Reader Question: ‘Victorian’ Boots

Posted on | January 23, 2010 | 10 Comments

We recently received this image accompanied by a reader question in the mail:

They’re soft, cushiony, and uber comfortable with only a 2 inch heel, and make me feel Victorian and prairie-ish (a top combination for me).

But now I have no idea how to wear them. I was thinking green, blues, and reds, but can I wear them with black tights? Grey tights? Should I always wear brown tights? Should brown always be in my outfit somewhere? Do boots like these require cream/ivory instead of starker, true whites?

What a beautiful pair of boots in both style and color! We think you’re right to consider using them to create Victorian or prairie-inspired looks. The relative heaviness of the boot could ground a floatier summer skirt or dress, especially when paired with a chunky sweater.

As far as color combinations and tights go, we’re pretty firm believers in the notion that neutrals go with everything, so experiment freely with your combinations. While brown tights might work well to create the illusion of a longer leg line, other colors can be used to create interest as well. Purple, burgundy, hunter green, or navy tights could add a layer of richness without breaking up your proportions too dramatically. As for neutral pairings, E. is an especially big fan of lighter, warm browns with gray and has paired her cognac boots with gray sweater tights.  And, when done purposefully, black and brown can make a striking combination as well. And don’t forget the possibility of textured or patterned tights! Create a bit of drama with floral or lace tights that just peek out from beneath your skirt or dress.

These boots can certainly stand up to a multitude of stylings, so be adventurous! We’d love to see what you come up with.

Reader Question: What to wear with a full skirt

Posted on | January 19, 2010 | 12 Comments

We recently received this reader question with accompanying picture:

I recently purchased this Herringbone skirt from Tulle. It is a very thick material and looks very full on me. I am just not sure what to pair it with! I loved the look of the skirt because it reminded me of the Zooey Deschanel’s style in 500 days of Summer. What would you guys pair it with?

Reader Question: Long Sweater + Short Jacket?

Posted on | November 9, 2009 | 12 Comments

One of our lovely readers recently sent us this question:

I have these beautiful long sweaters that I love. They’re of different lengths, mid-thigh to below the knee. However, not very fun to wear them outside to get to class in the usually wet, windy, cold DC weather without some sort of jacket. How would I wear them? It is okay to put a shorter jacket over it? Or do I have to wait until long coat season?

Great question! Since longer sweaters and cardigans are popping up everywhere this season, you’re likely to be asking yourself the same thing. We assume our reader means a sweater similar to this one E. wore recently:

31 September 2009 – Annie Get Yer Gun, originally uploaded by academichic.

When it comes to pairing a longer sweater such as the one above with a fall coat or jacket, we would tend to recommend matching up the sweater and coat length to be within a hand width’s apart. A slight variation in hem length makes for an great layered effect that looks intentional rather than haphazard. If it’s too warm to bring out your longer winter coat, try looking for some of these lighter alternatives:

27 May 09, originally uploaded by acatofimpossiblecolour.

A longer jean coat, like the one modeled by Andrea above, is a great fall alternative that could go over a longer sweater and cardigan and just add that slight layer of protection against rain or wind.

Apr. 10 a, originally uploaded by Jean C’est Quoi.

A knee-lenght trench coat, such as the one modeled by Jean C’est Quoi above, is also a good fall go-to choice. You could look for a bold and unique color, or stick with a classic tan. Since the trench coat has been a wardrobe staple for many a decades now, you’ll likely be able to find a selection to sift through at your local thrift store or consignment store.

Overall, we think that a longer sweater asks for a longer top layer. But, E. was rather taken by this outfit in a recent Ann Taylor look book, where the model is wearing a cropped leather jacket over a longish sweater, and she swears that she’s going to try this look out this week. She’ll let you know how this works out in real life.

And perhaps our readers might have ideas of how to rock the shorter jacket over the longer sweater look. If so, please chime in with how you’d make that combination work! What do you think of layering a shorter coat over a knee-length sweater?

Reader Questions: Shoe Week!

Posted on | October 21, 2009 | 23 Comments

We’ve received several more shoe-related reader questions lately, so we’re making this week officially shoe week! To check out our post on chic yet comfortable shoes, click here, and also take a look at the really great comments full of more tips and reader recommendations on the topic.

