academichic

On the Move, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Scarf: gift from SIL, Chinatown
• Cardigan: Old Navy
• Tank: Old Navy
• Belt: thrifted
• Skirt: Banana Republic Factory
• Tights: Hue
• Shoes: Mia from DSW

On baby e.:

• Cardigan: Anthropologie, gift from a sweet friend
• Pants: Target
• Shoes: Target

End Notes:

All of the chics are still off enjoying time with family, but I thought I’d check in briefly to let you all know that I’ve enjoyed looking at your outfit suggestions created from my limited packing list and they’ve helped to keep me clothed in non-boring outfits since we’ve been in Houston! Thanks!

My days have been filled with cooking (and eating) delicious food, playing “telephone pictionary,” laughing and telling stories, and watching baby e. learn how to slide backwards down carpeted stairs. We’ll be back in the swing of things soon. In the meantime, I hope that many of you have been able to spend equally delightful time with those you love.

Pink and Purple, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Sweater: BR Outlet
• Belt: America Apparel
• Dress: BR Outlet
• Magenta Stockings: ?
• Fishnets: Gucci
• Shoes: Mudd via DSW
• Yellow Brooch (below): costume jewelry

Endnotes:
This outfit is my experimentation with another kind of layering – tights! Ever wondered how to make your fishnets last through the winter season or make them seem more work appropriate? Layer! And it’s warm too.

Layered tights?!, originally uploaded by academichic.

This outfit definitely took shape from the bottom up. I knew I wanted to don my purple fishnets (a gift from my sister) over my magenta tights, but I wasn’t quite sure how the rest of my outfit was going to take shape. I suppose it was a little lame of me to wear black, falling into the trap of black-with-bright-color that both Audi of Fashion for Nerds and Sally of Already Pretty wrote about previously this year. However, with magenta tights and purple fishnets I thought that I already presented a lot for people to absorb and adding more colors/shades might detract from the glorious aura that was emanating from my legs. My thought process also was that having separate pieces, even if both were black, would be too much. After I’d picked the dress, I knew that either the purple or magenta stretchy belt from American Apparel would be included, and at the last minute I thought that I might need a cardigan (despite the fact that my apartment and the main building are both grossly over heated).

Pink and Purple with Broach, originally uploaded by academichic.

Also as I was dashing out the door I thought to add a little shine (and a little complementary coloring) by putting this yellow sparkly rhinestone brooch on the hem of my dress. I didn’t want to over load the top and thought that maybe the contrast right next to the tights would be cool.

Bling Bling, originally uploaded by academichic.

I’m not sure it was the best for this outfit, but I’ll definitely think about putting brooches in more non-traditional places in the future. Finally, I think I may have made a breakthrough at my school. Not to brag, but I had so many people tell me they loved my tights today! Maybe it was the cheerful colors or playful nature of the outfit (although really, with any other tights this would be a standard, bright but conservative combo), but it was amazing the number of people who commented. Anyway, wearing this outfit made me smile all day long!

Two questions I have for readers are: How have you layered tights? and How do you avoid or embrace the “black-and-bright-color” look?

~ L.

1 November 2010 – Such Great Lengths, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

Maxi dress: Forever 21
Cardigan: Banana Republic, gift from mother-in-law
Scarf: very old, maybe from Ross?
Belt: Gap Outlet
Boots: Steve Madden, via eBay

End Notes:

Readers, it’s everywhere. Kendi wore one. So did Jessica. Anthropologie styled one.

I’m talking about the maxi dress. For fall. And…I admit it. I’m a convert.

My relationship with maxi dresses reads like an on-again, off-again romance. Pre-pregnancy I was all, “Maxi dresses are silly and tentlike.” And then during pregnancy my tune changed to “Yay, space for a bump and I look taller, not wider!” (I even wore one in February, for crying out loud.) Then, post preggers, I went through a phase of eschewing clothing styles that I associated too closely with maternity wear, so my maxis got the kibosh. But now…

1 November 2010 – Such Great Lengths, originally uploaded by academichic.

It’s just so sweepy and swishy and elegant without being stuffy. Can’t help myself.

