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.

Summer Picnic, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Skirt – Gap
• Ruffle Tank – J Crew
• Belt – F21
• Bracelets – gifts from S.
• Sandals – Charlotte Russe
• Basket – gift from Sister S.

Endnotes:

This weekend I spent a lovely evening with friends in a nearby park.  My contribution to the picnic included plates, bowls, cutlery, cups, and a bottle of white wine (in the cooler not pictured), but I also tucked a bottle of ice water, some bug spray, sunscreen, and an umbrella into my multi-purpose red basket.  My sister gave me this collapsible canvas basket for my birthday a couple years ago.  I’m pretty sure she got it from The Container Store, but I recently discovered a similar item at Garnet Hill.  They come in a wide selection of colors and patterns and even in different sizes. I’m adding a mini basket in blue and a large basket in brown paisley to my wish list.

I figure I could easily use one or two more, since I’ve used mine for hauling plants, shopping at the farmers market, transporting baked goods for my family or hot dinners for new parents (like E. and N.), and for packing up picnic supplies.  Because it had been used for the dirtier plant hauling most recently, I lined it with a brightly patterned fresh linen for the picnic.

Picnic Basket, originally uploaded by academichic.

For my picnic-perfect ensemble, I chose a tank that would keep me cool but had enough detail for an evening out.  I paired in with a full skirt so that I could sit comfortably on the picnic blanket and not worry about flashing anyone!

I love summer! Especially when spent with good friends and good food!  A.

PS: Thanks for all of the interesting comments last week about slogan t-shirts.  I responded to some of the questions/concerns raised in a lengthy comment of my own.

Summer Picnic, originally uploaded by academichic.

17 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Plaid tunic button down – Zara
• Gray tank – Hanes
• Skinnies – S.Oliver
• Orange sandals – American Eagle
• Scarf – Echo Design
• Silver cuff – gift from dad

Endnotes:

So here’s another incarnation of my ‘uniform’ look that I last wrote about. Except I’ve switched out the flats for orange sandals. This for two reasons: I like how the orange sandals pick up the shades of orange in the plaid button down tunic without being too matchy-matchy, and my much worn Palladium flats have finally been retired after four years of faithful service and many many miles together. They tore at last and I’m putting them to rest in Europe, where we have shared many a pleasant trip together. Thank you, Palladium flats, you were a wise purchase indeed.

So it was in this comfy reiteration of the same look I’ve been sporting for a while now that I enjoyed yesterday’s day despite the rain and clouds.I took cover in one of my favorite bookshops in Munich – the five floored Hugendubel on Marienplatz – and cozied up in their top floor cafe with a hot mint tea, a good cycling book, and some intermittent people watching on the square below…

Cycle Readings, originally uploaded by academichic.

Rainy days in Munich, originally uploaded by academichic.

The second challenge for the LGRAB Summer Games included reading a book on cycling, so I began that task with Mark Beaumont’s The Man Who Cycled The World. Beaumont writes about his adventures riding over 18,000 miles on his bike in 194 days and 17 hours (making him the new world record holder). This book is his personal account of that incredible and often painful yet undoubtedly amazing journey on his bike.

I love reading books about the sports I enjoy, such as running and now cycling. (So the girls over at Let’s Go Ride a Bike didn’t really need to twist my arm with this one). But I’ve never been one to get all technical and read about the mechanics of said sport. Rather, I really love a good adventure memoir that focuses on the thrill, excitement, and discovery resulting from engaging in a given activity. I also like historical or theoretical readings on the development of a sport, which trace the social response to and understanding of said activity. Some of my favorite reads on these topics are:

Running:

McDougall, Christopher. Born to Run. A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen. Knopf, 2009.

(This one made me seriously think that I should be running ultras. It just made me fall in love with the art of running all over again.)

Murakami, Haruki. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. Knopf, 2008.

(I put it down and vowed to also run one marathon a year for the rest of my life. So I’m not really going to be able to do that, but I still think the book is beautiful and brilliant).

