academichic

3 September 2009 – Day, originally uploaded by academichic.

Endnotes:

Yesterday was spent running errands and getting organized in terms of my upcoming departure to Germany. Since I don’t know how soon after my arrival in Munich I will be able to get a bike, I’m relishing my last few days cycling about town to the post office, the campus library, and the grocery store. I found this jersey skirt and these wedges very easy to bike in: the stretchy-ness of the fabric allows for easy movement while the weight of this heavier jersey prevents it from flying up and exposing me to the world.

There is not much else to say about yesterday’s “day” look other that it was incredibly comfortable while still managing to appear put-together. I love it when those two criteria come together. S.

26 May 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed except for skirt.

• Navy blazer – Banana Republic Outlet (can’t live without it)
• Blue cami – Target
• Green jersey skirt – Target, gift from the mother-in-law
• Patterned flats – Target

End Notes:

This outfit is essentially the same as one I wore a few weeks ago, but with different colors stepping in. As the end of my pregnancy draws steadily closer and my bump grows steadily bigger I’m realizing more and more that color combinations are going to be the style component that keep me from getting utterly bored with myself. Fewer and fewer shapes and silhouettes will work, but fresh splashes of color can do wonders. At least, that’s what I’m betting on!

Again, I’m hardly lab appropriate in this, but I’m hoping that the idea of using unexpected colors to put a new spin on a limited number of silhouettes might ring true for our lab-bound ladies. I know I would get bored with jeans quite quickly and be looking for other, more colorful alternatives.

26 May 2009 – lab friendly, originally uploaded by academichic.

If I weren’t preggers this season I think I would be deeply tempted by a pair of what I term “fun color pants,” chinos in a bright hue ala JCrew, Gap, or Old Navy. I think the trick for keeping the pants from looking too juvenile or clown-like is to pair them with a top that has more grown-up details and to add some structure, whether in the top itself or by throwing a little blazer over it all.

What do you think, lab and non-lab readers alike? Are colored pants a no-no in your book or do you embrace them? What are your tricks for making them look sophisticated rather than silly?

Sources, part ii:

• “Jalapeno” pants – Old Navy Perfect Khakis, $29.50
• White top with eyelet detail – Anthropologie Drifting Cumulus Tee, $19.95
• Linen blazer – Forever 21 swing blazer, $16.50
• (Alternate top: Gap Eyelet Tee in turquoise, $29.95)

 

7 May 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Yellow top – Forever 21
• Brown jersey skirt – ON, remixed
• Navy blazer – BR Outlet, remixed
• T-strap sandals – Target.com clearance, remixed

End Notes:

I’m done with my semester! I turned in my last paper on Monday and finished up my grading yesterday. I have to admit, though, I’m having a hard time feeling a real sense of relief. My husband and I have been in the process of getting our floors replaced for the last month and a half and they’re still not done. I have a hard time when projects outside my control linger, especially when I have a 2.5 page long document entitled The Great Nest of 2009 that I need to get started on.

On to my outfit. Between belt-free week and being preggers, I’ve come more and more to value a balance between structure and fluidity. Maybe it’s like a wardrobe metaphor for my life. I would have never guessed that I would be such an advocate of little structured jackets over jersey pieces while preggers, but I feel like they have been a lifesaver for helping me feel polished while remaining comfortable. All my jackets are washable cotton, too, a blissful union of form and function. I think these wedge t-straps actually serve a similar purpose as the jacket. They’re chunkier and more architectural and serve as a good counterpoint to all the other flowy I have going on. It’s a simple but clean outfit for a day of errands and catching up on everything that got pushed to the side during the final month of school.

 

7 May 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

  

10 March 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Blue pleated tank: Ann Taylor Outlet
• Green t-shirt cardi: Old Navy
• Brown jersey skirt: Old Navy, remixed
• Mongolian yak wool house slippers: gift from my sister-in-law!

End Notes:

I love work-from-home days when it’s just me, my cats, a few cups of tea, and a list of do-able projects. While I don’t dress up for a day at home, I do get dressed, and it makes a world of difference to me mentally. It gives my day a definite start, it makes me unashamed to answer the door when the mail lady knocks, and it helps me feel productive rather than lazy. Not bad for a couple of knit jersey pieces!

But perhaps the best part is that I get to wear my favorite footwear all day: these magenta, yak wool house slippers that my sister-in-law brought back from Mongolia. They’re warm, they’re an awesome color, and they have a curling elf toe. What more could you ask for?

  

Mongolian Elf Shoes, originally uploaded by academichic.