9 September 2010 – Workhorses

Posted on | September 9, 2010 | 14 Comments

9 September 2010 – Workhorses, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Grey (and black and light grey) Pencil Skirt – Banana Republic
Grey Tee – J Crew
Belt – Old Navy
Scarf – Echo
Shoes – Banana Republic

Endnotes:

It’s days like today I find myself wishing I lived with a professional photographer or had the time to grab a friend to act as photographer and find a cool location. I really loved this outfit and felt great in it all day, but couldn’t capture it on camera the way I wanted to. Rainy mornings and an early call time on campus don’t make for good photography days, but with the help of a good wardrobe workhorse I can still pull together a great professional ensemble on these mornings and confidently head out for a long rainy day on campus.

This is actually the blog premier of this specific skirt, but I own this skirt in two other colors and wear all three of them all the time! These Banana Republic “classic pencil skirts” are made of a mix of cotton, viscose, and spandex, giving them a just the right mix of stretch and structure. I’ve had the black version the longest and have worn it in all weather – with tights and boots and with a tank and espadrilles. I have worn it for a huge range of occasions including my first day of school last week, an engagement party earlier this summer, and even a funeral (not pictured). I love that I can wear it high around the smallest part of my waist with a pair of killer heals or slung low with a pair of flats.

I purchased the light grey version on super sale post Christmas and it too has served as a go-to base for many teaching outfits. The pale grey allows for a softer color palette and works in one of my favorite color combinations of grey and brown.

The third skirt came to me with a little help form L. – just like these grey shoes. L. was well aware of my obsession with these skirts so when she saw the darker grey version in my size on sale she picked it up for me. Now, if only I could find it in Navy (and maybe some fabulous shade of brown)!

Do you ever buy pieces you love in multiple colors? Do you own a wardrobe workhorse piece in multiple versions?

9 September 2010 – Workhorses, originally uploaded by academichic.

3 September 2010 – Back to School

Posted on | September 3, 2010 | 16 Comments

3 September 2010 – Back to School, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Striped Shirt – Gap
Black Pencil Skirt – Banana Republic
Black Lace Cami – BR Outlet
Red Flats – Target
Blue Tote – TJ Max
Earrings – gift from Santa
Bracelet – Hawaii

Endnotes:

While E., started on Tuesday, yesterday was my first day of class. I haven’t been on the student side of the classroom for a few semesters now, but this Fall brings new challenges! I am fully in “the writing stage” and will only be on campus once a week to TA for a class outside of my department. I’m not worried about staying busy or managing face-time in my department, since I will be serving as peer mentor, attending the bizillion lecturers my department is hosting, and making frequent trips to the library located in the same building as my department. Instead, I am worried about how I’m going to manage my time and actually get some writing done this year. I’m sure this is a topic I will frequently return to here. But, yesterday was not a writing day!

3 September 2010 – Back to School, originally uploaded by academichic.

I held my first office hours, did paper work and sent emails, all from my new office! That’s right, apparently TAs in other departments get offices! I then attended the class and met my students. But, before my day was over I also went to a campus social hour for the LGBT community, which had me mingling with a dean, several staff and faculty, my peers, and my undergraduate advisiees. Needless to say, it was a long day involving a variety of activities and a lot of walking. So, I decided to keep it clean and simple. I opted for my go-to black pencil skirt (a real workhorse of my wardrobe, as E.would say), the blue and white stripes I have been loving this summer in a structure button down, my red flats, and my “pride” bracelet.

Red Flats, originally uploaded by academichic.

And because, perhaps surprisingly, I didn’t actually have much to carry around with me today, I sported by stylish, functional, and professional little blue leather tote. I felt polished, professional, stylish, and best of all COMFORTABLE all day! Not bad, for the one long first day of what is sure to be a long semester.

