academichic

28 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Scarf – courtesy of echo
• Brown tank – Old Navy
• Cardi – J.Jill
• Brown cords – Ann Taylor Loft
• Boots – Dillards
• Yellow bag – vintage, garage sale find

Endnotes:

For a last nod to our scarf month, I’m excited to showcase my new Echo scarf that I received courtesy of Echo Design. A. and E. already showed off their beautiful new Echo scarves, wearing them as a belt and as an Ascot tie respectively. I tied mine in the European knot and wore it loosely as a pop of silvery-blue with this brown and chartreuse outfit. I love how light and breezy it is and how the slight crinkled effect and unfinished edges gives it a casual and worn-in look.

Echo scarf, originally uploaded by academichic.

Echo Design generously sent us a last scarf for a reader giveaway, which we will offer in a last scarf month giveaway post this coming week, so stay tuned for that! We also have new themes coming for the month of March, more Fashion 101s, and more DIY posts, so check back tomorrow to find out what’s to come in the new month. Meanwhile, I hope you’re enjoying the weekend and having a great Sunday. S.

28 February 2010, originally uploaded by academichic.

23 September 2009 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed except bag:

• Black cardi – Target
• Gray tank – Filene’s basement
• Jean skirt – Urban Outfitters
• Yellow pumps – Gianni Bini, via Dillards
• Bag – Etienne Aigner, hand-me-down from mom, thanks!
• Necklace - Anthropologie

Endnotes:

Today’s outfit was likewise inspired by E., who paid homage to ‘grellow‘ in a recent post of hers. I love these yellow Gianni Bini pumps, which have proven to be more than comfortable, and I have worn these with any number of colors but not once with gray. E.’s gray and yellow mix planted a seed and I think I’ve found a new favorite color combo.

To play up the yellow of the shoes, I added a tan bag and a gold and ivory vintage inspired necklace.

It was a good thing that I wore comfortable shoes today, because on an errand to Sibiu, a nearby city and a favorite of mine in Romania, I ended up doing quite a bit of walking. It was also a good thing that I had my camera and was able to snap a few shots, because I’m dying to share them with you. Sibiu was named European Capital of Culture in 2007 and I think the title is well deserved; it’s full of gorgeous old building, historic sites, cafes and restaurants, museums and bookstores. If you ever come to Romania, make sure to add Sibiu to your list! Here’s a sneak peak at what you would encounter:

1 September 2009 – Bumblebee, originally uploaded by academichic.

Endnotes:

While doing our color challenges, I think we all became acutely aware of what colors we wear frequently and which ones are lacking in our closets. E. wears yellow beautifully but both A. and I realized that we harbored somewhat of a fear of yellow garments. I own plenty of yellow accessories, but yellow tops or skirts to be worn in large blocks of color next to my skin were a lacking.

So on our last few shopping trips together, A. and I have been on a mission to see if we can find that one yellow item that works with our pigment. We both quickly ruled out any citrusy yellows or any pale yellows and have since been on a quest for the perfect mustard yellow. Well, my dears, I think I’ve got it! I found this ruffled Sam & Max top on my last trip to TJMaxx and it’s just the right shade of saturated mustard yellow that I don’t look sallow or jaundiced in it. Perseverance pays off!

This will also make a great fall or winter layering piece, adding interest with the ruffled neckline under a cardi or blazer. Multi-seasonal pieces are great when you don’t have a ton of money to spend on separate seasonal wardrobes and something I’m becoming increasingly conscious of when shopping. How about you? What color are you trying to incorporate into your wardrobe or what’s your favorite across-the-seasons item? S.

1 September 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed except for brooch.

• Navy blazer: BR Outlet
• Mustard top: Forever21
• Gray bermudas: thrifted, chopped
• Brown wedges: thrifted
• Leaf brooch: courtesy of Vintage Threadz on etsy

End Notes:

Having just returned from a four day trip to New York for a wedding and with baby e. in the midst of a growth spurt, I was still bleary-eyed when I rolled out of bed this morning to get ready for a meeting on campus. On days like today, it’s nice to have a foolproof outfit to fall back on. Today’s is an homage to a look I put together in late April, playing with a structured jacket over a fluid top. It’s simple, but the contrasting shapes and the sophisticated color palette make it a guaranteed confidence-booster. (Granted, in April this top wasn’t quite so drapey, but thankfully the basic premise remained the same. Even better, I realized I can still breastfeed in this!)

Vintage Leaf Brooch, originally uploaded by academichic.

