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!

30 July 2010

Posted on | July 30, 2010 | 10 Comments

30 July 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Dress – BR Outlet
Belt – Old Navy
White Tank – Banana Republic
Grey Flats – BR Outlet

Endnotes:

I took this picture at 6:15 am before leaving for NYC so please excuse the tired face. I am now in NYC having a great time and will post a picture or two from my visit soon. For my early morning flight I chose a comfy jersey dress in a bright color and grey flats that would easily slip off at security and allow me to walk all over the city one I arrived.

I have to admit, I felt slightly out of place at the Met Library (and in the upscale cappuccino joint nearby) in my bright colors. I probably would have looked more like a New Yorker in one of my black or grey jersey dresses or better yet my black pencil skirt. But alas, this is NOT neutrals week! So, I added my favorite belt to make a 2/3 color combo blue-green + red-violet (+ yellow-orange).

Any New Yorkers out there participating in the color challenge, proudly wearing their bright colors? Bright berry pink even?

28 April 2010 – Blazers, Florals, Belts, and Tights!

Posted on | April 28, 2010 | 18 Comments

8 April 2009 – Blazers, Florals, Belts, and Tights!, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Blazer – J Crew
Floral Blouse – Maurices
Skirt – Banana Republic
Purple Tights – BR Outlet
Black Shoes – DSW
Bangle- gift from sister M.

Endnotes:

First for today’s outfit, it all felt like a little much to me – too much going on in one outfit, yet there were parts of it I really liked: the mix of florals and stripes, the blazer with my grey pencil skirt, purple tights with my black pumps. I’m just not crazy about seeing it all mashed together. I do like that this outfit seems to make up for my failure to participate in blazer week and my limited contribution to tights week and is undoubtedly a comfort-zone stretching use of floral. Guess I’m making up for lost time with this one!

Blazers, Florals, Belts, originally uploaded by academichic.

Now, for my thoughts on the very interesting discussion S. started the other day. I am very interested in S.’s post and especially in all the thought-provoking comments, particularly because I am currently engrossed in reading and writing about postmodern appropriation, camp, kitsch, the cultural, political, and symbolic significance of clothing/costume, the performance of gender and race/ethnicity, gender and ethnic drag, and cultural hybridity — all which seem to play some role in this discussion.

When I hear the term appropriation, I can’t help but think of specifically post-modern appropriation – of the variety practiced by critical artists beginning in the late 1970s. Thus, I tend to think of appropriation as self-conscious and always at least potentially critical and subversive. These postmodern artists also point out that everything is an appropriation, there is no pure original. This idea was raised be several commenters. How do we determine what culture is begin appropriated and what is appropriation and what isn’t?

I think this also relates to the idea of cultural hybridity. There is such overlap in cultures and there has been such a long history of exchange – especially when it comes to clothing - it becomes very difficult to claim an authentic or original source for anything. So where do we draw the line? One line suggested in the discussion taking place int the comments was the issue of power dynamics, colonization, etc. – but this seems sticky as well. First, power relations have shifted so much in history and I’m not convinced that their can’t be something subversive about the appropriation of the colonized… I’m still chewing on this.

One thing I found very interesting that was suggested by several readers and by S., is this idea of costume/kitsch as the litmus test for appropriate appropriation – in other words many of you seemed to feel that if the appropriation doesn’t seem costumey or kitschy then it’s ok to wear something associated with another culture. My fist question is again, how do we define this? How do we judge kitsch vs. authentic? But, further does wearing something made by a people of a certain culture make it less offensive or more intellectual, etc than wearing something purchased at urban outfitters? Many cultures make objects specifically for tourist consumption so tourists can feel authentic.

In terms of subtle vs. costumy, I think costume, kitsch, camp, and drag all have the potential for subversion and criticality that the subtle appropriation lacks. I raised this in my discussion of drag vs. a uniform and I think this idea of the self conscious performitive use of clothing should apply to items drawn from other cultures.

Ok, this is getting ridiculously long and I’m not sure where I am going with it anymore! So, I will open it back up to you…. How do you make the distinction between costume and not costume? Is costume necessarily offensive or can it be more political and critical in practice? Is all clothing some form of appropriation anyway?

