4 August 2010 – The Color Purple, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Tank: Gap Outlet
• Wrap: Banana Republic Outlet
• Belt: BR Outlet
• Shorts: BR
• Shoes: Frye
• Necklace: South Moon Under
• Bag: Liberty of London
• Rings: family heirlooms

Endnotes:
It seems like the title “neutrals with a pop” is roughly how we here at Academichic tend to dress on a more regular basis, and this casual outfit falls firmly within my usual aesthetic. The ruffled top is the same as the one A. wore with her striped tank, but this one is taupe rather than grey and likewise goes with everything.

4 August 2010 – The Color Purple, originally uploaded by academichic.

We actually purchased these at different times, but like A. said, we shop together a fair amount and channel each other’s style easily. I removed the belt/sash that came with it in favor of this brown skinny belt because I wanted it to be more prominent. It also compliments my brown shoes.

Brown Frye Flats, originally uploaded by academichic.

You probably recall the frenzy around Frye boots a few years ago, but they also make a variety of other shoes including these darling flats. I loved them so much and found them terrifically versatile for both work and casual attire that I bought them in black as well. My mother has always told me that if you find something that you really like and it fits well, buy it in several colors! My purple tank top is an example of this philosophy and is only one of the myriad colors that Gap has on offer right now. I love these tanks and own them in an array of different colors. I’ve used them in layers, as undershirts, with cardigans, or just hanging around the house. The bright colors are excellent for bringing “pop” to any outfit and the price (around $4 on sale) makes it possible to get a variety of hues. Once I had settled on purple as my accent color I remembered this sweet little Liberty bag was in my closet. Since I would only be carrying around a wallet and cell phone today, I thought I’d use it as my purse.

4 August 2010 – The Color Purple – Accessories, originally uploaded by academichic.

Oh, how I relish these summer days without bags full of books, laptops, and papers! If you love florals and prints (as seen featured on Academichic in April this year), Liberty makes fabrics full of gorgeous colors, and as you probably remember recently collaborated with Target on a line of clothes and accessories. My necklace and rings were gifts, as is much of my jewelry in general. These rolling rings are my mother and grandmother’s from Cartier. They are totally classic and have obviously stood the test of time. I like to stack them because the thinner banded one is actually a little big for my finger and the thicker one holds it on. Although this ensemble all together is a little dressy for where I am currently, these slate-blue shorts are strictly casual.

4 August 2010 – The Color Purple, originally uploaded by academichic.

I would probably not wear them in the classroom or on campus because the length is a bit shorter than I am comfortable sporting in any kind of professional setting. What is your most comfortable length? Is it different for shorts versus skirts?

30 July 2010 – Complements, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Top: thrifted
• Cardi: Target
• Shorts: Ann Taylor
• Ring: c/o Lala B Jewelry
• Sandals: Jeffrey Campbell, via Rue La La

End Notes:

In the last few days I went to New York, sans camera, for a whirlwind two and a half day dissertation research trip. I overlapped with A. for half a day, came home, and am now about to embark on a road trip to somewhere-in-Oklahoma for a family reunion with my in-laws. I will say, though, that take-offs and landings (and the very long lead up to both wherein you are not allowed to have tray tables down or lap tops out) is prime outfit-planning time.

I really struggled with putting together a complementary color scheme though, which is a little unexpected since I have worn them before, even when it’s not part of a challenge week. For some reason, though, I was really having a hard time. I think part of the problem was that I initially wanted to stay away from saturated complementary colors and instead play with complements in softer hues: lavender and yellow or peach and blue or something like that.

But you know what? Let’s be honest, I’m a saturated color kind of girl, and I know that I can wear mustard and royal purple well separately…so why not together? I’ll tell you why. Purple and gold are pretty quintessential school colors. Eep. No one wants to walk around looking like a college mascot. Still, I think the ruffles on the purple top and the play of proportion with a longer top and cropped cardigan, keep things from looking too school spirit-y.

La La B Ring, originally uploaded by academichic.

