academichic

Sources:

• Shirt – Gap
• Dress – J Crew
• Flats – Target
• Earrings – Aldo

Endnotes:

I promised there would be more blue and white stripes to come!  I wore this nautical (/patriotic?) ensemble on a much-needed date this past weekend.  We just went up to our local brewery for a casual dinner and some delicious beer and most people (including A2) were in shorts and a t-shirt. But, when a much-needed date comes around, you better believe I’m going to spruce it up a bit more than that.

I love summer dresses!  They are perfect for many of my favorite summer activities: casual date nights, summer parties, outdoor brunch, picnics, BBQs, music in the park, and so on.  I don’t have nearly enough casual summer dresses (I now have a decent selection for summer weddings),  but also don’t have the money for any new ones at the moment.  So, I decided to revisit my closet.

I have been particularly pining over summer shirt dresses with cap sleeves and popped collars – preferably in blue and white stripe pattern.  I’ve long loved this dress from Shabby Apple and for some reason this weekend the inspiration struck to try and recreate a similar look with pieces in my closet. So I pulled out a very old strapless white seersucker dress from J. Crew and this blue and white striped button-down shirt and started playing around with it.  I’m really happy with how the look came together and I think it approximates the Shabby Apple dress – full skirt, shirt collar, breast pockets, a tie at the waist, and of course, blue and white stripes.

I’m already thinking about other shirt + dress/skirt combinations that will give me a similar silhouette.  How are you creatively working with a summer budget?  A.

Sources:

• Striped Top – Gap
• Shorts – Banana Republic Factory Outlet
• Red Flats – Target
• Earrings – Aldo (altered by me)
• Bracelet – gift from S.’s mom

Endnotes:

Here is my second blue and white stripe based outfit.   It’s nothing ground-breaking, but here you have it.

I know you aren’t all fans of shorts this length, and I’m still not %100 confident when wearing them. But, I do, as many of you mentioned, feel more comfortable pairing them with a top with sleeves, and particularly this boat-neck, square-cut, three-quarter sleeve knit top that is all wrong with my skinny jeans. I certainly wouldn’t wear this outfit to school, but it was perfect for sitting outside with  iced coffee  and a friend.

On another note, what do you think of these earrings?  Since my new haircut I have been on the lookout for large dangly earrings and I love wood accessories for summer.  So, when I spotted large wooden disks hanging from a jewelry rack this weekend I grabbed them.  Unfortunately, when I turned them around I saw that layered on top the wood were two intricately decorated gold disks – just not at all my style.  They were cheap so I bought them anyway and did a little DIY (I just used pliers to remove the gold disks).  Now, I’m not sure if they are too big.  Thoughts?

Sources:

Top – Olian, via consignment store
Skirt – Liz Lange Maternity, via consignment store
Tank – BE Maternity
Red wedges – vintage Etienne Aigner, thrifted
Bangle – H&M years ago
Earrings – made by me
Sunglasses – my husband’s
Bag – Dots, back in high school when I worked there :)
Bike – 1970s Peugeot Mixte
Helmet – Giro

Endnotes:

Well, you may have noticed that I’ve been somewhat sparse around here lately. A variety of reasons are to blame for this: First, I’m done teaching and so I no longer have to dress up for work every day. Add to that the fact that as my belly’s growing, my wardrobe continues to shrink, and the fact that most days my activities consist of writing at my kitchen table, taking my dog on walks on the nearby trail, meeting friends for walks, or going to prenatal yoga. For all of these aformentioned activities, I’ve been happily donning comfortable workout shorts and my husband’s t-shirts (I’ve outgrown most of mine). So as you can see, not really blog-worthy material.

But the truth is that I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s been a busy academic year and I’ve still got a heavy writing load to tackle before the baby is due (along with finally getting her room ready, something we’re just now getting started on), so it’s a relief to be able to slow down and take it easy on other fronts. I love being able to just get up and stay in comfortable sweats all day if I’m only going to be walking my dog, writing from home, or lounging on the patio reading. Life is all about ebbs and flows and this is definitely my time to enjoy the ‘ebb’ of being a stay-at-home pregnant woman.

