academichic

Sources:

• Long Sleeved T: Splendid via Nordstrom Rack
• Camisole: Banana Republic Outlet
• Sweater: BR
• Scarf: gift
• Pin: grandmother’s
• Corduroys: DKNY via Filene’s Basement
• Socks: gift
• Oxfords: Crown Vintage via DSW

Endnotes:
Robert Frost had it right when he said in the poem “Two Tramps in Mud Time”:

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You’re one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you’re two months back in the middle of March.

Yesterday was chilly and rainy and grey. In the words of Tina Fey: blerg. I hope this is the last time I’ll be wearing cords this spring but you never know. I started this outfit with my socks. Yes, knee high, wool socks with sheep on them that my dad gave me many moons ago after he visited the Hebrides (which are islands off of the Scottish coast, in case you’re not up on your geography). Of course, since I started with the socks I decided that they needed to be displayed and so I cuffed my trousers.

This combination of sea green, grey, blue, and tan is one of my favorites and I’ve gotten a lot of wear out of this scarf (also from Scotland) over the winter. My chunky, cabled, cotton sweater was just warm enough, and this time I decided to tack the built in ties to the inside using safety pins and instead use a silver pin to hold the sweater together.

I’m pleased with the result and was cozy and warm for the whole dreary day. And best of all, I got to wear my Oxfords again! Yippy!

L.

Sources:

• Wrap Dress: Banana Republic
• Tank (under): BR
• Scarf: Filene’s Basement
• Shoes: Bandolino via DSW
• Rose Pin: grandmother’s
• Necklace: by me

Endnotes:
I’ve written before about building an outfit around one element and this is how this look came together as well. It was all based on a pin that was my grandmother’s, which I cherish for its connection to her as well as what it stands for.

Let me explain. This pin, which is made of both yellow and rose gold, was my grandmother’s favorite. I distinctly remember her wearing it on the lapel of her blue suit when we would go out for lunch on Sundays, and it was always the first thing I’d pick out of her jewelry box when I was little and would snuggle up in her bed in the morning and go through her things the way little kids do. The reason I love it even more is because of the story that goes along with it: She was a young woman in her 20s living alone in Toronto when she needed to have her wisdom teeth removed. She decided that to reward herself for going through the ordeal alone she would buy a nice piece of jewelry – and this is what she bought. I think I like this story so much because it reminds me of how strong, independent, and young she was, and also because sometimes we do need to reward ourselves for the things we go through in life. Whether it’s a fancy dinner out with friends, a weekend trip, a piece of jewelry, or a bowl of ice cream and a night on the couch, I think that it’s good to every once in a while say to myself, “Nicely done, L., nicely done.”

In this outfit I’m using this fantastic pin to hold the bottom of my wrap dress together since I wasn’t too keen on flashing my slip around school. I kept up with the rose theme and added in a pink tank and this flowy scarf that is tiny florals on one side and stripes on the other. It’s hard with wrap dresses to wear a belt, but I’ve done this before with a lighter scarf that just goes on top of the built in ties and is loosely knotted.

When’s the last time you did something nice for yourself?

L.

Sources:

Dress – Banana Republic Outlet
Cardi – thrifted
Bird pin – Kissing Toads on Etsy
Belt – Ralph Lauren
Tights – TJMaxx
Shoes – vintage, thrifted

Endnotes:

Happy Valentine’s Day! As the title of my post indicates, I’m wearing red tights today as an homage to Valentine’s Day and to kick off our current theme week – Tights Week!

I’m not usually one to dress to “match” a holiday, but I just couldn’t help pulling out this pair of red tights for today’s outfit. Just like I couldn’t help but make some red paper hears and red string garlands to hang around my kitchen over the weekend. And I couldn’t resist baking heart-shaped Swedish cookies on Saturday. Is this what they call nesting? I swear, this is the most I’ve ever gone out for Valentine’s Day.

To keep the holiday-inspired look to a minimum, I kept the rest of the outfit in blue and black. I just added that extra bit of red with a tiny bird and (red) flower brooch to pull the color of the tights into the upper part of the outfit.