Jeffrey Campbell Sandals, originally uploaded by academichic.

Plus, school mascots don’t wear chunky rings and cutout wedge sandals, right?

Is there a color combination you now avoid because it brings back memories of school colors? Or rival school colors, I suppose.

30 July 2010 – Complements, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Tank – J Crew (on super sale)
• Navy Shorts – J Crew
• Sandals – Charlotte Russe
• Earrings – F21
• Bangles – Various

Endnotes:

I’m having trouble getting posts up lately because I am spending most days make-up-less in shorts and a tee-shirt or tank (that is when I am not in running shorts, dirty gardening clothes, or sweats) because it’s HOT here and I’m just prepping for my summer course at home or at a coffee shop with breaks to run and tend my new garden (details coming soon I promise).    I’ve actually taken a couple outfit pictures of myself in said shorts and tee but never feel like they are post-worthy.  Often on these kinds of days, I could care less about color combinations, summer trends, or really even proportion.  I know this is not what a “style blogger” is supposed to say, but it’s my dirty truth!  Truth: I wear sweats for many hours of the day and I have no problem going to Home Depot in dirty work shorts or the grocery store in my running clothes (pre-run only).

Today I wore a new tank from J Crew clearance and threw on a handful of bangles to dress up my shorts and sandals uniform, and the result was cute enough to post.

Bangles, originally uploaded by academichic.

Outtake, originally uploaded by academichic.

10 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

25 May 2010 – Le Chapeau, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Hat: Banana Republic Factory
• Eyelet top: F21
• Belt: vintage, from mom
• Shorts: Banana Republic Factory
• T-strap wedges: Target.com

End Notes:

The sun has been shining bright and hot in Academichic central over the past few days, which means it’s been the perfect weather for debuting the latest addition to my summer wardrobe: this floppy paper straw hat. I was so drawn to this hat when I saw it in the store and I tried it on initially as a kind of joke. But then, I just fell in love with its swooping lines, wide brim, and overall playfulness and A. — ever my faithful shopping partner — encouraged me to step out of my style comfort bubble and go ahead and purchase it.

I’m imagining wearing this to picnics in the park, walks with baby e., and an outdoor dinner with my husband, along with less idyllic pursuits such as weeding my backyard. Still, it currently takes me a little pep talk to go outside with such a dominant, eye-catching head-topper, so today, I kept the rest of my outfit clean and classic: a white eyelet top, high waisted navy shorts, and tan accessories.

25 May 2010 – Le Chapeau, originally uploaded by academichic.

Of course, the hat’s primary purpose is to protect me from the sun, something that I’ve grown more conscious about over the last few years. Now that I have soft baby e. skin to care for too, I’m especially aware of the dermal benefits of hat-wearing.

But I need your help! This is the first “real” hat (aka, not a baseball cap or knit cap) that I’ve owned, and I need tips on to care for it to ensure that a long, sun-blocking life. Certainly there is an abundance of information via Google, but I’m interested to hear your tried and true methods for storage, cleaning, or protection.

Will you be wearing a sun hat this summer?

25 May 2010 – Le Chapeau, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Cardigan – Gap
• White Blouse – Gap
• Navy Shorts – Ann Taylor Loft
• Wedges – Kenneth Cole Reaction, via DSW

Endnotes:

Today I am celebrating my strong legs and the strong healthy body they help me maintain.   I haven’t been able to post for the past couple days for a variety of reasons, one of which is that a family member is in the hospital because a part of his body failed him.  I love that we are celebrating the parts of are bodies that are beautiful, but like S. and E. in their posts yesterday, I want to celebrate my body for its incredible function!

The last time we featured our best, I talked about my legs and the many miles they have carried me in training and running numerous marathons and half marathons.  My calves in particular have a nice muscular shape as a result of all those miles clocked and I have naturally long legs.

Legs, originally uploaded by academichic.

