1 September 2010 – Punchy Prep

Posted on | September 1, 2010 | 13 Comments

1 September 2010 – Punchy Prep, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Knit blazer: C&C
Blue tee: Forever 21
Belt: thrifted
Skirt: thrifted
Shoes: Dolce Vita, c/o Solestruck

End Notes:

Yesterday was my university’s first day of classes. And guess what? I wasn’t on the student side of the classroom this time. Like Tania of What Would a Nerd Wear, I finished my PhD coursework in the spring, and now the only classes I’ll be present at this semester are ones where I’ll be on the teaching side of things. (My teaching assistant responsibilities cycle through observing the large-scale lecture and then teaching my own, smaller groups of students.)

My perennial outfit “concept” for the first day of school is one that mixes professionalism with little unexpected punches. I wanted to look put-together and competent, but not stuffy or preppy. I started with a very traditional color palette of pale blue, khaki, and gray, but kept things fresh by wearing a soft tee rather than a button down, a knit — rather than woven — blazer, a skinny belt, and, oh yes, orange pumps. Ironically, two of my male colleagues were wearing pale blue oxford shirts on their first day as well.

But no one else was wearing orange shoes. I had the corner on that market.

1 September 2010 – Punchy Prep, originally uploaded by academichic.

So here’s the other thing. Especially after reading the comments on a recent Chronicle of Higher Ed piece on professor “hotness” and dress (you should also read La Historiadora de Moda’s response) and L.’s admission that she’s “easing” her colleagues into her style, I also felt much more self-conscious this year about how the other teaching assistants (particularly my female colleagues) perceived me. I also didn’t want to come off as “trying too hard” or “showing them up.” But of course, not matter how carefully we try to craft a message through how we dress, we are not ultimately in control of how our attire is interpreted.

For me, a missing component in that Chronicle piece on “hot professors” — and something brought up by some commentators — was the role of gender, ethnicity, age, and even sexual orientation in how professors are perceived. As I’ve said before on this blog, bodies are never neutral and the fact that I’m relatively young, slim, and female already affects how I’m perceived, even before you take clothing into account.

On the other hand, all the above equivocations and ruminations aside, it’s really, really hard to be uncertain about yourself when you’re wearing an orange shoe. To paraphrase the inimitable La Historiadora de Moda, orange shoes do not make me mighty, but they remind me that I’m mighty, not meek.

1 September 2010 – Punchy Prep, originally uploaded by academichic.

(And don’t forget to check plenty of other great back-to-school looks at the Fashionable Academics!)

19 August 2010 – Monochrome and a Farewell Note

Posted on | August 19, 2010 | 98 Comments

Sources:

Blue-green top – Target
Green-gray skirt – H&M in Austria years ago
Silver flats – Target
Necklace – Big Lots years ago
Puzzle piece bracelet – gift from cousin in Romania

Endnotes:

So I did get my act together and compose one outfit for our color module this week: monochromatic green. While I couldn’t for the life of me make one work on Tuesday, this combination just jumped out at me on Wednesday morning. I paired a teal (blue-green) top with a green-gray skirt and used silver for my remaining items. Silver flats; silver bracelet; silver necklace. Although I’m dressed head-to-toe in shades of green, I think this works because they’re variations of the crayon box green that are more subtle and soft. I think there is no right or wrong way to do monochrome; use as much and as bold of a color as suits your style and aesthetic. While some may feel more comfortable mixing in a good dose of neutrals, others may revel in a full-on color explosion. To me, the queen of fabulous and bold monochromatic outfits is the lovely Katie of What Katie Wore in the UK:

How bold do you go when you go monochromatic?

That much on colors and my outfit for today.

