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?

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?

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.)

If It's Not Broken

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
It's my favorite dress of the summer.  See it here, here, here, and here.

Composition:
white short sleeve button down (Express via sister's closet)
blue printed shift (H&M)
white canvas peep toe wedges (MIA)

Usage:
When I posted this dress a third time before Wardrobe Workhorse Week, I basically apologized for my insistence on continuing to show you the same old thing.  When I realized how much I liked it with a button down underneath, I didn't photograph it, because I figured you were all bored of this dress.  I had to post it one more time, though, because it has definitely been the Boxer of my wardrobe this summer, and I feel like Boxer more often than I care to admit.  (In fits of frustration, I've been known to lament, "All hard work gets you is more work," even though I actually believe I have profited considerably from my hard work.)  There's been a lot of excitement about the onset of fall and thus fall fashions, but I am a sunshine child through and through, so I'm clinging to my bare legs and open toed shoes as long as possible.  (Though I am developing a minor case of bootache.  They look lonely in my closet.)

One thing I really appreciated about WWW was reading your posts about how much you loved your individual items and how great you feel every time you put them on.  I share that sentiment, and for me, this dress has become a go-to when I want to look and feel great.  Last week was my second full week of taking three classes and instructing a class, and while I am excited about these various responsibilities, I haven't found my groove yet, so I've felt pretty exhausted.  I had no energy at all to invest in what I was going to wear.  As such, I adopted the if it's not broken, don't fix it mentality and relied on this trusty combination to get me through a teaching day. 

My shopping hiatus continues, and maybe it's because I've been so busy, but I haven't missed it at all.   Last week, reading along as you all talked about about the items of clothing you each love so much made me wonder, "Why do I ever wear anything I don't love?" I used to buy a lot of "expendable," inexpensive clothing because I got a thrill out of wearing something new, but blogging has helped me to think of new ways to wear the things I already loved.  Now more than ever, I've started getting that same feeling of satisfaction out of wearing my favorite clothes that I used to only experience when wearing new clothes.  In other words, putting together a great outfit now makes me feel better than putting together a new outfit, and I'm thankful that WWW helped reinforce that attitude for me.

Prompts:

• What are your personal "if it's not broken, don't fix it" items of apparel or types of outfits?
• How can I clean these canvas wedges?  They are looking dingy, but the canvas is pretty stiff, and I haven't figured out how to brighten them up yet.
• How are your semesters going so far?  I know we mostly talk about clothes here, but I'd love to hear what people are up to academically or otherwise.

WWW: Jeans, Belts, and Shifts

Hi, all!  I hope those of you here in the States are enjoying your Labor day weekend.  I'm off for some football and fun today, but I've cued up my first installment of wardrobe workhorses to get our theme week started!

Composition: Dark Wash Jeans
Mine are skinnies from American Eagle.

Drafts:

Usage:
All the makeover shows tout the greatness of dark wash jeans, and this is certainly one place where I agree with them.  My dark jeans serve as a great wardrobe workhorse because I feel like they're more versatile than lighter jeans.  I wear both washes in casual ensembles, but I have an easier time "dressing up" dark jeans.  After buying these skinnies to wear with the boots on the left, I've been surprised at how frequently I've worn them.  Skinny jeans seem particularly versatile because they feel like different pants depending on how you cuff them.  Dark wash jeans have been a staple of my wardrobe for at least 7 or 8 years, but I'm glad I took the plunge to try out skinny jeans this past Spring.  If you're wondering how I've kept them so nice and dark, I don't wash them.  I take them to the dry cleaner with my work trousers, which keeps them from fading out.  (This also means they still turn my hands a little blue after a long day, but this is a price I'm willing to pay for fashion.) : )

Composition: Wide Belts
My brown stretch belt (top row) is from Kohl's, and my black faux-patent belt (bottom row) is from H&M.

Drafts:

Usage:
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of belting.  I haven't counted, but I'd guess that I have about ten decorative belts in my closet, so to some it might seem strange that I reach for these two so frequently.  I haven't done a lot of critical thinking about why a look feels so much more "finished" to me when it's belted, but for whatever reason, the belt usually functions as the final piece that pulls the whole look together in my mind.  Belting has now become a sort of signature of mine, too, and so it gives a sense of consistency to my personal style.  Belts also find their way into my ensembles frequently because they have so many functions-- I've used them to hold a wrap dress firmly closed, create the appearance of a dress out of two separate pieces, and give definition to dresses and tops that otherwise don't fit perfectly.  (Incidentally, it makes me laugh a little at myself that I do not consistently wear my belt going the same direction.  Is one way or the other "right"?)

