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I (E.) thrifted this like-new black pinstripe blazer several years ago, shortly after beginning graduate school. I guess I figured that since I was a grown-up I needed a grown-up jacket.

Thrifted Pinstripe Jacket, originally uploaded by academichic.

It’s in great shape, has nifty satin details — covered buttons, piping on the pockets — a subtly patterned lining, and a classic high, two-button stance with a notched lapel.

Jacket Details, originally uploaded by academichic.

Of course, since then, this blazer has had precious little wear, though it’s made predictable appearances at conferences and the occasional in-class presentation. Like I said in our Fashion 101 post on jackets and blazers, this is the kind of blazer that still makes me a little nervous, that I still tend to think about in very limited ways. So, what better way to kick off a week of blazers than challenge myself to re-imagine this jacket in a variety of outfits? Click through the jump to see four incarnations — from professional to casual — of this wardrobe basic.

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With as loose a definition as “a strip of flexible material worn especially around the waist as an item of clothing,” belts need not only be a leather strip with a metal buckle. Alternative belting solutions — which sounds very important when stated like that — are plentiful.

Perhaps the most straightforward option is to take a tie or belt from one garment and use it with an altogether different piece. S., for example, took a belt from a patterned dress and used it to mix patterns with another printed top. A. used the matching belt from her green shirt dress to add a pop of color to a navy jacket. And E. is a devotee of utilizing the jersey ties that came with a couple of tops to tie together belting situations that call for a snug fit.

Another favorite and fairly common alternative is the scarf-as-belt. All three of us have repurposed scarves for this use, but with different techniques and different results. Using a longer, narrow scarf, with ends floating freely, can create a dreamy, romantic feel, like when S. added a pink floral scarf to her LBD for a date night. When A. wears scarves as belts, she frequently does so by threading them through the belt loops of her short sleeved blazer. The result is much crisper and preppier. Scarves-as-belts can also be a strong graphic focal point of an outfit because of their width and pattern. And, of course, they provide a great foil for pattern mixing. Be sure to check out Elaine’s excellent tutorial on tying a scarf as a belt.

Wide ribbons can also function as belts, and they are a good option when an outfit needs a bit more softness than a leather option would provide. S. and E. have both tied their ribbon belts in bows, but the neutral colors kept the looks — they think — from being too literal of a “present” reference. On the other hand, A. used a pastel ribbon and completely embraced the delicate, almost fanciful, feel it conjured.

Which brings us to the lovely floral belts that S. and A. fashioned over the summer, using silk blooms compliments of Blue Onion Marketplace. Adding these lush blossoms to scarf or ribbon created easy statement belts that looked far more complicated and expensive than they actually were.

There are, of course, many, many other possibilities. E. hasn’t done this recently, but in the past she’s snagged her husband’s unused ties to serve as a belt. Has anyone used a necklace as a belt? Or paper, ala Project Runway? A length of cording? A shoelace? What alternative belts have you created?

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.

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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Last week, as we focused on Tights for our Fashion 101 course, E. demonstrated how significant of a change can occur when simply swapping one pair of tights for another. I was curious to see whether changing one’s belt could likewise result in such a different look or register (level of formality). To try this out, I kept everything other than the belt consistent and simple – a black dress, black tights, and black boots provide the backdrop to this experiment.

When you have an all-neutrals outfit with few embellishments or adornments, pretty much any belt will provide that instant focal point. So it makes sense to choose a piece that’s deserving of that kind of attention – like this pretty coral and gold flower one (above). Since everything else is pretty much a blank canvas, the belt sets the tone and in this case evokes a bit of a romantic bohemian feel.

Changing the delicate flower belt to a wide white leather one makes for a striking difference in result – now the black dress feels more mod and retro. (And for a side note on belt width: I usually prefer skinny belts and have but few wide ones like this one. I have a short torso and wearing wide belts usually stumps it even more. But I have found that when it comes to belting a dress and not a top or cardigan, a wide belt can work and even work well. I attribute this to the length of fabric that is presented by the dress that leaves the question of where one’s torso ends more to the imagination.)

So a belt can make the same LBD look retro or boho chic and it can also just serve as a pop of color to an all-neutrals base. I’m not sure I’m crazy about this combination, but the bright yellow does add an unexpected punch of brightness to the all black outfit.

Even better than the yellow, this skinny red belt likewise adds a pop of color while keeping the shock factor to more of a minimum. Since this is not patent leather like the yellow belt above and also a bit skinnier, it makes for less of a statement piece. It’s just the right amount of color to break up the black and add a bit of fun. I think this look would look great with some red accessories (earrings or a cuff) to pick up the red from from the belt and extend it to a few more items in the outfit.

Since I mentioned that I’ll make an exception for a wider belt when worn with a dress, I thought I’d give another one of the wide variety a try. This studded black leather belt with the oversized buckle gives the dress a casual yet modern look. Although it’s less striking than one of the boldly colored options, I like the fluidity that this monochromatic color scheme provides and I’d probably choose this over the wide white belt shown above.