This sweet leaf brooch came courtesy of Vintage Threadz etsy shop. Giovanna stocks her shop with great vintage finds, especially accessories. I’ve never been much of a brooch wearer, but I loved the delicacy of this little leaf and think it will be perfect to wear into fall. Plus, how can I not be intrigued by brooches after all the excellent examples that S. has consistently provided? I figure it’s about time to give a new accessory a chance. What about you? Is there a certain type of accessory that you have always avoided? What would it take to convince you to give _____ (brooches, hats, pearls, belts, bracelets, cocktail rings, scarves, etc.) a chance?

1 September 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

21 August 2009 – Sundance, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed except espadrilles.

• Yellow cardi: Ann Taylor Outlet
• Cream skirt: BR Outlet
• White nursing cami: Target
• Cream espadrilles: Old Navy

End Notes:

I’ve loved the monochromatic looks that S. and A. have sported this week, and today’s outfit falls somewhere in between S.’s soft, sophisticated neutral looks and A.’s bright layers of color. It took a while for me to accept the idea of wearing white and cream at the same time, but on this second go-round I can say that I definitely love the subtly of the combination. It might be my new black-brown fashion-don’t-become-fashion-yes!

I love the conversation that A. started yesterday about dress, expectations, and academia. When I was speaking at my alma mater earlier this week, I was reminded of a comment we received a few months ago from a reader who remarked that her status as a mom and academic made her even more careful to appear put-together and stylish on campus to counter any possible criticism that mommyhood was impinging on her brain cells. I certainly felt that self-pressure over the weekend!

I find the self-fulfilling prophecy of self-fashioning to be fascinating. I’ll be the first to admit that dressing well makes me feel better and thus makes me perform better. But every once in a while I remind myself that subversive dressing means that you can’t always “pass.” Is there a certain point when self-disclosure becomes necessary? It gets increasingly convoluted as one considers the layers of expectation, identity, and performance that we experience and enact. By dressing in a certain way, I may challenge what a feminist looks like or what a mom looks like, but on some level the subversion only works if I at some point let people know that I am a feminist, a mother, a half-Japanese woman, etc. The who and how of that disclosure, however, is what allows my style to be an act of self-empowerment rather than just an act.

Keep your thoughts coming. We have loved reading your comments!

21 August 2009 – Sundance, originally uploaded by academichic.

With Purse, originally uploaded by academichic.

Endnotes:

Today’s analogous combination is green and yellow. The inspiration for this look came from the skirt, which already does the analogous mixing for me. Its soft interweave of blues, greens, and yellows more than proves that colors neighboring each other on the color wheel create subtle yet harmonious mixes.

I purchased this skirt for my MA graduation and have since worn it for a handful of special occasions, such as celebrating A’s completion of her Comps or a visit to the Memphis Opera with T. a few years back. For the most part, it sits all lonesome in my closet not seeing much of the outside world. That’s because I’ve subconsciously dubbed this skirt a special occasion item, thus relegating it to a life of hermitic preservation. But I think it’s a shame that those items we love most, are often the ones we wear the least, reverentially ‘saving’ them for that special occasion or event that warrants their exposure to the world.

The lovely Sal of Already Pretty had a wonderful recent post urging readers to essentially live in the moment and start enjoy the bodies they have today. Rather than mourning a past ‘perfect’ body or holding out for a better body yet to be attained, she argues that we should embrace the one we’re living in now. With slightly less gravitas, I urge you to enjoy the clothes you love today, saving less of your favorite items for an event still to come or as a memento of a special occasion gone.  Why not enjoy those beloved garments on a more regular basis?  S.

11 August 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Pink top: BR Outlet
• Navy skirt: Old Navy
• Yellow snakeskin flats: SE Boutique, via DSW

End Notes:

Last time around when we experimented with triadic color schemes, S. and I both tried our hand at the Piet Mondrian-esque triad of red, yellow, and blue. S. boldly incorporated all three colors on top while I let my pattern do some of the mixing for me.

This time, I’m taking a slightly different approach, using shades of red and blue rather than the “full strength” version. This deep pink top stands in for red, and navy (which also serves as a handy neutral) stands in for crayon box blue. Paired with a bright yellow shoe, the look is definitely still full of punch without veering into grade school territory.

SE Boutique Yellow Snakeskin Flats, originally uploaded by academichic.

And can we talk about these shoes? I realize they may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I am in love. I’m in a wedding at the end of this month that requires yellow shoes, and I’m tickled that I managed to find a pair of flats dressy enough for the occasion and versatile enough that I can wear them with more casual looks too. Admittedly they’re not the shoe I would normally pair with this outfit, but I think they add an unexpected exclamation point. Pun intended.