Cycling:

Mackintosh, Philip Gordon and Glen Norcliffe. “Men, Women and the Bicycle: Gender and Social Geography of Cycling in the Late Nineteenth-Century.” Cycling and Society. Eds. Dave Horton, Paul Rosen and Peter Cox. Burlington: Ashgate, 2007. 153-177.

Oddy, Nicholas. “Bicycles.” The Gendered Object. Ed. Pat Kirkham. New York: Manchester University Press, 1996. 60-69.

Simpson, Clare S. “Capitalising on Curiosity: Women’s Professional Cycle Racing in the Late-Nineteenth Century.” Cycling and Society. Eds. Dave Horton, Paul Rosen and Peter Cox. Burlington: Ashgate, 2007. 47-65.

(All really great and accessible articles on the social development of cycling and the gendered aspects of said activity, especially in the early stages on bicycle development).

Aesthetics and Sport in General:

Gumbrecht, Hans Ullrich. In Praise of Althletic Beauty. Harvard University Press, 2006.

(A beautiful and moving book on the aesthetics of athletics. I read this for a class on aesthetics a few years back and have since reread it for pleasure. Gumbrecht is a professor at Stanford University and I had the pleasure of meeting him shortly before coming to Germany. I had him autograph my book. Yes, I’m an academic groupie).

Do you have any great adventure memoirs you’d recommend? What are some of the books (aesthetics or athletics related) that have moved you? I’d love to get your reading tips! S.

17 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

10 June 2010 – Simple Duds for Simple Days, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Tank – J Crew (on super sale)
• Navy Shorts – J Crew
• Sandals – Charlotte Russe
• Earrings – F21
• Bangles – Various

Endnotes:

I’m having trouble getting posts up lately because I am spending most days make-up-less in shorts and a tee-shirt or tank (that is when I am not in running shorts, dirty gardening clothes, or sweats) because it’s HOT here and I’m just prepping for my summer course at home or at a coffee shop with breaks to run and tend my new garden (details coming soon I promise).    I’ve actually taken a couple outfit pictures of myself in said shorts and tee but never feel like they are post-worthy.  Often on these kinds of days, I could care less about color combinations, summer trends, or really even proportion.  I know this is not what a “style blogger” is supposed to say, but it’s my dirty truth!  Truth: I wear sweats for many hours of the day and I have no problem going to Home Depot in dirty work shorts or the grocery store in my running clothes (pre-run only).

Today I wore a new tank from J Crew clearance and threw on a handful of bangles to dress up my shorts and sandals uniform, and the result was cute enough to post.

Bangles, originally uploaded by academichic.

Outtake, originally uploaded by academichic.

10 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

8 June 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Pearls – borrowed from my mom
• Polka-dot dress – Target
• Red tank – ON
• Red wedges – thrifted vintage Etienne Aigner
• Pearl earrings – my wedding earrings, sidewalk sale
• Wildflowers – picked in field outside of town

Endnotes:

Dear Readers, I’m back. I’ve been a pretty bad blogger lately but for good reason; I’ve enjoyed some much needed time away from the computer and with my husband and my family in Romania. Now that I’m back in Germany, I do have pictures to share from my time traveling and I hope to make a more regular appearance around here.

Today’s outfit shots are from some time last week when we celebrated my grandfather’s and my husband’s recent May birthdays at a little family and friends’ dinner out. I knew that there would be a good chance that I couldn’t get away with wearing jeans and sporty flats my entire vacation, so I had wisely packed one semi-formal dress and my red wedges for just such an event. This black and white polka-dot dress is dressy enough for a special occasion dinner without being so formal that it begs for attention.

Wildflowers and Polka Dots, originally uploaded by academichic.

When packing without quite knowing what my itinerary will entail, I like to choose items that can function for multiple occasions or registers and that can be mixed and matched in various ways. That often means neutrals (like this black and white dress) and semi-casual dresses or skirts that can be elevated to a more formal look or dressed down for everyday wear with the use of shoes, jewelry, or the right accessories. If a garment only appears to be useful for a certain type of event or setting and will likely only be worn one way, I tend to not pack it in favor of something that will present me with more options at my destination. Unless, of course, I’m packing for something very specific and unique, like a black-tie wedding.

