academichic

Sources:

• Shirt – swapped
• Skirt – Banana Republic
• Scarf -Nordstroms
• Studded Flats – Banana Republic
• Aviators – Banana Republic
• Earrings – gift from S.

Endnotes:

This outfit is fairly similar to an outfit I wore last fall, but this is a different cap-sleeved striped button-down shirt.  This one I snagged at the last clothing swap E. and I organized at my house.  I loved the ruffly tuxedo-front and can never have enough stripped tops.  The woman I swapped it from (not sure what the correct verb construction is) warned me that the sleeves were pretty tight.  I solved this by undoing the buttons on the sleeves and turning the cuffs up – taking the puff down a bit and adding a wing tip.

Unfortunately, I think this shirt is a bit tight in other places on me.  I left the  top several buttons undone, but I think it still pulled a little too much.  This may end up in the next clothing swap.  That’s the great thing about clothing swaps – it’s a no risk way to try out new things – everything’s free!

Now the other items of this ensemble were not swapped and I have no intentions of adding them to the swap pile anytime soon! I of course have my workhorse pencil skirt and a scarf.  My new short hair has led me to rediscover my love of big earrings and I have been wearing this pair (a gift from S. on her wedding day) on a regular basis.  I have also been wearing these new sunglasses and flats from Banana Republic almost daily.

Yep, short hair and aviators!  March was a month of revelations for me.  I love aviators.  I’ve liked the way they look on certain people for a while now, but never imagined I could pull them off.  Then I finally tired a pair on and had to have them.  Now, these are by far the most expensive sunglasses I have ever owned (even though I purchased them with a discount, spending a total of $37) and I was very hesitant to purchase them.  I have a history of breaking or losing my sunglasses.  The last time I spend more that $12 on a pair, I left them in a bathroom stall at the baseball game two days later.  But, I’m a grown up now right?  I should be able to hold on to these for a least a season…we shall see.

How do you feel about the aviators?  And, how much are you willing to spend on sunglasses?

Sources:

• Striped Tank – J Crew
• Blue Skirt – Gap Outlet (chopped from a dress)
• Belt – Anthropologie
• Flats – DSW
• Earrings – F21

Endnotes:

So, you may or may not have noticed, but I took a little blogging break for the month of March (other than an exception for L.’s birthday).  It was a busy month!  I turned in a partial chapter draft, applied for two fellowships, tiled my shower, visited Tuscan, bought a bike, tried several new recipes, prepped my vegetable garden, and got a hair cut!

Now, of course, my co-bloggers have managed to do most of this while continuing to blog (and teach full loads, train for races, give conference papers, and/or grow babies), but I needed and benefited greatly from a blog hiatus.   I’m happy to be back to show off my new hair.  I was going for a Carey Mulligan ‘do – some days it looks just like hers, but with out the help of my beloved flat iron, my hair has a mind of it’s own and I’m still  figuring out how to work with that!  It is fun and kind of liberating to embrace my naturally wavy/textured/something hair (not without a blow-dryer and some good product, mind you).

Sources:

Blazer – MaxMara, hand me down
Striped sweater – Gap, thrifted
Jeans – ON Maternity
Boots – Banana Republic
Necklace – thrifted
Bike – 70s Peugeot Mixte via Craigslist

Endnotes:

E. is not the only one embracing stripes during her pregnancy. It seems like stripes are everywhere this season and after seeing the lovely Miss James rock them all the way to the end of her pregnancy, I became convinved that they were not to be eschewed just because of that extra belly roundness. In fact, how cute is this…

{image courtesy of Bleubird Vintage}

I’ve also been restocking my patterns because I’m really liking the rich effect of pattern mixing as of late. Although I wear a lot of pattern and don’t shy away from loud or bold prints (E. and A. have joked that I have a bit of a 70s couch aesthetic when it comes to pattern choosing), I don’t often brave the mixing of those. I’ve been clipping lots of pattern mixing images to my desktop inspiration folder and am looking forward to getting more adventurous with pattern this year. A sneak peak into my inspiration file…

{Clockwise from top: Dear Baby, Rockstar Diaries, Lucky Magazine}

It seems that stripes work particularly well with florals, as these clippings demonstrate. Since I own a fair share of florals, this should be a cinch. Do you mix patterns? How do you go about making sure the final result is interesting and rich without seeming overwhelming and dizzying?

On a more serious note, I’d just like to express my great sympathy for all those affected by the Tsunami that hit Japan this morning and then made its way to Hawaii and is continuing towards the coast of California. My heart goes out to everyone in those areas and I’m saddened by the loss of so many lives already. May you and your loved ones stay safe! ~ S.