3 September 2010 – Back to School, originally uploaded by academichic.

12 August 2010 – Super Hero Triad and Super Hero Hair

Posted on | August 12, 2010 | 15 Comments

12 August 2010 – Super Hero Triad, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Striped Tank – American Eagle
Pencil Skirt – Banana Republic
Red Wedges – BR Outlet via S.
Earrings – Gift from A2
Bangle as necklace – Gap Outlet

Endnotes:

I started with my new favorite summer color combo of blue, white, and red and added this yellow bangle as a necklace (an idea stolen from E.). As I’ve said before, the triadic color combo of red-blue-yellow reminds me of a superhero costume and I think the large open circle on my chest reads a bit like a superhero crest. I needed some superhero powers today as I turned in my prospectus draft and headed to campus for a series of meetings.

The fabulous red espadrilles recently made their way into my closet from S.’s. She bought these shoes a couple summers ago and wore them a few times (also in a red -white-blue combo) bu in the end decided they where a bit too big on her. I’m worried they might be a bit too small on me but will test them out for a while before I decide. I do think they helped the superhero look!

It think what makes me feel most put together and confident in my appearance is a good hair day. I’ve written about this a few times, but the gist is: I have never dyed or permed my hair but I straighten it most days of the week. Now, courtesy of Misikko, I have a professional flatiron to use on my hair. Misikko sent me this Hana Elite 100% Ceramic Flatiron to review and I can honestly say I love it. I chose the thinner (1″) model because I have short hair. However, I have also noticed that the thinner iron gives me a bit more control over the shape of my hair, allowing me to curl the ends under for example.

Hana Elite – 100% Ceramic Flat Iron, originally uploaded by academichic.

I’ve had the flatiron for a few weeks now and have been using it regularly. I just haven’t managed to snap a picture before heading out into the extreme humidity these past few weeks have brought to Academichic Central. I have had my hair trimmed in the time, however, and my hairdresser is very happy with me that I am finally using a professional iron instead of the cheap one I was letting fry my hair. The Hana Elite isn’t cheap but I’m happy to say it is worth the investment.

Straight Hair, originally uploaded by academichic.

What about you? Does a good hair day start your day off right? What do you do to make a good hair day happen? Are you a straightener? A curler? A dyer? Or a no-’pooer?

12 August 2010 – Super Hero Triad, originally uploaded by academichic.

5 August 2010

Posted on | August 5, 2010 | 16 Comments

5 August 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Flutter Tank – J Crew
Black Pencil Skirt – Banana Republic
Black Pumps – DSW
Necklace – made from a gifted earring

Endnotes:

I don’t know if the color of this top is exactly a neutral – its a kind of putty color that sometimes looks olive. J Crew calls it “mink.” I’m a sucker for all the lovely shades of grey J Crew has invented but “mink” is less than helpful as a color description. But, I’m using it as a neutral and considering this a mix of black and brown. I wore this top with navy last time, but I think the black makes the “mink” look so much richer.

The top came with a thin waist-creating tie which I removed for this iteration. I tucked the base of the top into my high-waisted skirt and let the flutters drape over the top. I think it makes this otherwise sweat detail a little more dramatic, even edgy. I usually think of mixed neutrals as creating a generally soft look or sometimes a very polished professional look, but in this third stab at the color wheel challenge, I wanted to push my use of neutrals into a new kind of look. I think “edgy mink” is definitely new for me!

15 June 2010 – School’s IN for Summer

Posted on | June 15, 2010 | 20 Comments

15 June 2010 – School’s IN for Summer, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Bag – Troubadour Tote by Crystalyn Kae
Tank – J Crew
Pencil Skirt – Banana Republic
Belt – Gap
Wedges – Kenneth Cole Reaction, via DSW
Earrings – Gift

Endnotes:

That’s right, I said “school’s IN for summer!” Yesterday I started teaching a 5 week summer course that meets every morning. Part of me is actually looking forward to be back on campus everyday and I’m really excited to be teaching this course. I’m also quite happy to have an excuse to pull out my professional wardrobe again, but I think creating 25 professional outfits appropriate for the extreme heat of June in Academichic Central will likely be a tough challenge.

