Professional Conference Attire

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
I wore this jacket/belt combination over a dress in the spring.

Composition:
faux turquoise beaded necklace (Kohl's)
teal button-down (NY&Co)
navy blazer (Gap Outlet)
brown belt (Kohl's)
"mocha" trousers (Express)
teal mary janes (Seychelles)

Usage:
First, I want to thank you guys again for your thoughts on my student conference attire.  I'm looking forward to telling you how they went and what I wore next week, after I've had a chance to meet with all my students and upload some pictures.

For today, though-- on to a very different type of conference!  I recently gave a paper at an interdisciplinary conference at my own university.  I was very intimidated to share a panel with a fellow grad student who is on his second yearlong dissertation fellowship award, a professor who is currently working on her second book on a National Endowment of the Humanities fellowship, and another professor who is a premier scholar in the field.  It was also kind of nerve-wracking to give the talk in front of so many of my own professors. I knew they'd be stopping me in the halls to talk to me about it afterward (and they have).  I was completely prepared, though, and that always helps to calm my nerves.  My co-panelists' papers were really interesting, and I got some very helpful questions and comments about my own paper, so it was a definite success.

I kind of surprised myself by putting together this pants outfit for the presentation, given my recent reservations about pants.  Last spring, when I presented at an international conference, I wore a dress and swing jacket combination.  I came across the photo linked above in the "earlier drafts" section, which reminded me that I actually wore a different version of today's outfit to the first day of that conference.  This time, I thought I'd stick with something that had worked before while making it a little more "me."  I added the teal button down underneath, the turquoise beaded necklace, and what are quickly becoming my signature teal mary janes.  The belt was perhaps unnecessary, but despite how frequently I deploy this waist-cinching maneuver, this was the first time my husband has ever said "I really can't believe your waist is that small!" so I guess it made an impact.

I'm curious what you think about this outfit, but I'm also interested in how frequently you aim to give papers at conferences.  I realize that an article publication carries a lot more weight on the C.V. than conference talks, but while I'm still in coursework, I have very little time to work on revising the papers that my professors indicate have publication potential.  Plus, I'm wary about publishing something this early in my career and regretting its point of view later on.  I have plenty of time to revise seminar papers into conference papers, though, so my general approach has been to accumulate conference presentation lines on my C.V. until I'm ready to move on to getting an article published.  I'm really curious about how frequently you all aim to present at conferences, what types of conferences you're most interested in attending, and whether that has changed as you progress into your career.  I've discussed these things with my own professors, obviously, but we have such a diverse and interesting group of readers that I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the issue, too!

Prompts:

• How often do you give conference presentations?  Every year?  Every semester?  Every time you come across a CFP that matches the work you've been doing?  Only when another University pays you an honorarium to come and talk about your current book project?
• So far I've presented at a graduate conference, a very large, prestigious international conference, and this interdisciplinary conference at my own university.  What types of conferences appeal the most to you?  As a graduate student, did you work on getting accepted by the "prestigious" conferences or were you focused on getting any exposure for your work that you could find?  Or maybe both?
• Have these things changed over the course of your career?  Does my model of focusing on conference presentations now and shifting the focus to article publications in a year or so make sense to you?
• Do you have a go-to outfit for conference presentations?  Do you find that you tend to prefer skirts or pants?

Back in the Saddle

Draft:

Composition:
white pleated button-down (Martin & Osa)
grey blazer (Gap)
plaid skirt (Loft)
grey tights (Hue)
riding boots (Etienne Aigner via DSW)

Usage:
On the last day of May I declared a personal hiatus from the formal classroom.  Today, five months later, I'm returning to school.  Although I'm only filling in as a substitute teacher, I'm excited and nervous to operate in an academic setting again.

Today I'm sporting equestrian-inspired footwear to commemorate jumping back in the academic saddle.  My skills may be rusty, but my enthusiasm for education has undergone a revival.  Giving myself a breather, exploring other employment options, and reacquainting myself with arts education have reminded me how much I enjoy learning.  Here's hoping that energy sustains me through this period of re-training.

Not only is this new teaching experience allowing me to exercise a dormant part of my brain, but it's also enabling me to explore a neglected section of my closet: professional clothes.  Months ago, when I felt overwhelmed by DIY house projects, I longed for this day.  Now I'm relishing the break from casual apparel and embracing professional attire.

I especially like that the changes in my employment coincide with the changes in season.  It infuses the "turning over a new leaf" concept with new meaning.  (And there's a bit of schmaltz to get you through Friday.)

Enjoy the weekend!