Sources:

Cardi – Tulle, thrifted
Paisley top – dollar clearance at consignment shop
Jeans – ON Maternity
Boots – Dillards
Bangles – thrifted
Necklace – thrifted (“edited down” by me)
Tote – Nomi Network

Endnotes:

When the Nomi Network contacted us and asked us to review a few of their items and learn more about their campaign, we were all intrigued by this interesting logo: “Buy Her Bag, Not Her Body”. So what is the Nomi Network and that provocative statement all about? Well, in their own words…

Sex trafficking thrives where there are large populations of unskilled workers and few employment opportunities. Nomi addresses these issues by equipping at-risk women with valuable skills and creating a market for their products. This demand for their products provides steady employment and a stable income. Empowered with financial independence, these women are no longer available or attractive to sex traffickers who target poor and vulnerable women. In order to effect lasting change, Nomi coordinates the efforts of women vulnerable to sex-trafficking, manufacturers, retailers and consumers to give women an alternative to sex trafficking.

The Nomi Network site estimates the market of ‘illicit human trafficking’ to be around $32 billion. Nomi’s signature bags are made by survivors or at-risk women who are given a chance to earn an income through the manufacturing of these fair trade items. The proceeds go towards job training, skill teaching, and education for these at-risk individuals.

We are excited to be working with Nomi by reviewing their products and spreading the message about such a valuable organization. And it’s an easy product to get behind – not only do we appreciate the work that purchasing such a tote would fund, be we also love the bags themselves. I am using the Slogan Zip Tote here, which can be zipped down into a neat little pouch…

… and then unzipped to a full sized bag that can hold as much as my laptop, wallet, students’ papers, cell phone, and Kindle as shown here…

It’s made of recycled rice bag material and comes in this burnt orange color scheme or in dark blues. When used in its tote form, the zipped pouch becomes a pocket on the outside of the bag (on the back, non-logo side). I love how spacious it is, how sturdy the straps feel, the beautiful color scheme, and the logo and information readily available on it, making it a great conversation starter. And it comes with a very affordable price tag of $30. I love my tote and can see getting a lot of use out of it – be it to cart things to campus now or to carry my towel, books, and sunscreen to the lake come summer.

In fact, if you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day gift for the feminist in your life, we think these would make the perfect present! Not only is it a stylish bag, it also would warm the wearer’s heart knowing that the purchase of their gift helped fund such a worthy cause.  Take a look at this and the other fair trade items in Nomi’s shop as you’re stocking up on your Valentine’s Day presents! ~S.

Sources:

• Striped t-neck – Gap, via consignment store
• Vest – Ann Taylor Loft, hand me down
• Jean Skirt – Mimi Maternity, gift
• Tights – TJMaxx
• Boots – Dillards
• Pendant – Anthropologie
• Wood and Silver Ring – Souvenir from Munich, Germany
• Down coat below – Tahari, via TJMaxx
• Hat below – C&A, Germany

Endnotes:

Before I move on to the outer layers of this outfit (and outerwear in general), I just have to give a shout-out to one awesome reader – Suzanne – who sent me this wonderful Mimi Maternity jean skirt! Thank you, Suzanne! She kindly offered to pass it on to me when I wrote about wanting to add a maternity jean skirt (preferably a pencil skirt) to my maternity wardrobe. This one fits perfectly and has a bit of stretch to it, which I love because it makes cycling in it really easy. (And, as many of you know, ‘bike-friendliness‘ is always high on my wardrobe criteria list). Thank you, for such a random act of kindness!

As for what I wore over this outfit? My trusty Tahari downcoat. I have a few ‘dressier’ peacoats and wool coats (see below) but where I currently live, temperatures drop routinely well below freezing. For the majority of winter, temperatures hover around 10-20 F and sometimes it’s even colder than that. (As it is today – currently 1F!) Wool coats and peacoats just don’t cut it in that kind of cold. I acquired this Tahari down coat last winter via TJMaxx and it’s quickly become my favorite winter coat. I wore it all last winter while spending a lot of time on foot in Munich and I’ve been wearing it this winter as I predominantly walk and bike to campus. Even on the coldest of days, this coat keeps me warm and comfortable. If you’ve been hit by the same snow storms and cold weather gusts as we have been in the Midwest, this kind of coat is your ticket to warmth and frostbite avoidance!

I especially love the fluffy hood, which I wear pulled over my hat when it’s really cold outside. I also love the ruching detail around the edges, which gives this otherwise plain black coat some interest and style.

As mentioned, I also own a few wool coats, which I wear on days when the temperatures stay above 30F. I have one classic black wool coat that I puchased during my first year abroad in Salzburg, Austria and which has weathered many a winters since I bought it in 2002. I have had to sew and patch the lining on the inside but this coat has otherwise retained its shape, color, and fit. I bought it at a higher-end department store (Hämmerle, for those Austrian readers out there) and it was well worth the investment. As quality outerwear usually is, right?