Luckily, I now have the perfect summer school bag! Last week I received this beautiful Troubadour Tote courtesy of Crystalyn Kae. I love the slouchy but refined shape of this tote and adore the pleats and rivets. It actually comes in a variety of great colors but I’ve been looking for a bag to replace my reddish brown tote, which broke last year.

Crystalyn Kae Accessories – Troubadour Tote Bag, originally uploaded by academichic.

This is the perfect sized tote – big enough to carry my laptop, a notebook, folders, a book or two, my wallet, computer charger, cell phone, and my pouch of school essentials. That’s what I fit in it today anyway and there was still plenty of room. The best part is, it can hold all this and not break your shoulder! I love my giant canvas tote my smaller blue leather tote, but neither can hold much before becoming extremely heavy. This tote (like most of Crystalyn Kae’s bags) is made of glazed fabric, making it light, weather proof, and durable – the perfect campus bag.

Inside the bag, originally uploaded by academichic.

We recently received a request via email from reader Sylvia asking us to post some pictures of the bags we carry. I love bags and own quite a variety but I rarely think about what bag goes with a particular outfit. I have a handful of clutches that I make more conscious ensemble choices about – like a woven clutch with flower for a floral sun dress and a black patent clutch for an evening wedding. But my school bags and larger purses are chose mostly for function. If I have a lot to carry, I go for the big bag. Often I find that I will use one bag for a long time and then will switch it out for another. I don’t link to switch between my everyday bags too often because I tend to pack a lot into them.

There are a few things that go with me from bag to bag:

a tiny make-up pouch that holds cover-up, chap-stick, mini-sunscreen, bobby pins, and a hair band (not pictured)
my new i-phone pouch from pomella on etsy – I love the vintage green fabirc, the pocket for my headphones, and the bright green band that holds everything in place
a small zipper pouch of campus essentials that holds, among other things, a laser pointer, adapters for my laptop, pens, post-its, band-aides, hand lotion, gum, etc
my incase neoprene laptop sleeve

organization, originally uploaded by academichic.

If you haven’t already, click over to Crystalyn Kae and check out all her great bag designs! Academichic readers get a special discount of 15% off your Crystalyn Kae purchase until June 30th. Enter promo code: academichic at checkout. Happy bag shopping!

15 June 2010 – School’s IN for Summer, originally uploaded by academichic.

19 May 2010

Posted on | May 19, 2010 | 12 Comments

19 May 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Tank – BR Outlet
Cardigan – Gap Outlet
Denim Skirt – BR Outlet
Wedges – Kenneth Cole Reaction
Bangle – gift from S.
Necklace – Gift

Endnotes:

Last night, a little before midnight, I submitted a draft of my dissertation proposal to my dissertation reading group. It’s full of typos, ellipses, incomplete footnotes, and sketches of ideas, but it’s a draft!

My look-into-the-horizon-hero-pose that appears in both these pictures was unconscious but may say more about how I feel today then I realized. After a couple days in sweatpants in which I mostly left the house for coffee and bad-for-me food, it suddenly feels amazing to have “real” clothes on. Today I plan to take my car to the shop, send my little sister a package, mail the giveaways, do laundry, and meet some friends for a run – nothing all to exciting, but I find that whenever I submit a paper, take an exam, or finishing a pile of grading I emerge ready to reclaim my previous life as a human being. Each time I vow to not let school work shut out house work, exercise, family time, etc and I am getting better with the years of practice, but maybe one day in sweats with too much coffee and junk food and too many dirty dishes, only makes me appreciate structured clothes, fruit, and the dishwasher all the more!

19 May 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

13 May 2010 – Learning to Love It

Posted on | May 14, 2010 | 26 Comments

13 April 2010 – Learning to Love It, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Tee-Shirt – Ann Taylor
Skirt – J Crew
Belt – New York & Co
Bracelet- Gift from sister M
Pumps – DSW
Earrings – American Eagle
Puppy = Camp

Endnotes:

Firs, a side note: taking pictures of this outfit yesterday was like a comedy of errors. We have been getting some serious thunderstorms in Academichic Central and so I had to take my pictures on my covered deck where I was out of the rain but not the wind. My dog, Camp, hates thunderstorms and becomes extremely needy during them so, sorry for the strange cropping and the puppy interruptions.