28 April 2009 – Blazers, Florals, Belts, and Tights!, originally uploaded by academichic.

21 April 2010

Posted on | April 21, 2010 | 4 Comments

21 April 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Scarf – Nepali by TMD Designs
Sweater – Banana Republic
Denim Skirt – Gap
Green Flats – Banana Republic
Earrings – F21
Sunglasses – Marshalls

Endnotes:

This is a simple and relatively casual outfit for a typical day on campus – running from meeting to meeting with stops at the library, the coffee shop, and a quick lunch with colleagues. It’s been a bit cooler here these past few days and I am loving it. I grabbed my casual day staple, my denim skirt, and a simple sweater and then accessorized with statement earnings, my favorite flats, and this beautiful bamboo scarf from TDM Designs.

I was feeling a bit guilty about trying to get away with these earrings as my use of florals for today so I posed in front of my lovely lilac bush to try and distract you, but they are cool floral earrings right?

Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.

The real focus of this outfit is the beautiful tie-die bamboo scarf sent to me from TDM Designs. We have all taken our turn at gushing over Nepali scarves, but I have to say I am yet again in love! The color of this scarf is even more lovely in person and I think the tie-die pattern is the perfect sophisticated variation of the Spring trend. As E. mentioned just last week when she premiered her tie-die bamboo, we love supporting TDM Designs and particularly their Nepali scarfs because of their impressive business practices.

Nepali Scarf, originally uploaded by academichic.

I have a feeling I’ll be getting quite a bit of use out of this piece in the next few weeks. I promise another real attempt at florals is coming soon, but for now I think incorporating tie-die is commendable.

21 April 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

13 April 2010

Posted on | April 13, 2010 | 17 Comments

13 April 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Floral Blouse – BR Outlet
Belt – NY & Co
Green Skirt – Thrifted
Brown Wedges – Kenneth Cole Reaction
Necklace – Gift from A2

Endnotes:

So, I’m finally getting around to participating in this month’s self-imposed challenge to wear more florals. Like E., I’ve had my misgivings about floral prints and tend to be drawn towards stripes, argyles, paisleys, and plaids, that is, when I venture to wear any pattern at all. Yet, I have found myself drawn to all the beautiful floral items out this Spring and am hoping to pick up a few new pieces to expand my floral collection.

Of the few floral items I do own, most tend to be more subtle like this neutral blouse with a pattern of budding white vines. I picked this top up at the BR Outlet precisely because it is so far outside my bod both in terms of print and shape. I wore it once this winter under a cardigan, but since then have not been able to figure out how else to style it – I’m not crazy about the way it fits. I decided to leave it unbuttoned and cross the sides over and tuck them into my skirt – I love the v-necked wrap-shirt result .

13 April 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

I paired the blouse with my grass green skirt and brown accessories because I loved the color combination. I don’t the the pairing would have worked nearly as well if I had left the blouse buttoned and billowy as intended. The slimmer silhouette on top balances out the full flowy skirt. I added my large enamel pendant for a bit of floral mixing. The abstract budding vines nicely echo the pattern in the blouse.

Mixing florals, originally uploaded by academichic.

I don’t know how many floral based ensembles I can create with my current wardrobe, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. Are you a florals person? Are you tempted by the Spring trend?

8 April 2010 – Ad(dress)ing Perceptions

Posted on | April 7, 2010 | 13 Comments

8 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.

Europe in One Amazing Bag!

Posted on | April 6, 2010 | 19 Comments

European Travels, originally uploaded by academichic.

Finally, as promised, the story of how I packed for a 10 day trip through 4 European countries in one amazing carry-on bag!

I’ve traveled with E. a number of times over the past few years and have always been jealous of her Tom Bihn Aeronaut. Then I saw her packing post last year and I got a bit more jealous – not only did she have the prefect bag for carrying onto three forms of transportation on our NY research trips, but this amazing bag seemed to fit more than any carry-on bag I’ve ever seen.

E. and I decided to get S. her own Aeronaut for a wedding present last summer, just in time for her travels to Germany. After her packing post, I was yet a little more jealous.

So, I can not express how excited I was to receive my very own Aueronaut from Tom Bihn just in tome to pack it full for my trip to Europe. A2 borrowed E’s husband N’s Aeronaut so we could both carry our bags onto 7 flight, 1 train ride, one long bus ride, and a few car and metro rides.