Prompts:

• I mentioned that my professional clothes have been on vacation until now.  Do you organize your closet according to context -- sorting clothes into "casual" and "professional" categories -- or do you cross-purpose your clothes to suit a variety of settings?
• Is this outfit overly themed?  Too, erm, suitable for a polo match?
• Teachers, what are your favorite go-to ensembles?

WWW: Nude Shoes, Bold Skirts, and Neutral Blazers

Thanks for stopping by for Wardrobe Workhorse Week!  We're celebrating our favorite and most dependable clothing items, the garments and accessories without which we'd consider our closets incomplete.  Today I'm showcasing my personal wardrobe heroes: nude shoes, skirts with personality, and neutral blazers.

Composition: Nude Shoes
suede peep-toe heels (Seychelles), round-toe wedges (Nine West), patent peep-toe heels (Guess)

Drafts:

Usage:

Months ago I touted these suede peep-toe heels as one of my favorite spring purchases, and I followed up with a post about the nude fashion trend.  Since then, I've amassed a collection of flesh-toned shoes, from simple flats to dressy heels.  In fact, most of the shoes I now own are nude hues.  They elongate my legs, they pair easily with any outfit, and they seem to create more of a "look" than the brown leather or black patent "neutrals" to which I previously gravitated.  Of course, depending on one's skin tone, "nude" can mean anything from buttery yellow to rosy pink to rich mocha.  Pale versions complement my peachy complexion best, so I was pleased to score these light patent peep-toe heels on eBay last month.  After they sustained me through a night of dancing at a friend's wedding, I high-fived myself for a smart $17.50 purchase.  Versatility and durability?  A perfect combo.

Composition: Skirts with Personality

pink tiered skirt (Target), multi-colored patterned skirt (Lulu's)

Drafts:

Usage:

Since I generally keep my shoes toned-down, I like to beef up my outfits with skirts of interesting textures and colors.  This is surely a fashion violation, since maximizing the prints and colors around my hips in effect maximizes the look of my hips themselves.  I'm okay with this because a) I appreciate hips and the women who show them off, and b) I don't exactly have a curvy figure.  Patterns and textures help me create the illusion of width.  So bring it on, Stacy and Clinton.  This is one rule I'm content to break.  Above I've featured two all-star summer skirts.  I'm struggling to select merely one, so they'll share the "workhorse" title.

Composition: Neutral Jackets

linen blazer (Gap), grey wool-blend blazer (Gap)

Drafts:

Usage:

Blazers are wardrobe essentials for many women, and I understand why.  In my own closet they're incredibly versatile; they add an extra something to so-so ensembles, enable creative layering, and help me transition between seasons.  What's more, in professional environments they elevate my look to one of authority instantly.  I wore the above grey blazer during my master's defense in May, and it gave me the confidence boost I needed.  It also summoned a bona fide degree out of the experience, so job well done, wool-blend wonder!  My brother has likely forgotten that I wore the same blazer to his college commencement, but if he remembered, I'm sure he would credit it with his successful graduation as well.

Prompts:

• Are you a fan of any of these wardrobe workhorses?  How do you style them?  Why do they work for you?
• Could you offer me any suggestions for styling these workhorses in the future? 
• If you own similar items, where did you buy them?  And where do you normally shop for them?
• How often do you wear your wardrobe workhorses each week?  Each month?  Here's my estimation breakdown for the items I've featured today:  Nude Shoes: 4 days per week / Bold Skirts: 2 days per week / Neutral Blazers: 1-3 days per week, depending on work schedule.

Home Away from (Academia) (Home)

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
I found this charming, oversized blazer on sale in charm central, Savannah, Ga.
A turquoise necklace in the bib style?  Count me in.
I've worn these sweet yellow flats with a spectrum of hues.

Composition:
strapless floral dress (ShopMamie)
linen blazer (Gap)
turquoise necklace (ShopMamie)
yellow flats (Target)

Usage:
Liz coaxed me out of hiding yesterday for a dinner and shopping date.  Given that I have spent the past week hibernating in T-shirts and devouring stacks of chick-lit novels, I was grateful for the outing.  I washed my hair and wore real clothing*.  It was awesome.

Equally awesome?  My hiatus from the computer has helped me feel at home with myself, stylistically and otherwise.  When I last posted, I was preparing to paint the very last room in the townhouse my husband and I had purchased in October and delayed updating 'til May.  Since that post, we've committed ourselves full-force to final renovations.  Now we're feeling at home in our first place, among our own furniture, with our own art hanging on the walls.  We sleep better at night, we host friends more often, and we devote dinners to real conversation, not to rattling off To-Do lists.  Nevermind that our second bathroom is still tiled floor-to-ceiling with dragonfly-inspired ceramic work.  It's fulfilling to feel ownership of something, flaws and all, I'm remembering.