Today I am dressing my butt, my backside, my bottom, my ass! I used to hate this entire region of my body – until very recently actually. It’s large and makes jean shopping impossible. But, thanks to a good friend I have recently come to appreciate my butt, and particularly the way it looks in pencil skirts. It’s still a struggle to say that I love it (it would be a lie if I didn’t tell you that I often wish it were smaller, tighter, firmer) but I’m learning to love it.

Learning to love it!, originally uploaded by academichic.

The pencil skirt has become a part of my academic uniform, I own many and wear them often. I have always noted that I like how pencil skirts work for my body, but today I am celebrating how well my body works for pencil skirts. I have the perfect pencil skirt shape – curvy! I first came to appreciate my butt for adding to my hourglass shape, but after repeatedly hearing how great my ass looks from this friend, I am finally coming to love my butt in its own right.

13 April 2010 – Learning to Love It, originally uploaded by academichic.

As an added bonus, I’m liking how my collar bone and looks in this new t-shirt I picked up on sale at Ann Taylor. Expect to see this one remixed again soon!

Be sure to enter our DYB giveaway and to check back later today for yet another giveaway! A.

T-Shirt Detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

28 April 2010 – Blazers, Florals, Belts, and Tights!

Posted on | April 28, 2010 | 18 Comments

8 April 2009 – Blazers, Florals, Belts, and Tights!, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Blazer – J Crew
Floral Blouse – Maurices
Skirt – Banana Republic
Purple Tights – BR Outlet
Black Shoes – DSW
Bangle- gift from sister M.

Endnotes:

First for today’s outfit, it all felt like a little much to me – too much going on in one outfit, yet there were parts of it I really liked: the mix of florals and stripes, the blazer with my grey pencil skirt, purple tights with my black pumps. I’m just not crazy about seeing it all mashed together. I do like that this outfit seems to make up for my failure to participate in blazer week and my limited contribution to tights week and is undoubtedly a comfort-zone stretching use of floral. Guess I’m making up for lost time with this one!

Blazers, Florals, Belts, originally uploaded by academichic.

Now, for my thoughts on the very interesting discussion S. started the other day. I am very interested in S.’s post and especially in all the thought-provoking comments, particularly because I am currently engrossed in reading and writing about postmodern appropriation, camp, kitsch, the cultural, political, and symbolic significance of clothing/costume, the performance of gender and race/ethnicity, gender and ethnic drag, and cultural hybridity — all which seem to play some role in this discussion.

When I hear the term appropriation, I can’t help but think of specifically post-modern appropriation – of the variety practiced by critical artists beginning in the late 1970s. Thus, I tend to think of appropriation as self-conscious and always at least potentially critical and subversive. These postmodern artists also point out that everything is an appropriation, there is no pure original. This idea was raised be several commenters. How do we determine what culture is begin appropriated and what is appropriation and what isn’t?

I think this also relates to the idea of cultural hybridity. There is such overlap in cultures and there has been such a long history of exchange – especially when it comes to clothing - it becomes very difficult to claim an authentic or original source for anything. So where do we draw the line? One line suggested in the discussion taking place int the comments was the issue of power dynamics, colonization, etc. – but this seems sticky as well. First, power relations have shifted so much in history and I’m not convinced that their can’t be something subversive about the appropriation of the colonized… I’m still chewing on this.

One thing I found very interesting that was suggested by several readers and by S., is this idea of costume/kitsch as the litmus test for appropriate appropriation – in other words many of you seemed to feel that if the appropriation doesn’t seem costumey or kitschy then it’s ok to wear something associated with another culture. My fist question is again, how do we define this? How do we judge kitsch vs. authentic? But, further does wearing something made by a people of a certain culture make it less offensive or more intellectual, etc than wearing something purchased at urban outfitters? Many cultures make objects specifically for tourist consumption so tourists can feel authentic.

