Sources:

• Shirt: Splendid via Filene’s Basement
• Tank (under): Gap via thrift
• Skinnies: Anne Taylor Loft
• Shoes: Steve Madden via DSW

Endnotes:
It might not be immediately obvious from this photo what exactly it is I’m dressing. Like most people, I have a love-hate relationship with my hair. Instead of thinking about its tendency to poof out and curl in particularly annoying ways, I’m going to focus on the one thing that really makes it stand out: the color. I’ve been called everything from “copper top” to “fire bush” (by mean kids in high school) and my color has been described as anything from amber, auburn, red, or strawberry blonde all the way to chestnut and brown when it hasn’t gotten sun for a while. I like to showcase it off of turquoises, blues, and greens, which is why my striped turquoise shirt was perfect for this post.

My hair sticks out in my family too. I’m the only one with it in my immediate family, which was pretty confusing for my mom and dad when I was born, and to be totally honest, they still don’t really know where it came from. I’ve been teased for my hair and praised for my hair. I’ve never dyed it because I’ve always been afraid that it will grow back another color (crazy, I know). I avoided orange and red clothes for a long time because I was told they “clashed” with my hair. It wasn’t until I read Still Life With Woodpecker by Tom Robbins that I fully embraced my color as special. I actually get pretty defensive when people try to tell me I don’t have red hair. I’m positive I’m a redhead ;)

Robbins, also a redhead, has a character in this book who claims that “red hair is caused by sugar and lust.” He goes on to describe the flaming locks of the protagonist:

“…red being the color of emergency and roses; red being the prelate’s top and the baboon’s bottom; red being the blood’s color, jelly’s color; red maddening the bull, red bringing the bull down; red being the color of valentines, of left-handedness, and of a small princess’s new found guilty hobby. His hair was red, his cowboy boots muddy, his heart a hive of musical bees.”

Today I’m reveling in my color – whatever you call it, it’s mine.

Sources:

• Striped Tee – American Eagle
• Black Ponte Pants – Ann Taylor
• Studded Flats – Banana Republic
• Necklace – gift from sister L.
• Earrings – gift from S.
• Bangles – gifts

Endnotes:

For my first DYB contribution I celebrate my figure, my body shape.  I proudly dressed my wide hips, broad shoulders, and tiny waist.   However, after writing that post, I started to think about my laments about the J Crew models and the straight-line silhouette I couldn’t pull off.  And I remembered, this project is about celebrating the body you have. So, here you go, I might not look like Audry Hepburn, but I’ll be damned if that’s going to stop me from borrowing her silhouette!

I love belts and any other clothing trick that shows everyone that my waist is smaller than my butt/hips region.  But, I also like all-over stripes and stripes just can’t always be belted.  I think sometimes I convince myself I am celebrating my waist when really I am desperately trying to mitigate and hide my hips/butt/thighs.  I certainly don’t think there is anything wrong with using clothes to accentuate your best and in the process down play your “problem spots” and I will likely be back to belting tomorrow.  But, for today I am going belt-free and dressing my best differently.

I also want to give a shout-out to my hair.  As I’ve written before, a good hair-day can make my day and a compliment on my hair will make you my new best friend.  I put a fair amount of effort into my hair and if I get a quick glimpse of myself in the mirror, I’ll check my hair (rather than makeup, shifted necklines, etc).  I’ve been loving my new haircut, but it is much less predictable than my straight bob.  I have very little control over what it does.  So, today I am cerebrating a good hair-day that I couldn’t recreate if I spent all morning trying.  (Don’t you think it looks a bid edgier than usual?)  A.

Sources:

• T-shirt: found in attic
• Zip-up: Gap body (a long time ago!)
• Jeans: J Brand via Filene’s Basement
• Belt: Fossil
• Shoes: Frye
• Necklace: South Moon Under
• Bag #1: Timbuk2
• Bag #2: gift from High Mountain Institute

Endnotes:
Reader Sophia recently challenged me to post some of my less noteworthy outfits, and since school is finally out for the summer, I’ve been sporting some pretty relaxed duds the last few days. Grading calls for the utmost comfort and flexibility, and not surprisingly, jeans and a super soft T-shirt were my first go-to for this grading session. I’ve discovered that I love my straight leg jeans even more now that it’s warm enough to roll them up a few inches.

