academichic

10 January 2010 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Cropped jacket – thrifted
• Maroon top – thrifted
• Tweed shorts – thrifted
• Silk leggings – gift from mom
• Boots – Banana Republic
• Cluster of pins – thrifted

Endnotes:

One of my favorite purchases this winter have been these tweed shorts. I had been eyeing the shorts+boots trend from afar for a while and was excited to find the perfect pair of shorts to try this look myself. Trying trendy items can be a bit scary – you worry about how it will look on you and don’t want to spend a lot of money on an item you might only wear one season and then decide that it’s not your style after all. It’s no surprise that shows like What Not To Wear and fashion magazines often urge shoppers to invest in ‘classic’ and ‘timeless’ pieces. But sometimes it’s just more fun to buy something ‘timely’ and of the season. Two things I always look for when making such a purchase are:

1) Price – my budget is tight as a graduate student so I will only pay as much as I won’t regret having ‘lost’ if I change my mind about the said trend item a season later.

2) Fit – no matter how cute/stylish/cutting-edge an item is, it has to fit my body well or else I’m likely to feel double out of my comfort zone. Fit is key!

These shorts made the cut on both accounts and quickly won their spot in my heart as a new favorite. Thus far, I’ve worn them styled the following ways:

Assorted pics, originally uploaded by academichic.

Alternately, when it comes to embracing a ‘trend item’, what words of wisdom do you live by? What is your list of criteria for said item to find its way home with you? S.

10 January 2010 – Short Story, originally uploaded by academichic.

30 May 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Necklace – World Market, remixed 
• Top – Limited, thrifted 
• Shorts – Gap, remixed 
• Wedge sandals – Target

Endnotes:

After two weeks of flatwear and while facing another week of sensible walking shoes while on vacation, I knew I had to pull out a pair of heels or wedges today! But I also knew that I had to be on my feet for quite a while today, running errands and preparing for my departure tomorrow, so a comfortable shoe it had to be. These Target gladiator wedges are so comfortable, you forgot you’re not wearing flats. And they give me that extra bit of height (and confidence) boost that flats don’t always provide. 

Although I love the feel of these shoes and really liked them with these walking shorts, it’s taken me a while to come around to the gladiator style and I’m not really sure how to fit these into my wardrobe. I feel like there’s a lot of sandal on my foot with all those straps and I’m not sure how to wear these without feeling like they’re competing with the rest of my outfit for attention. 

For today, I kept it simple with clean lines and dark colors and let the sandals take the limelight. But how can I get more mileage out of these? Do you own a pair of gladiator sandals and, if so, how do you wear them? With florals and bold prints? With flowey fabrics or structured cuts? Please inspire me! S.

30 May 2009 – Heels, finally!, originally uploaded by academichic.

     

16 May 2009 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Khaki shirt dress – Target 
• Green tee – H&M 
• Purple cord skirt – AE, remixed 
• Red-orange belt – Gap, remixed 
• Orange gladiators – AE, remixed 
• Wood and leather necklace – AE

Endnotes:

Ever since I thrifted this orange shirt dress a while ago (and realized how wonderfully versatile they are), I’ve been on the look out for another shirt dress in a neutral color to add to my wardrobe. Ideally, I wanted one in navy or black, I’m not really a khaki wearer. But when I found this one for $8 on clearance at Target, I decided that I was willing to compromise. Added persuasion factor: it was the last one left and in my size. It was meant to be.

And the khaki color does make it feel somewhat Safari-ish, which is one of this spring’s looks, so who am I to fight it? I think the wooden and leather  necklace along with the French braid also add to the Safari-ish feel. Although, what I’m more excited about is that I’m wearing a triad (a rare but always fun color combo!).

    

Wood and leather necklace, originally uploaded by academichic.

And while I’m thrilled about my new shirt dress, the triadic color combo of today’s outfit, and the BBQ graduation party I’m going to this afternoon, what’s I’m most thrilled about is that I completed my third and final comprehensive exam and I am done with all of my requirements but my dissertation! I’m not quite ABD* (since I still have to get my dissertation proposal written and approved), but I, along with A., am now ABP! I couldn’t be happier about this! S. 

