Shifting Boot Signification

Draft:

Earlier Drafts: 
These distressed skinnies have gotten plenty of mileage this fall.

Composition: 
chunky cream sweater (Old Navy clearance)
polish (OPI Can You Tapas This?)
distressed skinnies (American Eagle)
cognac leather riding boots (Steve Madden, gifted)

Usage:
How great are these boots?!  Last winter I bought the pair of affordable Steve Madden slouch boots which have featured prominently on the blog because I wanted to experiment with tall boots for the first time in ages.  I had sworn off tall boots in 2004 when I wore (what I thought were) a tasteful pair to teach and one of my co-workers informed me that my high school students were calling them "dominatrix boots."  They had a round toe and a thick heel, but apparently a boot didn't need a pointy toe or a stiletto heel to classify as "dominatrix" so long as it was a knee high leather one.

Boots have come a long way since then, no?  There are so many options available now!  It seems like they've moved out of "trend" territory and have established themselves over the past few winters as a women's wardrobe staple.  The attitude toward them seems to have changed as they've become more widespread, and they seem to signify differently, too.  When I wore mine to teach in 2004, I thought it was acceptable because all the businesswomen in Chicago, near where I went to undergrad, wore them to work in the winter.  Apparently they were still unusual in my more rural school district in an area with a more moderate climate.  Now they're so ubiquitous that unless a teacher's boots have an especially pointy toe or skinny, tall heel, I don't think students even blink.  Though I guess that wearing them with short skirts still gives tall boots a different connotation.

I found myself reaching for those gray boots more and more, and one of my favorite features of wearing them was how they could turn a cozy, casual outfit into a chic look.  I wore them so often, in fact, that I decided to ask for a nice, high quality pair of cognac riding boots from my husband for Christmas.  I love everything about this pair.  They fit my fairly slender calves, the hardware details make them unique, the leather is buttery but sturdy, and I love how the zipper up the back is incorporated in the design of the boot-- it gives them just a touch of a bada** feel.  It also makes them super easy to get on and off.

I also think the boots might have super powers.  My husband has been encouraging me along and picking up the slack as I try to get through my hectic end-of-semester, and strapping these beauties on for the last few days of sitting in front of my computer helped me push through and finish a really complex thought experiment.  We joked about putting their box under the Christmas tree, but being able to wear them for these next few weeks is a great gift!

Prompts:

• Do you agree that tall boots signify differently now than they did even a few years ago? What factors do you think contribute to this change?
• Have you adopted boots as a wardrobe staple?  If so, how many pairs do you own? And which colors do you favor?  I've been surprised to find that my gray pair seem even more versatile than a black pair might have been.
• What do you pair with cognac leather?

Blogging Break Needed

Draft:

Composition:
gray long sleever (Target)
red open cardigan (Express, gifted by my sister)
distressed skinnies (American Eagle)
gray slouch boots (Steve Madden)
gold lame skinny belt (Charlotte Russe-- to be debuted in sincerity soon)

Usage:
You guys, I really need to take a blogging break.  So I'm posting this outfit even though I don't think it is bloggable at all.

I hope all of you stateside enjoyed a restful, relaxing, and/or productive Thanksgiving weekend with plenty of good food and good company.  I don't feel rested or relaxed, but I've gotten a lot of work done, so I don't feel panicked, either, which is an improvement over my state of mind two days ago.  After spending a nice Thanksgiving with my sister and my husband's extended family, I began a marathon paper writing session.  This means there hasn't been a lot of fashion going on in this house, but I thought you might be interested in how I dress for an extended period of mental heavy lifting.  (Or maybe, even if you don't care, you're just begging for a new post to pop up your reader so you can take a break for 2-3 minutes, as I've been doing for the past few days.)

While I sometimes find that dressing up helps me "bring my A game" to my work, this particular paper has felt more like slogging along than showing off.  So I've been wearing comfortable clothes that allow me to settle in for the duration.  I get cold easily, so layers are important.  For some reason, I also insist on writing in really long sleeves.  One of my favorite things about this sweater my sister gave me is the length of the sleeves.  Its drapey, open fit also makes it feel a little bit like a blanket.  And while writing in boots might seem strange, my feet get cold really easily, and this look is definitely preferable to the puffy striped socks/red flats look I was rocking yesterday.

I also employ some other profoundly nonsensical practices when trying to get through a really difficult thought experiment.  I eat a lot of gummy peach rings and drink a lot of wild cherry diet pepsi (because the two balance each other out?).  Thankfully, this glucose/aspartame cocktail has been supplemented this time by several heapings of my grandmother-in-law's delicious stuffing.  When I get stuck, I ask iTunes to play me a random song, take a break while it plays, and then get back to work once it's finished.  Sometimes my mind is blank during these 3-4 minute breaks, and sometimes I have important thoughts.  Yesterday I had a great idea while I listened to "Toes" by the Zac Brown Band with my forehead resting on the table.  (Have you seen the movie trailer where Paul Rudd smashes his head on a table after getting bad news on the phone-- starting at 0:45?  I can't tell you how many times I have imagined myself doing that these past few days.)  Sometimes the song iTunes chooses makes me laugh, like when "(I've Got To) Stop Thinking About That" by James Taylor cued up.  I wish I could, James.

Since I fear I might have disappointed you with my uninspiring outfit or my random babbling about my paper writing, I'll leave you with a photo of Oscar acting like life is hard.

Prompts:

• What do you wear when it's time to settle in and get down to business?
• Do you have any tricks of your own that help you get through a difficult task?

Wearing Without Wearing Out

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
This wardrobe workhorse tank was my favorite item of the summer and these skinnies have become a wardrobe workhorse, too.

Composition:
navy and white striped tank (Gap)
dark teal cardigan (H&M)
brown leather belt (Fossil)
distressed skinnies (A&E)
cream patent leather flats (Sam Edelman via Zappos)

Usage:
When I wore this tank and sweater together again to a baby shower this weekend, I realized that I'd been planning a post about this outfit for a while but kept forgetting to attend to it.  This weekend, I wore it with my teal Mary Janes, and it turns out that they're a hit with all generations!

