academichic

Sources:

• Dress: Banana Republic outlet
• Sweater: BR outlet
• Belt: American Apparel
• Shoes: Pucci (gift from mom)

Endnotes:
That’s right – this week I had my last day of classes for the year, which means I’m almost done with my first year of teaching high school English!!! I remember at the beginning of the year when I was a) a new teacher b) training for a marathon and c) blogging for the first time and honestly I’m not sure how I got through all that. But, here we are, early June and I’ve survived – thanks in large part to the support of my friends (and co-bloggers) and family. Thank you to everyone who helped me through this year of massive transitions and first days – and that includes all of you who wrote encouraging comments! As our Dean of Faculty told me during the first week (when I may or may not have been crying in his office), “Every day is a first day in your first year of teaching.” And he’s right. Every time I stepped in my classroom this year, it was the first time I was teaching that lesson or discussing that book. As the year went on, I learned how to gauge my students more, and I could anticipate how each section was going to react to certain things and could begin to tailor things a little more. Having one year under my belt, as it were, makes me so excited for next year, when I’ll have a much better idea what to expect!

Anyway, back to the clothes. I wanted to wear something on my last day that would remind me how far I’ve come this year – and would include things that I love: anything pink and fabulous shoes. The base of this outfit is the same as what I wore on the first day of school. I switched in a bright green cotton cardigan for the turquoise one I ended up wearing the first day (not pictured), and moved my stretchy belt to the outside. This is definitely one of my matchy-matchy outfits since the pink and green are perfectly reflected in the pink and green of my fantastic satin Pucci flats.

The learning curve of a new teacher is pretty much exponential, and I feel so great coming out of this year with all the knowledge and ideas I’ve gained and cannot wait to implement new things for next year. I’m pretty sure that’s the best way possible to end a year – excited for the next year to come. Not that I’m not going to enjoy my summer. Oh, boy. Summer. Here I come! What are you all up to for the summer???

L.

Sources:

• Shirt: Ninety via Filene’s Basement
• Camisole: Banana Republic Outlet
• Necklace: made by my aunt
• Belt: mom’s closet
• Skirt: Juillet via Neiman Marcus
• Shoes: Crown Vintage via DSW

Endnotes:
Dear DSW,

Thank you for my $10 birthday month gift certificate. I bought these shoes and I love them.

Sincerely,

L.

But seriously, if you’re a shoe junkie like me and live near a DSW outlet then it is definitely worth signing up with them (and no I’m not being paid to say that – but I would accept payment in shoes if anyone reading this is from DSW!). I know rewards programs are really ploys to make you spend more money, but I love that DSW sends me gift cards in the mail to spend on shoes. Only shoes.

I bought these at the end of March and was envisioning this exact outfit when I was debating the purchase. I know that I’m about two years late on the oxfords trend, but that’s what happens when you only shop sale and clearance (with very rare exceptions). I like the contrast of traditional men’s pieces (oxford shoes and button down shirt) with the ultra femme floral and eyelet lace skirt. I was inspired by other bloggers like the lovely Monkeyface, who wears her oxfords with jeans, with skirts, and even with red socks! You should also check her out because she’s a talented photographer AND a witty writer AND has amazingly perfect hair. I think I have a bit of a blog-crush :)

In other news, last Thursday night my mother and I went to the Boston Ballet’s opening performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and let me tell you, it was spectacular (look at the video on their website for a glimpse)! The costumes, made of diaphanous chiffon, were gorgeous and ethereal. The music was mellifluous. The glittering wings on fairies and donkey head for the character Bottom were fine and delicate and in contrast bumbling and hilarious. It’s the first time I’ve actually laughed at the ballet! Also the first time I was sipping on champagne while watching – who knew you could do that?!

Sources:

• Dress: Banana Republic
• Belt: J. Crew
• Scarf: vintage (from mom)
• Shoes: vintage Calvin Klein (from mom)
• Purse: Lauren Merkin via Neiman Marcus (gift from mom)
• Necklace: from mom
• Ring: gift from mom

As for my attire, I had been trying to think of a way to wear this purple scarf (which my mom had bought at street market in Paris a million years ago), but the deep fringe stymied me and it seemed like it was not for everyday wear. For this more formal event I wanted to wear it over my shoulders, but didn’t want it just hanging loose down my front. The trick was to belt it and put the belt backwards so just the pink patent leather showed and the buckle was hidden behind the back.