My other coats are a brown polkadot peacoat by ‘Green with Envy’ via TJMaxx and a blue-violet wool coat from J.Crew, recently inherited from my mom.

A classic knee-lenghth wool coat is a fail-safe investment piece as it will never go out of style and will work with the most elegant of outfits. If you already own one such coat, I would suggest opting for a fun bolder color with your second coat. While this blue-violet is less conventional, the fact that it comes in classic cut and in one solid color makes it suprisingly easy to ‘match’ with almost anything. As for the polkadot coat – I feared that buying a patterend coat would limit my use of it but with the colors being predominantly neutrals (brown background with tan and violet polkadots), I have found it surprisingly easy to pair with alomost anything.

And for slightly warmer temperatures (pretty much anything between summer and winter), I stand by a tried and true classic: the traditional trenchcoat. Just as E. had to swoon over her dark denim trench coat, I have to give a shout-out to this item because I find it infinetily chic and timeless. My trenchcoat is actually my grandmother’s trench coat from Romania, ca. 1973. She wore it for many years and eventually had it altered to shorten the length. I found it in her closet while visiting Romania a year and a half ago and happily claimed it. As E. mentioned, the beauty of the trench is that it fits over all your layers nicely and then cinches at the waist to flatter your silhouette. This one also comes with these gorgeous carved buttons and the faint air of a coat well traveled.

I know it’s a piece I will wear for a long time and  will hopefully pass on to my child or grandchild.

Those are my picks of outerwear that meets my criteria of functional, practical, and elegant. What are you wearing this week to stay warm out there?

~ S.

All the Pretty Little Horses, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Denim trench: Old Navy, hand me down from SIL
• Scarf: Chinatown
• Glovens: Target
• Striped top: BCBG, thrifted
• Belt: from a Loft dress
• Skirt: Anthropologie Field Skirt
• Leggings: Target
• Socks: Smartwool
• Shoes: BC Footwear Atmosphere Wedge

End Notes:

Like A., I took advantage of the warmer weather over the weekend to snap these pictures of my “light” outwear. Simply put, I adore this denim trenchcoat (even if it’s bunching my skirt in this picture…oops). It’s a funny old thing. And not cool, vintage old. Just my sister-in-law had it freshman year of college and I adopted it after graduation old.

But it’s a timeless shape in an unusual fabric, and what with denim and chambray making a comeback over the past few seasons, I’ve loved having this as one of my outerwear staples. Additional bonuses include:

• The longer length means it provides some extra modesty when biking in skirts that get hiked up.
• It can accomodate a couple of layers underneath, but then nips everything in at the waist with the belt.
• The dark denim is a classic wash, but it still gives this familiar silhouette some statement appeal.

BC Footwear Atmosphere Wedge, originally uploaded by academichic.

Though not technically “outerwear,” I have to also give accolades to my new cold weather “mom” shoes. What are these things? They’re part Wallabee, part wedge, nice and supportive but still with a little funk. I can wear them to run errands in wide leg jeans with baby e. or on Sunday walks to the park with a skirt. Brilliant.

P.S. Here’s my first remix of my new favorite skirt. Remember its debut?

1 February 2011 – Outerwear, originally uploaded by academichic.

1 February 2011 – Outerwear, originally uploaded by academichic.

For my trip to a coffee shop on this sunny winter day, I paired it with jeans a thick cotton top, and my wedge boots for a polished casual look (ps I’m still loving my Lucky jeans).  I added this beautiful cornflower blue scarf made by and gifted to be by my mother in law.  I love the color, length, and width of this scarf and am beyond impressed with how perfect the pattern is!  I see this one quickly becoming a favorite of the bunch.

Scarf from Mother-in-Law, originally uploaded by academichic.

Banana Republic Teal Tote, originally uploaded by academichic.

This teal leather tote was a Christmas gift from my mom and I have been carrying it everyday that I don’t need to go to school or lug my computer to a coffee shop.  It’s the perfect size, I love its slouchy profile, and of course I think teal goes with everything!  I’m also a lover of bags (I have more bags than shoes) but tend to use one purse and one school bag for weeks at a time and then switch it up, so I that might make for less interesting documentation.   How do you rotate your coats and bags?  Do you have one coat/jacket for each season?  Do you match your purse/bag to your outfit?  Tell us about your outerwear collections!

1 February 2011 – Outerwear, originally uploaded by academichic.

Soccer Mom, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Cardigan: Loft
• Tank: Forever 21
• Gold belt: thrifted
• Pants: Banana Republic
• Taupe Wedges: Ralph Lauren
• Necklace: Tickette, birthday gift from Husband N.