I am so thankful to my long strong legs for allowing me to be a runner!  Running makes me happy and healthy.  But, here’s the thing, unlike S., I didn’t loose any weight when I started training for my first marathon, in fact, I gained weight.  Sure, I built and toned some heavy muscles, but I also ate may way through a ton or power- providing carbs.  Regardless of weight or the overall appearance of my body, I am most thankful to my legs for helping me maintain a strong and healthy body – mostly the parts that go unseen, like heart, lungs, etc.

So, on Tuesday I dressed the beautiful form of my legs but was really celebrating their fabulous function and the overall strength and health of my beautiful body!

A.

11 May 2010 – Strong Legs = Strong Body, originally uploaded by academichic.

7 April 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Blazer: Banana Republic Factory
• Tank: Target
• Bermudas: thrifted pants, chopped by me
• Booties: Civico10, via DSW
• Necklace: Chattanooga craft fair

End Notes:

In a preemptive move to prevent cavities from all those sweet, floaty skirts I’ve been sporting lately, I trotted off to campus yesterday looking kind of like a school boy in oxford booties, bermuda shorts, and a navy blazer. Good thing I finally remembered to put on a necklace once I was out of baby e.’s reach.

Polished Garnet Necklace Detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

This not quite a shorts “suit” since the top and bottom don’t match, but I readily admit that I am kind of a fan of the fancy shorts + blazer combination. There are lots of reasonable arguments against this pairing, such as, “There are only about three days of appropriate weather for such an outfit in a given year!” Or, “If a situation is casual enough for shorts, why wear a blazer?” That’s fair. But I appreciate that bermudas have a similar trim, sharp shape as a pencil skirt, but with more ease for walking (and squatting, too, since I have baby e. around).

And, okay, I admit it. I am really tempted to go to my local thrift store, find a pantsuit and chop off the pant legs, maybe even into a shorter-than-bermudas length. Just to see. I think it would be a funky but put-together look for spring and summer gallery openings or a date night on a bike with my husband.

I don’t know. Maybe I just like this because it’s like my inner nerd suddenly got to dress itself. Geek chic, FTW!

7 April 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Trench – vintage, was my grandmother’s
• Bag – thrifted
• Sweater – J.Crew
• Tweed shorts – thrifted
• White belt – BR Outlet
• Floral tights – H&M
• Boots – thrifted

Endnotes:

This month, we’re incorporating florals – a 2010 Spring Trend – into our wardrobes. While A. and E. have each confessed their misgivings with florals (or pattern in general) in the past, I have to say this this particular wardrobe challenge was met with enthusiasm by me. If you know our site and individual styles, than you know that I’m no stranger to bright patterns and romantic motifs such as floral or damask. Because I do wear my fair share of floral, I was also intrigued by the comments you left on our recent Fashion 101 post in which some of you argued that you wouldn’t wear florals for more professional or formal occasions (to a conference, for example) while others suggested that the content of your speech or talk would matter more than the clothing covering you while you’re delivering it. Interesting debate.

The timing of this discussion is perfect: I just finished Carol Mattingly’s Appropriate[ing] Dress: Women’s Rhetorical Style in Nineteenth-Century America (excellent read!), which investigates how women orators of the late nineteenth century used clothing as a rhetorical tool. Since it was still uncommon for women to take the stage at that time, those who did so to argue for Women’s Rights or to make political speeches in general were scrutinized and assessed firstly and consistently by their dress and appearance. Newspapers and magazines, when reporting about a given rhetor or her speech, would begin with a complete physical description of the person and their garments before addressing anything else. As a result, women rhetors devised varying strategies to manipulate this reception to their advantage.

Layers, originally uploaded by academichic.

Floral tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

Some cleverly adopted the Quaker dress – a religiously connoted garment – to signal that they were pious, traditional, and not trying to disrupt the existing social order. This would mollify the crowd and allow them to then deliver their political messages. On the other end of the spectrum were women such as Dr. Mary Walker who dressed entirely in men’s clothing. According to Mattingly, here the dress was not just an appendage to her vocal proclamations, it was the message in itself.