Since reading - and relating to - Katie's candid post about body insecurities, I've become convinced that transferring my home ownership lessons to my clothing choices would revolutionize my self-perception.  Katie mentioned that wearing identical bridesmaid dresses invites body comparison; likewise, I've noticed that living in a neighborhood of nearly-identical brick townhouses invites neighborly property evaluation.  That's to be expected.  But the similarities between my street-mate's house and mine inspire me to make my space unique.  Even though I appreciate the hostas in her front yard, say, I enjoy my unruly azaleas because, well, they're mine.  They represent several Saturday mornings of my own sweaty, T-shirt-tanning diligence.  (I feel like there's a Robert Frost poem about this.  The property-owning and hedge-trimming, not the farmer's-tanning, I mean.)  What if I dressed my body out of a similar spirit of appreciation and pride of ownership?

For me, Krista's guest-post about maternity wear sealed the deal on this sartorial lesson.  I love that she dresses to celebrate her baby bump, reveling in her stage of life and appreciating her body's capabilities.  Even though I'm not in a baby-making headspace these days, her wardrobe advice for expecting moms makes me feel confident about dressing for my circumstances.  Admittedly, I've been stressing over composing professional outfits while I'm away from academia.  Right now I can't make the pseudo-professorial clothes work, not only because I'm no longer in the environment, but also because my heart's not in it.  I'm in a different place now, and Krista's post reminded me that it's okay.  I'm beginning to appreciate my body for its replace-my-reading-plan-with-DIY-projects accomplishments, and I'm starting to dress like this post-grad school phase of life is home.  For now, at least.  It feels pretty good.

*This dress might function best as a beach cover-up.  I'm still deciding.  For now, as long as the temperatures remain scorchingly high, I feel bold enough to go city-street public with it.

Prompts:

• How do you best represent yourself during life transitions?  Do you find that your wardrobe choices change dramatically, or do you take comfort in keeping your wardrobe choices consistent?
• What's your take on the body = house analogy?  Veteran homeowners, do you find that owning a house makes you appreciate it in different ways?  Have your property-owning responsibilities affected the way you dress?
• From reading your blogs - it's great to catch up on your lives after being away! - it seems like many of you are also rethinking self-perception through clothing choices.  Please share the sartorial/life lessons you've learned this season!

Shades of Grey

Draft:

Composition:
grey-striped button down (Gap)
linen blazer (Gap)
putty-toned shorts (J.Crew)
charcoal T-strap heels (gift from Liz, Xhilaration via Target)

Usage:
Liz gave me these fabulously versatile heels at the beginning of the month as both a birthday present and a celebratory gift for completing our M.A. degrees.  I'm debuting the cuties for the first time on SSG, but I've worn them to almost every semi-formal occasion - with the exception of this wedding - so far this summer.  How did I ever survive without a pair of grey heels?  Thank you, Liz!

Today is appropriate to showcase these T-strap wonders because, since returning from my vacation in Charleston and Savannah, I'm obsessing over washed-out hues.  I normally spend the summer months in bright colors, wallowing in saturated pinks, greens, yellows, and blues.  Earlier in June, I even gave a shout-out to neons.  But you may have suspected my change of heart when I returned from my travels in a white-button down and bleached jeans.  Indeed, strolling the historic streets of these southern cities convinced me that muted has merit.  It's cooler, breezier, and, some argue, even chicer.  (Chicer is a word, right? It looks funny to me.)

I'm doing subdued today by mixing shades of grey.  The striped grey button-down is one of my favorite summer pieces, since it's gauzy and suggestively - in the confident, easy, warm weather way - see-through.  Last week I threw it on over bathing suits; this week, I'm tucking it under this light linen blazer.  The putty-toned shorts are barely a shade darker than the top.  (They also mark my second occasion of testing the waters of short-shorts on this blog!  Eek.)  And Liz's gifted heels punctuate the ensemble with the most saturated charcoal shade.

The spectrum of grey traveling down my silhouette makes me want to fist-pump the air.  It was accidental, but I like the visual line it creates, and that it highlights the ruffled T-straps.  How does the gradation  of grey resonate with you?

Prompts:

• Was I successful in compiling a muted look?  What else would you have done to emphasize the de-emphasized colors?
• How do you feel about wearing heels with shorts?  Too much like a Nair TV commercial?
• Do you think muted tones are chic-er than saturated colors?  Which hues do you prefer for summer?