The shoe swap speaks to why I wanted to write about this outfit, though.  The patent leather flats I'm wearing above are one of my favorite pairs because they're my wedding shoes!  Putting them on is one way for me to feel like that perfect day lives on.  This is their first appearance on the blog, though, because I'm trying not to wear them out.  While all three of us here at SSG like to wear our favorite items frequently, I hate when this frequent wearing leads to wearing out.  Patent leather, in particular, presents a problem for me because I don't know how to take care of it properly.  Fellow commuters, do you also notice that the heel of your right shoe gets rubbed down from driving?  Almost all of my shoes reveal the marks of my 40-60 minute drive to campus.  With regular leather it's no problem because I can polish the mark away, but when patent leather starts to rub away, it's the end of the road for the shoes.  Unless I'm missing something.

Readers with freakishly good recall might also remember that I wrote earlier about ruining this tank while wearing it, too.  Luckily for me, my mother in law read that post and bought me not one but two! replacements.  So now this tank can live on in my wardrobe for years to come, which is fortunate because I'd washed the original so many times that it was starting to fade.

Prompts:

• Do you have any items that you love enough to be careful about how often you wear them in order to avoid wearing them out?  What are they?
• Seriously-- do other commuters do this to their shoes?  Or am I just driving wrong?
• Any patent leather care tips you can give me?

Rut-Ditching; or, Pattern Mixing

Draft:

Earlier draft:
I wore this skirt and belt together when carrying my favorite bag.

Composition: 
black cami (Kohl's)
zebra print tank (Express via sister's closet)
green cropped cardigan (Express via sister's closet)
black and white print pencil skirt (NY&Co)
faux patent black belt (NY&Co)
black leather wedges (Lauren by RL)
nail color (OPI Can You Tapas This?)

Usage:
Anne-Marie's recent hair metamorphosis got me thinking.  Cut bangs, dye it a different color, and post pictures online for the world to evaluate?  I could never.  Sympathetic types might say "Liz just knows what she likes."  Less sympathetic types might say "Liz has trouble dealing with change," and downright  blunt types might say "Liz gets stuck in a rut."  All of them would be correct, I think.  Teaching high school helped me learn to prepare, prepare, anticipate, and prepare.  Teaching high school should have taught me that things don't always go according to plan.  However, I either didn't adequately learn that lesson while I was teaching, or I forgot it in the two years I spent as an Master's student.  This has been problematic lately, because this semester has been a constant reminder that I can't make things happen just by planning them.

Thankfully, the semester's not over yet, and there's still time to salvage my attitude toward it.  I might not be bold enough to make a change as significant as AM made with her hair, but her willingness to try out a new look made me think to myself: what is one thing I could do tomorrow to take me outside my comfort zone?  to remind myself of the benefits of sometimes pro-actively stepping outside the rut?  I decided on pattern mixing... with animal print.  I know this is kind of cheating, since the pattern on the skirt is very neutral, and combining two black and white pieces is not exactly experimental.  To my non-pattern wearing self, though, it felt like there was a LOT going on here.  All day long, I felt a slight unease, like "Oh, boy, yes, I am still wearing this crazy patterned outfit."  (Though I wore the cardigan all day, I took the second photo in an attempt to prove that this outfit IS kind of crazy.  The photo doesn't lie, though-- it was mostly in my head.)  I thought that uneasy feeling was good.  I still felt like me, but a more adventurous me, maybe.

So when I was confronted with more news this very day that suggested my plans had kind of backfired, I should have looked down at myself and thought: "It's okay.  I'm channeling Anne-Marie, who knows how to manage uncertainty much, much better than I do."  I didn't.  I got mad at myself for yet again insisting on trying so hard to plan ahead.  I hope that one day I'll actually learn the lesson.  Maybe the clothes can help.  If not the clothes, maybe the literature.  After all, I know what Robert Burns and John Steinbeck have to say about the best laid plans.  If not the literature, maybe the style blogging.  Because if Anne-Marie's post about her hair wasn't enough to convince me I should live a little more "in the moment," Sara's post on OiB today about being "mindful of where [she is] right now" should help.

Prompts:

• How do you respond when your foresight proves to be in vain?  
• What do you do to help get yourself out of a rut?  
• Do you have any pattern mixing suggestions?

Student Conference Attire, Take Two

Draft:

Earlier Draft:
I wore this dress for a conference presentation in the spring.

Composition:
faux turquoise beaded necklace (Kohl's)
pale turquoise cardigan (Target)
brown printed jersey dress (Target)
brown stretch belt (Kohl's)
teal mary janes (Seychelles)
nail color (OPI You Don't Know Jacques!)

Usage:
After reading your comments on my suggestion that I was going to dress casually for my student conferences, and after reading A-Dubs's explanation of why she "feel[s] the need to bring it, sartorially" at this point in the semester, I had a change of heart.  I decided that those of you who suggested that meeting the students in the library created a neutral enough environment were right, so I decided to dress as I normally do when I teach.  It also occurred to me that I'd also be more comfortable in my regular "teaching" clothes than in a more casual outfit.  I'm still getting used to the different register of authority I'm experiencing as a graduate student instructor of undergraduates.  I'm more comfortable with the clear, distinct line drawn between "adult/authority" and "child/student" that I operated under in my high school classroom.  I realized that if I felt too casual, I might not be able to do my best work as a teacher during the conferences.

Looking back on the conferences, I feel like this was a good decision.  Most of the students seemed more at ease meeting with me in the library than they had been in my office.  When a few of the students suggested that I was too demanding or being too hard on them, it actually made me feel more comfortable to be in an open, public area than sitting in the corner of my office, too.  Those conferences were definitely the exception, though.  Most of the students came well prepared with appropriate questions to ask.  The real test, I know, will be if their next papers demonstrate an improvement.  If the conferences don't end up benefiting the students, though, I definitely benefited from them.  Having a chance to talk to each of the students individually actually reminded me of a lot of the things I really enjoy about teaching.  I think that having on my "teacher clothes" also made it easier for me to start the conference by asking how they are managing the transition into college without it seeming like I was trying to befriend them. 

An experienced high school teacher once told me, "Some days you'll find teaching exhausting, but if you find it exhilerating on most days, you know you've found the right profession."  I was worried that sitting through two hours of conferences for three straight days would wear me down, and several other instructors told me that they hate conferences.  I found my experience of holding conferences quite refreshing, actually, and I feel ready to guide them through the last few assignments with the hopes that they do better on those papers than the one I graded this week.  Because those were not good.  It's true what they say about a teacher's work never being done.