Also, a side note on the cardigan – I thrifted this item just a little while ago while being in my Emma Pillsbury induced style coma. I loved the polkadots, the puffy sleeves and the cropped fit of it. But no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, this cardigan is just too big on me. Buttoned, or worn open, it just makes me look wide and boxy. So my solution is to wear it with the sides overlapping to create a snugger fit. I then used a belt to cinch it together and voila – a perfect fit. I also liked the look of this more structured and austere belt to tone down the ‘playfulness’ and ‘whimsicalness’ of the cardigan.

But back to tights now. All of this week we’ll be discussing our different tights wearing strategies, such layering tights, incorporating pattern or using various color tights and incorporating them into the outfit. To see all our previous creative tights looks, check out our new Flickr set on Tights. And feel free to leave a comment if you have any specific questions you’d like addressed during this week’s feature! ~ S.

To conclude Jewelry Week here at academichic, we’ve pulled together a collection of the many ways we’ve enjoyed repurposing our jewelry to get extra mileage out of each item. We hope that the following images out of our archives inspire you to make more creative use of the items in your collection.

For instance…

1. Earrings can double as pendants (especially when you’ve lost one earring and are at a loss of what to do with just one…

2. And earrings can double as brooches…

» Read the rest of this entry «

Sources:

Endnotes:

This is what I wore to a Jewish Baby Naming Ceremony this past Saturday. I had never attended one before and so I actually googled “what to wear to a jewish baby naming ceremony” and found a couple of answers to my questions. They all came down to this: make sure your shoulders are covered in Synagogue. Well, yeah, in February that should be no problem.

I thought back to previous visits to the Synagogue with friends and also pulled on my knowledge from having visited various churches growing up and came up with this outfit. It turned out to be sufficiently dressy, sufficiently modest, and sufficiently practical for February temperatures. And the ceremony was beautiful! So joyous and festive and moving (I confess I cried a bit).

Now, since we’re dedicating this week to Jewelry Week here on academichic, let me tell you a bit about the bling I wore…

You may have noticed that I’ve developed a penchant for bolder and bigger necklances lately. I’m also a huge fan of brooches. (I’m really happy to see Emma Pillsbury bringing brooches back on Glee.) But I rarely combine the two. I have, however, in a moment of spontenaity, once combined two layered necklaces with a big flower pin for an outfit for the opera. And I loved the results. So I did something of the sort again this weekend with this tiered gold and pearls necklace and a this vintage birds brooch on my lapel. (And I pictured Emma Pillsbury looking at my reflection in the mirror from her vantage point behind me and nodding with approval. So I went with it.)

On a side note, I used to be able to button this dress when I first purchased it. It was a snug fit, but a fit nonetheless. My expanding waistline has made buttoning this dress impossible but it’s given me incentive to experiment with all kinds of dress layering using the shirt dresses in my closet. Even when I could still button this dress, I loved layering it and wearing it partially open, which is what all the fun is about with a shirt dress anyway. So here’s the first incarnation of my experiment of shirt dresses and maternity induced layering. ~ S.

PS: Last year in February, we dedicated a whole month to scarves. Yes, we like the theme thing especially when winter blahs are setting in. Look here for all our scarf wearing entries and here for our scarf tying bibliography, pulling together a plethora of ‘how-to’ tutorials on tying and wearing scarves. And check back all of this week for jewelry themed posts and a jewelry themed giveaway!

Sources:

• Polkadot blouse – thrifted
• Flower brooch – Vintage Threadz on Etsy
• Dress – Banana Republic Outlet
• Belt – Banana Republic
• Boots – Banana Republic
• Blue tights (over thermal pair of black tights) – TJMaxx

Endnotes:

This is the same little black dress that I wore just the other week with a red cardigan and red accessories. This time, I spruced it up with blues. The beauty of a LBD is that you can transform it dramatically by adding different splashes of color, accessories, or layers. Because of its versatility, I have quite a few LBDs and I never regret buying them.