End Notes:

Today was my first day of the semester. I know, I know. Where’s the skirt? Where’s the dress? Well, one of my personal style rut-preventers of the year is to try and recapture some of my former love for trousers. And I figured that I might as well get things off to a running start by wearing these black wool trousers to kick off the semester.

Now, when I was wearing this outfit I felt very nautical work chic. I had a little navy and black neutral mixing going on, a gold belt, and some killer taupe patent wedges. And for a classroom setting, I thought I had a nice mix of conservative, authoritative pieces with little punchy bits of personality in the accessories.

(Also, I was secretly wearing magenta socks.)

Socks Surprise, originally uploaded by academichic.

But when I took pictures of the outfit, the first thing that came to mind was…soccer mom. I think it’s the pale shoe with the wide leg pant, plus the striped tank.

And yet, I still decided to post these. I want to remember that not every outfit is meant to be shot for a catalog. Some outfits make me feel fantastic on the ground, when it counts, even though they might not look all that stunning up on the internet. I felt powerful and competent wearing this, and I don’t want a bland picture to take that away from me.

Besides, I’m fully planning on being team mom when baby e. plays soccer some day.

Soccer Mom, originally uploaded by academichic.

Literal Necklace, originally uploaded by academichic.

Birthday Splash, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Tank: Forever 21
• Skirt: Anthropologie, with birthday money!
• Sandals: Jeffrey Campbell
• Earrings: gift from brothers

End Notes:

I love it when I get to spend my birthday in my favorite place: back home on Oahu with my family. Since arriving a few days ago, I’ve been soaking up the sunshine, helping baby e. explore the new geography, flora, and fauna, and eating a delicious array of local food.

I bought this skirt (and a dress I’ll premiere later) during Anthropologie’s after Christmas sale using some early birthday money. Everything about this skirt — the color, the Japanese doll print, the fullness, the pockets — called to me, and I decided that it was the perfect birthday skirt. Between the skirt, striped tank, and cut-out sandals, the only real accessorizing this outfit needed was the addition of these minuscule origami crane earrings that my brothers gave me this morning.

Thanks for your warm birthday wishes, and a special thanks to L. and A. for their sweet posts and spot-on outfits. L., you’d better not bring that top with you back to Academichic central, otherwise I just might steal it from you! And A., I’m so proud of you for surrendering your waist for a day. You are both so dear to me, and I’m so grateful for your friendship and for this space to be creative together!

Birthday Splash, originally uploaded by academichic.

3 January 2011 – Happy Birthday E., originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Cardigan – Gap, gift from mother-in-law
• Striped Tank – J Crew
• Ponte Pants – Ann Taylor
• Grey Wedge Boots – Steve Madden, gift from Mom
• Necklace – gift from sister L.

Endnotes:

Happy Birthday E.!  I took these birthday-tribute photos last week while in Florida knowing that E. would be in Hawaii for her birthday.  I was also happy to have the opportunity to put together an E-inspired outfit that didn’t require several snow-proof layers!

3 January 2011, originally uploaded by academichic.

A couple of the items featured in this ensemble are exact duplicates of items in E.’s closet, while others are just close approximations. Like L., I have E. to thank for my obsession with the Ann Taylor ponte pant. She gushed about them for months and then finally convinced me to try a pair on.  I’ve taken much inspiration from the various ways she has remixed her pair (like as fantastically fun supermom pants, or as perfectly polished teacher pants).  I received my grey wedge boots for Christmas, just a few week’s after E. scored her’s on ebay, so they were an easy choice.  But, they also seemed appropriate because I so clearly remember the first time I pointed out the Steve Madden Intyce boots to E. while we were grabbing coffee/tea before seminar.  It seems like so long ago and it makes me smile to think about how much our friendship has grown over the past 4 plus years, yet we still love to talk about much of the same things — modern art, feminism, balancing professional and personal life, identity politics, and good shoes!

Necklace and stripes, originally uploaded by academichic.

Stripes are perhaps one of my signature looks, but this particular black and white stripe tank makes me think of E.  I love both her striped tank, which she wore quite a bit this past summer,  and her black and white striped tee, which she has rocked many a times, including several times during her 30 for 30.  I’ve always been a bit covetous of E.’s signature bauble necklace, so I was very excited to receive this necklace for Christmas.  Now, the big stretch for me in this outfit is the open drapey cardigan.  E. is always encouraging me to “surrender the waist” every once in a while and I love this cardigan precisely because it reminds me of something E. would wear unbelted and loose.  Overall, I was hoping to pull together something that looked effortless, chic, and just a little bit edgy.

E., you are one of my dearest friends and we have seen each other through some huge professional and personal hurdles and triumphs!  I’m looking forward to sharing so many more of life’s great events with you and feel so lucky to have you (and your family) as a regular fixture in my life!  I love you!  A.

3 January 2011, originally uploaded by academichic.