The other thing that needs to be addressed (and I’ve been putting it off because it’s no pleasant post to write) is my coming departure from academichic for a while. As I alluded to in my last post, I’ve been struggling with dressing for myself vs. dressing for others for a while now. On some days it’s less pronounced than on others; but it’s a feeling that’s been consistently there for a while now. To explain – when I first began blogging on academichic, I knew nothing of color theory, I was still finding my style as a young academic professional, and I was blown away by the plethora of awesome blogs and fashion resources on the internet. I discovered Flickr, wardrobe_remix, style blogs, the awesome Sal of Already Pretty, feminist fashionistas, and other academics on the same style quest as me. And I found the inflow of inspiration and feedback from other bloggers and readers to be astounding and tremendously rewarding.

I blogged through a semester of teaching, I blogged about planning a small wedding on a small budget, and I blogged during an entire year of living abroad and – more or less – out of two suitcases. I blogged about my packing plan for that capsule wardrobe and, to my surprise, was contacted by a former (and much beloved) student who had found my packing posts while she was researching how to pack for a year abroad herself. I gained so much from other bloggers and my co-bloggers that it was wonderful to hear of my posts being of use to someone else. This example encapsulates what I’ve found to be the much rewarding essence of blogging – the free and voluntary sharing of information, support, creativity, and inspiration.

While I would love to continue being a weekly presence on academichic, life changes have shifted my focus and I now feel content leaving the style blogging to others. I feel like I have answered some of those initial questions I had about how to present myself professionally and I have explored pattern, color, functionality, and professionalism to the extent that I feel pretty comfortable with how I present my academic persona at this point.

As I have alluded to, I have left my graduate institution to live with my husband (if you read regularly, you know that we were long distance for a long time) and to finish my dissertation away from campus. I was extremely fortunate to find a position as a lecturer at my husband’s university so I am now – somewhat unexpectedly and much sooner than anticipated – beginning my career as faculty.

This recent move in my professional and personal life has led me to reassess my time commitments and has forced me to pare down my calendar of activities. I love to take on more than I can handle, but I’m forcing myself to be realistic and do less but do it well. This all to try to articulate why I will be stepping down as a regular contributor to academichic and will be leaving the regular posts to my wonderful co-bloggers. I might still pop in and say hello when I can and I will always be on the watch for great fodder for fashion/feminism/academia posts, but I will be turning my primary attention to my teaching commitments, my dissertation, and my husband for now.

I will still be present on the interwebs over on Simply Bike, which allows me to lurk far more behind the camera and to explore more in text than in pictures what advocacy, healthy living, and bike commuting means to me. If you miss me terribly, you can always stop on by and say hello.

I cannot express enough how much your comments and readership has meant to me. And I will now assume the role of regular reader and commenter myself as I continue to draw inspiration from A., E., and L. I’m sorry this turned into such a long post but as I started writing, the words began pouring out, and I felt like I was writing a mournful goodbye letter to a long loved friend. This is how much I’ve cared about this project and have appreciated all of you who have been part of it, however vocal or silent. So this is goodbye for now and a big huge Thank You!

18 August 2010 – Split Take Two

Posted on | August 18, 2010 | 19 Comments

18 August 2010 – Split Take Two, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Dress: Max & Cleo, from BCBG Outlet
Scarf: thrifted
Shoes: Steve Madden
Sunglasses: vintage

End Notes:

(With apologies for the harsh sunlight) Like S. I stood in front of my closet for a while trying to think of a monochromatic outfit that didn’t turn me into a muppet…and came out empty handed. On the other hand, I think I’m getting the hang of split complements.

Pink, Yellow Green, and Blue Green, originally uploaded by academichic.

A pink shoe (from the red wedge of the color wheel), a blue-green dress, and a yellow-green scarf as a belt…and voila. Again, it’s kind of quirky and maybe I feel a little bit like a mix of Strawberry Shortcake and Kate Spade, but it’s also punchy and fun and puts an unexpected twist on the frequently preppy pink-and-green pairing.

Vintage Sunglasses, originally uploaded by academichic.