Prompts:

• If you teach, what do you find most exciting about working with students? 
• Whether you teach or not, are there any features of your job that you enjoy even though your colleagues disdain them?  What are they?  Why do you think you enjoy them more than others?
• And this is a sidebar, but how often do you theme dress?  I put on this almost-never-worn cardigan last week because, in my graduate class, we were discussing a novel in which turquoise stones figure prominently.  I figured I had to wear my turquoise necklace for this discussion, so I dug this cardigan out to complement it... and all the sudden, I had a great new way to wear this dress!

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?

Student Conference Attire

Draft:

Earlier Drafts: 
AM gave me this graphic tee as a graduation gift, these boots are one of my favorite cool-weather staples, and I wrote about working from home in these skinnies.

Composition:
Moby Dick tee (gifted from AM via Out of Print)
cream cardigan (Anne Taylor)
light wash skinnies (American Eagle)
gray slouch boots (Steve Madden)

Usage:
Starting tomorrow, I'm meeting each of my students for a student-led conference.  I've given them a set of requirements to prepare before the conference so they can come ready to ask me questions.  I want to avoid the type of conference where I do a lot of talking, the student does a lot of head nodding, and then he/she forgets everything we discussed.  I'm hoping that if they show up knowing what they want to get out of the meeting, setting time aside for conferences will be more beneficial.  We'll see how that goes.

I'm also working on creating an environment conducive to the type of conversation I want to have with each student.  Rather than asking them to come to my office, where some of them seem to be intimidated, I'm meeting them in the main library on campus.  I'm also planning to wear jeans to give off the "I'm also approachable and I want to help you" vibe.  The outfit above is quickly turning into one of my favorite casual iterations: interesting top+ cardigan+ skinnies+ interesting shoe.  I'm not planning to wear this outfit-- I'm not sure it's a good idea to wear this particular word across my chest while meeting with students-- but I'm thinking about wearing something like it.

I wonder what you all think?  Should I avoid skinny jeans? Graphic tees?  Should I wear something more "professional" on top to mitigate the jeans on bottom?  Would it be better to stick with more formal, dark wash jeans?  I'm really curious about your suggestions for this particular teaching moment, whether or not you've instructed undergrads before.

Prompts:

• What type of outfit would you suggest in order to facilitate the kind of conversation I've described above?
• Are there any specific items of clothing you think I should avoid-- either because they're too informal or for any other reason?
• Do you have any other tips for running student conferences?  I'm all ears (or eyes?)!

Pants Practice

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
I wore these pants here, and if you click the "cardigans" tab, you'll likely turn up oodles of results with this cardigan or an identical one.

Composition:
black cami (Kohl's)
red print tank (Isaac Mizrahi for Target: does anyone else miss his line there as much as I do?)
black and red beaded necklace (NY&Co)
black cardigan (NY&Co)
micro plaid trousers (Express)
black wedges (Lauren by Ralph Lauren)
"Metro Chic" polish (Sephora by OPI)

Usage:
So I've been trying to work on putting together outfits I like with pants since I wrote about my "pants prejudice" in last week's post.  I've been surfing some other blogs and looking at pants ensembles, and I've decided there is a standard pants outfit that "works."  The basic ingredients are:
1) a great pair of pants (I love all of mine, so that's not the problem)
2) a cute top (I have fewer of these)
3) a cardigan (I obviously have plenty of these)
4) at least one other item of interest (statement necklace, great earrings, belt, cute shoes, etc.)

I really liked this outfit.  I don't own a lot of prints, so this is as close to print mixing as I can come, even though I really like that styling choice.  (I actually had no idea that I don't buy prints until I started blogging.)  I like how the red top brings out the reddish/pinkish stripe in the micro plaid (I think you can make this out if you click to enlarge).  This necklace looks great up against the red top and black cardigan, and it also falls nicely with the neckline of the top.  And after what feels like a long time of deferring to neutral nail polishes, the cold weather prompted me to return to the fall hues that I fell in love with last year.

It all felt very pulled together and cohesive for me, and I ended up wishing I'd waited two days to wear it.  You can probably tell from my "I voted!" sticker that I wore this outfit on Tuesday, but it seems in retrospect like this would have been a perfect outfit to wear for the formal observation my teaching mentor is conducting in my classroom today.

Prompts:

• Can you share a list of "ingredients" for a different type of pants outfit that "works" for you?
• Can you think of anything I could add to this list of ingredients to mix it up?

Dresses as Skirts

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
I posted the photo at right when I wore this dress alone during the summer, and I also wore this dress for my master's defense.

Composition:
faux turquoise beaded necklace (Kohl's)
turquoise cardigan (Old Navy)
brown stretch belt (Kohl's)
blue embossed cotton dress (J. Crew)
teal mary janes (Seychelles)

Usage:
Last week, when I posted the look at right, Katie of Interrobangs Anonymous wrote "Alright, lady, time to spill your shirts over dresses layering techniques. I'm amazed at how you keep pulling it off without there being any weird shapes or bulges."  I'm happy to oblige!  Today's look is not really a dress-as-skirt look, since the top of the dress is still clearly visible, but I did use one of my dress-as-skirt "techniques" to style this monochromatic-ish look, so I thought it would be a good time to share them all with you.

In both the look above and the one to the right, I've used a "fold under and belt" technique.  Above, I folded the cardigan under, positioning the fold at the desired place, and then used the belt to hold the cardigan in place and mask the transition from cardigan to dress.  At right, I did the same thing with the white button-down, but since it was under the cardigan, I just had to make sure the white shirttails didn't hang out beneath.  (I tried it that way too, but I didn't like it as much.)  I do actually think there is some detectable bulging in each look, but not enough to look weird, IMO.

The belt is also key for the looks below, which I'd describe as examples of the "fold up and belt" technique.

In both of these cases, I put a top over the dress and folded about a one inch cuff at the bottom of the top.  I continued folding up until the shirt reached the desired position, and then I put the belt over the top of the cuff to hold the shirt in place.  I started trying this because I liked the color-blocked dresses I saw everywhere this summer, where the skirt was one color, the top was another, and there was a solid belt-like elastic stripe through the middle.  To save money, I figured out how I could create a similar look with pieces I already had.

This doesn't work with every shirt, though.  I had to choose a shirts that weren't too long, or the cuff that goes under the belt would have gotten too big and bulky.  I also had to carefully choose shirts that were thick/dark enough and cut in such a way as to obscure the top of the dress beneath it.  At right, for example, I actually wanted to wear a brighter blue tee, but since it has a scoop neck, the brown bits of the v-neck dress were peaking out.