How do you choose what to pack and what to leave behind? And since I’ll be doing a lot more packing in the weeks to come (as I leave Germany and head back to the US), what is some of the most useful packing advice you’ve received and could kindly share with us? Thank you! S.

For a plethora of packing-related posts, make sure to check out our Academichic Travels section here. Ever the academics, we love to document and theorize even our bag-packing methodologies.

Red , originally uploaded by academichic.

If you haven’t already heard of the Let’s Go Ride a Bike Summer Games, then you should definitely head over to Dottie and Trisha’s site to check them out. They’re a perfect incentive for picking up that bike you’ve been keeping in storage this winter and dusting it off for some fun rides around the neighborhood. Added bonus – there are prizes involved for those participating.

For my second entry to the LGRAB Summer Games event called “Social Cycling”, I took Trisha’s and Dottie’s advice and scheduled a bike date with my husband. What a perfect way to explore Munich together on his visit here. And since Trisha and Dottie said to dress up, here is what we wore (not exactly
‘dressy’ clothes, but just the regular street clothes we would have worn walking around town.) No special gear required…

On her:

• Sunglasses – loan from friend
• Yellow top – Sam & Max
• Skinnies – S. Oliver
• Flats – Palladium
• Scarf – souvenir from Duluth, MN
• Bag – old Etienne Aigner, hand me down

On him:

• Graphic tee – J.Crew
• Backpack – Jansport
• Jeans – Nautica
• Shoes – Aldo
• Sunglasses – souvenir from Costa Rica

T. and I are both enthusiastic cyclists although our styles are very different. While T. loves to go fast, I like to ride slow. For T., it’s all about getting from point A to B as quickly as possible, while I like to take my time and look around. T. loves to feel the rush of flying downhill on his bike, I tend to keep the brakes on and meander downhill at a much more hesitant pace. T.’s machine of choice is a fast and sleek road bike, I prefer a big lumbering cruiser. But despite our superficial differences in biking, we both agree on one thing: riding our bikes is fun.

23 May 2010 – Bike Date, originally uploaded by academichic.

23 May 2010 – Bike Date, originally uploaded by academichic.

When it comes to engaging in this activity together, we both make compromises and find that the result is awesome; I feel the thrill of going a little faster, T. slows down and enjoys the ride-as-process, and we both take pleasure in spending the day together doing something we both love.

» Read the rest of this entry «

Sources:

On L.F. (top left):

• White top, skinny belt, leggings: H&M
• Black flats – Aldo
• Sunglasses – Ray Ban

On A (top center):

• Blue top – Gap
• Necklace – Powell’s Home and Garden
• Black cardi – H&M
• Leggings – Gap
• Sandals – Chaco

On me (top right):

• Green top – ON, thrifted in Portland
• Pendant – Anthropologie
• Tweed shorts – thrifted in Munich
• Footless tights – Target
• Flats – Palladium
• Sunglasses – H&M

On L.M. (second photo, left):

• Top – Tianello
• Pants – Gander Mountain
• Flats – Rogue
• Bracelet – Original by Monica Hansmeyer
• Hat – small shop in Munich

Endnotes:

Last week, some friends of mine came into town and we did what anyone with any fondness for cycling and the outdoors should do: we rented bikes and explored the city of Munich on two wheels.

Munich is an extremely bike friendly city. There are so. many. bikes. everywhere. And locals ride all year round; through rain or snow, in business suits and heels, and on everything from road bikes to cruisers to the odd tandem, and with no shortage of kid-purposed bike attachments. Reason #348 why I love this city.