Something else that I’ve never posted, but is a big part of my daily life is my fantastic Timbuk2 laptop messenger bag. Because I got this one on sale at REI I didn’t get to pick the colors, but I love the size of this model, and if you order it online you can pick from many many colors to customize your bag. This one fits my laptop in a padded sleeve in the back and then has plenty of room in the front for books and many pockets and zippered compartments for the necessary pens, clips, and post-its that make grading possible. It might not be my most glamorous option, but in terms of practicality, it is perfect – and no, I’m not being compensated in any way to say that!

Next to comfy clothes and grading supplies, the most important ingredient for a good afternoon of grading is the perfect location. I did some work in my classroom over the weekend, but my ideal spot is definitely in a coffee house with a big table so I can spread out and consume endless caffeine. Where are some of your favorite spots to work?

Sources:

Orange necklace- consignment store
Gray tank – BE Maternity
Teal top – inherited from E.
Skinnies – ON Maternity
Flats- Target
Bag – Kenneth Cole Reaction
Bike – 1969 Raleigh Sports

Endnotes:

This is what I wore last Friday to meet a friend at a coffee shop for cappuccinos and some German conversation. I inherited this teal pregnancy top from E., who wore it during her first pregnancy. When she went through her pregnancy clothes for this time around, she purged some items that she knew she wouldn’t be wearing again, and I was lucky enough to inherit them. I have two thoughts on sharing and inheriting maternity items:

• It’s great!
• It can be a ‘false triumph’

1) The advantages:

It’s great if you have friends who can share their maternity items with you because it saves you from having to spend too much money on items that you’ll wear for a limited amount of time. I compiled the majority of my maternity wardrobe from thrift stores, consignment shops, hand me downs, and only a few actually new items (my maternity jeans and a few ‘workhorse’ layering tanks). It’s also a great thing if you have friends who share your sense of style and aesthetic and who will give you pieces that you would have likely bought for yourself.

2) The disadvantages:

It can trap you into wearing something that doesn’t work for you because it’s free, you feel guilty spending money on clothes that won’t get worn for too long, and you feel bad turning down a thoughtful friend. Don’t fall into this trap! If you’re not as lucky as I am to be inheriting clothing from someone as stylish as E., (or maybe the gift giver is stylish, but it’s just not your style), politely decline. Someone else may really appreciate the offerings, and it doesn’t have to be you. I often hear women say that they don’t care what they wear or how something fits when it comes to maternity clothes because it’s temporary and they already have misgivings about their changing and growing body that less than ideal outfits ranks low on their list. I think that particularly at this time, when you want to feel good about your body, you should ruthlessly cull things that don’t serve that purpose. It’s ok to rotate between the same five dresses or maternity tops if you feel truly great in them when you wear them. When it comes to maternity wardrobes, my take is that less (but great) really is more.

So if version #2 above best describes how you feel about maternity hand me downs, do yourself a favor and just say no.

Have you encountered this dilema with shared clothing or hand me downs in general? What have you done in those situations?

And on a non-related side note, I’ve received several questions about cycling while pregnant. I’m always happy to answers those questions directly within the comments on this site, but I also wanted to point out that I write more at length about this topic on my bike (and life) blog, Simply Bike. You can read my latest post on cycling into the third trimester here. ~S.

Sources:

• Striped tank: Target
• Striped cardigan: Target
• Necklace: Tilly Bloom
• Jeans: Old Navy Maternity
• Flats: DSW

End Notes:

After days of warm weather, a band of thunderstorms and tornados swept through our area, leaving much cooler weather (and some hail, but thankfully no significant damage) in its wake. Since I wasn’t expecting this when I chose my list of 15 rotating garments, I made a game-day call, switching in my long striped cardigan. I actually think this could be a better choice anyway, since it adds some length to my otherwise cropped collection of top layers.