This doesn't work with every belt, either.  The thicker and stretchier the belt, the better it will work to keep the cuff in place without looking weird or feeling uncomfortable.  This brown belt works perfectly for this type of thing, which explains why it's featured to heavily in this post.

The looks below don't really incorporate any technique at all.  All I've done is layer a top over a dress.

This simple layering technique works for me because I tend to favor dresses cut in simple, sheath silhouettes.  This allows for any number of tops to be put over the dress and prevents any weird bunching from going on.  While this works best when the skirt is also fairly form-fitting, I've been surprised at how many dresses with full skirts that I've been able to use with all of these techniques.

Today's first look is a good example of a full skirt working for layering.  I really love this dress, so I was excited to find another way to wear it.  Skeptics might suggest that I didn't need the belt, but I liked how moving up the waistline with the belt allowed the skirt to move like it does when its worn alone.  Since the distinctive heel of my teal mary janes is wooden, I thought the brown belt might also help draw attention to that feature of the look.  This ensemble also prompted a friendly conversation with the woman who rang up my items at the grocery store, so I'll consider it a success!

Prompts:

• Which is your favorite "dress as skirt" look?  Do you have any other ideas for how to make this work?
• How have style blogs helped you to re-think your styling techniques?  It never even occurred to me to try mixing clothes in this way until I began posting pictures of myself online, but I love how it makes my wardrobe feel more versatile and fun.

Cancer Awareness

Hi all--

I don't have an outfit for you today; I have something to say from my heart.

Like many of you, my life has been profoundly impacted by cancer.  I've been touched by the number of style bloggers who have participated in October's "Breast Cancer Awareness" month. I see it as a real, visible, material manifestation of their desire to help fight cancer and reach out to those who have experienced it.

I can't help but be bothered, though, by the commodification and commercialization of the "breast cancer awareness" movement.  I appreciate the questions posed by Breast Cancer Action's "Think Before You Pink" initiative.  They suggest that before we purchase something to benefit breast cancer awareness, we ask:

How much money actually goes toward breast cancer programs and services?
Where is the money going?
What types of programs are being supported?
What is the company doing to assure that its products are not contributing to the breast cancer epidemic?

One of my colleagues has been researching the rhetoric of various breast cancer "awareness" initiatives, and she first exposed me to Babara Ehrenreich's important 2001 essay, "Cancerland."  I'll admit that when I first read the article, I thought she was being overly cynical.  As time has progressed, though, and I've seen cancer cells refuse to respond to treatments in the bodies of those I love, I can't help but feel indebted to Dr. Ehrenreich.  I appreciate her willingness to voice an unpopular but very important perspective on the "fight against cancer," and I hope that some of you will take the time to read her thoughts on the issue.  If you or anyone you know has ever been just downright angry about cancer, you might be able to relate to her article as strongly as I do.

I wanted to write today, also, because as breast cancer awareness month comes to an end, those of us in the States are faced with a different type of opportunity to "do something" on November 2.  If you're committed to fighting cancer, I'd like to encourage you to do some extra research into which elected officials have proven their own commitment to the same.  While this is just one of the many important factors I weigh when I cast my ballot, I hope you'll agree that it's one worth considering.

With my most sincere wishes of happiness and health to all of you,
Liz

Pants Prejudice

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
I wore this tee with a casual look, I started wearing this jacket again when I tried cuffing the sleeves, and these shoes were an important back-to-school purchase.

Composition:
white and yellow striped tee (Gap)
navy blue jacket (Gap Outlet)
pewter toned chain necklace (H&M)
light gray trousers (Express)
yellow buckled slice wedges (Nine West)

Usage:
You guys, I'm having a pants problem.  I'm having fun experimenting with skirts for work and trying out new casual ensembles, but I can't get myself interested in wearing my trousers.  This seems stupid because I really love my collection of Express Editor pants.

For this pants look, I tried to gain inspiration from a few looks I like otherwise.  I like yellow paired with light gray and yellow paired with navy, so I tried to incorporate both of those combinations here.  I put on the chain necklace to try to draw some of the gray upward and keep the tee from reading as too casual.  I did like how the yellow top helped the yellow shoes stand out, and when my vintage copy of Katherine Anne Porter's Ship of Fools arrived on the same day, in the same color palette, I knew it had to make it into the photo.  Overall, though, this outfit still left me feeling a little "meh."

A friend of mine did tell me I "look so cute!" in this ensemble, though.  So I'm wondering-- does this outfit look as average to you as it felt for me?  Or do I need to figure out a way to banish my pants prejudice so I can properly appreciate cute, pants-anchored looks?  Is my love for my skinny jeans unfairly pitting me against my old straight leg trousers?  Help!

Prompts:

• How are you wearing pants this fall?  Do you have any theories about how to make looks that include pants feel more exciting?
• I wonder if part of the problem might be that most of the ladies whose blogs I read also favor skirts/dresses over pants.  Have you seen any pants looks lately that I could use for inspiration?  Please share links!

Minor Miracle

Draft:

Composition:

black beaded headband (NY&Co)

white button down (SJP's Bitten for now defunct Steve and Barry's)

black cardigan (H&M)

black faux patent belt (H&M)

black dress with white embroidery, worn as skirt (Ann Taylor)

black tights (NY&Co)

black wedges (Lauren by Ralph Lauren)

Usage:

This past Thursday I stood in front of my clothes and thought "Okay, closet, all I need from you today is a minor miracle."  I hadn't been feeling well.  Grading took up a lot of my time last week, so I wasn't fully prepared for the class I had to teach that day or the one I had to attend.  I had no idea what to wear, and I felt like my creative energy was sapped, but I knew I needed something that would get my day headed in a better direction.  Then it occurred to me that I could wear this dress as a skirt, even though the top doesn't fit well anymore.  I love the look of this outfit, but the dress also has a lot of sentimental value for me, so wearing it made me smile.  And then other things started to come together, too.

I realized I was in the midst of a good hair day.  I only had one activity planned for the class I teach, but that meant I had time to sit down with each student to go over their ideas for the next paper.  A few kids got to leave very early, but I think that overall, the class turned out to be much more beneficial than I'd anticipated.  I still felt braintired for my own class, and I was disappointed that I wasn't really able to participate... but I was there.  By the time I got home from a long day, I felt much worse.  For a few hours, though, I'd felt like myself, and that had begun with the outfit.

