• Striped Cardigan – J Crew
• Plaid Shirt – Gap
• Skirt – Old Navy
• Grey Tights – BR Outlet
• Wellies – Banana Republic
• Belt – Thrifted
• Earrings – Gift

I was inspired by S.’s pattern mixing from yesterday to do a little of my own.  I don’t own many patterned cardigans (mostly stripes) so I started with the cardigan and then went to my closet full of patterned plaid, striped, and floral button downs.  I tend to be a bit more timid with my pattern mixing that either S. or E. so I stuck with a simple color palette of grey black and bright blue.  I love the subtle small stripes against the bold large buffalo plaid.

Reader Kaite asked for advice on layering a cardigan over a button down.  I have sported this look many times so I thought I would share some of my observations.

For today’s outfit, I chose a long loose cardigan and left it un-buttoned; buttoned-up it created to many lumps.  I added the belt under the cardigan to remind you of the waist under all the loose layers.

The easiest cardigan/button-down combination is a sturdy cardigan layered over a close-fitting sleeveless button-down.  I often wear my sleeveless white button-down under a variety of layers, including cardigans.  Similarly, a sturdy sleeveless cardigan (sweater vest) will work well over a long sleeve button-down, this avoids arm lumps.

I have found that two types of cardigans work well for layering. First, larger cardigans that flow away from the body won’t look ton bulky, because you will be able to see that the bulk clearly comes from the cardigan and not your body.  Today is a good example of this – of course when in doubt, belt!

Second, a sturdy material or a tightly woven sweater will work much better than cardigans that hold less of a shape.  When the cardigan is thick and sturdy you can smooth out any lumps underneath.  Whit these sweaters, you can belt over all of you layers, as I did with my argyle and light pink cardigans below.  If the cardigan is less sturdy, leave it unbuttoned so that it floats away from the button-down, as I did with the black cardigan above and the purple one below.

As with everything, try different combinations on!  A cardigan might work really well over some button-downs but not at all over others.  Try belting both over and under the cardigan and try it out both buttoned and un-bottoned. If you really want to layer a cardigan over a button down and can’t seem to get rid of the bumps, you can always but a tight fighting cami in between the button down and cardigan to smooth everything out.

Do you have any tips you can share?  A.

• Cream Sweater – F21
• Brown Pinstripe Skirt – Gap
• Brown Tights – Talbot
• Plaid Scarf – BR Outlet
• Brooch- Gift
• Red Wedges – Anthropologie, via ebay

This is not at all what I had intended to wear today. I knew I had a full day so I laid out an outfit last night but the only items I actually used from what I laid our are the scarf and the tights.  The purple jersey dress I had planned to wear apparently shrank in it’s last run through the wash and now looks more like a maternity top than a dress. So, I quickly improvised!

I still wanted to use this plaid scarf and I had the tights on already so I worked from there.  I have been wanting to wear one of my full skirts since E. wore her white one last week. The brown pinstripe worked with the tights I already had on and created a nice pattern mix with he scarf.  I pulled out the cream sweater as a nice neutral and a good blank canvas for the scarf.  I chose these maroon wedges instead of the boots I had planned to wear because it is finally a bit warmer and it broke up all the brown on the bottom.

For the scarf, I have worn this belted and so wanted to try out something new.  I tried out E.’s “flop knot”, but it wasn’t laying right.  I just started playing around  with it and discovered that the way I wanted it to lie was not accomplish-able with any scarf tie I knew, so I decided to pin the two sides together with a safety pin.  I liked the drape but found that it looked like it was floating so I added the brooch, which gives the impression that it is holding everything in place.

I’m excited that I found a way to mix patterns, don a brooch, and wear a full, light-weight skirt in the dead of winter.  But, I think the overall look has a Scottish vibe I wasn’t planning on.  I think I will reuse elements of the ensemble but perhaps not in this current iteration.

Kimberly’s style is approachable,  affordable, and academia appropriate – generally an all around A+!

