27 November 2009

Posted on | November 28, 2009 | 17 Comments

27 November 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:
All remixed except newly found vintage purse:

White tuxedo front shirt - J.Crew
Jersey dress – Banana Republic
Purple cardi - H&M
Brown woven belt – F21
Purple tights – Rewe
Boots – Dillards
Clutch bag – “AEG Kanis” found at Oxfam in Munich

Endnotes:

Yesterday’s outfit was an exercise in layering and staying comfortable and warm. While you can add layers for warmth in a way that doesn’t reveal all the different items you have on, I always find it more fun to play with layers that show themselves. Experimenting with different necklines is one of the easiest ways to add warmth while also producing striking visual interest.

Layering detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

Yesterday’s outfit looked far more visually complex than it was, since it was really just neutrals (brown and white) with a pop of color (purple). But the interest came from the mix of pattern (in the dress) with textures (the ruffle in the top, the woven belt). While mixing patterns can seem a bit scary, I find that mixing textures in a simpler and far less intimidating approach to achieving visual interest in one’s outfit.

27 November 2009 , originally uploaded by academichic.

My favorite part of the ensemble was this newly acquired red leather clutch, which I came across at the Munich Oxfam for only 6 Euros. I want to say it’s vintage but I’m never quite sure about these things. I just know that it appears old, I couldn’t find the brand when I searched for it online, and it came with a little key for the lock, which I only found hidden in one of its pockets after I had arrived home.

Vintage bag , originally uploaded by academichic.

I now leave you with a couple more shots from the Munich Christmas Market at Marienplatz. If you ever visit Austria or Germany and can time it to coincide with the Christmas Market season (mid November – December), I promise you will not regret it! S.

Munich Christmas Market, originally uploaded by academichic.

Glühwein, originally uploaded by academichic.

30 August 2009

Posted on | August 30, 2009 | 29 Comments

30 August 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed:

Fuschia top – Banana Republic
Black cardi – Banana Republic
Black belt – thrifted
Black skirt – Old Navy
Black pumps – Kenneth Cole
Necklace – Anthropologie
Bangle – gift from dad

Endnotes:

I’m back! I’ve spent the last week living out of a car and out of a tent, traveling with my husband and two visiting Austrian friends to some of the many amazing national parks and monuments this country has to offer. While the sights and hikes have been breathtaking, the outfits have definitely been not. Not to mention that I had no access to my laptop, phone, or electricity for the past nine days – bliss.

But now that I’m back, I’m fascinated by the dialogue that started last week just after my departure and I’d like to add my two cents: I too, like A., have only told a few people about this blog of ours (my husband, my parents, and exactly three friends – one here in the US, my Austrian friend I’ve just been traveling with, and one in Romania).

In fact, I was faced with an interesting dilemma towards the end of this past spring semester. An undergraduate student who I’ve come to know well and who was getting ready to begin graduate work this fall confided that she did not know how to dress for graduate school and that she needed help in developing a more professional look. Part of my wanted to yelp, ‘I have just the site for you! I blog about this almost daily!’ I felt like our units on proportions, color, teaching attire and countless others could express to her much more than I could say in a brief half hour conversation. But another – equally persuasive inner voice – hastened to warn me that she was still my student and perhaps would not be too thrilled to find out about her instructor’s style blog. In the end, I did not reveal my ‘secret project’ and probably was not able to answer her questions or provide her with too much help during our brief conversation. Although I do not equate time or attention spent on appearance with diminishing intellectual capabilities, I still feel acutely aware of society’s and fellow academics’ tendencies to do so and wanted to spare myself the potential judgement. Such is my dilemma – I know that the system is flawed and don’t ‘buy into it’, but in true Foucaultian fashion, I also know that I can not exist outside of that system.

