academichic

Sources:

• Tank: Target
• Necklace: gift from husband
• Bracelets: bangles from Banana Republic Factory, cork bracelet from Honolulu swap meet
• Skirt: thrifted
• Belt: thrifted
• Wedges: Reaction by Kenneth Cole, via DSW

End Notes:

Can you Dress Your Best and give a round of applause to your familial heritage? Because that’s how I’m ending my DYB this year.

I’ve always taken great pride in the fact that I am hapa, half Japanese and half Caucasian. Because I grew up in a predominantly Asian culture, I perhaps feel more bonded to my Japanese heritage, but I’ve also come to cherish my Scottish and English roots and my old, old New England settler connections. To have two such different and unique histories wrapped up in my own family continues to be a fascinating thing for me.

But even though I may strongly conceive of myself as hapa, as mixed race, not everyone perceives me that way. Most people in Hawaii, many of whom are mixed race themselves, recognize me as being hapa, though they might jokingly give me a hard time for my paler skin or tall stature that makes me stick out amidst the predominantly tan, short population. Since moving to the mainland, however, I’ve found that such recognition is, ironically, more mixed. Some people recognize me as being “not white” and ask, “What are you?” Some people take guesses. I’ve been told that I look like Michelle Wie and Lucy Liu. Once, someone asked if I was part Mexican. Many people just assume that I’m full white.

All of this — the categorization that happens based on physical appearance, the notion that visible recognizability is a necessary part of assuming a particular identity, the very conception of “race” in general — is incredibly fraught and something that I wrestle through in my own academic work. But I know that, for me, my body plays an important role in reminding me of my heritage and seeing my future in the fat cheeks and flat nose of my son who, for all other intents and purposes, looks more like his Caucasian father.

So today I’m celebrating being hapa. I’m celebrating the height I got from 6’4″ father along with the freckles and big ears that are all from his side of the family. And I’m celebrating my big cheeks, dark hair, and yellowy undertones in my skin that come from my mother’s side. So hooray for shoes that are purple and tan even though the skirt is salmon and the shirt is navy. Hooray for a hot pink belt rather than a brown one. Hooray for silver and cork bracelets, worn together. The mixing is what makes it interesting.

Sources:

• Shirt: Splendid via Filene’s Basement
• Tank (under): Gap via thrift
• Skinnies: Anne Taylor Loft
• Shoes: Steve Madden via DSW

Endnotes:
It might not be immediately obvious from this photo what exactly it is I’m dressing. Like most people, I have a love-hate relationship with my hair. Instead of thinking about its tendency to poof out and curl in particularly annoying ways, I’m going to focus on the one thing that really makes it stand out: the color. I’ve been called everything from “copper top” to “fire bush” (by mean kids in high school) and my color has been described as anything from amber, auburn, red, or strawberry blonde all the way to chestnut and brown when it hasn’t gotten sun for a while. I like to showcase it off of turquoises, blues, and greens, which is why my striped turquoise shirt was perfect for this post.

My hair sticks out in my family too. I’m the only one with it in my immediate family, which was pretty confusing for my mom and dad when I was born, and to be totally honest, they still don’t really know where it came from. I’ve been teased for my hair and praised for my hair. I’ve never dyed it because I’ve always been afraid that it will grow back another color (crazy, I know). I avoided orange and red clothes for a long time because I was told they “clashed” with my hair. It wasn’t until I read Still Life With Woodpecker by Tom Robbins that I fully embraced my color as special. I actually get pretty defensive when people try to tell me I don’t have red hair. I’m positive I’m a redhead ;)

Robbins, also a redhead, has a character in this book who claims that “red hair is caused by sugar and lust.” He goes on to describe the flaming locks of the protagonist:

“…red being the color of emergency and roses; red being the prelate’s top and the baboon’s bottom; red being the blood’s color, jelly’s color; red maddening the bull, red bringing the bull down; red being the color of valentines, of left-handedness, and of a small princess’s new found guilty hobby. His hair was red, his cowboy boots muddy, his heart a hive of musical bees.”

Today I’m reveling in my color – whatever you call it, it’s mine.

Sources:

• Mustard cardigan: Target
• Coral cardigan: Banana Republic
• Tank: Old Navy Maternity
• Skirt: Old Navy Maternity
• Cut-out sandals: Jeffrey Campbell, via Gilt
• Patterned wedges: Kenneth Cole, via DSW
• Fedora: Banana Republic

End Notes:

Even if I haven’t been photographing or posting my outfits everyday, I’ve been sticking to my capsule wardrobe and have been happy with how easy it’s been to get dressed in the morning. Of course, it means that I’ve already had some repeats and that I tend to fall back on simple variations on a theme, like the two outfits I’m sharing today. But hey, I’m getting dressed, little e. remains fed and clothed as well, and I’ve been a highly productive dissertation writer.