Now, for a few more shoe-related inquiries:

One reader sent us the above picture accompanied by the following words:

I bought a pair of shoes that I love, but I’m not sure what color skirts/shirts to pair with them.They’re black and wine colored. The color wheel seems to tell me that the opposite would be a green – maybe like a forest green? Would that be a good combo? I’m stumped, and can only think of throwing them on as a pop of color with neutrals (blacks/greys/maroons). Hesitant to be too matchy-matchy. Help! Sarah (librarian at a midwest university)

Thanks for the email and picture, Sarah! Great shoe, we love the two-tone color and the elegant T-Strap and had fun thinking of some color choices for it. Here is what we would recommend:

You are quite right to think of dark forest green, which would provide a complement to the maroon of the shoe. While red and green scream Christmas and Santa’s elves, a subtle variation on the crayon box version makes for warmth and sophistication while allowing for both colors to ‘pop’ against the other. An item such as the above sweater (found at Banana Republic) would look great with a pencil skirt in any neutral color and your maroon and black shoes.

Or you could go for a subtler color mix by pairing something plum or deep purple with the black and maroon shoes, thus creating an analogous color combo. The above dress from Target could serve as an inspiration point for an analogous pairing, or at $18.99, could make its way into your closet should you want this very one!

Lastly, you could play the monochromatic card by adding more shades of red to join the maroon of the shoe. Don’t try to find the exact shade of ‘wine’ of your pump, but rather experiment with other variations on red to create a soft monochrome color mix. Pairing a dark pink ruffle top blouse (such as the one found at Anthropologie above) with a black or gray skirt would recreate the color pairings in your shoe with your garments, using varying shades of the colors found at your feet.

Overall, don’t be afraid to experiment with your new shoes. While they certainly will make a great pop of color and could work with any combination of neutrals, don’t hesitate to mix them with non-neutrals as well. And as always, dear readers, your input is greatly appreciated! What would you suggest Sarah pair with these lovely wine and black pumps?

Meanwhile, reader Courtney sent us this question:

I love your blog, and I’ve watched all summer as you have all worn beautiful flat after wonderful wedge, all seemingly without socks of any kind or problems. How do you do it? When I try that, I end up a soggy mess with accompanying blisters. Am I missing something important here?

You’re not missing anything! Breaking in new shoes without socks or hose is a tricky business and is better left not tried. Broken in shoes, however, should be able to function without socks or tights without causing blisters and chafing.

New summer shoes, however, can’t always be broken in with socks or hose. And even broken in shoes sometimes revert to a previous stiffness when not worn for a while. In those cases, here are some tricks that should make the breaking in process a little easier on your feet…

• Use any petroleum product to run along the chaffing parts of the shoe, making for less friction with the skin (runner’s glide, anti-blister stick, petroleum jelly, deodorant… any of those should work)
• Carry band-aids and a little purse-sized petroleum jelly jar  (or above product of your choice) with you to touch up as you spend the day walking around!
• Locate the source of chaffing or blistering and try to discern what it may indicate about your feet – high vs. low arches, narrow vs. wide feet, etc – and look for shoes catering to those concerns when purchasing new pairs

If you, our readers, have more handy tricks to add to this list, don’t hesitate to let us and Courtney know by leaving us a comment!

From reader Marjorie, we received the following note:

I have bad feet that hurt if I don’t wear shoes with a lot of arch support, which can make looking stylish a little difficult… I have a pair of cognac colored Birkenstock clogs that I want to incorporate into my work wear, since I walk there (about 2 miles each way) and don’t always like to change my shoes. I intern in a federal agency where the look is professional, but not exactly corporate level attire. I usually wear cardigans, slacks and skirts. Do you think I could dress them up or is the look way too frumpy for a cubicle?

This is a tricky question. On the whole, we would tend to say that Birkenstocks are too casual for a professional environment. However, if clogs are your preferred form of footwear, there are other brands like Clarks or Dansko that have options with comfortable (thick or wedged) heels and less bulky shape. Generally, our style aesthetics are such that we would recommend wearing clogs with pants that are long enough to conceal the open heel, thus giving the appearance of a heeled shoe.

A. and S. both own Dansko clogs that they swear by in terms of comfort. Although they tend to wear them with jeans for a more casual ensemble, S. has worn this exact “professional” look with her black Danskos and felt confident with the resulting mix of clogs and dress pants. The added bonus: Danskos come both in a narrow or wide style, thus addressing the concern expressed by some of you in our previous shoe post. And if you’re concerned about arch support, Danskos will likely suit your needs. Having high arches and a need for arch support herself, S. appreciated the extra cushioning in her Danskos.

As for our readers who share Courtney’s concern of needing arch support or who prefer a clog for a daily professional look, please share any brands or tips you’ve come to appreciate! Thank you!

