Today’s giveaway comes courtesy of Shabby Apple, an online boutique of vintage-inspired women’s dresses.  The “Toe the Line” dress, a 50′s-esque chambray shirt-dress, is part of Shabby Apple’s summery “Set Sail” collection.   We love the combination of  knee-length full skirt, over-sized buttons, and three-quarter sleeves, all in a lightweight breezy fabric.  Wear it with simple saddles and a sun hat or dress it up with red pumps for a summer date!

To enter to win this dress, check out Shabby Apple’s selection of women’s dresses and then leave a comment letting us know which one of their dresses is your favorite. For a second chance to win, “like” Shabby Apple on Facebook — and get access to special promotions and discounts — and leave a separate comment telling us that you did so.

The contest is open until Midnight US Central Time on Sunday, June 12, 2011. We will randomly choose a winner to announce on Monday.

Even if you don’t win, you can still take advantage of a special Academichic discount! Just enter academichic10off at check out.

Sources:

• Dress: Moulinette Soeurs via Anthropologie
• Sweater: Gap outlet
• Belt: Old Navy outlet
• Camisole (under): Banana Republic outlet
• Shoes: BR

Endnotes:
I think S. brings up a great question: How do you best dress with stress? I had wondered at the beginning of this school year if during 9 months of dressing for classes 6 days a week there would come a point at which I absolutely could not stand to get dressed in the morning. For me getting dressed is fun. Obviously I enjoy it or else I wouldn’t bother playing around with what I wear, nor would I take the time to blog about it. Certainly in these last 9 months there have been days, or weeks even, when looking at my closet has inspired more dread than pleasure, but for the most part I’ve enjoyed starting my day playing “dress-up.” As I’ve said before, I use clothes to get me revved up, keep me motivated, and put on a brave front when I’m not feeling so tough inside.

However, in these last few weeks of school, as the weather has not warmed and the rain keeps falling, I have hit my wall. I have been going back to old, faithful staples that I’ve been wearing since I was in high school: corduroys and Birkenstocks. I haven’t blogged these outfits both because I feel “frumpy” in them and because it’s definitely not corduroy season in most of the country, so who cares how I styled a pair of cords in mid-May when really you want to know how to wear sundresses and straw hats?

Anyway, today I was actually feeling motivated enough to pull on a dress, a belt, and some cute flats. Pretty good considering there is a 70% chance of rain. Oh well, it’s time for me to bundle up for another afternoon of coaching in the drizzle. I probably will change out of these super comfy flats in favor of some waterproof sneakers, but who wants to see pictures of those?

- L.

Sources:

Gray jersey dress – Target
Navy shirt dress – Motherhood Maternity, via consignment shop
Belt – Gap Outlet
Flats – thrifted
Necklace – gift from Costa Rica
Bangle – J.Crew, thrifted

Endnotes:

It seems a little funny to be talking about an outfit in light of today’s (or rather, last night’s) ground breaking events. I’m sure that all of you have heard the President’s speech by now and are following things on NPR or whatever your choice of news provider is. But in case you are stopping by the site today for some lighter topics, here is my Monday post showing last week’s outfit on my last day of teaching. Not just my last day for this semester, but my last day for quite a while. I just found out that I received the dissertation fellowship for which I had applied, meaning that I will be on fellowship all of the coming academic year while I finish my dissertation and prepare to defend next May. I’m thrilled about the break from teaching as it will allow me to focus on my writing and meet my May 2012 graduation date, but I’m also a little sad to be stepping out of the classroom for so long.

Teaching is one of my favorite things about being in this profession and I was especially lucky to have some really amazing students this past year. I enjoyed waking up and going to my classes each morning and I didn’t even mind that on some days I had to be on my feet and in front of a class for three courses in a row. Because the students made it worth it. So I know that while this break from teaching will be great for my research and writing progress (and I get to be at home with little C. her first year of life!), I leave campus and my office with mixed feelings and a bit of sadness at having to say goodbye to something I really enjoy doing.

