14 December 2009

Posted on | December 14, 2009 | 21 Comments

14 December 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Olive Sweater – H & M
Grey Wrap Sweater – NY & Co
Teal Scarf – NY China Town
Skinny Jeans – Banana Republic
Boots – Banana Republic, via DSW
Belt – BR Outlet
Earrings – Banana Republic

Endnotes:

I love this outfit! I often think I love an outfit, but then something happens – the belt shifts around, the skirt rides up, the shirt looks bunchy, it photographs horribly, etc. But this outfit I loved when I put it on, loved as I wore it, and love it in the photographs. It is warm and cozy but I think still stylish and elegant in its casualness. I think its slimming. I think it’s playful. I think it’s creative and subtle. I love the mix of charcoal and brown and the mix of olive and teal and the way all these colors came together. I love the addition of the brown bakelite earrings.

Bakelite Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.

It feels strange to so unabashedly write such positive things about my own appearance. Like many of Sal’s readers, I find that I am rather self-conscious about any form of self-love. It’s so much easier to pick an outfit apart, find its flaws, find your flaws in the way you are wearing it. Posting a picture of yourself everyday is undoubtedly a self-centered act, but for me its often not a self-praising act. As S. mentioned last week, style blogging can make you feel very self-conscious and vulnerable and I have more than a few outfit posts that make me cringe to see them now. So, when I find myself looking at one I love, I’m gunna let you know it!

14 December 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

2 December 2009

Posted on | December 2, 2009 | 13 Comments

2 December 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Brown Vest – American Eagle
Black Belt – Gap, from Sal
Plaid Shirt – Urban Outfitters
Cords- Gap Outlet
Orange Flats – Old Navy
Earrings – Gift

Endnotes:

When I was younger I wore plaid all the time – almost as often as I wore overalls (yes, I did spend much of my childhood looking like a farmer and or train conductor). Then in junior high, I wore flannel shirts and corduroy because my older sister was testing out grunge. I also wore a plaid uniform for 12 years! So, when I made it to college I gave up plaid for quite some time. I’m always finding myself drawn back to plaid, as much as I try to pull away.

Belted Vest, originally uploaded by academichic.

I now own a few plaid throws, scarves, and even a plaid belt, but only recently have I started trying on plaid shirts and even skirts! In fact, there are a few plaid items on my Christmas list, including this plaid jacket, which looks suspiciously like the pattern from one of my grade school uniforms.

Floral and Plaid, originally uploaded by academichic.

I’m still not sure how to style this new plaid shirt without falling back into either junior high grunge or childhood farmer, so I’m taking another cue from J Crew and belting my puffy vest and pairing it with flowers and a slightly dressier bottom half.

I know, I know, I’m belt crazy! What can I say, it’s what I do! :)

2 December 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

16 November 2009

Posted on | November 17, 2009 | 19 Comments

16 November 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Striped Cardigan – J Crew, birthday gift from mom
Long Black Tee – don’t remember
Grey Long-sleeve Tee (not seen) – Gap
Grey Cords – Banana Republic
Brown Boots – Banana Republic, via ebay
Scarf – China Town, NY
Silver Hoops – Banana Republic

Endnotes:

Online shopping has long been one of my favorite forms of procrastination. Now, this online shopping rarely actually results in purchasing, but I do love to make mental wish lists, get ideas for how to style items I already own, and be reminded that there are things deep in my closet that are suddenly in style again.

I often clip photos of ensembles I like or new styling ideas I want to try out. These images most often come from J Crew — I think they offer really creative styling that I wouldn’t think of myself, but can imagine recreating in some way.

Lately, I am also really liking Banana Republic styling too. I loved this warm cozy layered look and decided I could recreate it with items I already own. I swapped in my teal and grey floral scarf for the red plaid (although now I am pining for a large plaid scarf) and my brown boots for thee black (I wanted flats and my black boots have heels).

My cardigan is much thinner and shorter than the rather bulky sweater coat featured in the BR version and I discovered that my bootleg grey cords are a little too bulky for tucking into boots, so now I may be adding skinny-leg cords to my Christmas wish list.

BR Inspiration, originally uploaded by academichic.

I loved the layering of the bright read plaid over the monochromatic stripes, but I think the teal and grey, while a subtler use of color also makes for an interesting contrast. I self-consciously avoid the terms “masculine” and “feminine” when describing the mixing of elements that seem to have different feels to them (ie stripes and flowers). I haven’t come up with an alternative way of describing this contrast, but want to steer clear of the essentializing language we so often see in the marketing of clothing.

Interestingly enough, the gendering of clothing has come up in several of the student papers I am grading this week. When attempting to do a visual analysis of a painting of an Italian nobleman, many students described his as effeminate because of the lace at his collar, the ring on his pinky, and the shinny black robe students misidentified as a dress. In my comments, I am reminding them that: 1) they should be careful about making essentialist generalizations about gender (their discussions went beyond the clothing) 2) they should remember that whether we consider clothing “masculine” or not is inextricably linked to culture, period, occupation, etc.

