academichic

To The Nutcracker, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Skirt – Banana Republic
• Sweater – Banana Republic
• Ruffle Tank – J Crew
• Tights – BR Factory Store + Gift from S.
• Necklace – Vintage brooch on chain
• Clutch – gift from S.
• Earrings – American Eagle
• Bracelet – gift from S.

• Velvet Blazer – Limited (pictured below)
• Pashmina – clothing swap (pictured below)

Endnotes:

First, congratulations to our first giveaway winner!

As I mentioned on Friday, A2 and I got to see a top rate production of the Nutcracker this weekend.  It was magical!  We use to have this VHS of the ballet that we would all watch around this time of year when I was a kid, but I had never seen it live.  I am a sucker for the holiday season.  I love Santa, Christmas trees, baking cookies, twinkling lights, stockings, the mixing smells of cinnamon and pine, snow, presents (given and received), the break from school, and of course getting dressed up!

To The Nutcracker, originally uploaded by academichic.

This is essentially the same outfit I wore the last time A2 and I had theater tickets.  I know this might be cheating to count it as another of my 30 outfits, but I did change up all the accessories, including clutch, tights, jewelry, belt, and outerwear.  I wanted to wear something fancy but also a little playful.  The full satin trimmed skirt mixed with ruffles, two finishes of patent leather, layered pattern tights, velvet, and a fair dose of sparkle hit that mark for me!

Last week someone asked what we do for outerwear, so I’m going to try and show you outerwear every once in a while (it doesn’t usually change that much).  For the Nutcracker I pulled out this rarely-worn and surprisingly warm velvet blazer and a soft black and grey pashmina. I made do without a hat and gloves for the evening.

A.

To The Nutcracker – Outerwear, originally uploaded by academichic.

14 November 2010 – Date Night, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Wrap Sweater – Banana Republic
• Black Skirt – Banana Republic
• Grey Ruffle Tank – J Crew
• Tights – HUE
• Shoes – Steve Madden Girl, via DSW
• Earrings – F21

Endnotes:

A2 and I bought theater tickets for last night months ago, so I knew when picking my 30 items to remix, I would need some items that could be easily dressed up.  I love this full, black, wool-crepe, skirt with satin trim — but rarely wear it.  I’m not sure what my mental block on it is.  I decided adding it to the remix would force me to figure out ways to wear it.

For my date night at the theater, I paired it with a wrap sweater, ruffle top, bold earrings,  and these fabulously whimsical HUE tights:

HUE Floral Tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

I’ve been finding it such a challenge to get pictures taken since daylights savings.  I actually got all dolled up well before I needed to, just so I could squeeze a couple pictures in before the sun completely disappeared.  As is, I ended up mostly with washed out flash pictures or blurry long-exposure pictures.

The pay off?  Daylights savings helps with my morning productivity (my most productive time already) so I had all three of my fellowship applications turned in yesterday morning, well before our date night!

14 November 2010 – Date Night, originally uploaded by academichic.

30 August 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Black Shirt Dress – BR Outlet
• Belt – BR Outlet
• Red Flats – Target
• Earrings – Gift from A2
• Bangles – Gift from S.

Endnotes:

With a little encouragement from E. and L., I purchased this black shirt dress from BR Outlet towards the beginning of the summer.  I love the wrap top, full skirt, and of course, the pockets!

I was dying to wear it all summer but never had the right occasion in the right weather, so it made it’s premier at our department start of the year breakfast.  These events can be tricky to dress for because you are asked to mingle with faculty, staff, and other students, meet new students, listen to announcements, conduct beginning of the year business, and what ever else your department chair might throw your way, all while awkwarly balancing a bad cup of coffee and a less-than-stellar pastry.

I, per usual, was one of the more dressed up graduate students, but I felt comfortable and confident – what more could you ask for?

It was at this department breakfast meeting 5 years ago that I first met E.  We both often tell this story of quickly picking each other out of the crowd, as we were the only two people in skirts that day.  After the breakfast we decided to go buy our books together and the rest is history. I’m glad that E.’s first impression of me was of a fashionable nerd!

5 August 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Flutter Tank – J Crew
• Black Pencil Skirt – Banana Republic
• Black Pumps – DSW
• Necklace – made from a gifted earring

Endnotes:

I don’t know if the color of this top is exactly a neutral – its a kind of putty color that sometimes looks olive. J Crew calls it “mink.”  I’m a sucker for all the lovely shades of grey J Crew has invented but “mink” is less than helpful as a color description.  But, I’m using it as a neutral and considering this a mix of black and brown.  I wore this top with navy last time, but I think the black makes the “mink” look so much richer.

The top came with a thin waist-creating tie which I removed for this iteration. I tucked the base of the top into my high-waisted skirt and let the flutters drape over the top.  I think it makes this otherwise sweat detail a little more dramatic, even edgy.  I usually think of mixed neutrals as creating a generally soft look or sometimes a very polished professional look, but in this third stab at the color wheel challenge, I wanted to push my use of neutrals into a new kind of look.   I think “edgy mink” is definitely new for me!

9 July 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Leaf pendant: c/o Vintage Threadz
• Top: Banana Republic Factory
• Belt: from another dress
• Skirt: ages old, from Ross
• Bracelet: gift from Anna
• Turquoise pumps: Steve Madden, gift from MIL

End Notes:

Today I got to do one of my favorite things: teach a class with A.! We had a “focus” day on Manet’s infamous painting Olympia and talked through — and demonstrated — a range of methodologies that have been applied to this well-known work. The fact that you can approach a single work of art in so many different ways is one of those nerdy delights that cements my certainty that I am an art historian at heart.

