12 March 2010 – Sisters in Harlem

Posted on | March 12, 2010 | 14 Comments

(from left to right)

On L.:

• Dress: Ann Taylor Loft
• Scarf: borrowed from P.
• Bag: Forever 21
• Patterned tights: Anthropologie, gift from Mom
• Boots: Banana Republic

On P.:

• Top: H&M
• Skirt: Gap
• Tights: Anthropologie, borrowed from L.
• Shoes: Vaneli, borrowed from Mom
• Bag: Coach, hand me down from Mom
• Denim moto jacket: Zara, borrowed from Mom

On H.:

• Coat: Ann Taylor Outlet
• Dress: Ann Taylor Loft
• Wine cardigan: Target
• Belt: borrowed from Mom
• Gray tights: Banana Republic
• Boots: DSW
• Bag: Target

On E.:

• Scarf: Anthropologie
• Denim trench: adopted from sister-in-law P.
• Tights: Celeste Stein, gift from MIL
• Boots: Steve Madden, via eBay

(underneath)

• Navy dress: Target
• Gray blazer: C&C

End Notes:

Baby e. and I are in New York for a few days, visiting my sister-in-law P. Mom-in-law and the two other sisters-in-law are here too, and we’re having a grand old time shopping, seeing the Whitney Biennial, catching a show on Broadway, eating excellent food, and just wandering about town. I had warned my sisters ahead of time that this week would be tights week at Academichic, and I knew that they would all have some great tights-based looks to share.

And I was right. Click through the jump for individual shots, details, and a gratuitous shot of baby e.

(more…)

Guest Post at Already Pretty

Posted on | February 26, 2010 | 5 Comments

We were recently asked to contribute to a discussion over on Sally McGraw’s wonderful site Already Pretty. Sally regularly receives questions regarding style and appearance in academia and she sent some of those reader enquiries our way. We were honored to be asked to add our two cents, and in true academic form, we met for a virtual ’roundtable’ to mull over the topics in question. If you’d like to engage in the discussion, please see our interview here, and please add you comments and thoughts on the matter. We welcome this continued discussion on identity, performance, gender, and academia.

Guest Lecture: Winter Style Guide

Posted on | January 26, 2010 | 13 Comments

This week is Tribute Week here at academichic and we’re excitedly looking to some of our initial sources of inspiration. Enter the fabulous and creative Clare of Between Laundry Days. Clare’s blog is one of the first that all three of us tuned in to and became regular readers of. Since we’re all getting a little bored with winter weather, we turned to this self-described ’survivor of three Chicago winters’ for some inspiration on how to beat the wardrobe winter blues. Thanks for some great tips, Clare!

Clare’s guide to keeping warm and staying cool

Okay, team, the gals here at academichic asked me to write a little post about staying stylish during these harsh winter months. I’m pretty psyched about this “assignment”, seeing as academichic is one of my favorite blogs. I also have not inconsiderable experience in the area of surviving winter weather, so I’m more than happy to share. This is my third winter in Chicago, and I spent the earlier years of my life surviving cold winters out west, so I think I’ve picked up a few tricks along the way. Listen and learn…

1. Layer, layer, layer

I’m sure this isn’t exactly news to anyone, but the absolute key to staying warm in the winter is to layer. However, I think that people steer clear from the layering thing because all the added bulk gets pretty stiff and uncomfortable. And I jive with that, I do. I hate feeling like I can’t even bend my arm properly because I have so many layers of wool coating my arm. They key, I think, is light, thin layers. Invest in a pair of silk long underwear; that stuff is just a glorified, softer, second skin. It can be layered under anything. I also keep a pretty decent stash of high-quality but thin sweaters that provide warmth while easily layering over long underwear and under a blazer or other jacket. Also, never be afraid to layer to pairs of tights or legging. Sometimes, on the coldest days, I even layer my silk long underwear bottoms under my tights or leggings. I think the most important part is to be willing to invest in quality fabrics that don’t rely on bulk to keep you warm.

2. Keep it interesting!

Now, all those sweaters and jackets and pairs of long underwear can feel pretty bland, pretty boring. I’m a big fan of stocking up on colorful layers, but sometimes even that just feels stodgy. Because it’s winter, and you’re cold, and you’re not wearing that leopard-print sweater because it has leopard-print, you’re wearing it because it’s warm. So I always try to add an accessory or two to each outfit that has nothing to do with winter. A necklace, a headband, flouncy earrings, a cute belt, a silk scarf.None of these items has any inherent use in the winter, but it does make you feel fabulously stylish in the dead of the cold, dreary winter.