While strategies and audience responses varied with speakers and context, one thing is consistently true of all her case studies: all these women taking the public stage – a space previsouly dominated by male rhetors and politicans – were painfully aware that their words would only be part of what the audience would take away. Their dress and bodies were as carefully scrutinized (if not more so) than the content of their speeches.

While I’d like to think that a hundred year later, a woman can stand on stage and deliver a talk during which her body and dress are not key constituents in how the message is received, I’m not sure I believe that. But just like these women orators in the late nineteenth century didn’t find there to be just one solution for dressing for the public gaze, I don’t believe there is just one right way to dress for professional or public engagements today. This is a game of strategy and subtlety and I believe that there is more than one way to reach one’s desired effect. S.

8 April 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Gray sweater – AE, hand me down,
• Plaid button down – thrifted
• Jean shorts – thrifted and chopped by me
• Sweater tights – drug store
• Boots – Dillards
• Bracelets – Big Lots

Endnotes:

It’s no secret that I’ve fallen a bit in love with shorts this winter. But while the J.Crew models seem to be easily pulling off shorts and bare legs with their winter cardis and jackets, I live in a city where no such skin exposure is plausible.

So if I want to do the shorts and sweater combo, I have to make sure to add a sturdy pair of tights in there as well. Enter: the sweater tights. Possibly one of mankind’s best inventions along with chocolate and This American Life podcasts. They’re soft, cozy, and actually much more insulating than a pair of trousers or jeans.

Since we’re featuring tights this week for our Fashion 101 course, it’s only fitting that I start my posts with my favorite kind of tights. While sweater tights don’t come in fun patterns or peek-a-boo fishnet materials, they usually do have a nice texture that give them some added interest and they are also far more snag-proof than their lighter and thinner counterparts. And not to mention oh-so-cozy and warm.

As for a side note on the shorts – I wanted a pair of shorts that would be similar to my trouser shorts, so I went to the thrift store back home looking for a pair. I found there to be a slight problem with cutting up a pair of existing jeans in my closet –  they’re cut to be fitted and thus are much snugger around my thighs than a pair of shorts ideally would be (this works well for a trouser shorts look but is a little too tight for my taste when it comes to also wearing them this length).

So I thrifted a pair of shorts that fit well and felt nice and roomy without worrying about length too much. I then cut off about 2 inches to make them my desired length. These were also cuffed initially, and while I like that on the J. Crew models above, I was aiming for a more rough fringed finish à la Renee Sturme or Christina from Second Skin (see examples below).

If you’re looking to show off your tights this winter, why not try a pair of shorts one day instead of a skirt or dress? Don’t have a good winter pair? Thrift a pair of shorts (you can always adjust the length yourself) or DIY a pair of old jeans you no longer wear. S.

Sources:

• Pashmina scarf – small shop in Romania
• Brown cord jacket – thrifted
• Pale pink top – TJMaxx
• Tweed shorts – thrifted
• Thermal tights – Romania
• Boots – Dillards

Endnotes:

E. and I must have been on the same wave length when we decided to pair a shimmery scarf with a brown corduroy jacket. This gorgeous orange and red pashmina has gold thread woven throughout it, which gives it a sparkly finished look, making it a bit more formal and elegant than your average scarf. But the brown corduroy blazer is such a decidedly day-wear item that it mitigates the formality of the shimmery scarf and creates a look that is somewhat posh but still library friendly.

This pashmina is also large enough that it functions as a make-shift turtleneck collar when worn underneath the jacket. Last time I wore it, I belted the ends to keep them from shifting around too much. This time, tucking them underneath the jacket keeps this look in place and secure.

This outfit started with this shimmery pashmina and the brown cord jacket and was really color-driven in its creation: I wanted to keep with the rich brown and orange hues so I added my brown boots, these tweed shorts, and a pale pink top that almost functions like a neutral (it doesn’t compete with any of the existing colors). This is one of those looks that really came out as I envisioned it: warm and rich in its color scheme and casual and comfortable in function. The ideal pairing, n’est pas? S.

11 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.