Composition: Shift Dresses
The three dresses seen below are all the same H&M shift dress, just constructed out of different fabrics.

Drafts:

The versatile black shift dress I shared with you all a few posts back served as one of the inspirations for Wardrobe Workhorse Week, but these three dresses served as my inspiration to buy that shift.  The blue print shift has absolutely been my favorite thing to wear this summer, and in addition to wearing it as shown above, I've also worn it jumper style, with a button-down underneath.  I also found several innovative ways to style my sister's pink and purple versions of the same dress, so when I saw that my German instructor had this very dress in black, I had an epiphany: I needed a black shift.  The way the shift lays close to the body and its simple, lay-flat neckline make it the perfect foundational item to use for layering.  You know you've maximized the utilitarian nature of your dress when someone tells you, "great skirt!" : )

Prompts:

• Can you think of any other ways to wear dark wash jeans, wide belts, or shifts that I haven't documented yet?  Please share!  
• If belting a look is one of my signature moves, what's one of yours?

First Day of School!

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
I styled this dress six different ways last week, and I wore this jacket during black-out week and with a printed skirt.

Composition:
eyeglasses (Kate Spade)
black shift dress (H&M)
red short sleeved jacket (via sister's closet)
Vickie, please note that I've created a tag for this per your request : )
black leather wedges (Lauren by Ralph Lauren)

Usage:
Last week, when I showed you several different ways of wearing this dress, I was kept this look in reserve because I'd decided I wanted to wear it on the first day of teaching.  I knew I wanted a fairly simple outfit for my first day, and I knew it would have to work in the heat, so wearing the only short sleeve jacket in my house was a logical choice.  Once I paired it with this versatile, simple sheath,  I felt polished, professional, and like me, which is exactly the combination I was hoping to achieve.  The jacket requires a belt, but otherwise I tried to keep the styling fairly minimal.

Naturally, it also had to be a glasses day.  I've said before that I feel more comfortable in my glasses in academic situations, but I also think that glasses give off a distinct "academic" vibe, so I made sure to wear them so that even freshmen who are untrained in recognizing instructors would know to take me seriously.  : )

My first day with my class went well, I think.  I had some nervous jitters about returning to the classroom for the first time in two years, and donning an outfit in which I felt confident was one way of helping me soothe my own nerves.  Once I got up in front of the classroom and started talking to the students, I felt right at home again.  I hope the outfit conveyed the "I'm an authority figure" vibe, though, because I was a lot more friendly than I normally am on the first day.  I generally like to abide by the "don't smile until Thanksgiving" approach (okay, I don't wait that long to lighten up, but you get the idea), but today I failed miserably at projecting a stern, serious attitude.  I think I was just too excited to be teaching again to execute an all-business demeanor.  Hopefully that doesn't backfire on me in the upcoming weeks.  And, in case you were wondering, I gave them the option of calling me Liz or Ms. Lastname, and they seemed to respond positively to being given the option.  Thanks again for your suggestions on that topic!

If you're interested in what other instructors and students are wearing for their own first days of school, check out the list of participants Fashionable Academics has compiled for their Back to School Conference.  And if you have something in your closet that you have been utilizing in a lot of different ways, as I've been doing with this sheath dress, please consider participating in our upcoming Wardrobe Workhorse Week!  We'd love to hear what accessories and items of apparel work best in your wardrobe.

Prompts:

• Fellow teachers: Does your style of dress and/or your attitude remain constant for every class, or are you stricter in dress or behavior near the beginning of the semester? 
• How far above the knee do you go when you're going to be in front of a class?  This is borderline too short for me, but since I think the dress is great, I'm going with it.  One inch shorter and I think I'd have a problem on my hands.

Comfort Levels

Drafts:

Composition:
eyeglasses (Kate Spade)
silver toned watch (Fossil)
black safari style rolled sleeve shirt (via sister's closet)
jeans (store at which I no longer shop)
mustard slice wedges (Nine West)

Usage:
This outfit ushered me through a long day of "professional development" on campus, or, as I've been calling it for years, "When teachers act like students."  We arrive late, we sit in the back, we speak to one another in hushed tones, we send texts with our hands under the desks, and we count the minutes until we're dismissed (thus, the watch).  As a new instructor at this institution, I actually found the day quite helpful, but I planned my outfit with comfort in mind.  I've been eying this shirt in Vickie's closet since she wore it shortly before she left for the summer, but I didn't put it on until yesterday because I didn't want to fade it by washing it multiple times.

