academichic

3 August 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Skirt – Gap
• Tank- H & M
• Belt – BR Outlet
• Shoes – Banana Republic
• Necklace – gift
• Earrings – island souvenir
• Cardigan – Banana Republic

Endnotes:

Like E. and S. both said themselves, mixing neutrals is no real challenge for me.  I love my neutrals and love to mix them and was in fact crowned “our neutral-on-neutral queen” by E. last fall.  I’ve never shied away from black and brown, wearing it for both casual days and teaching days, and frequently pair navy with brown, with grey, or cream.  But, I think my favorite neutrals palate involves mixing shades of grey, brown, and beige as I have done many, many, many, times before.

3 August 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

I like that nothing in this ensemble exactly matches.  With the cardigan on I am wearing at least 6 different shades or either brown or grey (including beige).  The cardigan spent the entire day in my bag because it is ridiculously hot here in Academichic Central – so hot, even the over-air-conditioned campus buildings didn’t require an extra layer.

My favorite part of this outfit is hands down my new suede shoes!  I have been watching these shoes at Banana Republic since early this Spring, waiting for them to go on sale.  By the time they were within my price range, my size was gone (online and at the three stores withing driving distance from me) so I added them to my ebay search but had pretty much given up on them.  Then I got a text from L. last week telling me she had found them in my size on super sale!  She picked them up for me and gave them to me when we saw each other in NYC last week. I couldn’t wait to get home and build an outfit around them.  These shoes might just give the beloved brown wedges a run for their money as most worn shoes this fall!

Grey Suede Shoes, originally uploaded by academichic.

I often see things for E. S. or L. when out shopping and once in a while have even just picked an item up for one of them on occasion. It’s so much fun to have three other shoppers out there who know my style (and size and proportions) so well, but also a bit dangerous for the wallet!

Do you have anyone out there with an eye out for clothes or shoes you will love?  A.

3 August 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

12 April 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Tie dye scarf: courtesy of Nepali by TMD Designs
• Top: Old Navy
• Skirt: self-fashioned from a pair of undergrad jeans
• Belt: borrowed from another dress
• Orange pumps: Dolce Vita, via solestruck.com

End Notes:

Today’s outfit was — I think — a good example of how little pops of color can liven up an otherwise neutral ensemble of basics. I borrowed this seafoam green belt from another dress, to break up the gray and denim, and then added two different shades of orange, a red orange for the shoe and a yellow orange with the scarf. At first I was so proud of myself for doing a split complementary color combination, but then I consulted my color wheel and realized that it’s not, really. Actually, it doesn’t fit that neatly into any of the color combination modules we explored before. It does, however, kind of remind me of a Cezanne landscape painting, and I can run with that.

(Paul Cezanne, The Bay from L’Estaque, c. 1886, oil on canvas)

And while the outfit still worked without the added swath of yellow-orange:

12 April 2010 – without the scarf, originally uploaded by academichic.

…I really do prefer it with this really lovely bamboo scarf that the generous folks over at Nepali by TDM Designs sent us. I’m loving the lightweight, organic bamboo fiber and the fresh citrus color that’s perfect for spring. Plus, as both Winona’s guest post and the most recent issue of Lucky Magazine showed, tie dye is another spring trend, and Nepali by TDM Designs continues to be spot on both in style and socially responsible business practices.

12 April 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

(We’ll have an opportunity for you to win your very own tie dyed bamboo scarf from Nepali by TDM Designs very soon, so keep your eyes peeled!)

You may be waiting for me to announce that I have yet another lingering high school misgiving about tie dye’s return to style but…surprise! I’m actually pretty excited. I have great memories of making shibori (basically Japanese tie dye) t-shirts at junior high sleep overs, and I’m tempted to see if my skills remain intact enough to make a shibori tank top or some other such garment. Yes, it’s my Japanese hippie side coming out to play.

12 April 2010 – back, originally uploaded by academichic.

10 December 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Leather jacket – Argentina, gift from father-in-law
• Cream cardigan – Target
• Blue ombre scarf – Chinatown
• Blue green scarf – origins unknown
• Gray jeans – thrifted
• Boots – Banana Republic

End Notes:

It’s no secret that all three of us at academichic are big fans of scarves, and I am always looking for new ways to tie, wrap, or knot my collection. Today, I was inspired by S.’s use of two scarves at the same time. I grabbed two of my lighter scarves, layered them together, and then tied them using the “knot” method from this video on how to tie winter scarves.

Scarf Knot, originally uploaded by academichic.

I draped the scarves around my neck, keeping one side longer than the other. Then, I tied a knot about two-thirds of the way down on the longer tail. Finally, I tucked the shorter end through the loop of the knot and then fussed and tugged until I was happy with how things draped. I’m definitely adding this to my usual repertoire of scarf-tying techniques.

Also, I don’t know why it took me so long this season to tuck my gray jeans into these knee high black boots, but now I’m fairly certain you’ll be seeing more of this pairing. Sometimes I feel like it takes me a few weeks of cold weather to get reacquainted with what my freezing-temperatures wardrobe can do.

10 December 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

23 October 2009 – Minimal, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Black sweater dress: Target
• Gray skinnies: thrifted, skinnied by me
• Gray suede wedges: Gap Outlet
• Turquoise earrings: vintage beads from a wee shop in Wheaton, IL

End Notes:

As simple as this outfit is, it’s really a stretch for me. Not only are my pants ankle length, but I am also wearing a fairly shapeless sweater dress-slash-tunic without a belt. I know, I know. I’m totally living on the edge.