Aeronaut Back Pack originally uploaded by academichic.

We both used the backpack straps on the Aeronaut as modeled by A2 above for almost the entire trip. We found this the most comfortable and convenient way to carry the bag, especially when we had to sprint from one terminal to another or walk from the Dart to our seaside hotel in Ireland! However, it was very helpful to be able to carry the bag like a regular suitcase to get through narrow plane aisles and I frequently used the flat almost unnoticeable handles on either end to pull the bag out of overhead storage or car trunks.

But, the best part about this bag, is how much fits in it! E’s recent weekend trip to a warm climate has nothing on our 10 days in four cold and rainy countries!

The Spread, originally uploaded by academichic.

The Packing List:

Skinny Jeans – Banana Republic
Skinny Cords – Banana Republic
Short-sleeved long cardigan – NY & Co.
Black Sweater Vest – Banana Republic Outlet
Argyle Cardigan – Banana Republic Outlet
Thin Olive Sweater – H & M
Black Henley – Gap
Grey Tee – J Crew
Teal Tank – BR Outlet
Grey Ruffle-neck Tank – J Crew
Maroon Sleeveless Top – Banana Republic
Floral Blouse – Maurices
Light Blue Long-sleeved Tee – J Crew Outlet
Turquoise Scarf – NY China Town
Blue Scarf – Old Navy
Floral Scarf – Anthropologie
Black Belt – NY & Co
Brown Belt – NY & Co
Grey Flats – BR Outlet
Running Shoes, Running Pants, 2 Running Tops, Sports Bras
Jewelry, Socks, Tights, Underwear

Yep, I fit all of that into one amazing carry on bag! For the plane, I wore my BR Outlet black jersey dress, a thick cotton wrap sweater from Gap, my Old Navy teal belt, my teal paisley pashmina, my BR wellies, and my coral tench.

Tom Bihn Aeronaut, originally uploaded by academichic.

The generous folks over at Tom Bihn also sent us all some packing cubes to try out and I love them – I’m convinced they are magic! I used two medium packing cubes and one clear quarter packing cube and was able to fit all of the above clothing, including running shoes and clothes, my toiletries, and my laptop and still managed to bring a few things back with me.

The cubes made it so much easier to find what I needed without letting my bag explode to much. I put all of my layering tops (the tee-shirts and thanks and light olive sweater) and pajamas in one medium packing cube and bulky sweaters and a few scarves and my running pants in the other.

Tom Bihn Packing Cube, originally uploaded by academichic.

In the small clear cube I put my underwear in one side and my socks and tights in the other side. It was way easier to find and access these everyday then whey they are just shoved in a side pocket.

In the main compartment, I layered my pants in the bottom and then fit my flats and toiletries in around the cubes. Finally, I placed my laptop on top. In one end section I packed my running shoes and most of my running clothes and in the other I fit my computer cord, straightener, and my liquids for easy access at security.

Tom Bihn Clear Quarter Packing Cube, originally uploaded by academichic.

In addition to the packing cubes, Tom Bihn also sent us a selection of organizer pouches. I loved these almost as much as the packing cubes. I used the large cork one to hold boarding passes, maps, and other important documents and then slipped it into my purse. I used the small clear pouch to hold my jewelry, packed in top zipper poach of the Aeronaut. I used the mini cork pouch to carry my Pounds and Euros. I clipped the pouch to a ring on my purse so that I could easily find it among everything else in there.

Tom Bihn Cork Organizer Pouch, originally uploaded by academichic.

Tom Bihn Clear Mini Organizer Pouch, originally uploaded by academichic.

Tom Bihn Mini Organizer Pouch, originally uploaded by academichic.

If I haven’t convinced you yet, let me just share a quick travel story…. When we arrived in Dublin from the US, we had a short layover before we needed to catch our Ryan Air flight to Salzburg. Ryan Air only allows one personal item/carry on – not one carry on and one personal item and maybe one shopping bag like most airlines – so, I had to stuff my purse (my fairly large leather purse) into the Aeronaut. I didn’t think it could be possible seeing as I had filled what seemed like every inch of the bag, but some how I managed to rearrange a few things and shove it in there just in time to run to our boarding gate.