The formula is simple: gray tank + denim pencil skirt. Add a brightly colored cardigan, a few accessories, fun shoes, and call it a day. I like how the choice of shoes (heels versus flat sandals) and accessories (hat, necklace, or belt) can change the overall feel of the outfit from playful to sophisticated.

Also, sometimes having boring outfits means that I’m more likely to pull out a hat. Is anyone else in love with straw hats for summer?

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:

• Dress: Ann Taylor Loft, lengthened by me
• Obi belt: from another dress
• Patterned wedges: Kenneth Cole, via DSW
• Necklace: Figs and Ginger, Mothers Day gift

End Notes:

An extra look from the weekend, making a delayed appearance…

The last time I blogged this dress, it was a solid — and extremely comfortable — gray. Since then, I decided that I would get more wear out of it if I lengthened it a tad to make it more amenable to biking and sitting on the floor with my toddler. I had another jersey dress in my donate pile that thankfully had a similar skirt fullness, so I just cut off a good wide band from the purple dress and stitched it on to the bottom of my gray dress. As an added bonus, I get to claim that I’m participating in the world of color blocking.

And here is my super secret tip for making all jersey outfits feel more polished: accessorize or layer with a non-jersey fabric. Here, a raw silk obi helps elevate an otherwise shapeless and relatively plain dress. But adding a silk or woven cotton scarf, throwing on a structured jacket, or topping everything off with a woven vest could have a similar effect. I am all for as much jersey as possible, but sometimes, when I need that extra bit of put-togetherness, a non-jersey accessory offers a simple solution without compromising comfort. How do you dress up your jersey?

Sources:

• Top: thrifted new, Target
• Necklace: Old Navy
• Jeans: Old Navy Maternity
• Wedges: Kenneth Cole Reaction, via DSW

End Notes:

While I may not have watched the royal wedding, I did have a conversation or two about the millinery confections adorning women’s heads at the event. Relatedly, a couple of folks sent me links to the pregnant Victoria Beckham’s outfit for the day, including comments like “Egads, the SHOES!” and “Is she actually pregnant?”

In a very, very loose way (pun intended), today’s outfit is for you, Victoria. See, I’m doing the drapey thing and I’m doing the boatneck thing and I’m even doing the very tall heels thing (and though you beat me by three inches or so I’d submit that my cork wedges are far superior in comfort to your eight inch platform stilettos). Although this shirt is not my usual bump-hugging fare, I am appreciating the drape for its more subtle approach, and by wearing it backwards to create a scoop back effect I’m even adding a little bit of sexy into a day to day look.

While it’s a simple look overall, I’m tricking myself into thinking that it’s far more glamorous given its point of inspirational origin. Now what I really need is an awesome fascinator…

Sources:

• Sweater: Clements Ribeiro
• Trousers: Banana Republic Factory Outlet
• Belt: J. Crew
• Scarf: Filene’s Basement
• Shoes: Steve Madden via DSW

Endnotes:
Grey and yellow, aka “grellow”, is not a new pairing by any means, but it is a new combination for me. Inspired by Audi of Fashion for Nerds as well as my cobloggers, I thought I’d give it a shot, and thus far I’m very happy with it. For my third to last day of school before spring break I thought a bright shot of sunny yellow would be appropriate and pulled out one of my favorite light-weight sweaters. My mom and sister got this for me at London Fashion Weekend in 2003, and though yellow has not traditionally been a big player in my wardrobe, the silk applique of the redheads and the bright colors made this sweater perfect for me. I threw on a purple infinity scarf to complement the yellow as well as to cover more of my neck since it’s still chilly here!

I love it, but because it is so distinctive I only wear it for special occasions or when I need a real pick-me-up. Seeing as how I am thisclose to spring break, I knew the yellow could carry me through until the weekend. I like how the yellow and grey play off of on another, and I think a key to wearing this combo is make sure that the tint is the same (i.e. the same level of lightness or darkness despite the difference in color/hue). Audi’s lemon yellow pairs nicely with a light heathery grey and E.’s saffron/marigold colored sweater looks great with her darker grey skirt.

Since I enjoyed the tucked in cardigan look I tried last week, I thought I’d do it again and wear a bright belt. I like how this looked and the only thing that I didn’t like was that these trousers are a little big on me, so I looked pretty rumpled on my bottom half. I love these little flats and they looked surprisingly good with darker grey stockings. What fun outfits are keeping you going until spring comes?