This weekend I came across this post from Katie at Interrobangs Anonymous, in which she shared this quote: 

Sometimes, she reflected, she dressed for courage, sometimes for success, and sometimes for the consolation of knowing that whatever else went wrong, at least she liked her clothes. – Emma Bull, War for the Oaks

Katie suggests that this aligns with her own dressing philosophy, and I thought to myself: yes, that is pretty much exactly right.  I do a lot of talking and thinking about clothing, and what it means to me, and what it means to everyone else, and I think that is all important.  Most days, though, it basically boils down to this: what can I put on that will make me feel like the best version of myself for today?  Most everything I do can be boiled down to this, really.  I'm trying to be the best version of me that I can every day, and sometimes when I feel like I've dropped far below that standard, clothing helps me to reach back up.

Prompts:

• Do you ever ask for minor miracles from your closet?  Does it come through for you?
• Does the quote IA Katie shared about clothing resonate as strongly for you as it does for me?
• What are some things you do to try ratchet up your attitude or your performance on days that you're feeling a bit "off"?

Mid-Semester Slump

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
I've found this purple dress to be more versatile than I expected, I wore this purple patterned top early in one of my first posts, and this gray cardigan gets almost as much wear as my gray boots.

Composition:
black, purple, and gray patterned top (Target)
gray cardigan (NY&Co)
purple jersey dress worn as a skirt (Victoria's Secret)
gray leather slouch boots (Steve Madden)

Usage:
You guys don't mind me being a little blurry, I hope-- Katie and I were experimenting with new photo shoot locations on campus, and we liked this brick wall, but we didn't quite get the camera settings right for the lighting.  I wanted to share this look though, because it's my favorite kind-- a brand new look that incorporates items I've had for a while but never thought to wear together before. 

I've had a busy week, and I haven't been able to post for quite a while because my computer was getting repaired (thankfully, under warranty!).  I hope you've all been doing well since my last post and that those of you working/studying in academia are surviving that mid-semester slump.  I'm at the point in my semester where I have to make a daily list of things to accomplish and cross them off one by one.  If I don't do this, I start to feel really overwhelmed by how much I have going on during any given day and how much I have yet to accomplish before the end is in sight.  On the day I wore this outfit, for example, I was on campus from 8am to 9pm!  It was super rainy, too, so I was glad to be in a moveable, comfortable outfit that made me feel good even through the long day.

Happy weekend, all!  

Prompts:

• How frequently do you come up with new "looks" using items you've had for quite some time?  Do you get as excited as I do when you create a brand new outfit by "remixing"?
• What are your strategies for getting through overwhelmingly busy periods at work and/or school?  Do you cut back on your blogging/blog reading during those periods, or do you use blogs as your mental escape?  I've still been reading all of my blogs, but I haven't had a chance to comment as frequently as I usually like to.

Work From Home Wear

Draft:

Composition:
Chicago Marathon tee (runner's expo)
new to my closet medium wash skinnies (American Eagle)
black leather belt (Gap?)

Usage:
Some days when I work from home, I get up early, shower, get dressed in a cute outfit and shoes, and sit down to type.  Pulling my outfit together helps me feel like I'm bringing my "A game" to my writing.

Obviously, this was not one of those days.  I'm doing a lot of work from home this semester, so I've been spending a lot of time in jeans, tees, and bare feet.  I still get up early and shower, but I usually forgo makeup and hair products.  Most of my time at home is spent reading and lesson planning, both of which I can do on the couch, so that's where my husband usually finds me when he gets home from work.  When end-of-term paper writing time comes up, I know I'll be stationed at the table with all my materials spread out around me, and at that point, "getting dressed" plays an important role in getting me going.  Right now, though, I'm enjoying the fact that one of the many privileges of being a graduate student is spending time in my own space.

I know this outfit is not particularly "stylish," and some may even consider it a step backwards in my goal to dress better in the casual register.  I still felt good in it, though.  I know most ladies aren't tucking in tee shirts these days, but I still think it looks better, and I like the faded detailing on these new jeans I purchased to back up my favorite dark skinnies.  My feet always get cold, though.  I have a few pairs of fuzzy socks that I rotate between, but I think I might be in the market for slippers for the first time in my life.  Or maybe some sherpa socks?  This past weekend was the Chicago Marathon, so I broke out my marathon tee to remind myself that even though it's been seven years, training for and completing that race is still one of my proudest accomplishments.  When I was reading Ngugi's Grain of Wheat earlier this semester (a novel set in the context of Kenyan Independence), I was struck by  how strongly my own attitude toward running resonated with of one character's reflections on it.  Ngugi writes, "He had even developed a theory about such races.  'They test how long you can endure hardship,' he used to say. 'You say to yourself.  I will not give up: I will see this to the end'" (229).  Distance running has helped me develop the belief that I'm capable of seeing things to the end, and that belief has been instrumental to my success so far as a graduate student.

Work Cited:
Ngugi Wa Thiang'O.  A Grain of Wheat.  Heinemann/Pearson Education Limited: 1967, 2008.

Prompts:

• If you have the opportunity to work from home, what do you wear?  Do you alternate between casual and "dressy" attire based on the tasks you'll accomplish that day, or am I the only one who does this?
• Do you ever stay in your pajamas all day?  Sometimes I can stay in mine for a few hours if I'm planning to take a break by heading to the gym, but I have to shower and get dressed or I find it hard to stay productive.
• Do you have any suggestions for warm, comfortable around-the-house footwear?
• What non-academic activities do you participate in that help you in your studies?

Tights or No Tights?

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
I celebrated this dress as a one-and-done outfit this summer, and I modeled this gray cardigan with my black shift dress.

Composition:
black hoop earrings (gifted by my MIL)
teal cami (Old Navy)
printed jersey dress (NY&Co)
gray cardigan (NY&Co)
teal Mary Janes (Seychelles)

Usage:
This dress doesn't photograph very well, but some of the swirly stripes are teal and the rest are black, gray, and white.  I like trying to bring out the teal, so I've worn it with this teal cami and with my turquoise cardigan in the past, but I like it even better with my new favorite shoes!