3. My secret weapon

I’ve mentioned this on my blog before, but I walk to work each morning. In January, this means icy sidewalks and frequent snow flurries. This also means that my typical walking shoes just don’t cut it. So I wear snow boots for my walk (no, that’s not my secret weapon), and heavy wool socks over whatever socks or tights I have on that day.

However, when I get to work I want to take off those snow boots and feel cute again. So I always bring a pair of work shoes that I change into when I get to my office. But no matter how warm my office is, my feet are always freezing in the winter, so wearing my work shoes with bare feet is highly unpleasant. To combat this, I wear nude socks (secret weapon alert!) on the days that I want to wear shoes that might show more of my foot. These secret weapon socks are slightly thicker, and therefore noticeably warmer, than tights or pantyhose, and they are far more stylish than a pair of white athletic socks. Now, I know it’s not groundbreaking news, nor will it solve the problems of the world, but my nude socks are a pretty important element of my arsenal of winter wardrobe essentials.

4. The Marshmallow coat

Obviously, the key to surviving winter is a decent outer layer. I had a plethora of heavy winter jackets growing up, but they somehow all got left behind when I moved to Chicago a few years ago. So I made it through my first two winters with a plaid wool peacoat. Now, I adore my plaid wool peacoat, but there is no way in hell that those things were designed to get you through a brutal Chicago winter.. For those of you who haven’t been to Chicago, it is damn cold. The city is filled with people in “marshmallow” coats. Those are the calf-length puffy down jackets that make their wearer look like a glorified version of the Michelin man. So I resisted the marshmallow coat for two winters, and then this year I finally buckled. I was cold and I buckled. And now I’m warm, and happy, and well padded. And the fur-lined hood is an added bonus (see tip #2!).

Thanks to S., A., and E. over at academichic for asking me to do this feature post! I hope I was able to shed some light (and maybe warmth) on the topic of dressing for winter weather for you all. Feel free to send me an email (clarebld@yahoo.com) if you have any questions (just FYI, I got my secret weapon socks at Target). And I hope you’ll swing over to my blog, Between Laundry Days, and check me out over there.

25 January 2010

Posted on | January 25, 2010 | 20 Comments

Sources:

• White eyelet top – TJMaxx
• Jacket – Gap, thrifted
• “L” pendant – Anthropologie
• Leaf pendant – gift from husband, Etsy find
• Shorts – DKNY, thrifted, chopped by me
• Black tights – from Romania
• Boots – Banana Republic

Endnotes:

Renee Sturme’s blog (formerly known as Fashion Fillers) was one of the very first style blogs I ever read. I was instantly intrigued by this beautiful Dutch girl (who’s picture I stumbled across in the wardrobe_remix pool on Flickr) with gorgous long curls and a compelling style composed of vintage and modern pieces. I loved her thrifted and somewhat mismatched aesthetic and how she interspersed it with cutting edge and über-modern elements. But mostl vividly, I rememer one of the first posts I read on her blog in which she talked about living in a small town in the Netherlands, where she definitely stood out for her eclectic wardrobe and where she was seen as somewhat of an oddity for the way she dressed. (She’s meanwhile based in Amsterdam). I was so impressed by this then (I think) sixteen year old who had such conviction in her sense of identity and style that she wasn’t afraid to stand out and be an individual challenging the status quo. Thus, Fashion Fillers appealed to me for various reasons: it represented a wardrobe made of mostly thrifted items that still managed to look stunning and up-to-date; it pushed me to become more creative in my own mixing of seemingly incongruous elements; and it encouraged me to define my own sense of style without apologizing for it.

I still check in on Renee’s blog regularly and I still find all those above mentioned components to be present in her posts. Her blog has undergone some changes but the ambitious and creative individual behind each text and outfit is still unchanged. I look forward to following her for a long time still.

So for my tribute outfit, I pulled out some Renee inspired items like the structured blazer and the cutoff jean shorts. Just like Renee loves to mix fabrics and registers in her outfits, I juxtaposed the formal blazer with the cutoff denim and the structured lines of the jeans and jacket with the looser fit of the delicate eyelet top. Layered necklaces (also a Renee classic) finish the look.