A2 and I can’t wait to travel again just so we can use this amazing bad again – I have a serious case of bag love! And, since we all at Academichic want as many of you as possible to experience the wonders of Tom Bihn, be sure to check back later this week for another Tom Bihn giveaway!

As for what I actually wore on my travels, I don’t have much to show you as it was rather cold, so in most pictures I appear to be wearing the same thing I wore during my visit with S.

23 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

My skinny jeans, wellies, and coral tench saw quite a bit of Europe and Europe saw quite a bit of them! In reality, I managed to come up with several different combination of the items I packed and never actually wore the exact same thing twice.

Boots across Europe, originally uploaded by academichic.

Castle Combe, originally uploaded by academichic.

London Tower Bridge, originally uploaded by academichic.

Pre-Travels Jacket

Posted on | April 3, 2010 | 11 Comments

Pre-Travels Jacket, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Pin-Striped Blazer – J Crew
White Sleeveless Shirt – Gap
Skirt – Anthropologie
Belt – NY & Co
Boots – Banana Republic, via ebay
Earrings – Forever 21

Endnotes:

I promise new outfits and the packing post are coming – get back in the swing of things has proved more challenging than expected. So, for now, I have one last outfit to share from before by trip to Europe. I was traveling through our Fashion 101 on Jackets and Blazers, put this ensemble together the day before I left.

I bought this J Crew suit jacket on super sale a couple years ago. I love the tiny purple pinstripe on the navy ground and the light blue pinstriped lining. I also love the slim fit of this jacket. Yet, I always struggle with how to work this piece into an outfit.

Pre-Travels Jacket, originally uploaded by academichic.

I tried this jacket out with pegged jeans last spring and, while I liked the look quite a bit, it wasn’t entirely practical for my day to day life on campus. I think the combination of the slim suit jacket with a slightly fuller a symmetrical skirt makes for an appropriate teaching that is still a little bit trendier, more interesting, and more fun than a straightforward suit. How else would you wear this jacket?

Pre-Travels Jacket, originally uploaded by academichic.

February is Scarf Month!

Posted on | January 31, 2010 | 39 Comments

February is Scarf Month!, originally uploaded by academichic.

I can’t speak for S. and E., but I have a scarf addiction, its worse than even my bag addiction! I can say that all three of us love scarves and have rather large collections of scarves in all shapes, sizes, colors, patterns, and material. You will often find us sporting a scarf (or two) tied around our necks or used in place of a belt, as head protection, as faux-blouse, or as bag accessorizer. We belt them, layer them, knot them, and pin them. We probably love scarves as much as we love belts!

SCARVES!, originally uploaded by academichic.

So, we are declaring February “Scarf Month.” We often get questions about how we tie our scarves or how we know when to add a scarf and in what colors. For the next month we will be sharing all of our scarf tips, including great places to buy scarves, how to store your scarves, scarf tying how-tos, scarf DIYs, and a Fashion 101 on scarf styling. Each Friday in February we will also be doing a scarf giveaway!

Let us know if there is anything in particular you would like to see us address in “Scarf Month” and don’t forget to check back this Friday for our first scarf giveaway!

too many?, originally uploaded by academichic.

5 November 2009 – Take One

Posted on | November 6, 2009 | 20 Comments

5 November 2009 – Take One, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Plaid dress: Converse from Target
Tights: Target
Steve Madden Iriss boots: eBay
Wooden hoop earrings: Wet Seal

End Notes:

While I am certainly still hoping to thrift some plaid in the near future, I couldn’t resist this shirt dress on a recent Target run. I adore the fit, it’s practical for feeding baby e., and I loved the black and gray take on buffalo plaid.

In fact, I liked this dress so much that I paid full price for it, something that I rarely do. I’m fairly certain that it will be well worth the cost, but I thought it would be fun to challenge myself to wear this dress once a week for the next three or four weeks, styling it differently each time. I started yesterday with the most straightforward approach that jumped into my head. The boots and wooden hoop earrings push the look towards urban cowboy, simple and with a subdued edge.

I have a few more ideas already floating around in my head, and I’m already excited for next week. I love this challenge of transforming something that’s not-quite-a-basic. This dress is not quite a blank canvas of an LBD, but I think it has the potential to be quite a chameleon in styling. We’ll see. Stay tuned!