I broke out my boots a little early, but I'm still resisting the switch to tights.  When the temps start to drop, I also try to avoid wearing a coat at all costs.  We live in a fairly moderate climate, but nonetheless, I'll be in pants/tights and coats from at least November through February, so I like to hold off on them as long as possible.  I don't think this is necessarily because I dislike cool weather, though I do prefer it when it's warm.  All summer, I was hoping for jeans weather here and there.  I get tired of wearing the same items day in and day out, so I try to keep mixing it up until the weather absolutely forces me to make the transition.  I actually prefer cool weather dressing because there are so many more opportunities for layering, but I guess I don't want to layer up until it's necessary.  I'm also curious about how many of you wear brightly colored tights.  I don't own a single pair!  Maybe adding a few pairs to my wardrobe would shift my attitude toward them.

The alternate title to this post was "Look, no belt!"  Nine times out of ten, I belt my dress+cardigan ensembles, but I felt like stripe of black across my midsection would have interrupted my attempt to draw the attention toward the gray and teal in the pattern.

Prompts:

• Have you made the transition to tights yet?  Do you make the switch based on temperature, time of year, or something else?
• Where's your favorite place to purchase tights?  I'd like to find a few fun pairs, but I'm not looking to spend more than $10 per pair.
• If you dress differently from one season to the next, which is your favorite season for which to dress? 

Befuddled

Draft:

Earlier Draft:
I wore almost the same look (with tights) in the first outfit post on our blog!

Composition:
navy and white printed dress (Target)
gray woven stretch belt (Charlotte Russe)
gray slouch boots (Steve Madden)

Usage:
As I mentioned when I posted this look the first time, I think it makes me look wide.  I don't really care, because I like wearing a low slung belt once in a while, and I'm actually kind of disappointed in myself that I haven't found more ways to wear this belt since I got it.  I like the gray and navy color combination, and this dress feels like the right length to wear with these boots, so I enjoy wearing this outfit.  There are a few things that drive me crazy about it, though.  The fit and length of the sleeves is not good.  I wish they were an inch or two shorter and not so gapey.  I love the print on this dress, but the mis-matchedness of it drives me a little crazy.  The print does not line up on the sides, on the two pockets that are on the chest, or where the fabric changes around the neck opening.  (If I had ever studied clothes for real, I'd know what that is called, but I have no idea.) 

Yet, this outfit gets the most compliments, hands down, of anything I ever wear.  People I don't know compliment it.  People that have never said a word about anything else I've ever worn compliment it.  People who usually think I "try too hard" have complimented it.  One male classmate whom I adore, but who must be one of the least fashion conscious people in the entire world complimented it.  (He liked what he considered its celtic looking pattern.)  Sometimes the compliments are decisive, like when two of my officemates were chatting and one of them stopped mid-sentence to say "You look so cute today, it's ridiculous!"   On this most recent wearing, I also got "what a fun print," "this is my favorite outfit that you wear," "I think those boots look great with skirts," and "great belt!"  Usually it is women who compliment my style choices, but this outfit gets compliments from men and women alike.  Sometimes it's like people don't even know why they like it, and they issue a statement that might be punctuated like "Liz, I really like that outfit?"

I don't know why they like it so much, either.  I mean, I like it, or I wouldn't wear it.  It's fun to have an ensemble stored away that you know will elicit at least five compliments anytime you leave the house in it.  (I counted twelve on one of the days I wore it in the Spring.)  I just wish I understood why this outfit is so appealing to everyone, especially since I don't think it is stereotypically "flattering" to my body, and the top half feels like mismatched print mania.

Prompts:

• Can you help me?  What's so great about this outfit?  If I have "nailed it" here, I wish I knew why, so I could figure out how to apply these strategies to other outfits.
• Might there be other reasons for why the outfit gets so much attention?  Does it seem radically different than other things people are used to seeing me in? 

Boot Up!

Draft:

Previous Drafts:
I declared these boots the more stylish cousin to the ubiquitous Uggs, and I over-accessorized with this belt back when I bought it in the Spring.

Composition:
eyeglasses (Kate Spade)
black cami (Kohl's)
blue oxford shirtdress (H&M via sister's closet)
black leggings (Target)
gray leather slouch boots (Steve Madden)

Usage:
I have so many random things to say about this ensemble that I'm not sure where to begin... but I'll just jump right in.

Do you guys watch How I Met Your Mother?  I still DVR it even though I think it peaked a few seasons back.  When I prepared to put these boots on last week, I thought to myself "Time to boot up!" as a riff on Barney's "Suit up!" catchphrase.  This personal joke I had with myself seemed even funnier when I realized that one of the reason I liked this shirt dress the first time I saw it on my sister was because it looked like she was wearing a men's oxford shirt, which made me think of some of my favorite 80s movies.  Why are the women in those movies always sleeping in a man's oxford shirt? Wouldn't that be uncomfortable?  Or did my 8 year old self assume they were sleeping in those shirts, when actually they put them on after getting up from sleeping in nothing?

This was also my first attempt at wearing leggings, which I picked up for $5 at Target last week as an inexpensive way to try to develop my casual styling skills.  I found myself nodding my head when Sally suggested that black bottoms and colored tops don't always bring out the best in one another, so I worked to try to incorporate the black leggings into this look.  I left the top button undone to let my black cami peek out, and I grabbed my snake print belt to try to incorporate the gray of my boots and the black of the leggings into the overall look. 

I wore this look to a mostly social event for my department.  Our program's new director wanted to give each of the professors a chance to introduce their work to the grad students, which would also give us a chance to speak with them informally.  I thought it was a great idea!  Even though I know most of our professors from my years in the office, and I know their field specialties, it was still fun to hear them paraphrase their current research projects in their own words.  I also enjoyed looking around the room and thinking, "Look at all this great style in one room!"  I wish I had photos to share.

Chatting with the professors afterward also felt a lot less intimidating than trying to schedule an appointment to meet with someone because you admire her/his work.  I was able to arrange a meeting with the professor I've been trying to track down since she returned from leave, so my attendance was a success.  The friendly vibe of the event was underscored when our program's director came up to me during the socializing portion and said "Liz, I want to talk about this outfit."  Her opinion?  She felt like the dress was bright and thus read as "Spring" attire while the boots and leggings read as "Winter" attire, and she didn't "get" the inclusion of the belt.  LOL!  I tried to explain that I don't really dress for seasons as much as for temperature, and I admitted that it was probably still a little warm for leggings+boots, but that I was ready to try something new.  Her final verdict was that she liked the dress, and she liked the boots, but she thought I "had a lot going on here."  This made me appreciate my decision not to wear my clear acrylic beaded necklace, which I had considered before deciding that would be too much.   Then we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of pantyhose, tights, and leggings.  In case you were wondering, she's a fan of Hue.  : )

Prompts:

• Have you made the leap to boots yet?  After I wore them three days in a row during last week's cooler temps, my sister asked me, "Is this boots week on SSG?"
• Are the black leggings providing too stark a contrast here?  Might I have looked less seasonally confused if I'd worn charcoal or navy leggings instead?
• Have you ever worn a man's oxford shirt for sleepwear or loungewear?  Is this actually comfortable?