So here’s a glance at what I wore on the last day of classes. It’s nothing that spectacular as I was once more trying to get out the door quickly. I grabbed this navy maternity shirt dress and paired it with my newly thrifted flat sandals. And then, to mix things up from how I’ve previously worn this dress, I layered a gray jersey dress underneath and left the shirt dress unbuttoned and belted.

For a pop of color, I added a red-orange belt and this colorful necklace that was a gift from Costa Rica.

Like I said the last time I posted, I’ve been running a little low in outfit inspiration and I blame it on the changing weather as well as my constantly changing body and the need to busy myself with so many other projects and tasks that fashion has taken a back seat. As I’m now facing motherhood and a year out of the office, I’m anticipating even more challenges to my getting ready and looking ‘fashionable’ each day. And to be honest, I’m not sure that I mind. So we’ll see what the coming months and adventures will bring.

Sources:

Coat – Merona, via consignment store
Maternity dress – Motherhood, via consignment store
Belt – thrifted
Red-orange necklace – thrifted
Red bracelet – H&M years ago
Red tights – TJMaxx
Loafers – Michael Kors, thrifted
Red earrings – Welt Laden in Salzburg, Austria

Bike – 1969 Raleigh Sports

Endnotes:

I’m becoming increasingly drawn to navy as a favorite neutral. I particularly like how it works with reds and browns. This navy shirtdress was one of my finds during a shopping spree with E. over my last visit to academichic central. E. took me to her favorite maternity consignment store and we had a blast perusing their maternity outfits while swapping pregnancy stories. At the time, I had just started to feel my baby move and I remember how delighted I felt to have E. (a second-time mom) confirm that those pops really were the baby.

That day, we came away with a few good maternity finds. Among which was this stretchy navy shirt dress that came with those built-in belt straps that are sometimes more nuisance than help. E. also found a gorgeous dress that day, which also came with built-in straps, and she recorded how she made those work here. I decided to take the plunge and remove them altogether.

You can see how the dress looks with the navy built-in straps in comparison to it being worn with a different, contrasting belt. I think I much prefer the latter, which breaks up the vast amount of solid fabric and gives the eye a focal point. So I knew I wouldn’t miss the navy straps, since I was likely to never wear it ‘as is’…

>

Sometimes built-in belts works wonderfully and A. even did a demonstration of how you can use them to tie in a cardigan or outside layer. But I think that for the built-in straps to work well, they have to be of a more substantial width. The thin ‘shoestring’ kind just don’t seem to do it for me. What do you do with the built-in belts, do you keep them or cut them?

S.

]]> http://www.academichic.com/2011/03/28/28-march-2011-built-ins/feed/ 14 http://www.academichic.com/2011/03/17/a-rescue-in-red/ http://www.academichic.com/2011/03/17/a-rescue-in-red/#comments Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:00:26 +0000 admin http://www.academichic.com/2011/03/16/a-rescue-in-red/

Sources:

• Scarf: c/o Echo Designs
• Shirt tunic thing: thrifted, J. Crew
• Jeggings: Target
• Wedges: Target

End Notes:

I recently picked up this kind-of-a-tunic, kind-of-a-short-shirt-dress thing at my local Goodwill. S. has a khaki shirtdress that she has styled chicly a number of times on this blog, usually by layering underneath and wearing the dress almost as an open trench of sorts. S. is also one of those people who honest to goodness looks good with khaki against her skin. Khaki and my complexion do not play nicely with each other, so I bought this tunic thinking that I would over-dye it prior to wear (maybe olive green? but I’m taking suggestions).

(As an aside, a maternity tip for those who care: when shopping — whether new or thrift — during the first half or so of pregnancy, I am fairly strict about only buying tops and dresses that will be conducive to nursing in the “fourth trimester” when I’ll still need some extra space in the midsection. This tunic has a button front placket and a slightly gathered skirt, so it fit the bill perfectly.)

But…obviously I couldn’t wait. To mitigate the “wow, your dress is the same color as your skin” issue, I used a bright red, patterned scarf to add some saturated color next to my face. I tied the long, narrow scarf two ways, once like a man’s tie, and once in a doubled loop.

