academichic

25 June 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed

• Cropped Blazer - F21
• Capri Pants – BR Outlet
• Pink Shirt – borrowed from E.
• Shoes - Liz Claiborne, via DSW
• Bracelet – Gift from S.

Endnotes:

As E. mentioned, today we had a meeting on campus with an editor.  I too have been mostly working form home or coffee shops since finishing teaching, so have enjoyed my share of jersey and denim!  It was nice to pull out some more professional pieces this morning.

Like I mentioned yesterday, I am trying out some creative remixing to make my summer wardrobe a little more interesting to myself.  This pink top is actually one of the items  I borrowed from E.’s pre-pregnancy wardrobe.  I figured I better get another use out of it while I still have time.  I have a feeling she will be wanting it back soon!

I wasn’t crazy about the way the cut looked on me when I wore it as intended, but love the color and fabric.  I put a structured blazer over it to create a waist and contain all the ruffles and, inspired by E., I wore it backwards to show off the little buttons.

Detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

17 June 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed except tank

• Navy Blazer – H & M
• Skirt- Anthropologie
• Striped Tank – Gap
• Green Belt – from H & M Shirt Dress
• Sandals – H & M
• Necklace- Handmade gift
• Earrings- Island Souvenir

Endnotes:

This is what I am wearing today, but today, my day is boring,  so I will tell you about yesterday.  Yesterday I made pesto like an Italian grandmother.  It took me almost 40 minutes to chop all of the ingredients while I listened to NPR live stream on my laptop.  I loved this late afternoon activity for several reasons:  I would never (or at least rarely) do something like this during the academic year. All that chopping was extremely therapeutic (sometimes I get pretty worked up over what I hear on NPR). The end result was a gorgeous shade of green that coated both my finger tips and my cutting board, but also matched both my outfit and my kitchen. I was able to make a pretty good dent in my mammoth basil plant (just a sprout when I bought it back at the beginning of may).  Finally, it was very tasty!

While I spent 40 minutes yielding that blade and then another 40 minutes cleaning up after myself, I wondered  how I know so many people that do this kind of thing on a regular basis, including E. and my sister and brother-in-law?  But just as I was starting to feel bad about my abilities to juggle school and life, I looked around and was pretty pleased with the fact that my kitchen was spotless after making pesto and that the basil for that pesto came from a patio I built by hand.

This summer is a kind of experiment- a mini version of my years to come.  I am entering the dissertating stage, which means I will need to structure my own time.  I will technically have the free time to chop basil for 2 hours if I wanted, but will have to learn to balance bouts of writing with other things.  I am excited that this means I will be able to do the things I miss doing during the normal academic year, but am nervous that these things will slowly take over.

I have already asked about how you balance.  What I want to know today, is how do you escape?  What are the things you love to do that aren’t work, school, etc?  Are you a dinner from scratch person?  A manual labor on your house person?  What are the things you prioritize during busy work/school times?  And what are the things you only make time for during slow work times or vacation?

Detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

5 June 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed except the shoes!

• Cardigan – BR
• Ruffle-front Tank – Gap
• Pinstripe Skirt – J Crew
• Skinny Belt- Ann Taylor
• Earrings- BR
• Shoes – Off Broadway

Endnotes:

Today was the last day of the intense summer course I was teaching.  They had their last quiz, I said some final words, they filled out evaluations, and then we went to the museum together.

This outfit was very much built around my new shoes.  I found these on super clearance a few weeks ago but then with our flats challenge, followed by our lab-appropriate challenge, I haven’t really had a chance to premier them until today.  I don’t usually like peep-toes on myself.  I always like the idea of them, but then I try them on and it’s all over.  These, however, have a very small peep, so just a bit of my pink polish shows through, which I love.  Despite being a good three inches, they are incredibly comfortable too!

I’m hoping this look only added to my student’s evaluation of my level of professionalism, knowledge,  and class preparedness.  If only there was a question about the instructor’s sense of style!

New Shoes!, originally uploaded by academichic.

2 June 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed

• Jacket – F21
• Dress – BR Outlet
• Belt – BR Outlet
• Sandals- Steve Madden
• Headband – Limited
• Earrings – Gift

Endnotes:
It’s still hot here, so a flowy jersey dress was an easy choice this morning.  Once again, I am attempting to make my jersey appear more structured, and thus more professional, by adding this wide belt, heeled sandals, and a cropped blazer.

2 June 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Eye Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.

Louie, originally uploaded by academichic.