Plus, I’m wearing my new-to-me sunglasses and their funny inverted temples-with-wings, and they make me love whatever I’m wearing. My husband makes fun of my “bug eyed” sunglasses, but I remain devoted and I was tickled to find this pair at my favorite local vintage shop.

Several of you have commented on our “scientific” approach to color combinations and declared that you go by your gut instinct when it comes to mixing colors. I’m kind of fascinated by the implicit binary opposition between “scientific” and “emotional” approaches. Ever since middle school, I’ve been uneasy about the whole “right brain” versus “left brain” categorization and the suggestion that method and structure are somehow diametrically opposed to creativity and expression. Seriously, in seventh grade I had a little crisis (because that’s what seventh graders do) over what “side” brain I had and wanted to know if I could just claim a middle ground. A third space, if you will. (It ended up being something of a prophetic moment, I suppose.)

I’ve always thrived in situations where I have parameters or a methodology that opens up a new place or way to explore something. I find that structure feeds my creativity, or that a methodology helps me articulate and extend my intuition in really interesting and productive ways. I think this is a big reason why I’m in graduate school. I am passionate about shifting paradigms or interpretations of artworks within the boundaries of my discipline, using the methodologies that are available to me. Thus, the spill-over into my wardrobe “methodology” is hardly unexpected. I think that some of my favorite outfits have been ones that were created in response to some kind of challenge or within certain parameters!

Do you think that structure and creativity, “science” and “instinct,” are binary opposites? How do your proclivities — either for method or intuition or both — manifest themselves in how you dress?

18 August 2010 – Split Take Two, originally uploaded by academichic.

18 August 2010 – New Faculty Orientation Outfit

Posted on | August 18, 2010 | 15 Comments

Sources:

White tee – H&M
Wrap skirt – Boden, thrifted in San Fran
Yellow flats – Target
Necklace – thrifted

Endnotes:

No, your eyes are not failing you; this is neither a monochromatic ensemble nor do the colors make a split complimentary combination. I am sporting a triad (pink-blue-yellow) on my skirt, but even that’s a week too late.

I really tried to make a color challenge happen yesterday morning. I stood in front of my closet door and stared at the contents for a while before giving up and reaching for a trusted combination I knew I’d feel good in; this gorgeous Boden skirt, a simple white top, a navy cardi, and these yellow flats for a unexpected pop of color in the shoe. You see, yesterday was my first day of new faculty orientation and I was going to be meeting a bunch of new colleagues and university people and I just wanted to look both professional and comfortable (i.e. – like ‘me’) and the color challenge just wasn’t working with me on that one.

So while I knew I was dropping the ball on the color challenges, I went with my gut and picked the outfit that spoke to me. (Essentially a summer version of this fall favorite). I decided to post this because I think it’s a realistic depiction of how getting dressed often goes; you envision the expectations of others, you try to live up to some picture in your mind of how you should look, and you end up feeling frustrated when it doesn’t all come together the morning of. Even worse, that sometimes ends up ruining your day before you’ve stepped out the door or you end up wearing something you think you ‘should’ wear and feeling uneasy in it all day.

At said faculty orientation, I attended a very interesting session on planning for your first week. The instructor noted that all it takes is fifteen minutes for a first impression to be made. So it’s important to set the stage of how you want the year to go in those first fifteen minutes of class. If you don’t want your students coming to class looking disheveled or wearing pjs, then you might not want to show up looking like you’ve just rolled out of bed either – that sets the tone for the semester to come. I think this applies to other things as well; how you show up to an interview will set the tone for that hour, how you show up on a date will likely set the tone for the dinner and drinks to come, and how you show up to meet your partner’s family will likely affect how they understand you until they get to know you better.

This is not to say that there is a correct way to look for any given activity (there is a plurality of looks that work for most given contexts). It’s just to say that first impressions matter and that it’s not weird that we end up spending so much time thinking about what we put on in the morning. I opted for something that made me feel good, feel like myself, and was university-appropriate in my agenda despite knowing that it wasn’t what I was ‘supposed’ to wear for the day (I say that very tongue-in-cheeck since our color challenges are self-imposed and I hardly thought that E., L, or A. would begrudge my rogue outfit choice here).