Shopping Hiatus Reflections

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
I wore this skirt in one of my first blog posts, and Katie has this shirt in a different shade.

Composition: 
eyeglasses (Kate Spade)
black beaded necklace (NY&Co)
teal striped top (H&M)
charcoal pencil skirt (NY&Co)
teal leather Mary Janes (Seychelles via Endless)

Usage:
Ye proponents of colored shoes, I have finally joined your ranks!  You might recall that one of my back-to-school purchases was a great pair of pale yellow slice wedges, and while those are technically colored and were too versatile to resist, they didn't quell my desire to find a perfect "pop of color wedge."  I had scoured the malls and internet for the perfect pair of brightly colored wedges until I finally found this perfect pair of shoes.  However, the price was outside my comfort zone, and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something just to satisfy the thrill of the chase. I thought it would be a good idea to take some time away from shopping to consider what my closet really needed most.  During this time, I also thought about how I might incorporate these shoes into my wardrobe. After the thirty day hiatus, I bought them with confidence because I knew that they could serve as a new staple in my wardrobe, which would make them worth the investment.  They're slightly different in appearance than a wedge, so they add a little more variety to my shoe collection than a standard wedge would have.  The placement of the heel makes them feel like a wedge, though, so it was sort of a win-win.  I also think that because they're brightly colored but closed-toe, I can wear them in all four seasons with aplomb, so that adds to their versatility.

In previous posts, I've shared my belief that a great new accessory can help you to re-think your entire wardrobe.  Before I found these shoes, which are described as "teal," I would have told you I didn't own anything teal.  I knew I wanted a pair of shoes in some hue of blue, but it wasn't until I found this specific pair online that I realized how strong my attraction is to this particular color family.

I'm looking forward to finding ways to wear these shoes with items of apparel that I already own.  While I know they'll look great with all these coordinating tops, I'm also hoping to learn to wear them as a contrasting pop of color, too.

Wardrobe Workhorse Week coincided with my shopping hiatus, and I came away from this combined experience with a new appreciation for the items currently hanging in my closet.  There were quite a few things I had on my "wants" list before I stopped shopping, but after thinking critically about my wardrobe for a month, I realized that that was definitely not a "needs" list.  The only thing I plan to purchase in the near future is another pair of skinny jeans.  As I've said, this semester calls for more casual dressing than past ones have, so a new pair of jeans will get enough wear to justify the purchase.  While the advertisers are suggesting there are new items that I "must have" this season, I don't see how any of them will fill an existing void in my wardrobe, so I'm going to pass on buying anything else until I can really conceptualize how it will benefit my closet to add it.

I also enjoyed staying away from shopping websites and stores.  I was visiting these shoes online to make sure they disappeared, but otherwise it was a complete hiatus from shopping, not just from purchasing.  This was timed nicely with the beginning of my semester and kept me from being tempted to waste precious time at online retailers.  I might try something similar at the end of the semester, too.

Prompts:

• When you want to take a break from shopping, how do you implement this strategy?  Do you limit shopping altogether or do you just limit buying?  Do you enforce a day limit like I did?  Or a dollar limit?  Or do you take a less regimented approach?  I actually broke the shopping hiatus rule one day early to snag the last pair of these shoes in my size, so I wonder if a more flexible hiatus would have been a good idea.  The hiatus had served it's purpose before the 30 days were up, I think.
• I think we've all experienced buyer's remorse, but have you ever experienced waiter's remorse? I would have hated to see these shoes go after spending a month thinking about how well they'd work in my wardrobe.
• Have you bought anything this season that is giving new life to the items you already own?  What is it?
• I love teal/turquoise with navy, so I'm looking forward to that pairing, but it's still not a "contrast."  What colors should I pair these shoes with to really make them stand out?

Facing Sartorial Critique

Draft:

Composition:
clear lucite beaded necklace (Kohl's)
white and yellow striped tee (Gap)
medium wash skinnies (American Eagle via sister's closet)
sneakers (Converse Chuck Taylor)
staring down at the ground pose (learned) : )

Usage:
My casual dressing experiment and my refusal to acknowledge the onset of fall continued on Friday, this time with the assistance of some new skinnies borrowed from my sister and a necklace that dresses up a tee and jeans ensemble and makes it feel more "me."  I noticed last week that I've been wearing bold (if not "statement") necklaces almost every day-- this seems to be a phase I go through every couple of months.  Right now, a look feels more like a "look" when I add a necklace. 

I wore this ensemble to campus for a lecture, and I barely made it inside the building without having its casual register brought to my attention.  I ran into a friend and classmate of mine, who followed up his "Hey!" with "dressed down Friday, eh?"  This reminded me that I'd agreed to address Maggie's comment on my post from last week about using "dressed up" attire as a way to assert my authority.  She wrote, "Liz--one of the unsaid things here in your post--and this blog--is the idea that you _should_ dress professionally. This is something that I struggle with because I do believe you have to dress appropriately, but I know a lot of our colleagues and even professors seem to see it as a ruse or something."  After sharing some personal experiences, Maggie concluded her thoughts by asking,  "I wonder if you--or the other bloggers--ever feel some tension with peers and/or profs who DON'T dress professionally?"  Other comments on the same post (which I encourage you all to read) also gestured toward the same line of questioning.

First, I'd like to clarify that I try to avoid thinking and speaking in "shoulds."  If my post gave the impression that I think people should dress according to societal norms of what constitutes "professional," I apologize.  I was just trying to talk about my own relationship to "professional" dressing.  Maggie certainly sensed, though, that I do wish more people were willing to acknowledge that how you dress your body matters.  In our About the Blog page, we quote Tim Gunn, who has said "I believe in the semiotics of clothes: the clothes we wear send a message about how we're perceived.  Accordingly, it's important that we each accept responsibility for how we present ourselves to the world."  I'd like to invite you all to take a look at that page, especially those of you who are newer readers of the blog, because that's where we've tried to explain what we imagine as the purpose of our blog.  I'd also like to encourage you to visit (or re-visit) my Henry James Textual Analysis post, in which I wrote a little bit more about my own conception of how and why language matters as a parallel to how and why dressing matters.