Dressing for University Commencement: I

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:  
Blazer? Meet Bermuda Shorts. 
 
Composition:
rose silk-blend dress (Lulu's)
grey blazer (Gap)
nude heels (Nine West via Piperlime)
cream beaded clutch (vintage)

Usage:
This weekend I will attend my brother's college graduation in South Carolina.  Today and on Friday I'll post my tentative outfits for the affair.

Let me preface this look by saying that, last year, when I attended the same ceremony at the same institution, ladies dressed as if they had received invitations for a Kentucky Derby after party.  I felt blissfully overloaded by linen, silk, and wide-brim hats.  Last May, I wore a simple cotton poplin frock.  This year, I want to maximize the dress code and debut one of my latest wardrobe additions.  Hence the silk-blend, tiered dress you see above.

I like this dress not only because it weighs very little, which will be ideal for staying cool while sitting outdoors, but the dress' detailing also merits very few accessories, a characteristic which tops my garment must-have list.  I also appreciate that the subdued hue does not require me to boast a summer tan, as a brighter color would, for I certainly do not have tanned skin this early in the season.  What's more, the naturally rosy shade pairs well with the nude heels, and, in so doing, it allows me to experiment further with my latest trend interest.

I considered coupling the dress with a beige cardigan and also with a cream-colored shrug, but neither gestured at the scholarly vibe of a university commencement quite like this grey blazer.  Earlier this week, S. of Academichic reiterated the importance of context in the reading of one's dressing habits. So I take a cue from her and from my event's environment in choosing this wool-blend jacket.

I'll venture into gendered territory and suggest that the masculine social association of the blazer juxtaposes in an interesting way with the feminine connotation of the dress.  I'm wondering if such a juxaposition in effect acknowledges the arbitrariness of gendered associations and erases the sexualized connotations of my garments.  Do you think this ensemble ends up looking androgynous?

If I choose to wear this outfit, I'll also recycle the beaded clutch which I last carried in my wedding two years ago.  I like the symmetry of the twin applique flowers on both the clutch and the dress waistband, for it lends the outfit some cohesion.  Do you think, though, that the beaded detailing detracts from the outfit by complicating it?

Prompts: 

• How do you dress for formal, outdoor events?  Do you have a go-to look?
• How do you dress in such a way that distinguishes the formality of a university event from, say, the formality of a wedding?
• Any outfit ideas you'd like me to try on Friday?

In the Buff (with a Side of Americana)

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
Liz channeled Americana

Composition:
red chinos, Bermuda Shorts style (Old Navy)
blue cotton peasant top (H&M)
grey blazer (Gap)
flesh-toned suede heels (Seychelles via Piperlime)
nail polish (OPI "Parlez-vous OPI?")

Usage:
Advocates of nude shoes everywhere: I am a new convert to your doctrine!

Today I had intended to riff off of Liz's post on "national" style, so I had composed what I considered an Americana color scheme - red and blue, plus the peasant top has a jean look to it - with another 'national' classic - the blazer - thrown in for interest.   On my way to a haircut appointment, I donned the flesh-toned heels as an afterthought.  Let me tell you, I am convinced of their miracle-working power.

Before purchasing these shoes several weeks ago, I had discounted the advice of style sages who recommended nude heels as a necessity for every woman's wardrobe.  A skin-toned pump will elongate the leg and, what's more, will act as a true closet workhorse, they said.  I liked my patterned kicks and colorful wedges, thank you very much, and I didn't see the need to shop around for what inevitably would be the palest skin-toned sandal ever.

Then I caved.
Almost.
These heels sat in my Piperlime shopping basket for three days.
I debated.
(They really won't make me look paler?)
And then I conceded.

Having only worn these sandals three times, I'm already pleased with my purchase.  I have officially identified my summer staple.  Now I know what nude shoe advocates mean when they say "nude equals neutral."  It means, "Yes, in fact, I can wear this with absolutely every item in my closet."

Which leads me to ask, what are your closet 'neutrals,' the items that pair well with anything and everything?

Prompts:

• Tell us about 'em!  What are your closet 'neutrals'? 
• Any other nude shoe success stories you'd like to share?  We're all ears!
• What do you think of my interpretation of the Americana color scheme?  
• I'm also wondering how the nude shoe trend acts as an extension of the nude makeup trend, which Katie alludes to here.  Does our collective fashion conscience think nude equals most beautiful?  If so, why?  Do we feel an impulse to down-play our assets or do we simply like our au naturale selves enough to gesture at them in our dressing habits?