Monthly Roundtable: October 2009

Posted on | October 20, 2009 | 13 Comments

When we introduced this “roundtable” series to you last month, we received this reader comment urging us to open up a relevant academia/style question for discussion:

How about a brown bag about proper attire for an on campus T-T job interview? (They’re coming up in the next three months!)

one key question: wedding ring on, or off?

T-T interviews, for those of you not campus situated, are “tenure track” interviews, offering the most coveted of all academic jobs to those embarking on the job market. So, naturally, a key question is What To Wear? How to best present oneself to these potential employers?

Our approach would be to mix and match suit separates and ‘dressier’ pieces to create a look that is simultaneously professional and still personal and representative of our style personalities. As for the wedding ring question…we’ve already put in our two cents when this topic surfaced a while ago, but we would happily reopen this ever present dilemma for discussion.

So we open the forum to the rest of you, in true brown bag fashion, to engage in a dialogue what will hopefully provide our readers with many great ideas. And good luck to all of you interviewing this fall!

Reader Question: Comfortable Yet Chic Shoes

Posted on | October 18, 2009 | 43 Comments

Shoes!, originally uploaded by academichic.

We recently received this reader question in our inbox:

I am a graduate student at a large Northeastern university. Since my teaching duties are arranged so that I only have to interact with professors and students three days a week, I decided I would attempt to forego my usual casual wear and try to dress up at least these three days.  I don’t mind the dress pants and skirts, its the shoes! I have tiny, narrow feet that get blisters from wearing just about anything (flats, heels, sandals, wedges, peeptoes, etc.). The problem is made worse by the fact that it’s not uncommon for me to walk four or five miles throughout the course of the day just getting around campus (I teach two classes on the same day in buildings that are half a mile apart). Do you have any foot/shoe advice for someone who wants to look professional but has to do a lot of walking?

This reader’s sentiments echo a lot of other reader emails or comments we have recently received regarding attractive yet comfortable footware. The unique thing about working on a college campus is that you’re not likely to spend your day in one building or office but have to commute between buildings and sometimes even campuses on any given day. So while an attractive professional shoe is important, a comfortable walkable professional shoe is key!

In the past, we’ve recommended garments or shoes based on their looks or online reviews, but for this particular question, we felt that first-hand experience with the items in question was paramount to answering our reader’s concern. So we have pulled together a list of attractive and comfortable shoes from our own closets that we can confidently suggest to anyone looking for a professional shoe in which to cover a lot of ground (literally and figuratively)….

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Reader Question: A Winter Wedding

Posted on | October 5, 2009 | 6 Comments

We received this two-part question from one of our lovely readers:

I’m attending my boyfriend’s brother’s wedding in Chicago in early November. I’ve already selected my dresses for the wedding and dress rehearsal, but have yet to choose the shoes.

As the wedding will be in the fall and who knows about snow, I realize strappy sandals aren’t appropriate. At the same time, I don’t just want to wear standard black pumps, but I’m beginning to think that may be just as good a decision as any.

Our reader also sent along pictures of the dresses she’s chosen. The one on the left from Ann Taylor Loft and the one on the right by Donna Ricco from Nordstrom:

While you certainly can’t go wrong with a standard black pump, we do think there are some other fun options out there to go with the dresses you’ve chosen. We’ve picked three shoes that could add a little something to either or both of the dresses:

Metallic:

Since it will be too cold to wear strappy sandals, a shoe in a metallic ups the fancy-factor of the overall outfit. These classic pewter pumps could later do double duty by adding a fun punch to more conservative work looks.

Print:

Another route might be trying a patterned pump. Perhaps leopard? Or zebra?

Unexpected Color:

You might also consider wearing a pump in an unexpected color. A rich wine color, like this patent pump, would be a delightful twist.

The question continues:

Also, what do you suggest to cover up strapless/sleeveless dresses in the winter? A pashima, sweater type shrug? I know I’ll have to wear my black or camel peacoat from the car to the church/reception, but once I get inside I’d like to have a nice cover up that is elegant as well.

All of us are big fans of using pashminas as cold-weather formal wear wraps. With these dresses, we might suggest a charcoal wrap, perhaps with a tone-on-tone pattern.  Another option might be to wear a thin, buttonless cardigan and belt it with a matching sash, like S. did when she went to the opera in San Francisco.

Whatever she chooses, our reader will certainly look lovely in these classic frocks!

Reader Question: Oktoberfest Attire

Posted on | September 26, 2009 | 12 Comments

Prost! Maifest 2005, originally uploaded by academichic.