Turquoise Steve Madden Ulltra Pumps, originally uploaded by academichic.

A not-quite-as-nerdy delight? Pairing these bright turquoise pumps with an otherwise neutral outfit. All hail, the pop of color heel. Since I wasn’t going to be by baby e. in this outfit, I decided to accessorize a little more than I have lately, using blue green and green jewelry to tie the outfit together a bit more. And, oh yes, I’m pattern mixing my florals in the top and the bracelet. It’s wild, really.

Bracelet, originally uploaded by academichic.

I’ve been flipping through old outfits, imagining what they might look like with a turquoise shoe and getting excited about the possibilities. I think it might be time to return to the color wheel for another round…

9 July 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

16 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Floral Blouse – Maurices
• Maroon Belt – Target
• Black Skirt – Banana Republic
• Black Cami – BR Outlet
• Pumps – DSW

Endnotes:

As I mentioned yesterday, for the next five weeks, I am teaching every morning. In an effort to not default to the jersey dress too soon, I pulled out this floral blouse from Maurices.  I picked this out earlier this Spring when I knew we would be doing a week on florals.  It’s rather outside my comfort zone and, in fact, the first time I wore it, I felt like I was playing dress up as S.  I decided to give it another shot today and to try and make it feel a little more me.  I added the thick belt that picks up on the pink flowers and adds some structure and hardware to the ruffly sheer top (belt anything and it seems at least a little more me!)

Needing a break from lesson planning yesterday, I treated myself to an iced coffee and a little grooming. Every once in a great while (like once a year) I get my eyebrows waxed and then maintain them by tweezing. I’ve been itching to have them professionally cleaned up again and have heard several people swear by threading – including my little sister L.  L has fabulous eyebrows and I generally trust her advise, so I mustered up the courage and had my eyebrows threaded!  I have to tell you, I think I am a convert.  It was much less painful and didn’t leave my skin raw, red, and tingly. Just thought I would share a little grooming secret.  How about you? Do you have any grooming tips to share?

Florals, originally uploaded by academichic.

14 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Bow Tee – Gap
• Skirt – Banana Republic
• Tights – HUE  (from E.)
• Belt – New York & Co.
• Earrings – American Eagle
• Black Heels – Madden Girl, via DSW

Endnotes:

For my last assignment for this week’s Fashion 101: Tights,  I took these patterned tights from E., send to her by her Mother-in-Law (thanks D.!).  I love the ensembles E. and S.  created this week featuring their brightly colored patterned tights, but still think I would have a hard time pulling them off.  Even these much subtler, almost monochromatic patterned tights are taking me well outside my comfort zone.

Tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

Often after a new haircut, I am feel a little more playful in my style.  So, I decided to take it and run with it and combine these whimsical tights with a full skirt, a tee with a bow, and even little bow earrings!  As I was adding all of these elements together, I was worried that it might be a little too whimsical altogether, but I think the black and grey palette keeps it age appropriate and sophisticated.

Bow Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.

Are you embracing the patterned tight trend?  A.

14 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

25 August 2009 – Shifty, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Black shirt dress – Old Navy
• Brown leather belt – Gap Outlet
• Brown wedges – thrifted

End Notes:

Our recent recommendations on accessorizing a black shift dress made me all nostalgic for my little black wool shift dress. I love the silhouette of a great-fitting shift, and it’s a look that I missed while pregnant. Sadly, that wool LBD is not at all conducive to breastfeeding, nor does it hold up well to spit up, meaning that it will be relegated to storage for a little while longer. But, that doesn’t mean that the, er, spirit of the shift dress need be absent.

This morning I pulled out this slim shirt dress from my pre-preggers storage bin and buttoned it on with hopeful anticipation. And let me be honest. What you see in the photograph is the result of some thoughtful finagling, namely, wearing a black nursing cami underneath, leaving the top three buttons undone to accommodate my new breastfeeding bosom, and moving the waist of the dress up to hide my remaining baby bumpage by adding a wide belt.

Shifty Eyed, originally uploaded by academichic.

It sounds very complicated when I type it all out like that, but in reality it took only a few minutes of tweaking and slipping on a new-to-me pair of wedges to make me see something akin to my pre-preggers style (and body) in the mirror…just altered to meet the demands of my new life. Is it strange that I get a little creative adrenaline rush from my wardrobe trompe-l’œil?

Thrifted Wedges, originally uploaded by academichic.

10 July 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Brown ruffle top – J.Crew
• Embroidered skirt – Talbots, borrowed from mom
• Pink cami – BR, remixed
• Black wedges – Connie, thrifted, remixed
• Purse – Garage sale, remixed
• Coral earrings – gift from dad

Endnotes:

After yesterday’s more clean-cut preppy look, I needed a good dose of floral and whimsy in my outfit today. So I borrowed this beautifully embroidered skirt from my mom and build an outfit around it.

To allow the skirt to shine as the centerpiece, I completed the look with a variety of neutrals. Now I’m well aware that many a fashion critic will argue that black and brown do not belong together, but I beg to differ. I subscribe to the Stacy and Clinton school of thought, which states that neutrals are neutrals because they go with everything, including each other. Thus, I have no problem with wearing a brown top and brown purse with black shoes.

What about you? How closely do you follow that old adage of not mixing black and brown? S.