This outfit is definitely out of my usual comfort zone but there is something about it that really appeals to me and I’m finding it really exciting to push my boundaries and try something on that is outside of my usual style. Being away from campus on this research sojourn abroad has definitely allowed me to experiment with my look and wardrobe more and I think I should be taking full advantage of this situation.

Stay tuned for a DIY on making your own pair of 90s throw back cutoffs tomorrow. S.

Guest Lecture: Style and the Social Self

Posted on | January 18, 2010 | 22 Comments

Although I’m sure many a maven would strongly disagree with me, I believe that fashion is, to some extent, about fitting in. Yes, we choose our clothes, are drawn to items that reflect our personal taste or that flatter our bodies, and express our personalities through what we wear. But although we flex our creativity through our choices, we still dress within the bounds of social acceptability.  We don’t wear tiaras to the grocery store, we don’t wear pajamas to the office, we don’t wear bathing suits to school.  We may choose clothing that attracts attention and generates interest, but we want that attention and interest to be positive.  We want acceptance.  We dress – whether we’ll admit it or not – to fit in.

This can be taken to extremes in certain social, geographical, and career circles. E wrote recently about struggling with her style identity during her visit back home to Hawaii, where the local style is far more laid-back than the one she has cultivated during her years on the mainland. Super Kawaii Mama has written about the  astonishing pressure to be a “yummy mummy” within certain social circles in Australia. My readers told me in no uncertain terms that the “sexy secretary” look is NOT appropriate in most of their workplaces and that far more conservative garb is required.

And many have said – both here at Academichic and on my blog – that the world of academia generally frowns upon stylish dressing and respects frumpy comfort. There’s the innocuous undercurrent of societal expectation that prevents us from dressing like clowns and fairy princesses every day, and then there’s the slightly more oppressive social pressure to look like your peers for the sake of THEIR emotional comfort. So how do we keep from getting pigeonholed? How can we walk the fine line between reliance on our clothing to create a cushion of acceptance between ourselves and the observing public, and wearing ONLY what our social, geographical, and career circles deem acceptable?

•       Amass pieces and tools that contribute to your preferred look, but deploy them in small enough amounts that it feels like your little secret. Wear one or two signature pieces at a time instead of going whole-hog. That way, you’ll feel connected to your personal style without calling loads of attention to yourself.

•       Learn to deflect biting comments by laughing with the commenter. ”Hahaha, I know! Isn’t this WILD?” Turn that initial discomfort into camaraderie. Yes, you may feel like you’re painting yourself as the Lunatic Fashion Maven for a while, but eventually people will warm up to your style and see it as a natural extension of your personality.

•       Talk to a select few people about why dressing this way is important, so that you have some supporters amongst the dissenters. Strength in numbers, you know.

•       Dress down Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and dress up Tuesday and Thursday. Gradually get your environment used to what appears to be an experiment until the time is ripe for full transition.

•       Try not to care as much what other think. I know, easier said than done.  But can you stomach the occasional sidelong glance or barely-concealed snicker if it means you get to dress exactly how you want every single day? Is it more important to be comfortable and accepted, or express yourself through dress?  Neither option is better, my friends, and your tolerance for scorn may vary from day to day. But bear in mind that no one in this wide world can tell you what to wear. And barring indecent exposure, dress code violation, or extreme discomfort, you CAN wear whatever you want whenever you want. For an ongoing source of dress-for-yourself inspiration, visit Audi over at Fashion for Nerds.

Many view behaviors done to “fit in” as horrible cop-outs, travesties of existential proportions that mar one’s very identity.  At least, that’s what my college friends used to preach. But the older I get, the more I realize there’s nothing dirty or shameful about wanting to fit in. Humans are social creatures, and we need one another.  We need reassurance and validation and acceptance, and that goes for everything from life philosophies to grooming habits.

But there are times when the need to fit in eclipses one’s ability to express personality and taste. That can get downright depressing and build vast reservoirs of resentment. Acceptance only goes so far when you have to go against your personal grain to secure it. So if you feel like you’ve been browbeaten into dressing a certain way, or are being prevented from dressing as you truly wish to, see if a gradual changeover could ease you into a happy medium. Take baby steps toward presenting the version of yourself that’s trapped inside and clamoring to get out, and see if you can’t bust out of that confining little pigeonhole.