I have worn this dress several times to the opera and each time, I’ve reached for this thin black velvet belt with a delicate jewel-encrusted buckle (below). I feel like wearing this elegant piece instantly lifts the dress to a more formal register and, even when paired with boots, the belt does its magic and gives the LBD more elegant of an appearance than the wider versions of the above examples.

For being such a small part of an outfit, a belt can have quite the power in setting the tone of one’s look. Belts are also excellent ‘outfit transformers’ since they’re small, compact, and easy to travel with. One could forgo packing a collection of several dresses and simply alter the level of formality and look of one dress with the aid of several diverse belts when on vacation.

Which one of these Belt+LBD combinations is your favorite? I think any of these pairings could work and my choice would be likely dictated by the event and context in question. S.

Experimenting with Tights and Peep-Toes, originally uploaded by academichic.

• Tan Cardigan – Banana Republic
• Grey Tee – Banana Republic
• Scarf – Old Navy
• Brown Cord Skirt – Old Navy

• Grey Tights – BR Outlet
• Brown Lace Tights – Gift from S.
• Brown Ribbed Tights – Talbots
• Pink Peep-Toes – Seychelles, via DSW
• Brown Peep-Toe Wedges – Steve Madden, via DSW
• Navy Peep-Toes – Off Broadway

Some things I learned along the way:

• tights with toes that match the pattern of the rest of the tights work best
• your bright toe nail polish will show through thinner tights
• any combination is worth a shot

First for the navy peep-toes – I think these rather dressy navy shoes just don’t work with the rest of this outfit, so for me, it wasn’t a fair test.  I tried them with brown and grey tights and liked the way the shoes worked with both tights but not so much with the overall ensemble.

I tried these lightly ribbed brown tights with all three pairs of peep-toes and (aside from the Navy) I think these tights are the safest but also the most boring option.  They looked better with the pop of pink, but I still didn’t love the brown corduroy skirt on brown corduroy-like tights. I would wear either of these, but do to a bit of experimenting, I now know there are more fun options!

Pink with brown tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

Brown with brown tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

One such fun option…

I’ve had these lacey brown tights for a while now (thanks S.) but unfortunately they don’t get much wear, because I’m never quite sure how to use them.  I initially thought the brown lace tights with pink peep-toes would be a ridiculous combination, but I was pleasantly surprised.  I still think its a bit too busy for my tastes and don’t know that I would actually wear it, but I do wonder how it would look with a different skirt.

Pink with lace tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

Like with the ribbed brown tights, I felt the brown lace tights with the brown wedges made for just too much brown, but would again give this a try with another skirt or dress.

Brown with lace tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

My favorite combinations came from the grey tights.  I pulled these out mostly because I thought they would make the best pairing with the navy shoes, but loved the look with both the brown wedges and the pink pumps.  I like that the grey is a different color form the skirt, breaking up all that brown, and that it picks up on the grey tee and the dark grey in the scarf.

Brown with grey tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

The grey tights with brown wedges felt the most me (a mix of neutrals) but I went for the pink with grey because I love these shoes and don’t wear the nearly enough!

Which is your favorite?  A.

Pink with grey tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

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 – Layering Cardigans, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Black nursing top: Target
• Black ankle pants: Old Navy
• Booties: Civico 10, via DSW
• Purple sweater coat jacket thing: H&M

• Magenta short sleeve cardigan: H&M
• Open gray cardigan: TJ Maxx
• Beaded black cardigan: Banana Republic
• Purple cardigan: Gap Outlet

End Notes:

For my Cardigan Fashion 101 tutorial, I decided to tackle the still-elusive skill of layering cardigans. Way back in the fall I saw a little blurb on Style Bakery about layering cardis. And yes, it’s taken me this long to really work through this in my own closet. I started with a basic blank canvas of a black top, black pants, and (my new) booties (which I love) and decided that the most versatile outer cardigan I owned was this purple jacket-cardigan hybrid that has a substantial weave and a surprising degree of structure. Okay. So, what to layer underneath?

My first try is the picture above: a close-fitting magenta cardigan. It creates a nice analogous color scheme with the darker purple and functions almost like a little waistcoat might. Maybe cardigan layering isn’t as hard as I feared?

My next impulse was to try the old flowy-under-structure trick, so I threw on an open gray cardigan. I was not terribly excited by the results. I think the bottom layer was a bit too long. On the other hand, it created an unusual shape pairing, which I may embrace on a more adventurous day (and probably with full length pants to mitigate the endless torso issues).

Iteration 2: Floppy + Structured, originally uploaded by academichic.

I did like the color and texture pairing, however, so I tried tucking the cardigan into my pants and then blousing it. I liked this pairing: still some unexpected shapes, but with a bit more control. Though this might be a pain to readjust all day, it might be worth it.

Iteration 3: Controlled Flow, originally uploaded by academichic.