As you can see, I did get dressed yesterday as I biked to my 30 week doctor’s appointment. And it was fun to pull our this funky print shirt that I found on my consignment shop trip with E. a while back, which feels way to fun to waste on a day of dog walking and backyard lounging. I also wiggled my feet into shoes other than Birkenstocks (but let me tell you! It was hard getting that buckle fastened. I almost gave up. It wasn’t that they didn’t fit, it was that in order to put them on, I had to bend down and clear this huge belly that made it nearly impossible to reach the clasp and fasten it). And so I did enjoy a day of looking polished and presentable. But today I’m happily back to cut off (maternity) jean shorts, a tank top, those easy to slip on Birkies, and my backpack as I bike to the library for an afternoon of writing. Right after I go walk my dog in decidedly non-red wedge shoes. ~ S.

Sources:

• Dress: Olian Maternity, via consignment shop
• Camisole: Old Navy
• Gray belt: Old Navy
• Red wedges: Naturalizer, via DSW

End Notes:

It’s been a wild few days in our household, and this morning I just needed something easy to wear to campus. And this dress was easy…until it came time to choose my shoes for the day and I vacillated between brown wedges, cognac sandals, orange pumps, or red wedges. But, that got me thinking of all the ways that a seemingly “non-basic” dress can be subtly transformed through the most minimal of accessory changes. I didn’t do anything fancy with layering, I just swapped out shoes, belts, and jewelry (okay, and one hat) to create a range of looks that run the gamut from weekend casual to day-wedding ready. Do you have a favorite?

Farmer’s Market Visit:

• Hat: Banana Republic Factory
• Cut-out sandals: Jeffrey Campbell, via Gilt
• Cork bracelet: thrifted

Teaching Day, Take Two:

• Coral necklace: consignment shop
• Orange pumps: Dolce Vita

Date Night:

• Architectural wedges: Crown Royale Vintage, via DSW
• Earrings: Wet Seal
• Bracelet: gift from A.

For a Day Wedding:

• Feather necklace: Tilly Bloom
• Obi belt: from another dress
• Taupe wedges: Ralph Lauren, via Macy’s

The changes aren’t wildly dramatic, to be sure, but they’re enough to move between occasions and registers of formality. Weirdly, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the utter blank canvas-ness of a little black dress. But a “statement dress,” like this one, offers an unexpected prompt towards creativity. Oh, the things you can do with a bunch of good shoes!

14 September 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Skirt – Gap Outlet (refashioned from dress)
• Navy Blazer – Ann Taylor Outlet
• White Tee – H & M
• Belt – Tie from another dress
• Brooch – Grandmother’s
• Red Flats – Target
• Earrings – gift from A2

Endnotes:

I’m more than ready for Fall – for corduroy, for blazers, for scarves and boots, for pumpkin spiced lattes, and cinnamon donuts and apple cider – but, as it turns out, I’m not quite ready for my summer love affair with this color palette to end.  I’ve always been drawn to a more nautical aesthetic during the summer months and am no strange to stripes.  The addition of these red flats to my wardrobe, however, quickly made the blue + white (especially blue and white stripes) + red combination my summer favorite.

I’m trying to transition this look into fall by adding my navy blazer.  It still has a rather summery (or maybe springy) feel to it, but I think it works.

I think this ensemble is all in the details – the blue and white pinstriped tie, fastened in a kind of droopy half bow, which picks up the blue, red, and white lining of the blazer (revealed at the cuffs, and the small silver brooch attached to my lapel.

14 September 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

I’m not sure how much more mileage I will get out of this blue-white-red combination as the weather cools and leaves turn and the corduroy and wool comes out, but I’m sure I’ll try at least one more fall version in the coming weeks.  And, I’m sure to get PLENTY of mileage out of this cropped navy blazer!

What about you, are there certain colors or aesthetics you are sad to leave behind as Summer transitions to Fall?  What fall colors and fabrics are you more than ready to embrace?

14 September 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

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.

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.

26 July 2010 – 0.666667, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Cami – Target
• Ruffled tank – JCrew
• Belt: Old Navy
• Skirt: refashioned from a Gap Outlet clearance dress
• Wedges: Naturalizers, via DSW

End Notes:

We’re taking a little refresher course on the color wheel as summer winds down, and I’m starting by revisiting the realm of the so-called “two-thirds” color combination.

Did we ever admit to you that we totally made up the term “two-thirds color combination”? It’s not something gleaned from years of art historical study. Instead, it’s a theoretical structure for an observable phenomena, namely, the fact that A., S., and I all gravitated towards color combinations that we had no other means of explaining. I’ve long been a fan of blue and yellow together, for example, and S. has embraced orange and purple for years. We realized that these pairings could be understood as part of a larger color scheme, two-thirds of a “triad.” Think of the three primary colors — red, yellow, and blue — and then pick two of them. Voila. Two-thirds combo. Or think of the three secondary colors — orange, green, and purple — and pick two of those. Again, two-thirds combination.