It was the perfect outfit for enjoying a fall day with baby e. (who is more like toddler e. now). In the midst of writing a prospectus and preparing for my next qualifying exam, I treasure the way that little e. “interrupts” my time. He never lets me miss out on a beautiful day and he keeps me full of joyful wonder over fallen autumn leaves, hyperactive squirrels, and flocks of migrating birds.

Are you wearing a maxi dress for fall? Just how are you doing it?

- E

1 November 2010 – Such Great Lengths, originally uploaded by academichic.

2010 Academichic – Miss Bling Bling, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Blue dress: Banana Republic Outlet
• Orange-yellow scarf: Ferragamo via Filene’s Basement
• Orange-yellow Bling: gifts
• Purple belt: American Apparel
• Purple flip-flops: Nine West

Endnotes:
First, I wanted to voice how much I will miss S! She, E, and A, have worked very hard on Academichic and I am so happy to be a part of this fine group of women!
The title of this post comes from the catcalls of the street vendors in Florence who would entice the foreign students to buy umbrellas, pashminas, or anything with the David on it by yelling “Heyyyyy Miss Bling Bling” as we walked by on our way to school. Somehow I managed to leave Florence with only one pashmina, one umbrella and an apron with David emblazoned across it – all of which have since been lost – but “Heyyyyy Miss Bling Bling” remains my favorite attention getting phrase. This has been a hectic week since I’ve recently moved into my new apartment and have been busy unpacking, assembling furniture, and generally nesting. Despite the inevitable stress of a move it does present an opportunity to assess what things you have and what things you can give up – this orange-yellow rhinestone S-shaped pin was a definite keeper worthy of “Miss Bling Bling” distinction and deserving of a prominent place in my next outfit. It also perfectly matched this citrine ring.

2010 Academichic – Bling!, originally uploaded by academichic.

Additionally, orange-yellow has split complements of blue and purple, both of which are easier colors for me. This blue dress is probably too short to be work appropriate, but hey, it’s still summer where I am, and I don’t start work officially until August 30th! I have paired this bright blue primarily with black in the past, but that’s the great thing about the color wheel challenge – it has really made me expand the range of colors I’m wiling to combine and to think far outside the safe confines of a neutral pallet with occasional splashes of color. It seems to me that this whole exercise has been one in basically just going with it – “it” being showy, close, or seemingly opposite color pairings. Rather than the neat and clean matching with which I was brought up, the last four weeks have been dedicated to pushing myself to be a little off-kilter, break with the usual and do something on the edge.

2010 Academichic – Miss Bling Bling, originally uploaded by academichic.

For some reason the idea of a slant-rhyme comes to mind as an example of something that takes reading aloud, speaking and articulating the words, to really make sense and function as a rhyme. Likewise these outfits needed to be aired, tried out, messed around with in order to broaden my horizons more generally. I think after this I’ll be more likely to think of these kinds of complements and pairings in my everyday attire. But back to this outfit. Once I’d found the pin I knew that I wanted to wear it with this orange-yellow scarf and purple was brought in with the belt and shoes to complete the split complement.

2010 Academichic – Blue-Yellow/Orange-Purple, originally uploaded by academichic.

As reader GingerR asked after E’s post from August 16th, “I noticed that your outfit contains a very small percent of the start color. Any thoughts about how the proportions of color should be balanced and what that does to the quirky effect?” I think personally I’ve been more obvious in my blocks of colors because of this challenge, and so for the sake of fulfilling the color wheel module of the week some of my outfits have had bigger color elements than they might otherwise. If I were to do a redux of this outfit I’d probably ditch the scarf and showcase the pin — maybe placing it directly on the belt for maximum contrast or string it on a simple chain to wear as a necklace. I loved the scarf and pin together, but I would likely wear those two with more neutrals in order for them to have the most pop. I think the proportion of colors should be one or two as dominant and one as accent – mostly because it is hard to equally incorporate that many colors into one outfit without looking like a Kandinsky painting run amok. But that being said, it’s really up to you and what you’re comfortable with or what effect you are trying to achieve. What are your thoughts on proportions of colors? Has this challenge made you think differently about unusual color combinations? What pairings have you come up with?

