the jump for individual shots, details, and a gratuitous shot of baby e.

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9 March 2010 – just add tights

Posted on | March 9, 2010 | 17 Comments

9 March 2010 – just add tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Long Cardigan – Banana Republic
Grey Jersey Dress – BR Outlet
Teal Cami – BR Outlet
Boots – Banana Republic, via ebay
Tights – Talbots
Earrings – souvenir

Endnotes:

I wore almost this exact ensemble back in October. I loved this combination of tan sweater with this grey printed jersey dress and pop of teal so much it even made it onto my year-one top 10 list. I have no problem repeating outfits I like, especially when I’ll be seeing a different group of people, but I usually don’t post them the second (or third) time around.

I decided to re-post this ensemble because the addition of tights, makes it a perfect outfit for this week’s Fashion 101 on Tights. I don’t think the these particular tights change the look of the outfit all that much (particularly since only a small amount of them shows between hemline and boot top), but combined with my teal scarf and rain trench, they did make the ensemble a little more weather-appropriate.

Somehow, I don’t actually own a pair of solid brown tights. Instead, I have several different textured pairs in varying shades of brown. So, this winter when I have been doubling up on my brown tights. I love to layer my think ribbed tights over a sheer houndstooth pair creating an interesting pattern and rich color and providing a little more warmth.

Layered tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

Tight layering has been long been a favorite trick of all of us Chics. I have layered black over hot pink to tone down the color; purple over grey to richen the color, and various pairs for warmth. How have you layered your tights?

9 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

7 March 2010 – Embellished Cardi DIY

Posted on | March 7, 2010 | 10 Comments

7 March 2010 – Embellished Cardigan DIY, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Grey Cardigan – H &M, embellished by me
Purple Tank – Gap
Denim Skirt – Gap
Boots – Banana Republic, via ebay

Endnotes:

I’ve had this grey cardigan for years. For a while it was a staple in my wardrobe (making almost as frequent appearances as my beige cardi does now) but eventually, I just stopped wearing it much. I got bored with it, but I couldn’t bring myself to toss it in the donation pile. When E. decided to do a cardi-embellishing project, this seemed the perfect item to breath new life in to.

Despite the fact that E’s sewing and crafting abilities are far superior, I took on a slightly more difficulty DIY…but, trust me, if I can pull it off, so can you.

To make these little flowers you will need:

Scrap Fabric (I used a purple jersey)
Thread in to match your fabric
Scissors
A Needle
A few pins

Cut your fabric into 1-1 1/2 inch wide strips, 4-6 inches long (I used a variety of sizes). Fold the fabric strip in half and pin it to keep it folded.

Then do a running-stitch across the bottom (where the folded ends meet).

Pull the thread on one end to gather the fabric together. Use your fingers to adjust the gathering and shape the fabric into flowers.

You can either make a few stitches to keep the fabric in this shape, or tack the flowers directly to the cardigan, shaping a bit as you go. I played around with the placement of the flowers for a while, but eventually settled on a keeping them on one side of the neck line. I still have some fabric left over, so I can always add a few more flowers later.

I know have the DIY embellishment bug and I’m excited to go through my drawers looking for tired pieces just begging for a few ruffles or a corsage of purple jersey!

7 March 2010 – Embellished Cardigan DIY, originally uploaded by academichic.

DIY: Floral Applique Embellished Cardigan

Posted on | March 5, 2010 | 32 Comments

Sources:

Embellished cardi: Target + Amy Butler fabric + a little DIY
Navy top: Target
Denim pencil skirt: Banana Republic Factory
Gray knee socks: mom’s from college
Boots: Steve Madden Iriss

End Notes:

I adopted this little green cropped cardigan from one of my sisters-in-law, but shortly thereafter it developed a little hole in the shoulder. Rather than throwing it away, I thought that it would serve as the perfect base for trying my hand at cardigan-embellishing. I started with this Blushing Bouquet cardigan from Anthropologie as my general inspiration:

A few simple steps:

1. Select a fabric with a strong print. Iron on a length of fusible web to the back of your fabric.

2. Cut out the pattern you want to applique. I tried to get a variety of sizes of flowers and leaves from my fabric.

…

3. Lay out the cut-outs on your cardigan. I wanted mine to go all the way around the neck, so I couldn’t lay everything out at the same time. Instead, I selected a few flowers as anchor points and ironed those into place.