On a related note – the question of engagement rings and wedding bands has come up in numerous comments and here is where I stand on that. T. and I opted for a non-diamond engagement ring for numerous reasons, and as a result, most people did not realise that I was engaged when seeing my ring finger. We are so trained to read certain symbols as carrying certain meanings that we often do not even consider the possibilities of alternate meanings or alternate symbols. But I did not choose a non-diamond ring as a way to hide or downplay my marital status in the interview room (and in fact now wear a very conspicuous wedding band inherited from my mother). While I may not be brave enough yet to freely share this project with others in my professional or personal life, I do not believe that I should ever hide or deny something like my partner or desire to have children from potential employers. I may be likely to downplay my interest in clothes and style, but I am much less inclined to do so with my family and personal priorities and believe that any work place that would not support my having a life outside of academia does not deserve the hard work and commitment I would put into serving that department. S.

Color Review Symposium Part I

Posted on | August 19, 2009 | 9 Comments

We have been experimenting with our Fashion 101 modules on Color around here and have been very fortunate to have some of you partake in these challenges as well. We love being inspired by our readers and have loved receiving your submissions to our CFP. Here is a selection of the wonderful outfits created by you, putting our color theory into practice:

Neutrals:

While here at Academichic Central we are struggling to beat the heat with cool neutrals, our lone all-neutrals submission came from a far away reader in a winter climate. We love how Missy P made her winter white really pop by pairing it with layers of rich brown form head to toe.

Neutrals with a Pop:

We are all jealous of Missy P’s beautiful coat collection, particularly this striking red wool coat which provides the perfect pop in a mix of cozy neutrals. What a great way to add some color to a dreary winter day!

In Dawn’s own words: “I decided to mix navy, black & cream with red, and felt fabulous breaking one of the central commandments of style!” We adore this fabulous example of why some rules are just meant to be broken!

Titi wears clothes took this neutrals ensemble and gave it two pops of color, and an analogous one at that! We love the little peak of yellow under the gray as well as how the green bag stands out against this sophisticated dark color palette.

Two-Thirds of a Triad:

This beautiful predominately neutral look – made extra special with the addition of two pops of color – is a perfect example of the two thirds rule- Esstea explains: “I love how just those two little bursts of color played off each other and made the neutral charcoals and blacks look zippier.” We couldn’t agree more!

We also love this take on the two-thirds rule: Pairing the brightest pink in her closet (red) with her darkest navy denim (blue), Esstea creates yet another stunning color combo. Very chic!

Water Girl put together a two thirds of red-blue-yellow triad, writing: ”I love blue and red together, but always struggle with making sure I don’t look like a 4th of July firecracker”. Well no problem here! This belted jacket and pretty skirt combo are nothing if not chic and put-together!

Krissie’s take on the blue-yellow-red triad combined blue and yellow in this elegant professional look. Taking her cue from A’s DIY flower and ribbon belt, she finished off this ensemble with her own version in rich brown hues.

Complimentary Colors:

Orange and blue, complimentary colors often sported by both S. and E., seemed to be by far the most popular complimentary color submission. Here Krissie is employing the little trick of letting a pattern do the color mixing work for you with this beautiful abstract print skirt.

Redcactusflower was inspired by E.’s recent orange and blue outfit to wear a color combination she wouldn’t normally try. We love the sleek look of this ensemble with the structured tan skirt and the unexpected burst of orange from this gorgeous bauble necklace.

Clare’s casual version of a blue and orange complimentary look is bold and summery. We love the slight variation on the ‘true’ colors with her choice of red-orange and blue-green and we’re also mighty impressed by how not even an arm cast can dim her sense of style! Rock on, Clare!

Titi wears clothes also sent us a complimentary color submission, one that is often more difficult to pull off given its very ‘Christmassy’ associations. There’s no danger of that with this outfit, which beautifully pairs a blue-green shirt dress with a maroon hobo bag. Excellent casual elegance!

Jessica took a different approach to the same red-green complimentary color combination by pairing a pink top with a mint green floral skirt. The delicate beaded necklace of pinks, browns, and greens brings this entire outfit seamlessly together.

Thank you, all, for your wonderful submissions! We’ve really enjoyed being inspired by you and hope that our readers will find equal enjoyment in perusing these beautiful pictures and stunning color combinations.