10 August 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Red-Violet Tee – H & M
• Purple Belt – Gap
• Grey Skirt – Old Navy
• Red Flats – Target

Endnotes:

So this week, we are reviewing analogous color combinations and triads.  I often find myself swathed in various shades of blue and green and blue-green, so an analogous combination is not much of a challenge for me.  But, an analogous combination on the warm side of the color wheel is a whole different story! I rarely wear red, orange, or yellow, and the purples I wear tend to have more blue than red in them.  I have enough warm colored accessories (my red flats, fuchsia pumps, orange floral flats, yellow bangles, etc) to complete a triad or complimentary combination, but mixing warm color with warm color is still a true challenge for me.

I’m not too sure about today’s color combo. I think the right shade of red-violet with red could be quite nice, but I only had one red-violet top to play with.  I considered doing a neutral shoe and wearing a red belt instead of the purple one, but the belt had too much orange in it.

I picked up this purple belt on super sale at Gap last year.  I love the shade of purple, it’s skinny width, and the pleated leather details, but this is certainly not custom-fit belt!  With this outfit, even the last whole left the belt hanging too loose, so I just pulled it rough the buckle and knotted it on the other side.  I actually like the effect and it managed to stay in place all day.

Tied Belt, originally uploaded by academichic.

9 August 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Sheath dress: H&M
• Belt: from another dress
• Bracelets: gift
• Pumps: Steve Madden, via Macy’s super shoe sale

End Notes:

This week we’re reviewing triads and analogous color combinations. An analogous color scheme takes two (or more) colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. I think for our purposes, an analogous scheme could be either a veryclose pairing with a tertiary color — like green and blue green or red and red orange — or it could be neighboring colors on a simplified color wheel — like yellow and orange or green and blue.

So today I’m “premiering” (as A. would say) my magenta pumps — let’s call them red violet for the sake of our color wheel — and pairing them with a purpley gray sheath dress that I’ve recently unearthed from my closet. I also added a true purple belt to push the ambiguously colored dress more towards violet and to underscore this tight analogous pairing.

9 August 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

(And yes, these shoes are just the magenta version of the blue pumps I’ve worn recently. It was one of those pick-your-own-birthday-gift situations and I couldn’t refuse. Not only are they great colors, they’re also quite comfortable with the rounded toe, padded footbed, and a heel that’s low enough to walk around in but high enough to give my calves a nice boost. I’ll admit, though, that my feet seem to just fit Steve Madden shoes and boots really well, so some of my comfort might be from finding a brand that jives with my particular foot shape.)

Back to the dress. Between pregnancy, breastfeeding, and re-learning my postpartum body, I haven’t worn a sheath dress in over a year and a half. It had been so long, in fact, that I totally forgot how much I actually adore sheaths. It’s a body conscious shape that makes me feel really sleek and put together and powerful. As Emeril Lagasse would say: “Bam.” Sure, this is not really bend over and pick up baby e. friendly nor do I think I can ride my bike in this particular dress, but I am about ready to toss function out the door in favor of pursuing a previously loved-then-lost form.

I think I’m going to shortly launch a search for a back-to-school sheath that has a little stretch in it. Suggestions for where to look — particularly from fellow long-waisted ladies — are definitely welcome.