      

23 April 2009 – Cropped, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Cropped jacket – DKNY 
• Pale pink top – TJMaxx, remixed 
• Tan and white skirt – H&M 
• Red espadrilles – BR Outlet, remixed

Endnotes:

One trend I’ve desperately wanted to embrace, but just don’t quite know how to make work for my shape, is the cropped jacket:

    

The Cropped Jacket, originally uploaded by academichic.

I got this jacket a couple of years ago when the cropped jacket really came into style, and I loved it on other people so I thought I would love it on myself as well. Then I wore it all of two times since purchasing it.

I have a difficult time with this look because I have a short torso and the cropped, boxy look of this trend stunts my upper body even more. But I love how E. wears this item over dresses, with skirts or pants, and instantly gives her outfit a more professional look than a cardigan would produce, but a more casual and relaxed one than the longer blazer creates. The cropped jacket seems to hit that perfect balance of casual and professional and that is why I’m so desperately clinging to this trend although my shape does nothing to invite this look. 

I tried on many many combinations this morning and this why I finally settled on this one: I realized by watching E. and Archibald Maximilion over in w_r that the shrunken blazer is best off-set by a longer tunic, dress, or flowey top underneath. This elongates where the cropped blazer shortens – in my case this makes a huge difference! I also noticed that the moment I put on this pair of heels, I looked longer and taller and the cropped blazer instantly looked better to me. 

I still want to experiment with this item and find ways to make it work for me. I would love to be able to wear it with flats as E. does and not feel squat and boxy, and I also love the way E. wears hers open for that casual chic look. I have buttoned and unbuttoned mine about a zillion times already, unsure whether the unbuttoned works for me or whether it creates unnecessary width for me on top…?

Hear you me, cropped blazer, I will conquer you still if it’s the last thing I do! S. 

   

23 April 2009 – Cropped and Casual, originally uploaded by academichic.

   

22 April 2009 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Jacket – J.Crew 
• Blouse – thrifted, remixed 
• Jeans – thrifted 
• Sandals – Target, remixed 

Endnotes:

Browsing though A.’s J.Crew catalog last night while watching Biggest Loser, I noted a common thread throughout their spring line; it’s all about juxtaposing contradictory fabrics (silk, cotton, jeans, chiffon, etc) and contradictory registers (casual, business, evening, etc) for a seemingly incongruous look.  For example, model and Goodwill Ambassador Liya Kebede is wearing the casual ‘boyfriend’ jean with an evening clutch and an embroidered top.  Another image shows her sporting a sequined evening skirt paired with an oversized grey cotton tee.  Yet another contradiction is created between the torn and faded jean with a business-casual cardigan and jacket combo. This latter image was the inspiration for my outfit today.

I would never have paired this old and torn jean of mine with my elegant evening jacket and this blouse. I tend to dress within one register and don’t mix seemingly contradictory items, so this look was definitely new to me. I think it works for a day of meetings, a coffee date with a friend, and my last class as a student in my graduate career! Were it a teaching day, I might not be as bold with the torn jean, wanting to set myself apart from my students a bit more than this look allows. But overall, I like this bit of rogue fabric and register mixing inspired by J.Crew’s spring line, and like A. yesterday, am surprised to find myself pulling off a look I’d normally only admire in the pages of their glossies but would never envision on myself. S.

  

textures/patterns, originally uploaded by academichic.

20 April 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Purple Jersey Top – BR Outlet
• Cami- American Eagle
• Trouser Cords – Gap Outlet
• Green Flats – BR

Endnotes:

Thanks for everyone’s well wishes for the marathon!  S. and I ran all 26.2 miles and are alive to tell you about it today.  E. came out to cheer us on around mile 19 and to celebrate with a very large lunch afterwards.  We are already on to looking for our next race!

S and I thought about posting a picture from the race since we did wear matching ensembles – hot pink top with lime green shorts – but didn’t have a chance to snap a pre-race photo and looked like drowned rats by the time our spectators photographed us.  We often run in carefully planed colorful outfits – so maybe we’ll share a photo from the next race!

Today my outfit is built around the need to wear flats but I am also teaching today so opted not to wear the flip flops that I spent the second half of yesterday in.  While not the sweatpants I would prefer to be in, the trousers are comfy enough and certainly much more classroom-appropriate.  The purple jersey top is a new acquisition and I am loving it for both form and function today!

Necklace and Nekline, originally uploaded by academichic.

