• Green Hoodie – J Crew
• Teal Scarf – NY China Town
• Jeans – Gap
• Clogs – Dansko
• Hat – Gap Outlet

After a full Saturday and another overnight dumping of snow, I needed something simple and cozy for just a trip to the grocery store and back.  I often throw on jeans and a hoodie on Sundays but today I took a yet another style clue from S. and tossed a scarf around my neck and under the hood.

I love this color pairing of bright grass green and teal.  It’s an analogous scheme I find comforting, using two of my favorite colors, but I think it has an unexpected playful quality.  While, sometimes a hoodie, jeans, and danskos are all I’ve got in me, the easy addition of a brightly colored scarf is a quick fix for an otherwise blah outfit.

• Grey Wrap Cardigan – NY & Co
• Black Henley – Gap
• Green Ruffle Top – Old Navy
• Skinny Jeans – Banana Republic
• Black Patent Belt – Forever 21
• Earrings – Hand-me-down from sister M.

Happy Holidays dear readers!  I have been traveling through the Midwest visiting my and A2’s families.

We spent Christmas Eve with my family and we were having too much fun to worry about capturing the perfect outfit-post picture, so these family snapshots will have to do.

I think all of my  sister’s looked adorable – unfortunately the pictures are limited (no picture of sister R.) and I’m not positive where all their fabulous pieces are from.  As you can see, the love of belting runs in the family!

I wore my favorite comfy wrap cardigan and dressed it up with big black earrings and my holiday-perfect ruffly green top.  I layered it all over my black henley for warmth and wore my skinnies so I could sit on the floor to open presents and play board games – a practical yet chic holiday ensemble.

I hope you are all enjoying your holidays!  A.

• 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

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.

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!

• Fuchsia Jersey Wonder Wrap – Blue Onion Marketplace
• Grey Tee – American Eagle
• Jeans – Gap
• Green Flats – Banana Republic
• Earrings – Gift from S.

I haven’t been feeling 100% the past few days so spent most of my weekend in my PJs or sweats. But, when friends wanted to stop by for coco last night, I thought I should try to look presentable.   I pulled on my new jeans and a long sleeved tee, but instead of going for a sweatshirt or oversized cardigan, I decided to give this wonder wrap a try.

I’ve had this jersey mystery in my closet for a while.  I loved how S. wore hers, but have been struggling with pulling it off quite the same way.  I decided to pretend it had no sleeves and use it as a giant jersey pashmina.  I love the color and the fabric and I think it works well tied behind my back like this.

I also tried wearing it with the extra just hanging loose in front, but preferred it tied neatly away.  The jersey wonder wrap is on clearance over at Blue Onion Marketplace (and it just might be a future giveaway).  If you have one, let us know how you are wearing it!

Speaking of Blue Onion Marketplace, congratulations to our three winners!  We would love to know how you wear your flowers too!

• Green Shirt Dress – H & M
• Black Jersey Dress – BR Outlet
• Black Henley – Gap
• Black Belt – from Sal
• Black Boots – J Crew
• Flowers – Blue Onion Marketplace
• Earrings – Gift

Last month E. and S. wore outfits inspired by my style to celebrate my birthday.  Now it’s S.’s turn!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY S!

I think both E.’s description of S.’s style as whimsical and S.’s own designation of her style as preppy romantic perfectly encapsulate S.’s creative and colorful approach to clothes, which I adore.

I am often inspired by S. to push myself in terms of both color and pattern, but today I am paying tribute to what has become one of S.’s signature looks – the layered dresses.  S. has worn her shirt dresses over simple jersey dresses to create a sophisticated and rich look.  And while green may not be S.’s  signature color, she wears it beautifully, especially paired with black.

I also love how S. brings a touch of whimsical charm to her outfits, particularly through the flower brooch, which I am always a little hesitant to wear.  She does it so well and even managed to layer two rather large flowers without letting them overwhelm the ensemble, so I’m giving it a shot with these two flower brooches from Blue Onion Marketplace.

I’m also wearing my hair curly for S.’s birthday because I love her curly hair and all the creative ways she styles it.

I miss you S., especially today!  I wish I could be with you to celebrate your special day!  I’m thinking of you! Love, A.

• Teal Cardigan – BR Outlet
• Short-Sleeved Argyle Sweater – J Crew
• Brown Skinny Belt – Ann Taylor
• Denim Pencil Skirt – BR Outlet
• Corduroy Blazer – Marshals
• Earrings – Banana Republic
• Wedges – Gap Outlet

Today’s outfit was totally inspired by my desire to wear argyle – a preppy pattern I love but don’t actually wear that much anymore (except my ridiculous collection of argyle socks).  The argyle print was one of the many reasons the birthday gift scarf from S. was so perfectly me!  The lovely turquoise and olive diamond pattern reminded me of this old J Crew short-sleeved sweater.

When I first got this sweater years ago, I wore it all the time.  However, as my style has shifted some, I’ve struggled with how to wear it in a way that still feels like me.  So, I amped up the color palette and went a little layering crazy and ended up with this cozy analogous spectrum of greens and blues, accented by what better than caramel corduroy!

What pattern do you love but struggle to work into your daily wardrobe?

A.

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

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?

A.

It was such a nice surprise to check the site this morning and see birthday wishes from two of my favorite people!

I’m keeping this short because I am still celebrating, but thank you both for being such wonderful friends!

(birthday gift premieres coming soon…)

A.

• 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

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.

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.

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.