9 August 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

4 August 2010 – The Color Purple, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Tank: Gap Outlet
• Wrap: Banana Republic Outlet
• Belt: BR Outlet
• Shorts: BR
• Shoes: Frye
• Necklace: South Moon Under
• Bag: Liberty of London
• Rings: family heirlooms

Endnotes:
It seems like the title “neutrals with a pop” is roughly how we here at Academichic tend to dress on a more regular basis, and this casual outfit falls firmly within my usual aesthetic. The ruffled top is the same as the one A. wore with her striped tank, but this one is taupe rather than grey and likewise goes with everything.

4 August 2010 – The Color Purple, originally uploaded by academichic.

We actually purchased these at different times, but like A. said, we shop together a fair amount and channel each other’s style easily. I removed the belt/sash that came with it in favor of this brown skinny belt because I wanted it to be more prominent. It also compliments my brown shoes.

Brown Frye Flats, originally uploaded by academichic.

You probably recall the frenzy around Frye boots a few years ago, but they also make a variety of other shoes including these darling flats. I loved them so much and found them terrifically versatile for both work and casual attire that I bought them in black as well. My mother has always told me that if you find something that you really like and it fits well, buy it in several colors! My purple tank top is an example of this philosophy and is only one of the myriad colors that Gap has on offer right now. I love these tanks and own them in an array of different colors. I’ve used them in layers, as undershirts, with cardigans, or just hanging around the house. The bright colors are excellent for bringing “pop” to any outfit and the price (around $4 on sale) makes it possible to get a variety of hues. Once I had settled on purple as my accent color I remembered this sweet little Liberty bag was in my closet. Since I would only be carrying around a wallet and cell phone today, I thought I’d use it as my purse.

4 August 2010 – The Color Purple – Accessories, originally uploaded by academichic.

Oh, how I relish these summer days without bags full of books, laptops, and papers! If you love florals and prints (as seen featured on Academichic in April this year), Liberty makes fabrics full of gorgeous colors, and as you probably remember recently collaborated with Target on a line of clothes and accessories. My necklace and rings were gifts, as is much of my jewelry in general. These rolling rings are my mother and grandmother’s from Cartier. They are totally classic and have obviously stood the test of time. I like to stack them because the thinner banded one is actually a little big for my finger and the thicker one holds it on. Although this ensemble all together is a little dressy for where I am currently, these slate-blue shorts are strictly casual.

4 August 2010 – The Color Purple, originally uploaded by academichic.

I would probably not wear them in the classroom or on campus because the length is a bit shorter than I am comfortable sporting in any kind of professional setting. What is your most comfortable length? Is it different for shorts versus skirts?

30 July 2010 – Complements, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Top: thrifted
• Cardi: Target
• Shorts: Ann Taylor
• Ring: c/o Lala B Jewelry
• Sandals: Jeffrey Campbell, via Rue La La

End Notes:

In the last few days I went to New York, sans camera, for a whirlwind two and a half day dissertation research trip. I overlapped with A. for half a day, came home, and am now about to embark on a road trip to somewhere-in-Oklahoma for a family reunion with my in-laws. I will say, though, that take-offs and landings (and the very long lead up to both wherein you are not allowed to have tray tables down or lap tops out) is prime outfit-planning time.

I really struggled with putting together a complementary color scheme though, which is a little unexpected since I have worn them before, even when it’s not part of a challenge week. For some reason, though, I was really having a hard time. I think part of the problem was that I initially wanted to stay away from saturated complementary colors and instead play with complements in softer hues: lavender and yellow or peach and blue or something like that.

But you know what? Let’s be honest, I’m a saturated color kind of girl, and I know that I can wear mustard and royal purple well separately…so why not together? I’ll tell you why. Purple and gold are pretty quintessential school colors. Eep. No one wants to walk around looking like a college mascot. Still, I think the ruffles on the purple top and the play of proportion with a longer top and cropped cardigan, keep things from looking too school spirit-y.

La La B Ring, originally uploaded by academichic.

Jeffrey Campbell Sandals, originally uploaded by academichic.

Plus, school mascots don’t wear chunky rings and cutout wedge sandals, right?

Is there a color combination you now avoid because it brings back memories of school colors? Or rival school colors, I suppose.