When I returned home from my day of development, I was thus quite interested to read Anne-Marie and Katie's exchange that elaborated on my earlier celebration of new fabric technologies.  Katie suggested, and Anne-Marie agreed, that one of the unfortunate results of the availability of less expensive (and less restrictive) clothing is that it is often made from lower quality materials.  This nicely facilitates the desire of these discount manufacturers to keep us buying new items all the time.  This is something I certainly had not considered when I originally touted new fabrics as pro-feminist, though this great shirt remained in my sister's closet precisely because I didn't want to ruin it in her absence.

As I posed for these photos, I was also trying to show off how great my curls have been looking for the past few days.  Thanks to a fresh haircut, a confidence boost from you guys, and a new styling product suggested by a friend/reader, I'm more comfortable than ever with my natural hair texture.  This also made me reflect back on an exchange I had with my mom after my no shopping post.  She suggested that, though we younger ladies were celebrating the "comfort" of new clothing technologies, my 96 year old Gramma is so "comfortable" in her girdle that she refuses to consider my mom's suggestion that she stop wearing it.  I responded to suggest that Gramma's "comfort" in a girdle is likely "a reaction to societal pressures put on a woman (especially of Gramma's generation) to fit the norms of beauty or femininity endorsed by that society."  Easy for me to say, right?

What I want to acknowledge, though, is that I'm fully aware that my flatiron has been functioning in much the same way as Gramma's girdle.  It is decidedly not comfortable to spend ten minutes blowing my hair dry and ten minutes or more straightening it with a flat iron, though I have in the past felt more comfortable with my hair after undergoing this process.  Why?  Because I've bought into the suggestion that straight hair looks healthier and is more professional because curly hair is unruly.  And because in the past my natural hair has always looked, um, not neat, and I like everything about me to look neat.  These are the very mental handcuffs from which I was trying to break free when I stopped my daily hair routine several months ago.

I don't know if anyone cares about all of that, but what I really wanted to say was that this has been a great week for me on this blog for these reasons.  When we started posting, Katie, AM and I wanted to open up these conversations we have about clothes, societal expectations, and the like to other like-minded individuals in hopes that it would generate a larger conversation.  The existence of the blog keeps the three of us talking and gives us a space to have these conversations, and the participation of all you who read the blog enriches those conversations and encourages us all to think about ourselves and our habits in new ways.  I enjoy all of the posts the girls write, and all of your comments, but I did want to stop and acknowledge that this week, especially, it feels like conversations are developing naturally out of one another and ending up in really interesting places.  Anne-Marie is encouraging us to think about our closets in new ways.  Katie is encouraging us to feel empowered in clothing that has a different back story than the new narrative of female empowerment she's writing.  And I'm finally getting comfortable with curly hair. 

Though we're good friends, and we encourage each other as best we can, it's really those of you who read and comment who have, I think, pushed us to these points.  Thanks for making the blog feel so worthwhile!

Prompts:

• I don't know quite what to ask you guys today.  I just wanted to say thanks.  : )  And now I'm off to do some reading before I meet my new PhD cohort for lunch.  Yippee!!  (And you better believe I'll be looking fierce!)

Back to School Not Shopping

Drafts:

Composition:
Back to School Purchases:
black shift dress with skinny faux patent belt (H&M)
mustard toned buckled slice wedges (Nine West Outlet)
You've Seen Them (almost) All Befores:
purple cardi (NY&Co)
black faux patent belt (H&M)
punchy beaded necklace (Old Navy)
sand colored swing jacket (H&M)
gray short sleeved turtleneck (via sister's closet)
silver toned ring necklace (JC Penney?)
gray cardi (NY&Co)
clear lucite bead necklace (Kohl's)
faux snake print belt (Kohl's)
white and cream circle print top (H&M)
stone colored belt (NY&Co)

Usage:
I am taking a 30 day hiatus from shopping.  I have not yet found all of the items on my "back to school shopping" list, but I've decided to stop here-- with this black shift and these mustard slice wedges.  After reading Tania's description of how liberated she felt after her 30 days without shopping, I realized that is just the sort of liberation I need.  I don't buy very much, but I engage on thoroughly exhaustive hunts for the items I've decided I need.  When shopstyle shows up as one of the "top sites" in your web browser, you have a problem.  Since my semester starts soon, I think it makes perfect sense to set aside this annoying habit of mine for a while to focus on more important tasks.