This one has a higher waistline and so it’s working really well with my growing bump (as the waist sits above the belly). I layered this silk polka dot blouse underneath and played off the color in the blouse with the blue tights, belt, and little flower brooch. I love this blouse, but it has an awkward cut and is a little too short. I would never wear it on its own but it makes for a great layering piece.

When it comes to finding things that aren’t perfect but catch your eye and add a dose of fun to your closet, I highly recommend thrift stores. Since everything is so inexpensive, you can take a risk, buy something that isn’t perfect and try your hand at altering it, or get something like this that is fun and whimsical but only works in certain ways.

To help this piece perform as a base layer, I borrowed a little trick from A. She explained it here (using a tee instead of a cami). I took a fitted camisole that’s elasticated and snug and layered it over the too-short and boxy blouse. The cami layer smoothed and held the blouse in place and kept it from shifting and bunching underneath my dress. Without the cami, I would have probably been tugging at my blouse and fixing it all day, but with the cami, everything stayed in place as needed. Thanks for the tip, A!

Do you have any good wardrobe tricks to share? Alternately, what’s your favorite way to spruce up a little black dress? – S.

Pink and Purple, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Sweater: BR Outlet
• Belt: America Apparel
• Dress: BR Outlet
• Magenta Stockings: ?
• Fishnets: Gucci
• Shoes: Mudd via DSW
• Yellow Brooch (below): costume jewelry

Endnotes:
This outfit is my experimentation with another kind of layering – tights! Ever wondered how to make your fishnets last through the winter season or make them seem more work appropriate? Layer! And it’s warm too.

Layered tights?!, originally uploaded by academichic.

This outfit definitely took shape from the bottom up. I knew I wanted to don my purple fishnets (a gift from my sister) over my magenta tights, but I wasn’t quite sure how the rest of my outfit was going to take shape. I suppose it was a little lame of me to wear black, falling into the trap of black-with-bright-color that both Audi of Fashion for Nerds and Sally of Already Pretty wrote about previously this year. However, with magenta tights and purple fishnets I thought that I already presented a lot for people to absorb and adding more colors/shades might detract from the glorious aura that was emanating from my legs. My thought process also was that having separate pieces, even if both were black, would be too much. After I’d picked the dress, I knew that either the purple or magenta stretchy belt from American Apparel would be included, and at the last minute I thought that I might need a cardigan (despite the fact that my apartment and the main building are both grossly over heated).

Pink and Purple with Broach, originally uploaded by academichic.

Also as I was dashing out the door I thought to add a little shine (and a little complementary coloring) by putting this yellow sparkly rhinestone brooch on the hem of my dress. I didn’t want to over load the top and thought that maybe the contrast right next to the tights would be cool.

Bling Bling, originally uploaded by academichic.

I’m not sure it was the best for this outfit, but I’ll definitely think about putting brooches in more non-traditional places in the future. Finally, I think I may have made a breakthrough at my school. Not to brag, but I had so many people tell me they loved my tights today! Maybe it was the cheerful colors or playful nature of the outfit (although really, with any other tights this would be a standard, bright but conservative combo), but it was amazing the number of people who commented. Anyway, wearing this outfit made me smile all day long!

Two questions I have for readers are: How have you layered tights? and How do you avoid or embrace the “black-and-bright-color” look?

~ L.

9 Sept 2010 – Hello, High School, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Black Sheath Dress: Banana Republic Outlet
• Magenta Elastic Belt: American Apparel
• Black Wedges: Bandolino via DSW
• White Flower Pin: Gift
• Turquoise Bag: ILI via Helen’s Leather

Endnotes:
The first day of school is finally upon us! I must admit, after the five trying days of faculty meetings and five exhausting days of pre-season, I was beginning to forget why it is I took this job and uprooted myself all the way to New England: the students! I realized that especially when it comes to secondary school education, it really is all about the students. We are here to be role models for them, to excite them about new subjects, and to push them to deepen their understanding of themselves and the world around them. I know it is a cliché, but I felt like I gained energy from being around them, and once the campus was buzzing with excitement, I could hardly wait for classes to begin, which they did today. Of course since it was the first day of my first year of teaching I had been figuring out an outfit in my head for weeks (and it seems so were the folks at Fashionable Academics who have put together this great compilation of several first day ensembles). Everyone told me that setting the right tone in your classroom could dictate how the entire year unfolds… talk about a lot of pressure on one outfit!