Next up, I put beaded cardigan beneath. I think there’s a nice contrast between the thick, rougher texture of the purple wool and the more delicate, subtle beading on the black cardigan. I wonder if it would more effective if I used a cardigan where the embellishments ran vertically down the front, thus giving them a bit more visibility. As it is, though, it worked as a surprising bit of sparkle for daytime wear.

Iteration 4: Grandma + Beading, originally uploaded by academichic.

Finally, I tried another close-fitting cardigan in a slightly lighter shade of purple. I like the v-neck of this cardigan, though I think the magenta cardi makes for a more interesting color scheme overall.

Iteration 5: Purple + Purple, originally uploaded by academichic.

The verdict? Layering cardigans can be as simple as thin-under-bulky, but surprising combinations can be crafted through some trial and error in front of the mirror. And once again, I wish I had a patterned cardigan to play with!

Polka dots and Damask, originally uploaded by academichic.

This week we’re participating in a Fashion 101 course on Cardigans. I have a few patterned cardigans that I really like but don’t wear all too often because I feel limited in how to incorporate them into my wardrobe. Thus far, I have always worn them over solid tops, thinking that the cardigan’s pattern necessitated a simple solid colored top underneath. In an attempt to be more creative with my clothing and to get more use out of what I already own, I challenged myself to do some pattern mixing with said patterned cardigans for our Fashion 101 week.

I started with the outfit shown above because I was fairly certain that this particular pattern mix would work: I’m mixing a large damask print with a dark, almost indiscernible small polka dot print. We articulated this pattern mix approach in our Fashion 101 on Pattern last year: it seems like mixing one dominant print (the damask here) with a small print (the polka dot) makes for an interesting yet not overwhelming result.

Polka dots detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

Feeling pretty pleased with the outcome, I thought I would give more pattern mixing a shot. I don’t believe that there is a wrong or right way to do this, since liking the outcome is all a matter of personal taste and aesthetics. What may strike one person as a harmonious combination might appear to someone else as chaotic and overwrought. Case in point with this next combination:

Bold Pattern Mix, originally uploaded by academichic.

This particular mix is too loud for my personal taste. You can see what a difference adding a second bright and large print to an already large and bright print can make. It appears like the patterns are competing for attention since they are equally dominant and bold. They are perhaps also too close in pattern shape, with the damask and floral being both composed of swirls and loops, which also adds to the seemingly combative appearance of this mix.

Dark Stripes and Damask, originally uploaded by academichic.

If two prints that are close in color, similar in shape, and equal in size appear loud and attention-grabbing, I reasoned that perhaps pairing the damask print with a different pattern shape, color, and size a more harmonious result might make. While the above combination of navy stripes with pink damask is interesting, I’m not certain that I love it. I feel neither appalled nor all too excited about it. What do you think of this one?

Light stripes and Damask, originally uploaded by academichic.

I thought that perhaps a lighter, less obtrusive stripe would make this pairing even more harmonious. As with the polka dots of the first example, this light striped pattern is inconspicuous enough that it hardly poses a threat to the damask and the two can co-exist in perfect harmony.

Stripes detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

As a last shot at stripes and damask, I pulled out this pink and white striped top thinking that it would be an absolute disaster with the pink damask. I assumed the monochromatic color scheme to confuse the eye wanting to make sense of different patterns of the same color.

Pink on Pink, originally uploaded by academichic.

I was, however, pleasantly surprised by the result. And then I remembered that we had discussed this phenomenon during out Pattern Mixing modules as well: one way to mitigate the busyness of multiple prints is by keeping the pattern in the same color family. That way you’re only dealing with one variable: the print. The pink on pink pairing shows that a monochromatic pattern mix can prove surprisingly docile.

Plaid and Damask, originally uploaded by academichic.

Lastly, I scoured my closet for what I was sure would be one more I’d-never-leave-the-house-in-this ensemble (as with the red and pink combo above) and pulled out this black and white plaid button down. On the hanger, the colors and print of this top promised to make an absolute awful match with the pink damask, but on myself, I actually love it. The lesson here being: try things on and experiment! None of these combinations ended up looking quite as I had predicted and I was surprised how many pairings that I had deemed inconceivable ended up working well (and vice-versa).

Graphic Tee and Damaks, originally uploaded by academichic.

I tried one last pairing with the patterned cardigan and a graphic tee. The graphic tee provides a small focalized pattern mix and can be an easy way to transition into more daring pattern combinations.

Overall, my two favorite pairings were these ones (the plaid and the small polka dot):

What about yours? How do these different combinations strike you?

I hope this visual exploration of how one might mix a patterned cardigan with various patterned tops has provided you with some inspiration for your own closet. While I am no expert and can only represent my own taste and style, I hope that the one thing you can walk away with, if nothing else, is to experiment and try stuff out. Style rules in the abstract are fine and good, but nothing beats actually trying things on and seeing how methodologies fare once put into practice. So go forth, experiment, and have fun with it!