Thursday, June 24, 2010

Shorts and Stripes

Drafts:

Earlier Drafts:
I started wearing this jacket again when I realized I could cuff the sleeves, and I wore it again with these Chucks in an All-American look.
I showed you these walking shorts before I altered them, and I've been wearing these wedges nonstop since I bought them to re-energize my summer wardrobe.

Composition:
antiqued gold finish earrings (Charlotte Russe)
navy cotton jacket (Gap Outlet)
nautical stripe tank (Gap)
white walking length shorts (Old Navy, altered)
white short shorts (Old Navy)
white wedges (MIA)
white sneakers (Converse Chuck Taylors)

Usage:
After weeks and weeks of searching, I finally found the perfect navy and white nautical striped top-- for $4 at gap.com!  I love navy and white, and I love how crisp they look together, so when I started seeing this trend on other blogs a few months back, I fell hook line and sinker for it (too much with the nautical talk?).  I hope you guys are feeling the nautical-inspired love because I can already tell that I'm going to try to find a million different ways to wear this tank.  (Starting again on Saturday when the U.S. takes on Ghana in the World Cup!)

For my first try, I paired the tank with white short shorts and my chucks in an attempt to beat the unbearable heat when I went out to run errands with my husband.  I've already boasted about how comfortable I am with my runner's legs, so it might not be a surprise that I wear short shorts, though I completely understand why plenty of women feel ambivalent about them.  Oscar seems to be questioning my shoe choice, but I liked how the Chucks gave the look a sporty Americana-esque feel.

Then I immediately began thinking about how I could get away with wearing this tank to work.  I knew it would look great under my navy jacket, so I thought I'd go white on the bottom again.  I  pulled out these "are they cropped pants or are they walking shorts?" shorts, cut off the hem, and cuffed them over.  I've had these "shorts" for several years, and I have no idea why it never occurred to me to alter them before.  My creativity must have been inspired by my love of this tank and my frequent pilgrimage to the blogs written by ladies who regularly modify their own clothing.  I can already tell they'll get much more wear like this.

Finally, I love the nautical stripes with navy and white, but I also like them with pops of contrasting colors.  Though my favorite nail color of this summer, OPI's Mod-ern Girl, only provides a very small pop of color, I think it completes the look.  I put this orange hued jelly polish on my nails several weeks ago and have worn it nearly every day since.  It never chips!  I do think that keeping your nails short is key when you're wearing an almost-neon shade like this, though.

Prompts:
  •  Have you embraced this nautical-inspired trend or are you resisting it?
  • Should I hem these walking shorts or keep them cuffed?  (You can click to enlarge if you want to get a better look at the cuffs.)  I'm afraid my cuffing obsession is approaching the level of my belting obsession.  Feel free to stage an inter-cuff-tion.
  • Can you wear shorts to work, or is that a no-no in your workplace?  I think these are walking shorts are suitable for working on campus during the summer, but I might not teach in this ensemble.
  • Are you buying my claim that my orange nails serve as an adequate pop of color?  What apparel color should I try pairing with my nautical stripes next?

10 comments:

Scholar Style Guide said...

Great call on altering the shorts! They definitely emphasize the length of your legs now. I tried a similar look a few months ago - the jacket + walking/Bermuda shorts combo, that is - but the pants' length looked awkward. After seeing your shortened shorts, I'm inspired to alter these:

http://www.scholarstyleguide.com/2010/04/in-buff-with-side-of-americana.html

I'm looking forward to seeing your other combos for this tank! Pairing yellow with it may look punchy-sweet.

- Anne-Marie

Anonymous said...

Both iterations are so fresh and fun!

Raquelita said...

I associate shorts with typical undergrad attire, so I definitely wouldn't wear them in the classroom.

Michelle said...

You'd never be mistaken for an undergrad on our campus in that ensemble on the left, Liz. I think it's totally classroom appropriate for the warmest days of spring semester or summer classes in the heat. It has a crisp look to it that's great for scorching days like these. It's an outfit works well for teaching in the morning and then sitting in grad seminars in the afternoon.

Unknown said...

I like yellow with the navy and white nautical color palette, it's a winner everytime!

KP said...

I'm loving those outfits and the blog in general. I'm a graduate student at a large research university and attempting to maintain some sense of style while on this budget. I look forward to reading more!

I haven't gotten into the nautical trend but the way that you've styled those outfits would definitely make me consider it. Orange is not a bad rout for a pop of color but I would probably go with red, personally. The yellow that Iris mentions is also a good option.

Unknown said...

Love the stripes, and OPI Mod-ern Girl looks fabulous on you!

Ryan said...

What a versatile outfit! Sassy and sophisticated. You look like you could be lounging on the boat or meeting some friends to discuss your latest book at the nearest cafe.

Scholar Style Guide said...

Thanks for the great feedback, ladies! It's fun to keep meeting new people through the blog!

I don't have much yellow in my closet, but I do think it would look great with this top. We'll see what I can do.

AM, I had forgotten about that outfit you posted! I am starting to wonder if certain looks that I see in blogs get embedded in the creative part of my brain, leading me to copy them without even realizing it.

I generally associate shorts with undergrads as well, LHdM, but I tend to agree with Michelle that the way I've styled the shorts on the left takes them clearly into "adult" territory. I'm always interested in how different items register differently depending on how they're styled. More on that in a future post.

-Liz

Scholar Style Guide said...

Ok, I really want to embrace this trend because I think it is super cute, but I can't get over the mental barrier of the horizontal stripe. Maybe I'll find one with thinner stripes or with stripes that taper toward the middle, creating a waistline (I know someone blogged about that, but who and where escapes me).

I do not own a pair of shorts; I exclusively wear skirts and dresses in the summer. However, I feel it is time to get a pair - your look inspires me!

I love the Mod-ern Girl nail polish and the yellow suggestion. If you want to go uber nautical, add red.

And I love when Oscar makes an appearance in your posts :)

-Katie