How do you figure out how to best present yourself in a first-impression situation and do you remember to strike that balance between dressing as you should and dressing as you want? S.

PS: I met a lovely reader at faculty orientation who recognized me from the site and came to say hi. Hi, Rachel, it was great to meet you!

11 August 2010 – Cool Colors

Posted on | August 11, 2010 | 8 Comments

12 August 2010 – Cool Colors, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Silk Tank: Banana Republic
Obi Belt: mom’s closet
Skirt: Julliet
Shoes: Tahari via DSW
Bracelet: gift

Endnotes:

Today I opted for a cooler rendition of the analogous colors green-blue and blue. My silk knit tank top is a silvery blue that I actually have trouble pairing with things other than neutrals, but I noticed that there is some blue in this skirt so I thought I’d give it a shot. I usually wear this skirt with brighter pink or green tops, and it seems like the blue cools down the whole outfit despite the floral splashes of pinks, yellows, and greens in the skirt.

12 August 2010 – Skirt Detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

I fondly refer to this skirt as my “Granny skirt” because the florals and delicate cream-colored wedges of eyelet lace remind me of the Liberty prints my grandmother loved. It is a distinctly feminine piece I believe, and I always feel like a lady when I’m swishing about in it. I know the question of femininity and clothing is a recurrent theme in our blog (see our Theoretical category), and this outfit reminds me anew of the balance we strike between being both professional and women. The length of the skirt and the coverage provided by the cowl-neck of the tank makes me comfortable in an office. However, the bias cut of the floral panels gives great movement and the lace inserts add more volume to the bottom of this skirt for a fluttering (and you might even say flirty) effect when I walk. In all, one of my favorite pieces!

12 August 2010 – Obi Belt, originally uploaded by academichic.

In another shopping trip into my attic I found a cache of my mother’s old belts. She had several “Obi” belts that are simple, wide pieces that wrap around and tie in the front. These belts are inspired by traditional Japanese kimono outfits. I’m not sure exactly when my mother was sporting this belt, but I think it’s time for a come back! The mossy green and subtle silky sheen of the belt plays off the silvery-blue and picks up the same tones in the skirt. As for the bracelet I’m sorry to say I have no idea where it came from, but the cream color and flower design match the themes of the skirt nicely.

12 August 2010 – Cool Colors, originally uploaded by academichic.

I appreciat that A. dressed out of her color-comfort zone the other day, and I admit that this outfit is pretty tame for me and I could easily wear this to work. Not all color challenges have to be the big-bold-bright ones, but those are definitely fun to throw in to spice things up and take people off guard. Have you ever made a splash at your office with an unexpected color combo?

13 July 2010 – Brunettes have more fun

Posted on | July 13, 2010 | 24 Comments

13 July 2010 – Brunettes have more fun, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

‘Brunettes have more fun’ Tee – thrifted (Sorry, A!)
Necklace – gift from roomie from Costa Rica
Silver skirt – Express, via TJMaxx
Silver sandals – Target
Little brunette (below) – Shasta
Bigger brunette (below) – Indie

Endnotes:

My recent wearing of my ‘Marriage is so gay’ t-shirt has sparked an interesting conversation. I appreciated reading E’s viewpoint and all of yours in the thoughtful comments you left – I welcome all of those, whether you agree with me or are challenging my take on something. Some of you have echoed E’s concerns about the reductionist nature of a slogan tee and have in part mentioned upbringing as an influencing factor, so here is where my upbringing has shaped me to take on a different viewpoint.