In terms of subtle vs. costumy, I think costume, kitsch, camp, and drag all have the potential for subversion and criticality that the subtle appropriation lacks. I raised this in my discussion of drag vs. a uniform and I think this idea of the self conscious performitive use of clothing should apply to items drawn from other cultures.

Ok, this is getting ridiculously long and I’m not sure where I am going with it anymore! So, I will open it back up to you…. How do you make the distinction between costume and not costume? Is costume necessarily offensive or can it be more political and critical in practice? Is all clothing some form of appropriation anyway?

28 April 2009 – Blazers, Florals, Belts, and Tights!, originally uploaded by academichic.

16 March 2010

Posted on | March 16, 2010 | 20 Comments

15 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Black Sweater- Banana Republic
Orange Skirt – J Crew
Brown Woven Belt – BR Outlet
Grey Tights – BR Outlet (layered over purple to darken them)
Brown Boots – Banana Republic, via ebay
Black Beads – Hawaii

Endnotes:

Ever since seeing this look of Kendi’s over on Kendi Everyday, I have been wanting to try it with my very similar J Crew Skirt. A few obstacles delayed my own recreation: I was worried about how my orange skirt (as opposed to her yellow one) would work with black (thoughts of Halloween), I don’t own a black turtleneck (because they make me feel like I am chocking), and I wanted a different belt for this look. But, I’ve finally decided to give it a go and am overall pleased with the result.

15 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

I think the addition of brown and grey keeps the black and orange combination form reading as jack-o-lantern-esque. I really do like the way the turtleneck looks on Kendi and so tried to fill the gap in my v-neck and bring the black up to my face with the addition of these large black beads (I think a black scarf would have worked well, but alas I don’t own one of those either).

I envisioned this outfit with a particular belt from Banana Republic, which is no longer being sold, and while I think that was mostly a justification for buying a new brown belt, there was a legitimate concern in there. I am wearing my belt in a some what unusual spot for me – below the smallest point on my waist but above my hips, so I figured I would need a stretchy belt. As it turns out, I was wrong. My stretchy brown belt kept trying to creep up to the smallest point of my waist (the top of the skirt) so I switched it out for this old favorite. This belt works so well for so many ensembles because it looks like a sturdy woven leather belt but it is actually a rather thin, soft, flexible leather with a significant amount of stretch, without being a stretchy belt (it doesn’t shrink itself into place).

Belt, originally uploaded by academichic.

Someone asked yesterday how to keep belt ends in place, other than tucking them back into the belt. I often opt for tucking the end back in or just letting it flap, but I do find that this can be a bit bulky or messy, respectively, something I did not want for this look. Today I pulled out one of my favorite tricks – I used a brown bobby pin to hold the loose end flat against my body. This only works for woven belts, and particularly lightweight woven belts (in other words, it wouldn’t work with S.’s white belt from yesterday). For these thicker belts, you could use either a clear rubber band or a rubber band in the same color as your belt, as suggested by one reader last year.

Any other ideas? How do you keep those flappy ends in place?

15 March 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

22 February 2010

Posted on | February 22, 2010 | 7 Comments

22 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Cardigan – Banana Republic
Grey Skirt – Banana Republic
White Blouse – Gap
Boots – Banana Republic, via DSW
Belt – BR Outlet
Head Scarf – Gap

Endnotes:

I just came back from a fascinating conference on LGBT issues on college campuses, where I leaned so much and was pushed to think about so many issues, including clothes and self presentation. I can’t wait to share some of my thoughts from the weekend with all of you, but for now, I’m exhausted, my brain is fried, and my day is too busy!

For today I needed something simple but I wanted to wear a scarf in a way not all that typical for me (ie not belted, tied around my waist, or knotted at my neck) so I went for the head scarf. This is not nearly as creative or fun as S.’s hair scarf from earlier this month, but it did bring some color and pattern to an otherwise pretty plain ensemble.

Hope everyone’s week is off to a good start! A.