It was a wonderful evening with my mom, and as you can see, I take much of my style sense – and much of my clothing, jewelry, and looks, for that matter – from her! Thanks mom, I love you!

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.

10 February 2011 – Jewelry as Sign, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Purple Cardigan – Gap Outlet
• Black Wrap Dress – Banana Republic
• Stripped Tank – J Crew
• Black Tights – Target
• Pattern Tights – gift from S.
• Boots – Steve Madden Intyce
• Bracelet – Hawaii
• Pin – purchased from activist speaker
• Earrings – wedding gift from A2

Endnotes:

As S. and many readers mentioned, jewelery often functions as a sign — a sign of gender, ethnicity, class, but also sexuality, marital status, age, and many other things (clothing of course also often functions in this way, as we have many times discussed here). I thought about that as I put this outfit together for an awards ceremony at which I was presented with an honor for LGBT leadership and service.  I immediately thought of the casual outfit I wore on national coming out day and wanted to recreate it in a dressier and more winter-appropriate version.  The main elements remained the same – my purple cardigan, multi-colored bead bracelet (not exactly a rainbow), and my “queer kids rule” pin.

Pride Pin and Beads, originally uploaded by academichic.

Choosing these accessories was a no-brainier knowing that I would be surrounded by other queers and allys there to recognize me for my commitment to the LGBT community. It was meaningful and fun to show some overt queer pride through my jewelry (and color choice of “lavender”).  But it got me thinking about the other jewelry I was sporting – my small silver earnings (since I didn’t want too many statement pieces at once) and, even more so, my wedding ring.

When A2 and I got married last summer we exchanged very simple white-gold bands.  We talked a lot about how we wanted to handle the whole ring issue and both agreed we had no need for engagement rings since the decision to get married was one we made together over many years.  We choose to exchange wedding bands because we like the sentiment behind, we wanted a symbol of our commitment, and because we were looking to up-grade the cheap matching silver bands we had been wearing for years. But, something about it still made me a bit uncomfortable – its sign value.  I am not a married straight woman and in fact in most of the country, including the state in which I reside, I do not enjoy marital status.   I was uncomfortable wearing something that signaled otherwise.  I didn’t want to pass.  So, I wear my wedding band on my right hand instead of my left.  I don’t know what assumptions most people make based on this right-hand ring, but over the last 7 months a few people have asked me about it.  For the most part, these questions have led to some incredible conversations about marriage and about symbols.

So, today I suppose I am aware of the power of jewelry as sign but am celebrating the power of jewelry as conversation stater!  Has any of your jewelry ever led to a great discussion?  Do you consciously wear jewelry as sign?

Boots and layred tights, originally uploaded by academichic.

10 February 2011 – Jewelry as Sign, originally uploaded by academichic.

Puffer E., originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Jacket: Via Spiga, via Marshalls
Fleece lined tights: Target
Boots: Target
Wool dress: Banana Republic, thrifted in Hawaii for 99 cents!
Dolman cardigan: Ann Taylor
Belt: Gap Outlet

End Notes:

Like A. and S., I too found my puffy coat at Marshalls. I had done a lot of puffy coat shopping online: stalking JCrew puffers on eBay, looking at discounted coats on Overstock and Bluefly, and wondering if I just should just buy the Gap version. In the end, I’m happy that I wandered into the coat section of Marshalls, because I found this wonderfully warm, down Via Spiga coat on clearance. I immediately fell in love with the dramatic collar and THE BELT.

Puffer E., originally uploaded by academichic.

Yes, I still feel a little bit like a giant marshmallow when I wear it. But the belt helps. A lot. Also, when it keeps me warm on minus-something degree days, all of my Hawaii blood sings for joy and I don’t care that much about silhouette.

Underneath it all yesterday, I wore my new favorite dress: a black seasonless wool stretch dress from Banana Republic that I thrifted while in Hawaii for 99 cents. Ah, I love Savers. I knew I was going to be wearing some pretty chunky boots to get to campus that day, so I balanced things out on top with my dolman cardigan, pinned behind my back as I’ve done a few times before.

Underneath it All, originally uploaded by academichic.