11 August 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

6 July 2009 – Conversions, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed but bracelet:

• Purple cardi - H&M
• Turquoise maxi skirt worn as dress – AE
• White belt – Banana Republic
• Yellow vintage bag – Garage Sale
• Red wedges – Etienne Aigner, thrifted
• Earrings – gift from mom
• Bracelet – old, don’t remember source

Endnotes:

I’ve been noticing this trend on the internets lately and decided to try it out for myself today; wearing a longer skirt as a dress. You might remember this turquoise number as my maxi skirt, which I don’t wear very often. But having discovered this trick, I think this item will get a lot more use from now on.

I first saw the lovely Clodo from wardrobe_remix doing this with a bright floral skirt and then I was going through the archives of the Uniform Project and noticed that Sheena did a similar thing with a plaid maxi skirt underneath her black “uniform” dress. So what do you think about this skirt to dress conversion? Have I tempted you to run to your closet and try it yourself? If so, feel free to snap a picture of your creative self in your skirt-to-dress look and send it our way, I’d love to see how you make this trend work for you! S.

29 June 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

All remixed.

• Mustard top: F21
• Bermudas: Liz Lange for Target, thrifted and chopped
• Patterned flats: Old Navy

End Notes:

Today’s outfit isn’t all that interesting, minus the fact that this shirt has been an amazing grow-as-I-go piece. It started out blousey and now it’s a snug bump hugger.

29 June 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.

Perhaps it’s appropriate to pull it out today as I have officially reached the point in the pregnancy where I could give birth any day now…or I could hold out for another four weeks. It’s a strange in-between stage to be in and it lends itself to both working on projects I wasn’t sure if I would get around to and just trying to relax and rest a little more before baby e. shakes up our life in a wonderful way.

I’m realizing just what a concerted effort it will take to feel good about my appearance for the remaining weeks. My face has started to swell, I’m on the verge of needing a haircut, as the baby drops some of my maternity clothes don’t fit in quite the same way…and I think that’s where the psychology of style will have to come into play. So don’t be surprised if you see me wearing my favorite colors over and over again in these next few weeks or if certain key pieces make repeat appearances. As much as being creative with my clothes makes me feel confident, I think that sometimes the old favorites — the pieces that you know work — can be a powerful booster too.

Do you have a particular outfit that is a guaranteed confidence-booster? Or are you more likely to get your style high from putting together something completely new?

While you think about that, excuse me while I go chug another quart of water to help with this bloat!

        

15 June 2009 , originally uploaded by academichic.

Sources:

• Gray tank – Hanes 
• Plaid button down – J.Crew 
• Charcoal walking shorts – Gap, remixed 
• Black sandals – Target, remixed a lot 
• Yellow bag – Garage sale find 

Endnotes:

I’m reunited with Nerp! How I’ve missed my little bike! Nerp resides at my fiance’s house and since I don’t have a bike rack on my car, I have no way of transporting him* back and forth with me. But we’re together again at last! To celebrate, T. and I rode our bikes to our movie date last night. We rode to a friend’s house, where he and his girlfriend joined us on their bikes, and we all rode and chatted and savored the evening air on our way to the dollar theatre. Dottie was my inspiration for this, since she and her husband go on regular bike dates and it was as fun as she promised it would be! 

Today, I’m riding Nerp around town and I’m also carrying my new/old yellow bag. This is my find from our garage sale adventure on Saturday.  It’s the only thing I got and I spent a whopping One Dollar on it. I loved the yellow color, the vintage cut and spacious size of it, but it was in the most deplorable condition. The “before” shots don’t fully reveal how dirty and dingy it looked and I was about to pass it up when T. convinced me that we could clean it and give it a second chance at life.

T. suggested I mix Mr. Clean with water to dilute it and use a brush to scrub the plastic (faux-leather) exterior clean. The Mr. Clean solution worked magic, just see the difference for yourself:

Before and After:

       

What really got me was this clasp that looks just like the enclosures on my  first school bag in the first grade. The only label on this bag is the embossed “Sears” right below the clasp. So here my question to you: Is this what one might call vintage? How do you know when something is vintage and not just old? What makes an item deserving of the “vintage” label and by what standards do you call it that? Please enlighten me! 

 

Vintage or not, I love this cheery yellow bag and it’s large enough to hold my laptop and just the right size to fit in my bike basket. S.