To answer the second part of Maggie's question, I have felt some tension with peers regarding my decision to dress "up" regularly.  Some of my classmates are responsive to my explanations about it, and quite a few have actually begun reading the blog and talking to me about it in real life, which is rewarding enough to make it easy to ignore the critics, even though a few of them remain.  I've been fortunate enough that I haven't (yet) felt this kind of tension with professors, but I expect that at some point, that situation will arise.  I read other academic fashion blogs regularly enough to know that in other universities, disciplines, and geographies this kind of tension is quite pervasive.  Our department is fortunate to have quite a few female professors who cultivate a professional, put-together, stylish presentation of self.   Their personal styles cover a broad range of approaches to dressing, but when I look at each of them, I can see that they've put thought into how they dressed themselves each day.  Many of these women are also doing highly influential work in their fields.  I can't help but think that these female professors have begun to carve out a space of possibility wherein someone like me, who takes an interest clothes, is still taken seriously. 

I know these misconceptions-- that dressing well is just a "ruse" and that a woman can't be interested in style and do serious, thoughtful, meaningful intellectual work, too-- still exist.  When given an opportunity to discuss these misconceptions with people who hold them, I believe I am capable of making a good argument against them.  I realize, though, that not everyone who thinks my interest in clothes is vapid will be willing to give me a chance to discuss it.  Because of this, the best way I know to break down these misconceptions is to prove them to be false every single day.  I like to think that by continuing to dress with intention while also doing good work in my studies, I am slowly convincing those skeptics with whom I interact that it is possible to be serious about academics and about clothes.  Furthermore, I hope that my participation in this community of scholarly style blogs gives confidence to those women who share my interest in clothes but do not get to share my surroundings, and thus face more criticism for how they choose to dress.  I'm regularly encouraged by reading the thoughts of others who share my opinion on the subject, and it reinforces my sense that it's important to continue working toward deconstructing these misconceptions.

Thanks for the comments, Maggie!  I hope I've answered your questions.

Prompts:

• Do you ever find yourself relying on a single type of accessory to "finish" a look?  I do this all the time with belts, as I've mentioned before, but now I'm starting to do it with necklaces, as well, so I wonder if it's a common habit.
• What are your thoughts on the similarity we draw here on our blog between the importance of using language well and the importance of dressing well?
• Have you found successful ways to manage tension you've encountered regarding your own interest in clothes?  Please share!!

Casual Dressing Experimentation

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
I labeled these jeans my first wardrobe workhorse, and these shoes were one of my two "back to school" purchases.

Composition:
neon-ish pink tank (Rave)
yellow tank (via sister's closet)
colorful scarf (via sister's closet)
dark wash skinnies (American Eagle)
yellow buckle slice wedges (Nine West)

Usage:
I really appreciate your thoughtful comments on my post from Monday about dressing "professionally."  I want to address them more specifically in the future, because I appreciate that you've all (as usual) encouraged me to think in different ways.  Today, though, I wanted to write a little bit about the goal I mentioned briefly at the end-- to dress better in the casual register.

Believe it or not, I have been a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl most of my life.  I'm not talking about jeans and a cute embellished t-shirt, either; I'm talking about jeans and a t-shirt my mom bought for me at the Nike employee store during my adolescence, when she worked there.  Thankfully, she took that job around the time when they first came out with "women's fit" t-shirts (mid 90s), so the tees did actually fit me, even if they said things like "Nike Running: Choose Your Path."

One of the (unfortunate, I think) side effects of the empowerment I felt when I began dressing differently for work was that I directed all of my styling energy into work clothes and paid no attention to trying to wear casual clothes well.  I actually mentioned way back in my "intro" post that I struggle to put together cute casual ensembles, but the process of blogging has helped me to realize that this is really only due to a lack of effort.  Monday, I said that "now, these ["business" register] clothes feel more me to me than more casual ones."  I recognize, though, that they are quite literally more me because they're outfits I've actually taken care in putting together.  So I am wondering what will happen to my personal style if I put the same amount of effort into my casual wear.  Perhaps I really am more at ease in "dressed up" looks, but I don't think I'll know that for sure until I put a little more effort into my non-work looks.

This is a good semester for the casual attire experiment.  I only teach two days a week, so that leaves five other days to dress differently.  I believe I have conquered the hair straightening demons-- either my curly hair looks better every day, or I get a little more comfortable with it every day leading me to think it looks better every day-- so I'm ready to move on to the next way to challenge myself.

I thought putting on a scarf might be a good way to try something new because I literally never wear them.  IA Katie and Plummy wear them so well, though, that they encouraged me to give them a shot.  I don't own any that I don't put on exclusively for warmth, so cue my sister's closet!  When I was trying to build an outfit around this one, I was tempted to wear it with a white top because it's so colorful, but then I remembered Vickie's choice to pair color with more color during Black-Out week and the positive results it yielded, so I went in that direction.

The only reason I actually own a neon-ish pink tank from Rave is because I purchased it for an 80s party a few years back, and at that time I was more annoyed that it wasn't more neon (and going inside Rave totes took me back to middle school).  I actually tried this combination a few weeks back with a khaki skirt and my hair up, because I felt like scarf+hair was too much going on around my head, but I actually think it looks much better here, and I'm glad I gave it another try.  I also like how the yellow tank underneath plus the yellow shoes sort of ground the bright tank and (I hope) keep the ensemble from being too overpowering.  I actually wish it looked more like this IRL-- for the life of me, I cannot get items in this punchy pink color family to photograph correctly.  (You're not even reading this, are you?  You're looking at my 80s party photo.  Did you really think I was going to mention an 80s party outfit, of which I have a photo, and not show you said photo?  The most awesome part of this outfit was that, when walking through the city on Saturday night to get to the party, I got tons of compliments on this outfit from strangers who had no idea I was on my way to an 80s party.  And I didn't get the impression that they were complimenting me to make fun of me.)

Prompts:

• Thoughts on this outfit, please?  On this casual dressing experiment, which I fear may really turn out to be a project titled "Skinny jeans 100 different ways"?
• Suggestions for different casual combinations for me to try?  (Don't worry, I've been scouring all of your blogs, and plan to rip off all of your ideas anyway.)