Growing up in a Communist country, you didn’t have the freedom to voice your opinion in a pithy yet controversial statement and conversations about politics always had to take place in very private places with only close and trusted friends. My parents brought me to a country where that’s not the case in order for me to exercise these freedoms they didn’t have. During my childhood, I was constantly warned not to repeat what I had overheard at home. After the revolution and our leaving Romania, I was constantly encouraged to voice my opinion as long as I did so in a respectful manner. The phrases “what you heard at home is not to be repeated” and, later, “you may say whatever you want as long as you say it respectfully” are kind of two pillars of my childhood upbringing. My family sacrificed too much on the road from that first statement to making that second statement a reality in order for me to guard my political and ideological convictions behind closed doors.

While slogan tees, rally posters, or bumper stickers are certainly explicit and attention-seeking, they are not automatically rude or aggressive. And people wear their opinions on their bodies in other ways (as many of you already noted). Jewelry with religious symbols, tattoos, religiously coded garments – all of these express a belief in a condensed and abbreviated version. I anticipate that my beliefs will be met with disapproval and discontent at times, but I also find that I’m constantly confronted with signs, campaigns, slogans, and propaganda that offend my worldview. My being visible with certain messages that are important to me makes me feel like I am offering a counter position to all of those messages confronting me on a daily basis. Of course I’m not always able to offer my position in the in-depth and complex manner that it deserves, but I think that sometimes just saying something is better than not saying anything at all.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, there are two other little brunettes waiting to have some fun…

Three little brunettes, originally uploaded by academichic.

13 July 2010

Posted on | July 13, 2010 | 34 Comments

13 July 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Dress: Max & Cleo, from BCBG Outlet
Belt: Gap Outlet
Earrings: Honolulu swap meet
Wedges: Lauren by Ralph Lauren, via Macy’s super shoe sale

End Notes:

You know that seafoam green belt that I’ve blogged a couple of times? It’s actually came with this dress: a wonderfully tailored jersey dress with inverted pleats at the neckline and pockets tucked away in the waistband pleats. I only had this dress for a little while before becoming pregnant, and I had been reluctant to pull it out this summer, wondering if I would fit it again and not wanting to be disappointed if I didn’t.

The good news is that my post-preggers body — particularly my breast-feeding boosted chest — quite possibly fills out this dress better than I did before. Whee! I want to be honest, however, and admit that not all forays back into my pre-preggers wardrobe have been as successful. Things have just…shifted…or something…and my pile of summer clothes to donate has grown. But, whenever I am tempted to despair over the fact that a skirt or a top or a pair of shorts no longer flatter my body, I try to remind myself that the fact that my body overcame some pretty substantial obstacles to have a baby in the first place, and that tends to refocus my perspective.

Speaking of refocused perspectives (like the segue?), S.’s post yesterday resurrected some of my personal neuroses concerning slogan tees. Due in part to personality, in part to upbringing, and in part to the fact that I have close relationships with people in radically different cultural, political, and religious spheres, I’ve never been much of a slogan tee kind of person. I would, to give one example, always prefer to write a long letter than go to a rally.

I am, unfortunately, quick to extrapolate and file. If I see a stranger wearing a certain t-shirt, I assume that I know the entire gamut of the owner’s political views, whether right or left, and I similarly assume that the same assumptions would be made about me. I have never had a good experience of striking up a conversation with a stranger whose slogan tee I disagreed with. Instead, after a few past encounters that devolved into frustratingly hyperbolic one-way expositions, I tend to shy away altogether. My personal rule of thumb has become one of only discussing politics with people that I have a close personal relationship with, in safe spaces where nuance and fuzzy gray borders and third spaces can exist. In these conversations, I surprise my friends and am surprised in turn as questions and counter-examples and confessions come out in messy ways that don’t lend themselves to pithy statements.

But this is my experience, and I’m willing to reconsider. I certainly think that there are inherently political aspects to how we dress, but I tend towards implicit rather than explicit expressions. Have you ever had your mind changed by a slogan tee? Has such a tee sparked a great conversation with someone of an opposing view? Do you make your politics or religion explicit in what you wear? I’m curious.