9 Sept 2010 – Setting the Tone, originally uploaded by academichic.

As E said, the lovely contributors of Scholar Style Guide have undertaken a week dedicated to the workhorses of their wardrobes. For me, this outfit encompasses several can’t-live-without items. The black sheath dress was a recent purchase at the Banana Republic Outlet store. It was the only one on the rack and fortunately it was my size. E. might have said good-bye to the Little Black Dress in favor of the Little Navy Dress, but as the Beatles said, “You say goodbye, and I say hello.” Hello little black dress! I have a feeling this one will be the basis for several variations as it lends itself well to colorful pairings while still looking sleek and professional, which happens to be the tone I was going for on this first day. The wide elastic belt is another staple that spends more time on me then it does hanging in my closet. I have a purple belt that is the same as this magenta one. I also have a grey stretchy belt that gets a lot of business. For this outfit I wanted to look polished, but also show some of my clothing personality – which as E mentioned when I first joined Academichic involves a lot of hot pink.

Black Wedges, originally uploaded by academichic.

My new black wedges gave me a little height; although, let’s be honest, most of my students are still taller than I am. The flower on the toe made me think to wear this white flower pin that I’ve had for ages and have never worn. Unlike Carrie Bradshaw whose flower pins sometimes seem to dominate her outfit I hoped that this little pop of white would soften what was otherwise a very dark outfit.

White Flower Pin, originally uploaded by academichic.

And finally, the new school bag. I will post more on this later, but I wanted to share my new bag with you all, as it was the most perfect graduation gift from my mom.

Turquoise Bag!, originally uploaded by academichic.

The leather is soft, the color is amazing, it is big enough to hold my laptop, books, and folders, but not bulky. It also has both handles and a shoulder strap (see second picture). Between the belt, the pin, and my fantastic new bag, I felt confident, energetic, and, really happy to be in the classroom in my new role as secondary school teacher. Good-bye grad school, and Hello high school!

- L.

A Return to Orange…With a Split!, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Blue Tank – Banana Republic
• Red-Orange Belt – BR Outlet
• Yellow-Orange Flower – Blue Onion Marketplace
• White Skirt – score form clothing swap
• Sandals – Charlotte Russe
• Earrings – Gift from A2

Endnotes:

Like L., I failed to get my last color-challenge outfit in last week, but here it is – a split complementary using two shades of orange!  I really wanted to push myself with this go at the Fashion 101 on color mixing.  I already tried out this red-orange shade in my monochromatic look, but this time I took it  a bit further by incorporating it into a split complementary.  As E. explained quite well last week,  a split complementary has you start with a color on the color wheel (in my case blue) find its compliment (orange) and then the two colors on either side of that complement (red-orange and yellow-orange).  If orange is a daring color choice for me, yellow-orange is flat out radical!  This fabric flower brooch from Blue Onion Marketplace is the only yellow-orange thing I own, and in the past I have only used it to adorn a summer bag or clutch. Today, I took a cue from S. and pined it up near my face.

A Return to Orange…With a Split!, originally uploaded by academichic.

I think the two shades of orange each pop off the deep blue tank and really help add the needed bunch to this otherwise simple ensemble of blue tank and white skirt. This skirt came from a small clothing swap E. and I recently went to (I also walked away with one of E.’s dresses and she left with one of my belts and a pair of my jeans). I have been looking for a fuller white skirt all summer and have even bought a few, only to return them later.  This one might not be perfect, but its a fun summery piece that fits well enough considering its price tag.  I love the scalloped hem and the embroidered and eyelet detailing.

Detail on White Skirt, originally uploaded by academichic.