This reminded me of the great exercise reader N. uses in the classroom, in which she asks students to do a visual analysis of her clothing and then followed this with a discussion about interpreting clothing. I can’t wait to test this lesson out, but for now it’s back to grading for me.

Stripes and Flowers, originally uploaded by academichic.

4 November 2009

Posted on | November 5, 2009 | 20 Comments

4 November 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Sweater Vest – BR Outlet
Green Sweater – BR Outlet
Skinny Jeans – Banana Republic
Boots – Banana Republic, via DSW
Necklace – Gift from Sister, M
Bakelite Earrings- Banana Republic
Bag – Urban Outfitters

Endnotes:

Now, I don’t want you to think that I am complaining about the sun for even one second, but . . . it has made taking outfit pictures a little challenging. I love you just the same, Sunshine!

I wear these brown plastic earrings often but have never really pointed them out. As a historian of modern and contemporary art, I need to just point out their fabulous material – Bakelite!

Bakelite Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.

My mom bought me this sweater vest over a month ago for birthday. Little sisters M. and L. (she rocks the vest often) and E. (I’m pretty sure she doesn’t own a single vest) have all been encouraging me to try the vest for years now…

I love the way sweater vests look on other people and do think it generally fits with my style, but I hadn’t been able find the one that worked for me. They were to short, too long, too tight, too loose, had too much hardware,etc. and then I found this one! It’s the perfect length, has the perfect v-neck, tiny buttons, and the great braided weave detail.

sweater vest, originally uploaded by academichic.

I still couldn’t figure out how to wear it – hence the month delay on its premier. I like it with the skinnies and dark sweater underneath and also imagine it becoming a great layering piece as the weather gets colder.

What are your thoughts on the sweater vest? Are you a fan or is it too preppy for your style? Any suggestions for what to pair it with?

4 November 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

3 November 2009

Posted on | November 3, 2009 | 15 Comments

3 November 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Green Blouse – BR Outlet
Wool Skirt – BR Outlet
Black Sweater – Banana Republic
Boots – J Crew
Tights – H&M
Earrings – Gift from Sister L.

Endnotes:

After a busy weekend, during which I accomplished very little school work, I spent most of yesterday in sweats trying to get some writing done. We have discussed this questions of what to wear when working from home before. The three of us weigh in differently. I personally find a day in sweats every once in a while to be very productive – as was the case yesterday. After such days, however, I find myself dressing up a bit more than usual.

Today’s outfit are all pieces I have worn before but I made a few temporary alterations to make some of the items feel different. I pressed the collar of this ruffly green shirt inside to make a mandarin collar. My black cardigan is actually a black wrap sweater, but I tied the strings behind my back, under the sweater. I also hiked my skirt up a little and belted it. Just these little adjustments help make my closet more interesting to return to everyday.

How do you change up the look of an old standard?

18 October 2009

Posted on | October 21, 2009 | 16 Comments

18 October 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Cardigan – Banana Republic
Corduroys – Gap Outlet
Scarf – H & M
Belt – Ann Taylor
Clogs – Dansko
Earrings – F21

Endnotes:

It’s still on the warmer side here today, quite a change from the crisp fall weather we enjoyed this past weekend. I’m working from home and running a few errands and am wearing a variation on the denim skirt and tee look I have posted again and again. So, instead, I’m sharing my outfit from Sunday, when it was sunny, cool, and lovely.

I wore my Dansko clogs with cords and a cardigan, but to make it a bit more interesting, I added a scarf, which I then belted. I’ve seen this belted scarf thing in the pages of J Crew and on a few store mannequins and keep meaning to try it. The models wear it without looping the scarf around the neck, but this scarf was just too long for that. I think I’ll try it again with a shorter scarf!

I love scarves and like to play around with them, tying them in different ways, tucking them into jackets, and letting them hang loose around my shoulders. Perhaps we should try a scarf workshop to accompany the tights workshop suggested by E. What do you think?

18 October 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

15 October 2009

Posted on | October 15, 2009 | 21 Comments

15 October 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Striped Cardigan – J Crew
Garland Tee – J Crew
Denim Skirt – BR Outlet
Sweater Tights – Banana Republic
Black Flats – Urban Outfitters
Earrings – F21

Endnotes:

This year for my birthday, my parents and little sister came to visit and my mom took me shopping!

My mom has a great sense of style and knows me and my style better than anyone. She loves shopping for her five daughters and over the years her favorites places to shop for us have become J Crew and Anthropologie. AS, she puts it, these are the places she can buy something unique or special for birthday and Christmas gifts. She usually let’s me buy my own staples.

At J Crew, she picked a few things out for me to try on, including this top and cardigan combo. I adored the cardigan right away but was a bit skeptical of the top. The top looked great on all the catalogue models and the flowers were just as beautiful in the store, but I wasn’t convinced I could pull it off. When paired with the slouchy menswear inspired cardigan, as suggested by my mom, the look was perfect.

Would you trust your mom to pick out clothes for you?

Cardigan and Top, originally uploaded by academichic.