I am always impressed with how Kimberly embellishes a few simple pieces with her use of accessories (shoes included).  I once called Kimberly a pattern-mixing goddess, but today I am celebrating her as accessory goddess.  I started with a simple black dress (Kimberly just recently did a post showing the many ways she has worn her little black dress) and then added a long cardigan – basic pieces, a blank canvas to accessorize.  I added the teal pumps and this beautifully patterned scarf (a gift from Kimberly) worn as a faux blouse.  My instinct was to pull out a simple black or brown leather belt but knew Kimberly would likely reach for a more bedazzled option, so I opted for this jeweled stretchy belt and then fished it all off with some jewelry.

Thanks for all the inspiration Kimberly, I feel Fab-Finds Fabulous today!   A.

• Cardigan – BR Outlet
• Blouse – BR Outlet
• Jean Skirt – BR Outlet
• Sweater Tights – Banana Republic
• Wellies – Banana Republic
• Belt – Ann Taylor
• Earrings – Banana Republic

It wasn’t until I wrote up my sources that I realized almost everything I am wearing is from either Banana Republic or the Banana Republic outlet. This is not the first time this has happened, of course.

These BR wellies were a Christmas present from my Mom and I can’t get enough of them.  They keep my feet dry and warm yet are versatile and stylish too.  All of the other BR items I’m wearing today were bought on sale!  I mentioned the other day that one of my favorite post-holiday activities is shopping. I love the sales and the sense of freedom to experiment when things only cost $3!

I bought this floral blouse the day after Thanksgiving for a whopping $7. It’s rather outside my comfort zone in both fit and pattern and not something I probably would have ever tired on with its original price tag still attached. The cardigan on the other hand, purchased on post-Christmas sale, was a bit more of a splurge, but I’ve had my eye on it for a while. What better way to wear two new patterned items, than together?  My tights are patterned too!

In time, I’ll be revealing more of my great post-holiday finds.  For now, a few thoughts on post-holiday shopping: hit the store early for more selection; if you have time, go back later in the week to see what you missed and push yourself to consider items outside your comfort zone; visit a Banana Republic, Gap, etc outside of the mall, or in a office district where there isn’t much weekend traffic (often you will find these locations deserted after the holidays and thus have the best selection); skip the bargain stores because their stuff is always cheap; buy things you would normally pass up but keep all the tags on until you’ve had a chance to reevaluate all of your purchases (try things in different combinations with items in your existing wardrobe).  What are your post-holiday shopping strategies?

Today I administered the final exam for my students.  Apparently, this pink pinstriped shirt says “exam time” to me, as I just remembered I wore it for last semester’s midterm too.  I think I like it because its professional in style but a little more fun because of the bright pink.  I have been wanting to wear my black sweater vest again and apparently great minds think alike – S. and I both thought of the button down/vest combo.

I layered the pink button down over a black henley so I could roll up the sleeves but still have a little extra warmth for the cold day and the cold classroom.  I like the line of tiny buttons created by the three buttoned tops.

But my favorite part of the outfit, is by far these earrings.  They were a gift from a professor I was a TA for years ago.  I love wearing them with preppy professional looks as a surprising twist.

I’m not completely satisfied with how the pants work in this ensemble, but I do think the black on black keeps the outfit looking sleek.  Hopefully I looked authoritative while simultaneously putting my students at ease.

• Brown Vest – American Eagle
• Black Belt – Gap, from Sal
• Plaid Shirt – Urban Outfitters
• Cords- Gap Outlet
• Orange Flats – Old Navy
• Earrings – Gift

When I was younger I wore plaid all the time – almost as often as I wore overalls (yes, I did spend much of my childhood looking like a farmer and or train conductor).  Then in junior high, I wore flannel shirts and corduroy because my older sister was testing out grunge.   I also wore a plaid uniform for 12 years!  So, when I made it to college I gave up plaid for quite some time.  I’m always finding myself drawn back to plaid, as much as I try to pull away.

I now own a few plaid throws, scarves, and even a plaid belt, but only recently have I started trying on plaid shirts and even skirts!  In fact, there are a few plaid items on my Christmas list, including this plaid jacket, which looks suspiciously like the pattern from one of my grade school uniforms.