      

10 April 2009 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Black blouse – Calvin Klein 
• Peal necklace – J.Jill
• Blue cardi – H&M
• Blue/grey trouser – Banana Republic
• Black ribbon – origin long forgotten 
• Red pointy pumps – Matisse, thrifted

Endnotes:

Ever since I discovered the benefits of belting my tops (to create a waistline), I have gone a bit belt-crazy. I not only use actual belts, but scarves, ribbons, ties, and any long-enough pieces of fabric that can be repurposed to wrap around my torso and give me that much desired waistline. 

Today I am using a black ribbon, the origin of which is long forgotten, to cinch this cardi and blouse combo. I like the added flair of the ribbon and bow, like it’s saying to my students: ‘Look, I’m this university’s gift to you’ – which is how I’m certain they all think of me, right?

     

Bow detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

I also picked up this little trick from E.; belting a cardi without buttoning it. Letting the two sides hang down on their own breaks my midsection into several slimmer vertical sections; the benefits of which are apparent. (This trick also comes in handy when a cardi no longer fits you and you want to avoid that buttons-ready-to-pop look when pulling the two sides together!) S.

    

Shoes!, originally uploaded by academichic.

8 April 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Navy Pencil Skirt – J Crew
• Teal Sweater – BR
• Maroon Cardigan (below) – BR
• Wedges – Gap Outlet
• Necklace – Limited
• Textured Tights – Gap

Endnotes:

I’m back at Academichic central and ready to begin our Fashion 101 on Proportions. I spent the very long plane ride thinking about what kind of body type I am. It’s not something I have thought a lot about before – I’ve just always known that my hips and thighs were the biggest part of me and the first place I always gain weight (unfortunately fat or muscle).

I suppose I am somewhere between a pear or an hourglass but I like S’s discussions of “muffinage” so much that I have decided I am an upside down muffin!

Before this 101 I was well aware of my body shape but only had a few strategies for dealing with it that I could articulate off the top of my head. So, instead of starting with those this week, I decide to pull something out of my closet that I knew I felt good in and then try to figure out why.

The Pencil Skirt: I have come to love pencil skirts but quickly learned that not all pencil skirts are created equally. The line of this skirt is straight up and down, it doesn’t tapper in towards the bottom as many do, and the waist line is not overly high. Some pencil skirts are cut to intentionally create hips – no help needed here, thank you! This skirt instead gives me long straight legs (the length is genetic but the straight line is all illusion). The fabric here is also essential I think, but I’ll save that for a later post.

The Waist, originally uploaded by academichic.

The Fitted Sweater: I’ll have more to say bout my top half next week when we talk about the proportions of our bodies we like. But, in terms of minimizing the hip/thigh area, this sweater has a nice thick band at the bottom that cuts right through the widest part of me. Note this is not a blousey look that comes in with a tighter band at the bottom, but rather it fits close to the body all the way down allowing my waist to show.

The Long Cardigan: when long cardigans became trendy I had my doubts (and still do really) but have come to embrace them. This is a tricky look for my proportions as some long cardigans can fit much like a shift dress which is the single worst possible clothing item for my body. In some cases this can be fixed with a wide belt and I do often wear my cardigans with a belt, however, this too is tricky because when a bulky long cardigan is belted it can over do the whole hourglass thing and really call attention to the drastic size difference between waist and hips. I think this cardigan can be worn open over this longer straight skirt partially because of the thick trim down the front, which are just more long straight lines that people might mistake as my body line.

8 April 2009 – With Cardi, originally uploaded by academichic.

6 April 2009 , originally uploaded by academichic.   

Sources:

• Grey cardi – thrifted 
• Print top – thrifted 
• Black woven belt – thrifted 
• Black skirt – Old Navy, remixed 
• Yellow beads – were my grandmother’s 
• Grey wedges – Report, via Solestruck.com

Endnotes:

I’m for all intents and purposes what traditional body shape literature calls an ‘apple’. I carry my weight around my midsection and when I gain a few pounds, my arms and legs remain thin, but my waist width takes off (i.e. I gain massive muffinage).

The way in which I’ve found what works and what does not work for me, is by experimenting, experimenting, experimenting. Did I say experimenting? For example, I thought the belted cardigan/jacket/dress look would NEVER work for me, but decided to try it (and to try several belt widths) and have come to actually love what it does for my shape. 

By a methodology called “trial and error”, I have realized that the skinny belt works best for me in creating a slimmer waist line. Because my torso is fairly short, a wider belt tends to stump it even more, but a skinny to medium width belt pulls in the garments I’m wearing to create the illusion of a more defined waist: See today’s outfit, as well as here, here, and here. I also belt fairly high, at the narrowest part of my body. 

And stay tuned for more muffinage-minimizing tips throughout this week!

   

Details, details, originally uploaded by academichic.