*ABD = All But Dissertation (and yes, that’s official terminology although it sounds silly).

**ABP = Coined by E. and stands for All But Prospectus, which is where A. and I both are in our academic career right now.

  

16 May 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

    

1 May 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Black top – gift from mom
• White trousers – Banana Republic
• White bracelet – H&M
• Embellished flip-flops – Target

Endnotes:

A. is our official challenger this week and at some point she challenged me to play along with Oh Honey No’s Clue challenge this week. Today’s outfit is a modern interpretation of Mrs. White. I like to think of this as Mrs. White in her younger days, maybe while on vacation in Greece (wearing white pants triggers thoughts of Greece for me) and before she had to pay off her traveling debt by working as a housekeeper and becoming the bitter and jaded character she’s known for in the game. 

   

1 May 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

This Mrs. White is also quite in touch with her style-self since she’s wearing an adorned top as per the 2009 spring trends guide. Apparently, along with Grecian, Safari, Statement Jewelry and the One-Shoulder Tops, jewel-encrusted clothing is also quite the rage this season. So dig out your embellished tops and bejeweled garments – now is the time to wear them! S.

   

Shoes and Toes, originally uploaded by academichic.

         

24 April 2009 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• White top – bought in Romania years ago
•  Walking shorts – Gap 
• Red espadrilles – BR Outlet, remixed

Endnotes:

I realize that this is not a new trend (like the Safari or Grecian inspired looks for Spring), but this is new to me: Walking shorts + Heels.

     

24 April 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Yes. It’s simple and you’d think I’d have caught on to this one sooner, but while I wore my walking shorts every other day last summer, I played it safe with flats or flip-flops. Today, however, I’m boldly marching on to campus in walking shorts and my red espadrilles. I love the long lines and instant height of this look, and I’m finally at eye level with E. and A. in these!  S.

 

    

Gathered sleeve and embroidery detail, originally uploaded by academichic.

      

23 April 2009 – Cropped, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Cropped jacket – DKNY 
• Pale pink top – TJMaxx, remixed 
• Tan and white skirt – H&M 
• Red espadrilles – BR Outlet, remixed

Endnotes:

One trend I’ve desperately wanted to embrace, but just don’t quite know how to make work for my shape, is the cropped jacket:

    

The Cropped Jacket, originally uploaded by academichic.

I got this jacket a couple of years ago when the cropped jacket really came into style, and I loved it on other people so I thought I would love it on myself as well. Then I wore it all of two times since purchasing it.

I have a difficult time with this look because I have a short torso and the cropped, boxy look of this trend stunts my upper body even more. But I love how E. wears this item over dresses, with skirts or pants, and instantly gives her outfit a more professional look than a cardigan would produce, but a more casual and relaxed one than the longer blazer creates. The cropped jacket seems to hit that perfect balance of casual and professional and that is why I’m so desperately clinging to this trend although my shape does nothing to invite this look. 

I tried on many many combinations this morning and this why I finally settled on this one: I realized by watching E. and Archibald Maximilion over in w_r that the shrunken blazer is best off-set by a longer tunic, dress, or flowey top underneath. This elongates where the cropped blazer shortens – in my case this makes a huge difference! I also noticed that the moment I put on this pair of heels, I looked longer and taller and the cropped blazer instantly looked better to me. 

I still want to experiment with this item and find ways to make it work for me. I would love to be able to wear it with flats as E. does and not feel squat and boxy, and I also love the way E. wears hers open for that casual chic look. I have buttoned and unbuttoned mine about a zillion times already, unsure whether the unbuttoned works for me or whether it creates unnecessary width for me on top…?

Hear you me, cropped blazer, I will conquer you still if it’s the last thing I do! S. 

   

23 April 2009 – Cropped and Casual, originally uploaded by academichic.