I always think of Tania, of What Would a Nerd Wear whenever I wear this red striped shirt. Actually, Tania, I think this could be a totally “you” outfit, if I had a big bun on top of my head (or if you had a bun in the oven). Oh, the punning!

In any case, it was a simple outfit for a quiet day of chapter writing. As I settle into a routine of writing consistently from home and continue to adjust to a changing body, I am growing to appreciate more sincerely the little touches of an outfit that can make me smile when I look up, bleary eyed, from a book. Stripes stretched across a bump makes me smile. A cat wearing a Victorian dress makes me smile. The fact that I’m pattern mixing when no one else — save all of you, I suppose — will see me, makes me smile.

I end with the words of the inimitable Jack Donaghy: “It’s called power clashing. And I do it because I can.”

Sources:

• Cardigan: Target
• Button down: thrifted
• Belt: thrifted
• Jeans: Old Navy Maternity
• Wedges: thrifted
• Pearl ring: swapped

End Notes:

I’m undertaking an experiment of sorts. You know how I did Kendi’s 30 for 30 last fall while in the midst of qualifying exams and prospectus-writing? The structure of limited options helped me get dressed every day without waffling for too long in front of my closet. I don’t even want to tell you everything that I have going on right now because it makes me a little crazy to list it out. Suffice to say, I could use some parameters again. So, in the spirit of the 30 for 30, I’m exploring a capsule maternity wardrobe for a work-from-home mom of a toddler.

So here we go:

I’m limiting myself to 15 items of clothing and planning to make at least 15 outfits, but I’m giving myself free range of accessories and shoes. (I’ll give you my full list of 15 over the weekend.) Let’s be frank. These outfits are not going to shake up the style blogosphere, but they’ll be colorful. And machine washable! And, most importantly, I’ll be clothed.

Now, let’s ignore the fact that I’m wearing a non-ironed cotton shirt (I prefer to think of it as “artfully rumpled”) and instead talk about how a little cropped cardigan in a punchy color, funny little sleeve bows, and a big cluster ring of faux pearls can add a dose of personality to an otherwise blank canvas of jeans and a white button-down. How do you add whimsy or interest to the classic button-down and denim pairing? (And mamas — or mamas-to-be — what items would you absolutely have to include in a maternity capsule wardrobe?)

Sources:

• Tunic Shirt: Edme & Esyllte via clothing swap
• Shirt (under): Banana Republic
• Belt: BR Outlet
• Skinnies: Anne Taylor LOFT
• Shoes: Dolce Vita via endless.com
• Necklace: Accessorize (gift)

Endnotes:
Nothing too exciting about this outfit other than the fact that I nabbed this great tunic shirt at the clothing swap I had recently. I have been having major problems getting excited to get dressed this week since it has been raining and in the 40s and 50s every day. Oh yeah, did I mention that it’s MID-MAY!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say, I’m going bonkers and am absolutely fed up with freezing in my classroom, so after my valiant attempt at spring tights last week, I’ve thrown in the towel on skirts in favor of pants until I see some serious sunshine.

My verdict is still out on this outfit, but in theory it was great. The loose tunic top, stretchy comfort of Anne Taylor ponte pants, and my new Dolce Vita flats! How cozy? How comfy? How not tight on my tumtum! Alas, the tunic seems a little too flowy (it is a size 12, but you can’t be too picky when it’s swapped/free!) and the belt I added to tame things just wasn’t sitting right on my torso no matter where I put it for some reason. I tried using a skinnier belt that was colorful, a looser belt that sat low, and a wide stretchy belt to pull it all in, but nothing worked. This was totally one of those outfits that left my room in a shambles because I had pulled EVERYTHING out of my closet to try to make it work. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

Any ideas on how to make this tunic work in my wardrobe before it get’s put back in the swap-pile?

L.