Angie from You Look Fab calls this surrendering the waistline. And it really is. If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time you know that all three of us love to belt at the waist. Even when I was pregnant, I kept right on belting up to the bitter end. Letting this fairly shapeless sweater shift just hang out like this goes against my basic style instincts and the little Stacey and Clinton demons in my head.

Vintage Bead Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.

And yet here I am. The skinnies add some needed edge and the wedges give some needed lift and length. What is really a basic outfit in terms of pieces and color becomes much more interesting because of the more unexpected play with proportion. And while it was tempting to figure out more accessories to add to the mix, I think this look achieves its greatest impact by embracing its inherent minimalism.

(And the better to show off my new-as-of-this-morning haircut, too!)

23 October 2009 – Minimal, originally uploaded by academichic.

14 October 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Orange pashmina: gift from sister-in-law H., from France
• Gray sweater: Gap
• Gray skinnies: thrifted, skinnied by me
• Belt: Gap Outlet
• Boots: Steve Madden Iriss, via eBay

End Notes:

“Grorange” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as “grellow,” but gray and orange have become another favorite color combination for me. So once I finished layering up on grays, I threw on this orange pashmina (my new favorite, thanks sister-in-law H.!) for a casual, cozy fall look, perfect for running errands in damp weather.

Orange Pashmina Detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

I think gray and orange are a seasonless color palette. I wore them together in the late winter, in spring, and in the summer preggerrs and post-baby. Because orange can be such a strong color, I think it’s a great choice for accessories. It’s bold, playful, and a little more unexpected than red. My orange necklace, pumps, and summer scarf have gotten frequent wear precisely because they can add a twist to even plain outfits.

Do you have a recurring color in your accessory stash?

14 October 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

22 September 2009 – Thrifty, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Wine cardi – The Limited
• Pieced top – Eloise, thrifted
• Gray jeans – thrifted
• Brown wedges – thrifted

End Notes:

As A. mentioned, we went on a little thrifting trip yesterday afternoon. I’ve managed to move one more size closer to my pre-preggers state, and given how swimmingly my first post-partum thrifting excursion went I felt fully justified in seeing if the thrifting fairies would do their magic once more.

(Preggers readers, I cannot adequately praise the confidence-boosting power of a pair of great fitting pants or a non-elastic waist skirt when you are in your fourth trimester. And I will happily pay $4 for a pair of jeans that may have a shorter longevity in my closet but make me happy in my stretched out skin.)

Top Detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

Perhaps one of my favorite benefits of thrifting is the opportunity to try a look or a piece out that I am uncertain about. Take this top, for example. I surprised myself when I pulled it off the rack for a second look. While I like the color, it’s not something that I would have gravitated towards in a retail store. The low price, however, prompted me to feel a little bolder, a little more willing to try incorporating something different into my wardrobe without worrying too much about financial repercussions. And I’m glad I did!

Are you more experimental in your choices when thrifting? Or does your aesthetic remain the same as when you’re shopping retail?

23 September 2009 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed except bag:

• Black cardi – Target
• Gray tank – Filene’s basement
• Jean skirt – Urban Outfitters
• Yellow pumps – Gianni Bini, via Dillards
• Bag – Etienne Aigner, hand-me-down from mom, thanks!
• Necklace - Anthropologie

Endnotes:

Today’s outfit was likewise inspired by E., who paid homage to ‘grellow‘ in a recent post of hers. I love these yellow Gianni Bini pumps, which have proven to be more than comfortable, and I have worn these with any number of colors but not once with gray. E.’s gray and yellow mix planted a seed and I think I’ve found a new favorite color combo.

To play up the yellow of the shoes, I added a tan bag and a gold and ivory vintage inspired necklace.

It was a good thing that I wore comfortable shoes today, because on an errand to Sibiu, a nearby city and a favorite of mine in Romania, I ended up doing quite a bit of walking. It was also a good thing that I had my camera and was able to snap a few shots, because I’m dying to share them with you. Sibiu was named European Capital of Culture in 2007 and I think the title is well deserved; it’s full of gorgeous old building, historic sites, cafes and restaurants, museums and bookstores. If you ever come to Romania, make sure to add Sibiu to your list! Here’s a sneak peak at what you would encounter:

      

27 February 2009 – Shades of Grey, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• grey and black scarf – gift 
• grey cardi – Calvin Klein 
• grey tank – Filene’s basement 
• jeans – Filene’s basement 
• clogs – Dansko 
• puzzle piece bracelet – gift 
• necklace – thrifted 

Endnotes:

A grey monochrome ensemble for a grey and dreary day. We had such wonderful weather this week and now it’s back to cloudy and cold. It’s alright though, nothing can dampen my mood since it’s Friday and I’m spending the day at my favorite coffee shop with A. getting work done. Then later tonight I will curl up with a hot tea and cookies to watch Stacy and Clinton dole out fashion advice on What Not to Wear. I love Fridays. S.

    

Hidden pop of color, originally uploaded by academichic.

    

two sided scarf, originally uploaded by academichic.

    

puzzle piece bracelet, originally uploaded by academichic.