- E.

Caylin Wedge, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, originally uploaded by academichic.

13 July 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

= 12 July 2010 =

Posted on | July 12, 2010 | 33 Comments

12 July 2010 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Tee – American Apparel ‘Equality’ shirt
Belt – Banana Republic
Skirt – Talbots
Espadrilles – gift

Endnotes:

Have you heard of American Apparel’s marriage equality campaign? I have to say, I’m usually a little wary of AA’s ad campaigns and the often questionable choice of models/outfits they put forth, but when I came across these ‘Marriage is so gay’ tees, I was intrigued. As it turns out, American Apparel came up with these ‘Marriage is so gay’ shirts in order to help promote equal rights and to support three different human rights campaigns working on marriage equality.

Marriage is so gay, originally uploaded by academichic.

You can read all about the project here. When you purchase your shirt, you get to choose between the three different organizations that have paired up with AA for this campaign. Besides getting to choose whether you want your shirt in blue, red, or black, you also get to choose whether you want the proceeds from your purchase to go to The Human Rights Campaign, Marriage Equality USA, or Freedom to Marry. Each t-shirt also comes with a hand written number on the tag, telling you which number shirt you bought. By keeping track of each sale, AA is counting how many people are showing their support at large.

Once I read more about this project, it didn’t take long to hit that ‘add to cart’ button and order my own tee. I strongly believe in marriage equality and in working towards a future that sees no group of people being denied the citizen rights of their fellow country people. I’m often baffled that we’re even having these discussions and arguments and I can only hope for (and work towards) a time when my children and their fellow people will respect each other as equals regardless of gender, class, race, or sexual identity. Today, I’m proud to be number 9398 laying claim to this cause. S.

12 July 2010 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Addendum: I apologize for crediting American Apparel with the above campaign, as I now see, it’s actually a company called ISSO who is using American Apparel tees to promote this cause. Although the campaign is run by ISSO, the shirts used are AA.

In response to several commenters who have written about their disapproval of AA, I would just like to assure you, our readers, that we are not promoting American Apparel and that this blog post or my shirt were not sponsored by or offered as paid advertisement for the aforementioned company. In fact, I myself noted my distrust of AA’s previous ads at the beginning of this post.

I wore this shirt and shared my thoughts on this with you because I was interested in promoting an issue so hotly debated and so critical to our current events in the US: same-sex marriage. I purchased this shirt because 20% of the proceeds went towards my organization of choice – Marriage Equality USA – and I presented it with no other agenda than my very explicit one: to promote marriage equality.

28 June 2010 – Taboo Hues

Posted on | June 28, 2010 | 34 Comments

28 June 2010 – Outdoor Wedding, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Pink eyelet dress – Ann Taylor, thrifted in San Fran
Pink flower pin – H&M
Yellow shoes – Gianni Bini
Silver cuff – gift
Gold clutch – BR, gift from mom
Flower earrings – my wedding earrings, side walk sale

Endnotes:

This past weekend, T. and I attended the wedding of two good friends of ours. It was a beautiful outdoor ceremony in a park followed by a wonderful reception at a local restaurant. The couple looked gorgeous and the day couldn’t have been any nicer or more enjoyable. Everything was great, barring perhaps the insanely hot temperature – close to mid 90s during the outdoor ceremony part. I knew it was going to be sweltering and so I tried to dress accordingly.

I had initially planned on wearing this light and airy white dress (also thrifted) that has a tulip shape to the skirt and a deep V cut-out in the back. It’s also knee length and somewhat more formal than the pink cotton number I ended up wearing. I had envisioned adding the same flower brooch for that touch of summery flair and my red wedge sandals…

But after I brought up the discussion on wedding guest attire during my last wedding-related post, so many readers chimed in with emphatic protests to wearing white as a guest that I first wavered and then retreated entirely from said ensemble above.