I ended up liking the doubled loop best, and I loved how the contrast of textures — silk with cotton — and connotations — utility and luxury — made for an outfit that was neither too costumey nor too serious.

See? Be very quiet. I’m tracking down some very important dissertation research and it can be skittish. In the meantime, tell me if and how you wear khaki. I seem to run into this issue frequently in springs past.

Sources:

Endnotes:

This is what I wore to a Jewish Baby Naming Ceremony this past Saturday. I had never attended one before and so I actually googled “what to wear to a jewish baby naming ceremony” and found a couple of answers to my questions. They all came down to this: make sure your shoulders are covered in Synagogue. Well, yeah, in February that should be no problem.

I thought back to previous visits to the Synagogue with friends and also pulled on my knowledge from having visited various churches growing up and came up with this outfit. It turned out to be sufficiently dressy, sufficiently modest, and sufficiently practical for February temperatures. And the ceremony was beautiful! So joyous and festive and moving (I confess I cried a bit).

Now, since we’re dedicating this week to Jewelry Week here on academichic, let me tell you a bit about the bling I wore…

You may have noticed that I’ve developed a penchant for bolder and bigger necklances lately. I’m also a huge fan of brooches. (I’m really happy to see Emma Pillsbury bringing brooches back on Glee.) But I rarely combine the two. I have, however, in a moment of spontenaity, once combined two layered necklaces with a big flower pin for an outfit for the opera. And I loved the results. So I did something of the sort again this weekend with this tiered gold and pearls necklace and a this vintage birds brooch on my lapel. (And I pictured Emma Pillsbury looking at my reflection in the mirror from her vantage point behind me and nodding with approval. So I went with it.)

On a side note, I used to be able to button this dress when I first purchased it. It was a snug fit, but a fit nonetheless. My expanding waistline has made buttoning this dress impossible but it’s given me incentive to experiment with all kinds of dress layering using the shirt dresses in my closet. Even when I could still button this dress, I loved layering it and wearing it partially open, which is what all the fun is about with a shirt dress anyway. So here’s the first incarnation of my experiment of shirt dresses and maternity induced layering. ~ S.

PS: Last year in February, we dedicated a whole month to scarves. Yes, we like the theme thing especially when winter blahs are setting in. Look here for all our scarf wearing entries and here for our scarf tying bibliography, pulling together a plethora of ‘how-to’ tutorials on tying and wearing scarves. And check back all of this week for jewelry themed posts and a jewelry themed giveaway!

Three Firsts, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Shirt Dress: American Apparel
• Blue Dress (under): Even via Off 5th
• Belt: Anthropologie
• Scarf: gift
• Shoes: Steve Madden via DSW

Endnotes:
So many firsts in this post! First time remixing/layering dresses, first time tucking my scarf into my belt, and first picture in my classroom. Even though I’m not participating in Kendi’s 30 for 30 (as A. and E. are) this time around, I have been inspired by all the layering and remixing that my co-bloggers are doing. I’ve never tried the layering a dress over something longer, but I own a few cotton dresses that have shrunk and become short enough that I’m reluctant to wear them to school, and I thought they might work for just this experiment. I tried to ease myself into this by keeping to block colors and neutrals.

Three Firsts, originally uploaded by academichic.

The scarf-tucked-into-the-belt look is one that A sports frequently and I’ve attempted it before, but never with any success. The key for me was finding a scarf that was thin enough that it didn’t feel like it was adding a lot of bulk to my front.

Belted Scarf, originally uploaded by academichic.

Finally, as I’m sure you’ve noticed I took my pictures today in my classroom. A few of you commented last time I posted that you wished that I could take pictures in natural light, and believe me I wish for that too! I’m really torn about this right now – Like E., A., and S. have all discussed, I’ve kept my style blogging quiet. My family and close friends know, but it’s not general information that I give out. Especially since I’m just starting a new job with many time consuming commitments, I didn’t want people to think that blogging was taking up time that I should be grading or prepping or giving extra-help – and it doesn’t, generally. However, I also believe that when working in a boarding school (or really in any walk of life), one must make time for personal commitments and have outlets beyond the campus. For me at this moment style blogging is a respite from all school related stresses. I guess my reluctance also comes down to the fact that we’re not just talking about colleagues knowing about Academichic – there are students involved too, and I’m very apprehensive about them finding out and questioning my professionalism. Anyway, all this was to say I also wish I could take pictures in natural light, on the beautiful campus that surrounds me, in front of the fall foliage and ancient brick walls that form my new home. However, I’m not ready for my pupils to know about my leisure activity, and so I’ll be taking photos inside for a while longer. For other bloggers out there, do you have similar struggles about revealing your site to others?