I borrowed my friend L’s husband’s bike (we’re the two with the mountain bikes), and my friend A. and her mom L. rented two cruisers from Radius Tours and Bike Rental. They were pleasantly surprised in how great of a shape their rentals were and how comfortable to ride all day long. We conveniently picked them up right at the central train station, from where we were within a short ride to all the main attractions we had planned. Their bikes were reasonably priced and A. received a 10% student discount with her student ID. With bikes, sunglasses, and snacks in check, we were off for our adventure…

» Read the rest of this entry «

Sources:

• White eyelet top – TJMaxx
• Red cardi – thrifted
• Skirt – Boden, thrifted
• Necklace – Sigrid Olsen, thrifted
• Red wedges – Etienne Aigner, thrifted
• Earrings – my wedding earrings, local sidewalk sale

Endnotes:

Another beautiful day here in Munich and so I’m once more happy to pull out Springy items like this floral skirt, a light-weight eyelet top, floral accessories, and – as promised – my red cardi. I did a long run this morning and enjoyed seeing so many people out on bikes, walking, lounging along the river, and basking in the sun. Please, please stay, weather!

Details, originally uploaded by academichic.

Wedding Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.

So on a somewhat related tangent – I’m wearing these awesome red wedges today that I was lucky enough to thrift for a mere $3 last summer. There is something very sassy and emboldening about a red shoe, don’t you think? They also reminded me of something I’ve been wanting to bring to your attention. A while back, we put together a bibliography on fashion history and theory for you and you were so awesome to  add a bunch more great titles to that list. (Some of those I’ve since checked out and have used for my research, so thank you, again!)

Right after publishing that post, I was flying back from the US and came across this article in the US Airways Magazine. It is a short excerpt from Linda Grant’s upcoming book The Thoughtful Dresser. I read the excerpt and was absolutely sold on it; it’s beautifully written, provocative, thoughtful, and witty. This comes as no surprise since Grant is an award winning novelist. I was reminded of this today because the excerpt opens with a story about a “glorious, scarlet, insouciant” red high heeled shoe. So if you’re interested on exploring the topic of fashion, culture, and history some more, check out the excerpt from Grant’s book and see what you think. The book comes out in the US on April 20th, if you’re then moved to read the entire work. S.

IMG_8120, originally uploaded by academichic.

16 September 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed

• Purple Cardigan – Gap Outlet
• Grey Tee – Old Navy
• Black Cami – Banana Republic
• Black Skirt – Banana Republic
• Scarf (worn as belt) – H& M
• Black Flats – Urban Outfitters
• Yellow Bangles – Gap Outlet
• Earrings – Forever 21

Endnotes:

Today, I am continuing my experimentation with scarves and layered necklines to rejuvenate my summer wardrobe.  I wore this scarf as obi/belt this past winter and loved it and I think it works well here with the purple and grey and the little bit of a textured cami layered under the ruched v-neck.

Detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

15 September 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:
All remixed except skirt which is old

• Green Top – BR Outlet
• Scarf (worn as blouse) – gift from Kimberly
• Brown Skirt – Gap
• Woven Brown Belt – Forever 21
• Wedges – Kenneth Cole Reaction, via DSW
• Earrings – Banana Republic

Endnotes:

It is still much warmer here than I would like it to be and I am getting sick of my summer wardrobe!  One of the easiest ways to remix clothing is in the layering, but as I have mentioned before, this is more difficult to do in warmer weather.  Interesting color combinations are another great way to change the look of a remixed item.  Yesterday I paired blue-green and red-orange for a casual complimentary color scheme, but in the end it was my layered neckline that I liked best about the outfit.

This got me thinking about ways to creatively layer pieces and to bring more interest to the neckline of some of my go-to knits.  I love the pattern on this scarf, sent to me by the lovely Kimberly of Fab Finds Under $50, and have often thought how great it would be to have a skirt or blouse with this pattern on it.  So, partially inspired by E.’s scarf tacked to cardigan from several months ago, I tucked this long rectangular scarf around the neckline of my shirt and used the belt to hold the ends in place.  As I got dressed this morning, I was worried about the scarf slipping around all day, but so far, so good.

Neckline – Scarf Shirt, originally uploaded by academichic.