Finally, I’d like to ask for some help with snow boots. I like my Hunter Wellies, especially with their liners, but I find them a little bulky, not quite as warm, and I’ve been disappointed with their grip in icy snow. I bought these snow specific boots at Target my first winter in the Midwest. They were cheap, they kept my feet warm in the snow, and they were not hideous. I’ve been wanting to upgrade to something that’s just as warm but just less…bulky. Yet, I’m still at a loss as to what exactly I’m looking for, both on a technical and aesthetic level.

Help!

Clompers, originally uploaded by academichic.

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.

Sources:

• Dress – Banana Republic Outlet
• Necklace – J.Jill
• Damask tights – Anthropologie
• Boots – Banana Republic
• Red cuff – H&M

Endnotes:

This is probably my favorite outfit worn since becoming pregnant. I’m not counting the first few weeks when my body was the same size as before and I could still wear everything I own just as before. I’m talking about my favorite outfit since my jeans and skirts all became too tight, since I switched to preggers pants, and since I’ve felt a bit self-conscious in clingy jersey dresses.

Yesterday I wrote about how I’ve been wearing loose tops and baggier layers to camouflage what I perceived as my ‘new lecturer 15’ look. Then, at the end of last week, I decided to just wear what I wanted to wear and not worry about prompting the “is she? isn’t she pregnant?” look from others based on my growing but not yet baby-bumpish midsection.

I loved this outfit because it wasn’t built around my changing body but came to be inspite of it. It’s got all these elements that I love and would have worn before: the little black dress, the pop of bright red color, the crazy damask tights…

Incidentally, the day I wore this, one of my students did ask if she should congratulate me. But no, not because she assumed anything by looking at me but because she had facebook stalked me (yes, we all had a good laugh over this before class, but be careful what you make available on your profile!) and she had seen my profile picture (the only thing visible to my students), which has me grinning and pointing to my belly. This particular student is a mother herself and was thrilled for me. As were my other students, who immediately congratulated me and asked questions about when the baby’s due and whether I’d have to suffer through summer while preggers (the answer, a resounding yes, as I’m due at the end of July).

Two of my classes now know that I’m pregnant and the response has been positive yet not overwhelming. While my students seemed genuinely pleased for me, once class began, our focus was on the course and the tasks at hand. Last year, we discussed the pregnant body as the ‘public body’ in the classroom during our roundtable discussion for Sal’s site Already Pretty. E. made some interesting observations based on her experience of teaching while pregnant and I’m interested to see how my experience will go as I become more visibly pregnant and my belly takes more of a presence in the room. Maybe I’m being naïve, but I don’t see things changing much.

This, of course, is due to the fact that I find myself to be on a pretty family friendly campus in a very family friendly department. My colleagues and chair have been very kind and positive and my students have shown the same consideration. Several readers have asked to discuss the question of academia and pregnancy/motherhood and I’d be happy to continue addressing this topic over the next months. I can only speak from my personal experience, which has been very positive thus far. In fact, I have a possible ‘very awesome project’ I’m working on for the month of May with a (male) colleague, who has been incredibly supportive and undisturbed by the fact that I’ll be seven months pregnant by the time this project comes to fruition and we’ll be spending a lot of time on foot carrying it out. So I’ll gladly discuss my experience, but I warn you that it’s been altogether good thus far, and I may end up gushing unabashedly.

I’d love to hear from others out there who are navigating a professional life along with being pregnant or mothering children. What were your experiences like? Alternately, if you’re someone who asked about balancing grad school with pregnancy, what are your main concerns? The work load? The response from your department? The reaction of your colleagues or students? Thanks, in advance, for your always stimulating feedback! – 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.

7 October 2010 -My Birthday Suit, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Black Shirt Dress – BR Outlet
• Belt – Old Navy
• Scarf – Nepali by TMD Designs
• Shoes – Steve Madden Girl, via DSW
• Earrings – F21

Endnotes:

I started thinking about my birthday outfit earlier this week and decided it was a good excuse to dress up a bit.  I love this black wrap shirt dress.  The top fits me perfectly and the shirt sleeves and collar make me feel crisp, sharp, and thus polished.  The full bottom makes me feel playful and of course, I love the pockets!  The black can be a bit hash and boring so I added a few pops of my favorite colors – the teal belt, the vintage green ring, blueish-green and violet earrings, and the sea foam green scarf.