…

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4. Keep ironing the cut-outs onto your cardigan until you have the desired look. And… ta da!

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A Few Notes: Any time you adhere a woven fabric to a knit, you lose the stretch of the knit. So, if you need your cardi to keep that stretch — particularly around the bust, for example — then refrain from appliqueing embellishments there. Also, be sure to follow the directions on whatever brand of fusible web you purchase for best results. And finally, I think this is going to be a handwashed laundry item from here on it. But I think it’s worth it.

If academia doesn’t work out, maybe I’ll just become a full-time cardigan embellisher. I know that, given time and supplies, I could very well make something like this or this or this. And look how many fabulous — and often surprisingly easy! — ways there are to fancy up your cardigan using ribbon or just scraps of fabric!

As always, we’d love to see what you’ve come up with yourself!

5 March 2010

Posted on | March 5, 2010 | 10 Comments

5 March 2010 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Navy button down – H&M
Print dress – Banana Republic
Purple cardi – H&M
Thermal tights – from Romania
Boots – thrifted

Endnotes:

I took these pictures a while ago back in Germany and just never got around to posting them. But it’s only fitting that I post them now during our Cardigan 101 week, since they illustrate an important contribution of the cardigan to one’s wardrobe: tempering a bold pattern.

Since the cardigan’s open front allows you to adjust how much of the layers beneath show, it functions much better than a sweater in covering up some of the underneath layer while still allowing a desired amount to peak out. This works especially well for mitigating a bold print or pattern with a solid block of color.

Early in the week, I experimented with a patterned cardi and pattern mixing. While a patterned cardi is certainly a fun item to own, I would suggest starting with some solid colored cardigans when first building a basics wardrobe. This item works well with patterns and prints and can do some of that mitigating work if you’re intimidated by too much print in your outfit. And it also works oh-so-well with other solid colored items, creating fun color block effects, analogous creations, or monochromatic color schemes. It’s tough to go wrong with a simple solid colored cardigan, even if you’re a novice to layering or color mixing. S.

4 March 2010

Posted on | March 4, 2010 | 11 Comments

4 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Neckscape – BabyEtte on Etsy
Plaid button down – AE, thrifted
Navy cardi – H&M
Skinnies – thrifted
Boots – thrifted
Bag – thrifted
Cat – Louie

Endnotes:

Yesterday, A. shared some of her secrets for layering a cardigan over a button down shirt, answering a common question we’ve received lately. Since she’s already given some great advice on the matter, I have only a little to add to the topic: I layer cardigans over button downs often because both cardigans and button downs reside merrily and plentifully in my wardrobe and so they’re bound to meet frequently. I find that it’s easiest to leave the cardigan unbuttoned when the button down is of a heavier or bulkier material (as is the case here). When the button down is of a lightweight fabric and is close fitting, then buttoning the cardigan is easy and doesn’t result in any bunching.

When dealing with heavier layers that are best left loose and unbuttoned (as is the case today), I find that balancing out the bulkier top half with close fitting pants or skinny jeans makes for the best proportions. While a belted cardigan over button down creates that nice definition up top which works well with a fuller skirt, a loose and bulkier top layer necessitates more structure at the bottom. It’s that ‘pick one’ rule: have one loose and flowey element countered by one close-fitting and structured element. S.

Neckscape by BabyEtte, originally uploaded by academichic.

4 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

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.

25 February 2010 – Daily Drag Show?

Posted on | February 25, 2010 | 29 Comments

25 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Scarf – Echo
Sweater – J Crew
Denim Pencil Skirt- BR Outlet
Belt – New York & Co
Boots- Banana Republic, via ebay

Endnotes:

Today I am wearing this beautiful paisley scarf in shades of green and blue sent to me from Echo. I loved how S. has been wearing scarves over turtlenecks and how my scarf looked yesterday around the popped collar of my button down. I don’t own many turtlenecks so tried it out with a shawl neck color sweater and am rather satisfied with the effect. This scarf is a large square in a light thin material. Echo has how many beautiful colors, patterns, and shapes and I’m excited to have a shape I don’t usually wear. Like E. the other day, I folded my scarf into a triangle and wrapped the small points behind my neck and then tied them in the front underneath the larger point of the triangle. I am really liking this style and I already have many ideas of how I will wear this once the weather finally warms up a bit!

Square Scarf from Echo, originally uploaded by academichic.

Ok, now for part two of my digression. I wrote yesterday about dressing to express identity and the possibility of changing styles to express a different identity to different people. All of your comments are so interesting!