This visit, I also introduced my mom to the BR outlet, so she did buy a few staples as well, including this great denim pencil skirt, which I am sure you will see me wearing again an again. It was cold yesterday — a prefect day to pull out my sweater tights, but still warm enough that I could wear them with a skirt and flats.

Tights and Flats, originally uploaded by academichic.

When it comes to pattern, stripes and plaids are where I am at home. Florals and polka-dots are S.’s territory. I think I find most florals are just a little to girly or to soft for me to feel comfortable in, but I am leaning to love the mix of stripes and flowers – the slouchy collegiate with the polished frill. S. refers to this as mixing registers, something often done in the J Crew catalogues.

Are you a florals or stripes person? Or, do you rock the mix?

Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.

29 September 2009

Posted on | September 29, 2009 | 7 Comments

29 September 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Olive Green Blazer – J Crew
Maroon 3/4 Sleeve Tee – Old Navy, remixed
Denim Pencil Skirt – Gap, endlessly remixed
Brown Wedges – Kenneth Cole Reaction, via DSW, endlessly remixed
Purple Scarf – Blue Onion Marketplace
Earrings – Gift from E., remixed many times

Endnotes:

The weather is beautiful! Some of you have warned me not to wish cold weather here too soon, but I love the cool weather because I love corduroy, blazers, scarfs, boots and, of course, layers!

I am so excited to finally have the opportunity to wear this fabulous new scarf from Blue Onion Marketplace. The color is perfect and the texture and shine make it different from any of my other scarves. I think I will be getting a lot of wear out of this little piece.

New Purple Scarf, originally uploaded by academichic.

Just as S. did yesterday with the fabulous etsy shop Vintage Threadz, I have to take a minute to gush over the great online boutique Blue Onion Marketplace. The three of us are lucky enough to have some lovely items from this little gem of a shop, including the Dulken & Derrick vintage flowers, which we have used to decorate bags and clutches, and to create belts, this purple ripple scarf and S.’s orange version, and the wonder wrap S. sported last week. E. and I have wonder wraps too that we will be pulling out soon, now that the weather has cooled off, and we all have a few more flowers to play with.

We will also be doing our first Academichic giveaway which will be generously sponsored by Blue Onion Marketplace, so be sure to check back soon for that! A.

Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.

24 September 2009

Posted on | September 24, 2009 | 8 Comments

24 September 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed

Open Cardigan - J Crew
Teal Tank – BR Outlet
Polka-dot Tee – Banana Republic
Jeans – Banana Republic
Tan Wedges – Gap Outlet
Pendant – Grandmothers

Endnotes:

Several of you asked about the fit/ciut of these jeans when I wore them on Monday. They are Banana Republic Classic Skinny (a size larger than I would buy in trouser cut). A friend actually picked them up on super sale ($8 I think) because she thought I might like them. When she gave them to me, I was happy to receive any gifted clothing, but had low expectations for them, given the difficulty of finding jeans that fit, particularly straight or skinny jeans, but somehow, these worked!

I wore them cuffed the other day and have plans to wear them tucked into my boots once the weather finally cools off, but was hesitant to wear them un-cuffed with regular shoes. I used to think this style worked only for the straight line body and not at all for my curvy legs. I tried to balance the look with a more voluminous cardigan and while I started the day off rather self conscious, I was quite comfortable in the look by the time I made it to campus.

I also think this styling of the jeans makes them more work appropriate. I still wouldn’t teach in them (though plenty of my colleuges teach in jeans) but this year I am advising an undergraduate student group and their meetings are at night (often past my bed time in fact) and on the day I usually don’t have to be on campus for anything else. So a nice pair of jeans and a low wedge seemed the perfect choice.

Layers, originally uploaded by academichic.

17 September 2009 – Quick and Casual

Posted on | September 17, 2009 | 4 Comments

17 September 2009 – Quick and Casual, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed

Coral Polo – J Crew
Grey Skirt – Old Navy
Navy Cami – American Eagle
Green Flats – Banana Republic
Rainbow Bracelet – Hawaii
Coral Earrings- American Eagle

Endnotes:

A2 had car trouble on her way to work, so my morning routine was disrupted to say the least. I had to throw on something quick that I could be comfortable in all day, and even walk home in if need be (although on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I usually have a gym bag backed anyway). Mornings when I need to choose something quickly, when don’t have time to try stuff on, swap out one cami for another, or ponder the color wheel, I often go for an ensemble I have worn before. This morning, for some reason, I thought of this polo and my denim skirt which I wore back in July. I planed to wear the outfit exactly, but denim skirt was in the wash so it was swapped with my grey skirt, and I grabbed this rainbow bracelet instead of the green necklace worn as bracelet, creating the same layered-strand effect but adding a pop of pride!

Rainbow Bracelet, originally uploaded by academichic.

I like this outfit but I think it makes me look a bit young, therefore it is not something I would usually wear to school. I am not teaching today, but I am meeting with students. Yesterday I wrote about wearing the same thing as colleague and reader Sabrina raised the possibility of wearing the same thing as a student and I feel that in this outfit that is more likely to happen today than most. If it does happen, I’m sure I will laugh and simply compliment them on their fabulous style! A.

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