Two things both the color challenge and the clothing swap had in common: the chance to reassess my closet and the chance to create new ensembles for free!

Have you ever been to a clothing swap?  Did you walk away with a bunch of great new items?  How was it organized?  Was it just free for all or where there rules? I’d love to know the best way to host one.

A.

A Return to Orange…With a Split!, originally uploaded by academichic.

2010 Academichic – Miss Bling Bling, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Blue dress: Banana Republic Outlet
• Orange-yellow scarf: Ferragamo via Filene’s Basement
• Orange-yellow Bling: gifts
• Purple belt: American Apparel
• Purple flip-flops: Nine West

Endnotes:
First, I wanted to voice how much I will miss S! She, E, and A, have worked very hard on Academichic and I am so happy to be a part of this fine group of women!
The title of this post comes from the catcalls of the street vendors in Florence who would entice the foreign students to buy umbrellas, pashminas, or anything with the David on it by yelling “Heyyyyy Miss Bling Bling” as we walked by on our way to school. Somehow I managed to leave Florence with only one pashmina, one umbrella and an apron with David emblazoned across it – all of which have since been lost – but “Heyyyyy Miss Bling Bling” remains my favorite attention getting phrase. This has been a hectic week since I’ve recently moved into my new apartment and have been busy unpacking, assembling furniture, and generally nesting. Despite the inevitable stress of a move it does present an opportunity to assess what things you have and what things you can give up – this orange-yellow rhinestone S-shaped pin was a definite keeper worthy of “Miss Bling Bling” distinction and deserving of a prominent place in my next outfit. It also perfectly matched this citrine ring.

2010 Academichic – Bling!, originally uploaded by academichic.

Additionally, orange-yellow has split complements of blue and purple, both of which are easier colors for me. This blue dress is probably too short to be work appropriate, but hey, it’s still summer where I am, and I don’t start work officially until August 30th! I have paired this bright blue primarily with black in the past, but that’s the great thing about the color wheel challenge – it has really made me expand the range of colors I’m wiling to combine and to think far outside the safe confines of a neutral pallet with occasional splashes of color. It seems to me that this whole exercise has been one in basically just going with it – “it” being showy, close, or seemingly opposite color pairings. Rather than the neat and clean matching with which I was brought up, the last four weeks have been dedicated to pushing myself to be a little off-kilter, break with the usual and do something on the edge.

2010 Academichic – Miss Bling Bling, originally uploaded by academichic.

For some reason the idea of a slant-rhyme comes to mind as an example of something that takes reading aloud, speaking and articulating the words, to really make sense and function as a rhyme. Likewise these outfits needed to be aired, tried out, messed around with in order to broaden my horizons more generally. I think after this I’ll be more likely to think of these kinds of complements and pairings in my everyday attire. But back to this outfit. Once I’d found the pin I knew that I wanted to wear it with this orange-yellow scarf and purple was brought in with the belt and shoes to complete the split complement.

2010 Academichic – Blue-Yellow/Orange-Purple, originally uploaded by academichic.

As reader GingerR asked after E’s post from August 16th, “I noticed that your outfit contains a very small percent of the start color. Any thoughts about how the proportions of color should be balanced and what that does to the quirky effect?” I think personally I’ve been more obvious in my blocks of colors because of this challenge, and so for the sake of fulfilling the color wheel module of the week some of my outfits have had bigger color elements than they might otherwise. If I were to do a redux of this outfit I’d probably ditch the scarf and showcase the pin — maybe placing it directly on the belt for maximum contrast or string it on a simple chain to wear as a necklace. I loved the scarf and pin together, but I would likely wear those two with more neutrals in order for them to have the most pop. I think the proportion of colors should be one or two as dominant and one as accent – mostly because it is hard to equally incorporate that many colors into one outfit without looking like a Kandinsky painting run amok. But that being said, it’s really up to you and what you’re comfortable with or what effect you are trying to achieve. What are your thoughts on proportions of colors? Has this challenge made you think differently about unusual color combinations? What pairings have you come up with?