Sources:

• Jacket: thrifted
• Brooch: vintage, etsy
• Top: Forever 21
• Jeans: Old Navy Maternity
• Shoes: Dolce Vita, c/o solestruck.com

End Notes:

Not to get all theme-y on everyone, but dressing like a book cover proved irresistible today. I’ve been rearranging and cleaning out bookshelves lately, and little e. has become quite taken with David Hopkins’s After Modern Art: 1945-2000 textbook (featuring a still from Matthew Barney’s Cremaster Cycle on the cover).

He keeps fishing it off of the shelf and brings it to me asking, “What is it? What is it, Mama?” You try explaining to a toddler that “it” is a hybrid satyr-cum-dandy who is the main character in a five film cycle by an American artist interested in aesthetic systems and notions of creation as found in biology, mythology, and geology. I’ve given it several goes, and the most meaningful explanation seems to have been, “It’s an artist being kind of silly.” To which little e. replied, “Cute.” And although I have to admit that Barney’s over-the-top films are not really my artistic cup of tea, the visual punch of a white jacket and red-orange hair against a purple plaid is pretty good outfit fodder, no? And it certainly had me feeling put-together and alert for a day of chapter writing.

If only I could raise one eyebrow on command.

Don’t forget…if you’ve taken outfit inspiration from a book cover lately, e-mail us a picture or link to it in the comments so we can do a bookworm style round-up next week.

Sources:

• Dress: French Connection
• Shirt (under): Splendid via Nordstrom Rack
• Sweater: Banana Republic
• Pants: Anne Taylor Loft
• Shoes: Ciao Bella via DSW

Endnotes:
I realize that this is extremely similar to the first way I styled this dress when I debuted it in London (it was a birthday gift from my fabulous sister). However, the addition of skinny black ponte pants underneath made the shorter hemline feel safer, and the shirt under and sweater over provided needed warmth.

The inspiration to tie the built-in belt from the dress on the outside of the cardigan is something that my co-bloggers have been perfecting for years. E. takes the ties on a solid color jersey dress to hold down a top layer consisting of an unbuttoned patterned shirt dress; S. takes a removable sash from a jersey dress to wrap around her outer layer; and A. uses the ties on a wrap dress to integrate her cardigan into her look. You can also use ties from blouses to hold down cardigans. If you want more ideas, check out A’s tutorial on how to use built in ties over cardigans.

Sources:

• Sweatshirt – Banana Repuclic
• Tank – Ann Taylor
• Belt – from L.
• Pants – swapped (originally from Gap)
• Flats – DSW
• Basket – gift from sister S. (similar ones can be found online and at Containers and Things)

Endnotes:

The end of the Spring semester is always so hard because there is so much to wrap up (final papers and exams to grade, materials to turn in, accounts to balance, shelves to clean out, etc) yet the weather is beautiful and all I want to do is spend my days outdoors.  Luckily, this weekend I was able to take a break from grading and visit the opening day of my local farmers market.  We took our puppy and A2′s parents with us and we all had a great time on what turned out to be a lovely spring morning!

Remember this outfit from our Banana Republic challenge? I loved the slouchy yet pulled-together nature of my farmers market outfit, so when it came time to head out to the market for real, I instantly decided to try and recreate the look.  I ended up purchasing the sweatshirt cardigan after styling it and had flats and a belt that would work.  The big item I was missing was the checked tunic, and I could not for the life of me find a suitable replacement in my closet, so I ended up with a simple tank.  I let the pop of color come from my pants rather than the top.

I picked these blue pants out of a pile at a recent clothing swap E. and I hosted, because I was drawn to the bright blue color.  I didn’t like the way the pants looked on me when I fist tried them on, but I knew I could likely alter them into some thing I liked more.  I do like them better with the cuffed bottoms, but I’m not crazy about the length of them – I wish they were a bit longer, like the olive ones I wore from Banana Republic.  I’m thinking about chopping them into shorts, something like these or these (which I would cuff like the first ones but would be a bit longer).  What do you think, leave them as cuffed cropped pants or chop them into cuffed shorts?