Although I still don’t agree with the idea that certain colors (even white or black) should be taboo for a wedding, I couldn’t help but lose my resolve to wear what I wanted to wear because I realized how many people might read my choice as something other than what it was. I wanted to wear a dress that would be elegant yet summery and day-wear appropriate; light and breezy for the heat; and flattering on my body shape. I had no intentions of outshining the bride or diverting attention to myself. And while I know that, I decided that a sign is not only what you (the wearer) decide it is, but also what the other person – the receiver – reads it to be. So despite my best intentions, if the majority of readers (and by extension, perhaps the people attending this wedding?) would misinterpret my wearing of white (with polka-dots, mind you) to a friend’s wedding, then it would be a battle lost.

28 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

In the end, I was happy with the pink dress, I don’t think the bride would have cared either way about my choice, and I forgot all about my outfit once the celebration started and I enjoyed the time with my friends. But this incident just reminded me once more how powerful certain sartorial symbols are and how ingrained certain signs and signifiers continue to be. I’m appreciating that even when I don’t agree with said symbolisms and signs, I still cannot opt out of what they mean to others. S.

4 May 2010

Posted on | May 4, 2010 | 18 Comments

4 May 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Gray nursing cami: Target
Purple top: Banana Republic Factory
Belt: Old Navy
Colorblock skirt: Banana Republic Factory
Wedges: Naturalizers, via DSW

End Notes:

I’ve been tending towards high-waisted + full skirt looks lately, but I thought it might be time to try mix things up. This purple top extends just over my hip bones, creating a kind of makeshift drop waist silhouette. To remind everyone that I have a real waist, though, I belted a little higher than usual. The resulting color-blocking is different than what I’m used to, but I think it’s a look that has visual interest without looking too over-worked. And during paper-writing week I’m all about not looking over-worked. In more ways than one.

I am very late to this party, but I wanted to throw in one more comment to the discussion S. started on appropriating cultural artifacts and to which A. added her thoughts on camp and costume. As S. emphasized in her last post, clothes are never worn in a vacuum, they are always understood in a context.

But to that, I’d like to add that clothes are never worn on a blank canvas. Bodies matter, and cultural perceptions of bodies — especially perceived ethnicity — also affect how we understand a person’s garment choice. This is understandably a touchy and complex subject, and the question of the role of bodies in identity formation is something I wrestle with frequently in my own work.

In the example that S. gave of being told that she looked like a “gypsy,” I would suggest that it was not just her gold earrings that prompted such comments but also her skin tone and long hair. Her body combined with her garments triggered certain culturally-entrenched notions of “what gypsies look like.” I don’t think that she would have gotten the same response if she had the same coloring and haircut as A., for example. Conversely, I sometimes dress “against” my body when I return home to Hawaii. There are many physical attributes that contribute to why I am, in many contexts, perceived as being full Caucasian. But I identify most strongly as an Asian American from Hawaii, and when I’m back in the islands I try to dress to align myself with that cultural identity.

One more example. I took a course this semester taught by a professor from Jamaica who is black. On the final day of class, she wore a striking outfit of white pants and a long, light cotton tunic with a palm frond pattern; she accessorized with sandals and coral earrings. I was tempted to spend all of our class period mulling over the implied politics of that choice, about how the effect might have been different had she been a white Jamaican or an African American or an Asian American. How might the effect have been different if she was teaching ten years ago or thirty years ago?

All that to say, bodies are not blank canvases when it comes to how the garments on them are perceived, and we would do well to refrain from thinking of any one kind of body as “neutral.” In that, I would echo Elizabeth Grosz, who, in her book Volatile Bodies: Toward a Corporeal Feminism, calls for bodies to “be understood as fully material and for the materiality to be extended and to include and explain the operations of language, desire, and significance” (Grosz 210).

(And for an entirely different aspect of perceiving the body, be sure to check out our upcoming Dress Your Best week!)