As promised I want to talk a little bit about drag. I have done quite a bit of thinking about drag because in my studies I continually wrestle with Judith Butler and because I am writing my dissertation on a male artist who often poses as a woman in his photographs. I also love a good drag show for entertainment and believe that drag has significant political potential. This political and radical potential was confirmed for me this past weekend – I saw some amazing activist performers.

I also heard an interesting suggestion about daily drag. I have long believed that to some degree we often all dress in drag – this is because I believe that gender is a construction and that clothing works to construct and perpetuate gender identity. However my thoughts on this were pushed further by a speaker at the conference who argued that we have two options when getting dressed: we either dress in drag or in a uniform. If we don’t think about the message our clothing is sending that we are wearing a uniform, if we are conscious of it then it’s drag. According to her definition, drag is a conscious dressing that sends a message about gender identity and makes people laugh, cry, or think. If we take this definition then S. E. and I are dressing in drag everyday (at least everyday we post here) since we are certainly very conscious of what we are wearing and the messages it might convey. I’m still working though these ideas but what do you think about this uniform vs. drag thing?

Ok, so why do I find this a powerful idea? Sal asked yesterday if anyone made any comments or asked any questions about my attire.
I was very comfortable and confident in my appearance and I felt totally accepted (I think this feeling had a lot to do with my own confidence) but I did have a few students ask me questions about how I dressed. One student asked if I felt like I “passed,” if people assumed I was straight because of how I dressed. I think our default is usually that someone is straight so while perhaps my clothing could reveal my sexuality, I would still “pass” on the phone, on paper, etc. I explained to my students that I am confident in my clothing and that helps me feel confident about my identity, my relationship, and my scholarship.

I think the idea of dressing in drag appeals to me because I am aware that my clothing is a choice and that it sends a message and I like that my daily performance challenges people’s notions about what it means to be a lesbian and what it means to be feminine. Our words and actions have to work in conjunction with our clothing and when you take my whole package into account there are some great seeming contradictions at work: I love pencil skirts and I am a lesbian, I wear heals and run marathons, I like pink and hot sauce and dark beer, I wear ruffly dresses and work boots and gloves. I agree with most of you who said you pick what you wear based on the situation (pencil skirts for teaching, jeans for the bar, trendier items for campus, conservative wear for an interview, etc) but I have found that my overall sense of style doesn’t change as much as it once did (in an attempt to fit in with different groups of people). Yet, it is empowering to remember that if it is all drag, a dramatic costume change is always an option!

25 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

24 February 2010 – Notes from Home

Posted on | February 24, 2010 | 28 Comments

24 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Tan sweater – DKNY
Purple top – Old Navy
Fuchsia cord skirt - Gap
Gray tights – drugstore
Boots – thrifted
Scarf – gift

Endnotes:

I’m back in the Midwest! Hence the radio silence from my end of things lately. I spent Monday traveling back home for a two-week stay with my husband, pets, and friends. It’s so wonderful to be home and to be enjoying the familiar things that I haven’t had access to since last September when I left for Europe. While I didn’t spend too much time missing my closet while abroad, I can’t lie, it is nice to have all of these clothes and accessories at my disposal again. I feel like I’ve just gone on a huge shopping spree – I have so much stuff here. It’s almost sinful, really.

Yesterday, T. and I celebrated our five year (dating) anniversary by going out for dinner at my favorite restaurant in town. It was a casual affair, so I didn’t feel the need to dress up too much. Instead, I was excited to pull out a ‘new’ scarf from my abandoned stash at home and to build an outfit around that. This pretty bohemian piece, comprised of mostly purples and pinks, provided the inspiration for this color scheme.

Purples and Pinks, originally uploaded by academichic.

I chose this fuchsia cord skirt and the purple top to echo the colors in the scarf. To avoid looking like Rainbow Brite, I added several neutrals to help tone down the color scheme of this outfit. Grays, tans, and browns mute the bold fuchsia and purple pairing and provide a softer end effect than black or navy might have. As for the scarf tying technique applied here – I just looped the scarf twice around the turtle neck collar of the sweater, tied the ends together, and tucked the knot under the first loop to hide it.

Now I could write more, but I have an overly excited and impatient dog pawing at my leg and trying to lick the computer screen in order to get my attention, so I think this is my cue to sign off. Happy Hump Day (and Braid Wednesday), everyone! S.