I’m still not sure how to style this new plaid shirt without falling back into either junior high grunge or childhood farmer, so I’m taking another cue from J Crew and belting my puffy vest and pairing it with flowers and a slightly dressier bottom half.

I know, I know, I’m belt crazy!  What can I say, it’s what I do! :)

A.

• Ruffly Floral Scarf – Anthropologie
• Long Brown Cardigan – Urban Outfitters
• Black Jersey Dress – BR Outlet
• Tights – Gap
• Belt – NY & Co.
• Shoes – Kenneth Cole Reaction

Today I am sporting ruffles and flowers together! Both fall outside my normal comfort zone.  Like E,  I have been embracing ruffles more and more this season, but always paired with stripes or other hard edges.

When I saw this scarf at Anthropologie, I immediately thought of S. (although this is definitely my color palette) and was ready to pass it up, but little sister L. convinced my to try it on and play around with it.  I decided a what better way to introduce an new aesthetic than through an old favorite – the scarf.

I’m letting this new wardrobe addition have center stage so belted it over my black jersey dress and chocolate-brown long cardigan.  I think the pockets may be my favorite part of today’s outfit.

I’m thinking I might like this scarf even more with my new jeans and a simple v-neck tee, so I’m excited to give all the ruffles and flowers another go soon!   Are you trying anything new this season?  A.

• Black Cable V-neck – J Crew
• Houndstooth Trousers – Urban Outfitters
• Scarf – H & M
• Belt – Gift from Sal
• Boots – J Crew

It looks like my student’s visual analysis papers have led to a great discussion. Now if I could only get this discussion going in the class room!  I have found all of your comments about the marketing of clothing, particularly the use of essentalizing gendered language and the heteronormativity of such marketing, so interesting!

It seems the limitations of language is always an issue when trying to avoid generalizations.  My students always struggle with this.  What pronoun should they use when writing about the viewer of a work of art?  Their default is always “he.”  Understandably, they don’t want to use the awkward “he/she” (problematic for its  conformance to a binary anyway).  I  encourage them to be specific whenever possible.  Was the work of art created for a monastery?  Then, the viewer was probably male.  Is it a contemporary art work you saw at the museum?  Then, use YOUR preferred pronoun.

Similarly, I try to demonstrate to them that claiming a figure looks feminine says very little about the figure.  Be specific. Tell me he has an elongated neck and red cheeks if that is what you observe. If you avoid associating these characteristics with the figure’s gender (or sexuality, as some students did) you leave yourself open to other possibilities — its cold outside, its a mannerist work, etc.

I started this discussion yesterday because I wanted to talk about the combining of different aesthetics often labeled “feminine” and “masculine” and was finding myself frustrated not to have better terms to use.  I was reminded by reader AC to be specific!  I loved her suggestion of using the terms “geometric” and “organic” to describe yesterday’s combination of stripes and flowers.

The last time I wore the striped cardigan, I noted the combination of  slouchy and polished and  when I wore A2’s jeans (which fit me like “boyfriend jeans” b/c they are a size bigger than my own) I called them girlfriend jeans — specific!

I think once again today’s outfit is the perfect combination of geometric (houndstooth) and organic (floral vine pattern) and of loose (scarf) and structured (belt).  I like that none of these terms – geometric, organic, slouchy, polished, loose, structured, carry any gendered connotations.  It’s actually quite difficult to find descriptive terms that are not gendered in connotation.

What terms do you like?

A

• Blue Sweater – H & M
• Blue Scarf – Old Navy
• Brown Pinstripe Skirt – Gap
• Belt – New York & Company
• Tan Wedges – Gap Outlet
• Amber Earrings – Gift

Like S., I love brown and blue together, but had sort of forgotten what a fabulous color combination it is until S.’s post last week.  When I saw S.’s ensemble, I immediately started thinking about how I could appropriate the look.  I particularly liked how sharp the brown and white geometric pattern looked paired with the two close shades of bright blue.

For my version I chose my brown and white striped skirt and, once again hiked it up and belted it high around my waist.  I reversed S.’s blues by layering my brighter more saturated blue scarf over the lighter sweater.

Now, if only this color combination could help me write the way it did for S.!

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.