I think the most valuable point of the two-thirds idea is that your gut color instincts can have quite a lot to say. (But what makes me a nerd is that I have an insatiable desire to contextualize that instinct within some bigger theoretical framework. Give me structure!)

26 July 2010 – 0.666667, originally uploaded by academichic.

More interestingly, I’m foregoing my two favorite two-thirds combinations (blue & yellow and purple & orange) in favor of trying out a less-used alternative: blue and red. There is something so fresh about pale blue with bright red. I think this skirt and shoe combination would have worked well with a white top for an utterly romantic feel, but I do like how the dark gray pushes the look more towards cool quirky chic.

In my self-indulgent daydreaming as I pieced this outfit together, I thought of Zooey Deschanel in one of those cotton commercials. And then I realized that I wasn’t actually thinking about Zooey Deschanel at all, I was thinking of Kendi of Kendi Everyday, who herself recently had a “fabric of our lives” moment and whom I have subconsciously elevated to cute brunette style icon of my mind. Hence, the spinning:

Twirly Times, originally uploaded by academichic.

A & S together, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

On A:

• Skirt – Gap Outlet sundress cut by A.
• Tee – Banana Republic
• Belt – Banana Republic Outlet
• Flats – Target
• Earrings – gift from A2
• Bangles – Camden Markets
• Bag – Old Navy

On S:

• Eyelet top – TJMaxx
• Skirt – J.Crew
• Flats – Target
• Bag – old Etienne Aigner hand me down
• Brown headband – old, can’t remember

Endnotes:

A and A2 were heading out of town for a wedding this weekend and their destination just happened to have them passing the town my husband and I call home. So they were able to work in a little mini vacation to visit us as well. It was so wonderful to have them in town for a couple of days; we caught up on stories, had the dogs play and swim together; got to finally see all their wedding pictures; and A. and I got to go on morning runs together like in the good ol’ days…bliss!

A & S together, originally uploaded by academichic.

And, no, while these pictures may suggest otherwise, we did not outfit coordinate for our day of walking around a nearby city and visiting a local sculpture garden. I think we both just knew that it was going to be a hot day and one that would involve much walking, so a simple white top with a full skirt would look chic while staying cool and airy. While my skirt came like that from J.Crew, A. made her skirt by taking a blue sundress that she loved for its skirt shape and color, but not for its top portion, and cut that off to transform the item. She removed the top, tucked in the seam, and belted the whole thing. Genius!

Flats, originally uploaded by academichic.

All that walking also required some comfortable shoes. We both love our Target flats and I especially loved how the red of A.’s shoes really popped against the blue and white outfit. So crisp and striking. And as always, A2 played our gracious and talented photographer, making sure we got some decent blog documentation before we all melted in the heat. On days like that, only one thing helps – keeping those ice coffees aplenty and aflowin’…

S.

A & S together, originally uploaded by academichic.

6 May 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Black Blazer – F21
• Grey Pencil Skirt- Banana Republic
• Cami (unseen) – BR Outlet
• Belt- Gap
• Floral Scarf – Anthropologie
• Shoes – Anthropologie, via ebay
• Ring – on loan from sister M.

Endnotes:

Clearly, my guilt over not adequately participating in florals month runs deep! I put together this mismatched suit for a museum lecture I was invited to give.  I have this same pencil skirt in black, but the black skirt and black blazer was a little too corporate for my liking.  Even the black blazer with grey suit skirt needed the orangy-brown belt and red wedges to feel more me.

I wore a teal cami underneath, but let my floral scarf serve as a kind of  loose cowl-neck blouse.  It looks a bit like it is swallowing my head in these pictures, but I adjusted it so that the loop sat a bit lower.   I picked up on the blue flowers in the scarf with this fabulous flower ring I discovered while digging through my sister’s jewelry box the last time I was home.

Flower on Floral!, originally uploaded by academichic.

I think this otherwise severe suit was made fresh and approachable by the addition of the floral scarf and all the rich warm tones it allowed me to bring in through accessories.  Per usual for me, this is mostly just another mix of neutral with a little light blue in the scarf.  But, I am always amazed how much more interesting a simple ensemble is when you let brown, black, and grey mingle.

6 May 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.