29 December 2009 – The Beauty of Borrowing

Posted on | December 29, 2009 | 9 Comments

Sources:

• Ruffled coat: Testimony, borrowed from MIL
• Ombre scarf: Chinatown
• Black crop pants: Old Navy
• Gray cardigan: Marshalls
• Belt: Gap Outlet
• Wedges: thrifted

End Notes:

It’s been unseasonably cold in Houston, so when we went to visit the Rothko Chapel and St. Basil today I asked my mother-in-law if I could borrow a jacket. She kindly obliged and let me take this dramatic, ruffled Testimony coat.

It’s a little big on me, and with all my layering underneath I may have edged into the realm of “bum chic” ala the Olsen twins. But still, how can you resist a garment that’s so fun?

One of the reasons I could be so cavalier about packing light for my holiday travels was the knowledge that, at least in Houston, I’d have a couple of other reliably fabulous closets to pillage in case of a style emergency. So, thanks, Mom for letting me play dress up.

Do you have someone whose closet you like to raid?

27 December 2009 – Stylish Sisters

Posted on | December 27, 2009 | 10 Comments

Sources:

On P.:
Light green sweater – Banana Republic
Cream skirt – Banana Republic
Silver belt – JCrew
Silver flats – Antonio Meloni, borrowed from mom

On E.:
Cardigan – Pretty Please, from Marshalls
Belt – Gap Outlet
Teal nursing tank – Old Navy
Denim pencil skirt – Banana Republic Factory
Blue tights – Target
Wedges – thrifted
Wooden hoops – Wet Seal

On L.:
Dark green shirt – Gap
Tweed skirt – Ann Taylor Loft
Riding boots – Banana Republic Factory
Tights – Banana Republic

On H.:
Pink sweater – Gap
Skirt – Ann Taylor Loft Outlet
Boots – Naturalizer Outlet
Necklace – American Eagle

End Notes:

(For those keeping track of my 14 days, 1 bag effort, I wore 4+6+8+20+black ankle pants — a last-minute packing squeeze — on Christmas day and 7+11+13+17+19 to the movies yesterday.)

Having grown up with three younger brothers, I have an extra measure of appreciation for the style-benefits of hanging out with my sisters-in-law. My sisters-in-law have been featured here before, but never all in a single photograph!

My sisters-in-law have mastered the art of clean, classic style and adapted it to suit their particular bodies and seasons in life. H. (on the far right) is a college freshman and she capitalizes on her height with a short skirt — with pockets! — and mid-calf wedge boots for a look that is on-trend while still referencing timeless pieces.

L. (in the middle), who is a junior in college, mixes her classic tweed skirt with her (new as of Christmas!) flat riding boots. L. has the fairest coloring and curviest figure of the sisters, and she has learned early how to choose the best hues and shapes to flatter herself.

P. (on the far left, holding baby e.) is wearing what she terms her “new teacher” outfit. Indeed, her light blue green sweater, full cream skirt, and silver accessories are a crisp take on classic shapes. I met P. when she was a freshman in college when I was her R.A. and ever since then she has been my example of how tailored, timeless style need not be stuffy.

Meanwhile, I continue my traveling capsule wardrobe iterations by belting this usually open, swinging cardigan closed and blousing it for volume to balance my hips.

24 December 2009

Posted on | December 27, 2009 | 7 Comments

20 November 2009 – Style Muses

Posted on | November 20, 2009 | 21 Comments

Sources:
All remixed:

• Green button down – J.Crew
• Striped top – J.Crew
• Navy blazer – J.Crew
• Skinnies – thrifted
• Black boots – Banana Republic
• Green tote – Kenneth Cole
• Flower brooch – Dulken & Derrick, via Blue Onion Marketplace

Endotes:

There is a discussion going around the interwebs regarding style inspiration and where one finds said inspiration. I would have to say that the majority of my inspiration since discovering blogs and wardrobe_remix on Flickr comes from real people who post pictures of their style. I still look to magazines or catalogues (like J.Crew’s, which can be found online), but the ratio of real people to magazine provided inspiration lies at 10:1 for me now.