I initially planned on wearing my green flats or my grey wedges with this look, but once I slipped this crinkly patten pumps on, I had to wear them!  They make my legs look a mile long and take this simple black dress to the next level.  Normally, I would probably not wear this combination to school, but hey, it’s my birthday!

7 October 2010 -My Birthday Suit, originally uploaded by academichic.

I’m used to the weather being a bit cooler on my birthday and wearing boots, scarves, cardigans and blazers.  The weather in Academichic Central was beautiful yesterday, warm and sunny for most of the day, but cool enough in the morning and evening to warrant the addition of this fabulous scarf from TDM Designs.

7 October 2010 -My Birthday Suit, originally uploaded by academichic.

7 October 2010 -My Birthday Suit, originally uploaded by academichic.

In my dream world — the one where there are lots of academic jobs and a position at your ideal institution opens up right as you’re finishing your degree — I can imagine myself applying to at least two different kinds of college teaching jobs. I would be interested in teaching art history at an art school, and I would be interested in teaching at a small (likely faith-based) liberal arts college. Were I to land on-campus interviews in either of these scenarios, the type of school itself would certainly play a role in what I might choose to wear, with definite adjustments for the season, the geographic location, the “feel” of the school, etc.

As always, the usual caveats apply. This is meant to generate ideas, not offer didactic advice. Bodies are not neutral, so how your body is perceived socially will certainly impact how the clothes you put on them are received. And confidence is the best accessory, so if wearing a really sharp, tailored suit is what makes you feel polished and accomplished…then I say go for it. As I’ve already mentioned, I will most likely go suit shopping — at the very least for great, professional separates — if and when I go on the traditional job market.

But let’s indulge in a little make-believe and pretend that a) my dissertation has magically written itself; b) I suddenly have two interviews and I want to wear something besides the traditional pants suit; and 3) the hiring cycle fits with out current season. Let’s say that School #1 is an art school in the Midwest and School #2 is an evangelical liberal arts school on the East Coast.

For School #1 I might wear something like this:

Knit Blazer and Trousers, originally uploaded by academichic.

This is not a suit. It is, however, a professional-looking ensemble that is also eminently movable. While trapeze jackets might not be on-trend right now, I think they have a classic quality about them that plays nicely against the more structured trousers and fine gauge sweater. And, importantly, because it’s a ponte knit, it passes the arm swing test with flying colors. I imagine that this could be important since I definitely lecture with wild gesticulations. I like that this has some of the components of a pants suit, but there’s a little twist on proportions, shapes, and color that personalizes the outfit without being distracting.

Polished Garnet Necklace Detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

Speaking of colors, I love that the eggplant jacket and amber necklace warm up the otherwise harsh black. I kind of feel like a Rothko painting, and that seems appropriate for an art school setting without being (I hope) cliche. (On a more practical note, currently these pants are hemmed for sizable heels, but for a real on-campus interview, I would wear pants hemmed to wear with a lower black heel or wedge.)

For School #2 I might wear something like this:

Skirt and Blazer, originally uploaded by academichic.

Honestly, I would prefer to wear a skirt suit to an institution like this one, but a similar feeling can be created by wearing a blazer over a sheath dress. A benefit to this is that there are less pieces to mess with and no tucking issues to fret over. Despite my previously articulated misgivings about this blazer, I think it works out okay in this iteration since I’m visually raising my waist anyway with the dress. It’s a relatively classic — rather than trendy — cut, and it also adds some textural interest to the outfit overall. I kept my jewelry simpler: diamond studs and a jade ring worn as a pendant for a teeny little pop of color that is more in tune with my aesthetic than the brooches or scarves many advice columns suggest. And yes, I did roll up my sleeves. I think some of you will tell me this is a no-no, but I feel so much more like me and so much less liable to fidget. Hey, I know my weaknesses. (These shoes are not one of them. I’ve walked a mile straight in them without issue.) Overall, I feel really powerful in a great fitting dress and jacket, and a bold shoe only cements that confidence.

Knockout, originally uploaded by academichic.

Neither of these outfits are going to go down in the annals of Academichic as E.’s Best Look EVER. They aren’t fashion Statements with a capital S. But an interview outfit should make me the star, not my clothes, and I think that both of these remain true to my personal style while also being appropriate for their respective scenarios. After all, no one’s going to hire my closet.