Sources:

• Black Shirt Dress – BR Outlet
• Belt – Old Navy
• Scarf – Nepali by TMD Designs
• Shoes – Steve Madden Girl, via DSW
• Earrings – F21

Endnotes:

I started thinking about my birthday outfit earlier this week and decided it was a good excuse to dress up a bit.  I love this black wrap shirt dress.  The top fits me perfectly and the shirt sleeves and collar make me feel crisp, sharp, and thus polished.  The full bottom makes me feel playful and of course, I love the pockets!  The black can be a bit hash and boring so I added a few pops of my favorite colors – the teal belt, the vintage green ring, blueish-green and violet earrings, and the sea foam green scarf.

I initially planned on wearing my green flats or my grey wedges with this look, but once I slipped this crinkly patten pumps on, I had to wear them!  They make my legs look a mile long and take this simple black dress to the next level.  Normally, I would probably not wear this combination to school, but hey, it’s my birthday!

7 October 2010 -My Birthday Suit, originally uploaded by academichic.

I’m used to the weather being a bit cooler on my birthday and wearing boots, scarves, cardigans and blazers.  The weather in Academichic Central was beautiful yesterday, warm and sunny for most of the day, but cool enough in the morning and evening to warrant the addition of this fabulous scarf from TDM Designs.

7 October 2010 -My Birthday Suit, originally uploaded by academichic.

7 October 2010 -My Birthday Suit, originally uploaded by academichic.

2010 Academichic – Plaid and Pockets, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Shirt Dress: Anthropologie
• Lace Edged Tank: Banana Republic Outlet
• Purple Belt: mom’s closet
• Brown Belt (below): Fossil
• Shoes: Frye
• Necklace: South Moon Under (gift from my sister)
• Bracelet: Accessorize (also a gift from my sister who lives in London)

Endnotes:
When I bought this dress last spring on super sale from Anthropologie, I knew that A and S were going to be jealous. As you know they are queens of shirt-dresses (including ones that wrap) and both have an excellent collection of styles, colors, and materials, not to mention the styling that they do themselves to make these dresses even more interesting. After having admired shirt dresses on both of them, I knew that this plaid one would be a hit — and make A especially covetous because it has pockets!

POCKETS!, originally uploaded by academichic.

Although, I felt that the danger with this dress was that the all over plaid was going to be too much and the fitted vintage shape could be seen as, gasp, schoolmarm-ish. The first time I wore this I paired it with a brown leather belt and shoes, and I’ve also worn my grey belt and shoes with much success.

Brown Belt, originally uploaded by academichic.

However, this time around I wanted to go beyond neutrals and see what adding even more color could do to embellish this dress. The purple belt, like my other obi belts, was something I had scavenged out of my mother’s closet this summer. I’m not a huge pastel colors person, but I figured as an accessory this might come in handy for our color wheel challenges. I’m undecided as to whether I like the purple belt or brown belt more, but either way I was happy with this look and didn’t feel too old fashioned despite the vintage shape.

Brown, gold, and purple, originally uploaded by academichic.

I also felt that the gold jewelry dressed up the look and the circle necklace went well with my Frye flats. I liked the lace edge camisole peeking out of the top as well and needed it because the dress is a little low cut.

Lace edged camisole, originally uploaded by academichic.

Do you have suggestions for how I might make this dress less old-fashioned looking? Accessories I should think about trying? Other color combinations you think would work? Thanks for your feedback!

~ L.

Brown or Purple???, originally uploaded by academichic.