For example, today’s outfit started with my wanting to wear this striped shirt over my green button down. I thought of doing this when I saw this picture of Julie from Orchid Grey:

Once I had the striped top on, I remembered a few images of Jen from Jen Loves Kev, which show her sporting a horizontally striped top with little flower brooches (made by her!) as embellishments:

So I added one of the beautiful Dulken & Derrick flower brooches generously sent to us by Blue Onion Marketplace, which took this simple blazer and layers look to a new level.

My hairdo was likewise inspired by fellow blogger and my new hair muse Julie.

(Not all of us can just wash our hair, go to sleep on it wet, and wake up with a perfect do. I’m looking at you, E!) so it’s great to find people who appear to have a similar hair length and texture as mine and to see how they make their locks more exciting. It’s similar to discovering a fashion blogger with your proportions and body shape; you feel like you can easily translate their looks into outfits that will work for you.

This is perhaps why I have found fashion bloggers and wardrobe_remixers to be exciting sources of style inspiration. They offer a much wider selection of aesthetics, size, shape, hair-type, colorings, and budget than the models and looks frequently gracing the pages of women’s magazines.

What about you? Where do you draw your inspiration? Where do your style muses reside? S.

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:

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:

keep looking »

Appendix

• Calls for Papers
• Fashion 101
• State of the Field
• Taking Notes

Historical

• March 2010
• February 2010
• January 2010
• December 2009
• November 2009
• October 2009
• September 2009
• August 2009
• July 2009
• June 2009
• May 2009
• April 2009
• March 2009
• February 2009
• January 2009

Categorical

• Academichic Product Review
• Beltless
• Calls for Papers
• Color Combinations
• Conference Wear
• Dresses for Day
• Dresses for Evening
• Fashion 101
• Independent Study (DIY)
• Lab Friendly
• Layers Upon Layers
• Mixing Patterns
• Monthly Roundtable
• Night Without Grading
• Office Hours
• Our Best Flatware
• Pants Please
• Preggers
• Proportionally
• Q&A
• Reaching New Heights
• Research Casual
• Resources
• Sabbatical
• Skirting the Issue
• Spotlight Series
• Style Workshop
• Taking Notes
• Teaching Moment
• Teaching Outfits
• The Short of It
• Theoretical
• Tutorial
• Uncategorized
• Vélocouture
• Visiting Lecturer
• Wardrobe Challenge
• Weekend Wear

Bibliography

Monographs
A Cat of Impossible Colour
A Dress and a Bike
Already Pretty
Archibald Maximilion
Between Laundry Days
Bits and Bobbins
Blue Collar Catwalk
Bryn Alexandra
Clothed Much
Daddy Likey
Darling Dexter
Deep in Vogue
Delightfully Tacky
Fab Finds Under $50
Fashion for Nerds
Fell 4 Fashion
From Tomboy to Fashionista
Future Lint
Goober
HUzzah! Vintage
Idée Géniale
Interrobangs Anonymous
In Kari's Wardrobe
Internal Sequins Issues
Is that new?
Jean C'est Quoi
Jen loves Kev
Kansas Couture
Kendi Everyday
Le Quaintrelle
Mamichan
More Magic Always
Musing Around
My Edit
My Fashion Chronicle
My Wardrobe Today
Oh Honey. No.
Only Shallow
Oranges and Apples
Orchids in Buttonholes
Orchid Grey
Passementerie
Piksi
Renee Sturme
Sea of Shoes
Selective Potential
Sisters and Dresses
Smiles Go With Everything
String Zine
Stuff Under Twenty
SzafaN
The Glamorous Grad Student
The Small Fabric of my Life
This Little Piggie Went to Market
Threadbared
Über chic for cheap
What I Wore
What I Wore Today
What Would a Nerd Wear
What would Krissie wear
Work With What You've Got

Anthologies
Cute on the Cheap
Fashionable Academics
Let's Go Ride a Bike
The Sartorialist
The Stitch Society
Urbn Style (Bucharest)
Urban Weeds: Street Style from Portland
Vélocouture Flickr Group
Vélocouture Blog
Wardrobe Remix
Weardrobe
You Look Fab

Affiliations:

Contextual

Three feminist PhD candidates at a Midwest university, on a crusade against the ill-fitting polyester suit of academic yore.

Funding

Fellowships

Contact

Curriculum Vitae

Networking

Academichic on Facebook

Image Appendix

www.flickr.com

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