30 July 2010 – Complements, originally uploaded by academichic.

We’re thrilled to welcome a new voice to Academichic in time for the upcoming academic year! “L.” was in the same department as A. and E., and recently completed her M.A. Now a new teacher in a new climate, she’s getting ready to tackle a particular set of wardrobe challenges while developing a post-grad school style that still incorporates her love of hot pink. We’re delighted to have her on board, so please give her a warm welcome!

2010 Academichic July 21 – 09, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Top: Banana Republic
• Skirt: Banana Republic Outlet
• Belt: American Apparel
• Shoes: Tahari via DSW
• Necklace: gift

Endnotes:

Hello everyone and thank you E., S., and A. for inviting me to be a “post-doc” on Academichic! As E. mentioned I recently completed my M.A. and have departed the mid-west for the cooler climes of New England. Having come from extreme humidity it was refreshing to arrive in my new home and realize that come winter I will be able to layer, experiment with colorful sweaters, and show off my collection of tights. But back to right now…this summer look was inspired by a recent museum visit during which Little Dancer Age Fourteen by Edgar Degas was featured. Her proud stance, tight bodice, and knee-length tutu stood out in a room full of museumgoers in shorts and T’s. I know it is dangerous to dress-like-art (see Yves Saint Laurent’s Mondrian dress from 1965), but I went for it anyway.

I have been wearing this flowy white skirt all summer, but usually with slouchier more bohemian tops and a wide woven belt. However, this is my favorite combination yet, and the fitted top gives me definition that helps to offset the fullness of the skirt. I am happy that my stretchy purple/maroon belt creates an analogous color paring with the lilac tank, and the tiny ruched edge poking out above the belt adds to the ballet feel of this outfit.

originally uploaded by academichic.

I try to stay away from being too “match-y” but I could not resist wearing this amethyst necklace on a gold chain to help tie in my gold wedges. I am a big fan of metallic shoes (as regular readers will see in the future!), and I pare them with casual, formal, day, night, pants, and skirts — anything that needs a little shimmer! I love these wedges because they seem to be the perfect height to make my calves attain that long-lean-I-spend-2-hours-a-day-doing-pilates look (without actually doing the pilates). Also, being 5’3” it helps to boost me up a few inches.

originally uploaded by academichic.

originally uploaded by academichic.

That’s all for this post. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing more wardrobe ideas with you in the months to come!

L.

22 July 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Top: thrifted
• Pants: Banana Republic
• Shoes: Lauren by Ralph Lauren, via Macys

End Notes:

Do you ever have one of those “off” weeks? Not a bad week per se, but just one where you’re stymied in all the small stuff, your words don’t seem to be coming out right, you can’t seem to get on top of the laundry, and all the books you need are checked out of the library? I’ve just realized that when I get into one of these “real world” ruts, my style tends to follow as I gravitate towards tried and true silhouettes and combinations in my wardrobe.

I’m a huge proponent of dressing to make yourself feel powerful and put-together, and so on most days when I need a pick me up I’d be most likely to turn to my ubiquitous navy dress or floaty cream skirt. But today I thought I’d try taking the opposite approach. What if I wore something that’s not on my list of “go-to” items? What if I wore something that I kind of have to psyche myself up for a wee bit? What if I pushed myself past my style comfort zone in order to force myself to be assertive, to be positive, and to take ownership of a so-so week?

22 July 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Caylin Wedge, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, originally uploaded by academichic.

So, out came these light gray pants that I haven’t totally figured out what to do with, and a boldly colored top in a longer length, and tall shoes. And look! No tucking in and no belt. If that’s not taking away a safety net, I don’t know what is, right? And I have to admit, now I feel all super-hero-y and proud of myself for trying something a little different rather than depending on my standards, as flattering and valuable as they may be.

Do you see a correspondence between an uninspired week and uninspired style? What do you do to get yourself out of a style rut?

22 July 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.