I have received several reader questions about whether I would be attending Oktoberfest in Munich upon my arrival. One particular reader, well acquainted with German culture, noted:

My lasting impression of Oktoberfest, beyond the Gemütlichkeit, was how native Germans wore traditional Bavarian costumes — and it was the tourists who stuck out in their plainclothes. Getting off the U-Bahn at Theresienwiese and seeing a throng of people in lederhosen and dirndls tickled me to no end. And it was people of all ages, from little kids to teens to grannies!

It is true that one way to pass for a native at festivals such as Oktoberfest or Maifest is to wear the traditional dress of a Dirndl or Lederhose. Bavarians and Austrians in particular seem to celebrate their regional identities and their heritage by sporting Tracht for special occasions (more so than northern Germans). But unfortunately, If I do make it to Oktoberfest before it ends, I will not be sporting my Salzburger Dirndl because it was far to heavy and bulky of an item to make my very strict packing cut.

Maifest 2005, originally uploaded by academichic.

I do own a Dirndl, as many a fanatic German studies major does, purchased at a second hand store in Salzburg while I was studying abroad in Austria. Original Tracht is very pricey and purchasing it second hand is one way to get an authentic Dirndl or Lederhose without breaking the bank. I love my Dirndl and have worn it to several festivities in Austria and for several more Halloweens in the US.

Austrian Tracht, originally uploaded by academichic.

As a languages scholar, I am irresistibly drawn into the culture whose language I am studying. It is impossible to separate language from the geographical and historical culture of a given area. Traditional dress used to be the way people distinguished their regional and class identities; these garments are intricately woven (text)iles representing the communities and places of their origin. I love my Salzburger Dirndl because it represents a place and culture I have come to fondly know and appreciate since my two year sojourn there.

Similarly, I have a Romanian folk dress that is representative of the Transylvania area of the country, which is where I grew up. Pictures of my grandparents as children show them wearing the traditional dress as their daily outfits, as children of farmers often did. While members of German departments tend to be (understandably) weary of the ubiquitous Lederhose-wearing beer-slinging caricature, I appreciate the actual wearing of Tracht for its symbolic and celebratory function that aims to commemorate a given place and people in text as well as in textile. S.

Romanian Traditional Dress, originally uploaded by academichic.

PS: You can also check out the lovely Vera from Deep in Vogue sporting a traditional Bulgarian folk dress in a recent post of hers here. Do you own a traditional folk dress? If so, we’d love to see it and feature it in our Monthly Roundtable!

Question to Our Readers: UK Graduate Student Style?

Posted on | September 3, 2009 | 11 Comments

Big Ben, London, originally uploaded by 13bobby.

We recently received this email from a reader who is embarking on a graduate year abroad in London:

While I’m familiar with London and workwear there, I’m having a hard time bridging my Washington DC work outfits (read: boring, governmental) with London style and the casualness of being a student again. I’ve read your posts about international conferences and school/research abroad — I was wondering if you’d be willing to take a stab at this topic? I am starting to wonder about what to choose for that crucial orientation / first day of school outfit. Classes start in October, so I think I have to fast forward to fall. England + October = not very warm. :)

First of, how exciting! A year in London! While we know what we’d recommend for a first day back outfit here on our home turf, we’re not certain we can answer that for the UK. So, dear readers (especially those of the British variety), would you be so kind as to chime in with your advice and tips on academic fashion in your corner of the world? In particular, what would you recommend for a stylish orientation outfit in the fall? Thank you!

Reader Question: What to Wear to a New Faculty Reception

Posted on | August 23, 2009 | 3 Comments

We recently received this reader request:

I have just started a postdoc and received an invitation yesterday to attend a new faculty reception next month where I will be formally welcomed along with several other new faculty members.  As this will likely be my first opportunity to meet the full faculty and administration, I want to make a good impression.  The reception is in the evening and my university is in the South. I have noticed that even though it is very hot here, people dress for the air-conditioning and generally are more dressed-up than I am used to.  In terms of dressier but professional options: I have a short-sleeved lighter-weight black wool dress that I could dress up with belt and heels, or I could wear a pants suit with a nice blouse underneath.  Do you have any ideas?

Congratulations on the postdoc position!

We think it is great that this reader plans to use an item already in her closet.  It’s always fun to have a new outfit for the first day of school, a conference, or other important event, but remixing items you love in a way you never have before allows you to create a whole new ensemble without spending a penny. If wearing a new item will help make you feel special for that special occasion, look for a new belt, shoes, or accessories to help spruce up that old standard.

Click through the jump for some ideas!

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