~L.

Happy Birthday E.!, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Tank: J. Crew
• Belt: J. Crew
• Black Skinnies: Anne Taylor Loft
• Shoes: Steve Madden via DSW
• Bangle: Accessorize
• Chalk: Prang Hygieia Assorted Chalk

Endnotes:
Happy Birthday E.! I hope you’re soaking up the sun and surf out in Hawaii with your family to help celebrate your special day! In E.’s honor I used my new colored chalk to make my own little slice of paradise in my classroom (seriously, if you still have a chalk board in your room you MUST try this chalk, it’s amazing). Unlike my attempt to pay homage to A., this outfit for E. came together like clockwork (although my jumping pose took a few tries!)

Happy Birthday Levitation!, originally uploaded by academichic.

I found this mustard yellow top, one of E.’s favorite colors, and immediately knew that I’d wear it for just this picture. One thing that E. has taught me is that staying away from supposedly off-limits colors based on your skin tone or hair or whatever is nonsense.

Embellished Mustard Tank, originally uploaded by academichic.

Another part of my wardrobe that is 100% thanks to E.’s encouragement is my love for skinny pants. She was the first of the three of us to find our now ubiquitous black pants from Anne Taylor, and without her help psyching me up and making the style work for me, I never would have been brave enough to make my “athletic” body embrace this trend. Plus, thanks to all her experimentation and commentary on proportion and elongating or shortening different ratios of leg-to-torso, I now know how to “raise” my own waist with belts, or tucking things in, or wearing higher waisted trousers. Finally, patterned flats.

Patterned Flats, originally uploaded by academichic.

I knew I wanted these to be part of my outfit for two reasons. First, because E. sports some pretty fab pattered shoes (and these ones too) and secondly, because E. is never afraid to wear heels to add on to her already impressive height. While tall girls have been told to wear flats and short girls have been told to wear heels for eons, I support her challenge of these norms and happily wear flats despite being “petite” (aka, under 5’4”). If E. can wear heels, I can wear flats!

My attempt at an "E" pose, originally uploaded by academichic.

Nevertheless, all this is to say that what E. has really taught me is to love and enjoy myself for all that I am. She is comfortable in her own body, confident, stylish, intellectual, witty, and hard working. E. definitely proves that fashion and brains (and a rockin’ sense of humor) can go hand in hand! It was from watching E. and A. dress for classes and department functions that I was bitten by the style bug myself. E. always looks so pulled together and adds some trendy too. She is classy, but a little edgy. And beyond having terrific fashion sense and taking joy in daily dressing, E. (and husband N. too) has shown me great generosity and kindness. Thank you E. for your friendship and guidance over the last few years. Much love and Happy Birthday! xo L.

P.S. how do you do that jumping thing so well???

2 September 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Cropped jacket – thrifted, remixed
• Art Deco brooch – thrifted
• Green tee – H&M, remixed
• Trouser jeans – Old Navy, remixed
• Plaid pointy-toe flats – Target, remixed

Endnotes:

I’m looking forward to fall and being able to pull out cozy jackets and cardigans again. This past spring, we experimented with trends and how we can make them work for our body types, and I finally jumped on the cropped jacket bandwagon. Being short-waisted, I just didn’t think this could work for me, but there are certain tricks that can be applied to mitigate this ‘tiny torso’ problem of mine. The most important one being: wearing a longer top underneath that hits about mid-hip in order to still crate a longer torso line. Were I to wear this with a top that ended at my waist or with a tucked in top, you’d think my top portion ended just below my chest. Not really a look I’m going for.

Being conscious of proportions makes it much easier to incorporate trends or looks that may seem scarily out of one’s comfort zone. I apply the same methodology to my use of accessories. E. started an interesting discussion about brooches the other day and many of you agreed that brooches are a little more challenging of an accessory. I love brooches as a way to add interest to a top, as a make-shift button closure, or as a pashmina fastener around your shoulders. This summer, I followed A’s example and even starting wearing brooches as a belt accessory. The key is in the proportions: when wearing a brooch, I opt out of a necklace or bold earrings and let my pin take center stage. This just works for me because I prefer an understated look in terms of jewelry. If you’re bold and love wearing more, than go for it! But for the accessories-timid like myself, keeping it simple can make ‘brooching the subject’ a more doable task.  And once you embrace brooches, you realize how many gorgeous vintage ones are out there for the taking in thrift stores and consignment stores alike. S.