To get myself excited about this undertaking, I thought I'd see how many different ways I could style this perfect! simple shift dress.  I only stopped here because I ran out of time, not because I ran out of ideas.  The course I'm teaching this semester meets fewer than 30 times, and I am 100% sure I could style this one dress in a different way for every single session.  And these shoes?! 

Two of the items on my back-to-school list were "colored wedge" and "nude closed-toe shoe," and I actually think this pair ticks both boxes.  I wore them with all of the outfits above mostly for convenience, but the experiment also confirms my suspicion that depending on the ensemble, they can function both as a neutral and as a pop of color.

I'm also pleased that this shift fits right into the conversation Anne-Marie started yesterday about 50s and 60s style trends.  What I'll add to her post is this: I think I feel different in my shift than the real life Joans and Bettys of the past felt in theirs.  Clothing technology has made some remarkable strides in the past 50 years.  I can purchase similar silhouettes, but my options are constructed from breathable, washable fabrics that move with me.  My version of femininity might look similar, but it doesn't require me to wear undergarments that dig into my body, either.  Anne-Marie's own experience with her belt in the heat speaks to how uncomfortable our clothes can make us in certain circumstances, and it gives me sympathy for all the ladies back in the day who had to learn to walk in skirts that minimized their strides.

So while some may say that its anti-feminist to return to styles that were popular when women's bodies were inhibited in these ways, I say to them: I can do a cartwheel in this dress and these shoes.  Thank goodness for stretch fabrics!  Since new technology has allowed the physical liberation of my body in these clothes, I'll argue that I can absolutely wear them without claiming all the old ideological baggage that they carried back in 1962. 

Prompts:

• What's your favorite closet workhorse?  Have you run out of ways to wear it yet?
• Have you ever stopped shopping for a predetermined length of time?  What was your experience with it?
• In your opinion, what's the best innovation in apparel technology from the past 50 years?  Why?

Bra Straps: Your Thoughts?

Draft:

Composition:
tortoise shell new Wayfarers (Ray-Ban via Zappos)
green and white striped tank (via my sister's closet)

Usage:
My apologies for being MIA for the last week and for still starting this week off without a decent outfit post to share!  I spent this past week at the ATP World Tour 500 tennis tournament in Washington, DC, part of the series of men's tournaments that lead up to the US Open in NYC.  As you can see in this photo, I met Patrick McEnroe at the tournament, and he was kind enough to sign my copy of his recent memoir for my grandmother.  She'll love it, and he was very friendly, but this post isn't about that.  I used the photo for this post because my bra straps are showing.  While this tank merges my two favorite trends this summer-- stripes and stealing from my sister's closet-- it also accentuates a summertime dressing hurdle that I just can't get over.  I hate visible bra straps on myself, and I almost always avoid wearing tops with thin or spaghetti straps because I don't have a strapless bra I love.  I thought the racerback bra was working here but this picture reveals to me that it wasn't.

The tennis tournament is fun for me mostly because I love ATP tennis, but to a lesser degree because it is such an unusual dressing environment.  It is super hot at the tournament, and there's very little shade, but it's still a place "to be seen" on the DC social calendar, so people tend to dress up.  None of you will be surprised to find that I observe the sartorial choices of the women in attendance nearly as carefully as I do the tennis matches.  So after my week at the tournament, I can report back with two interesting observations:
1) There are many more fabulous flat sandals on the market this year than last.  In 2009 I saw flip flops almost exclusively, though they came in quite a few styles.  This year, wearing my beloved rose gold t-straps almost every day put me in good company.
2) I may be the last young woman alive who has not embraced the visible bra strap.  I noticed last year that it was evidently "okay" to wear a regular bra with a spaghetti straps, but this year the "trend" was even more ubiquitous.

I don't think my disdain for the visible bra strap is due to modesty, because I'd happily wear a spaghetti strap top with an appropriately fitting strapless bra.  I try not to use words like these, but I think I'm still mentally stuck in considering the visible bra strap to be "trashy" or "tacky."  However, the women at the tennis tournament seemed to deconstruct this notion, because plenty of the ladies who were clearly trying to look "monied" were proudly sporting visible bra straps.  So I'm dying to know where you all stand on this one.

Prompts:

• Do you wear a regular bra with tops/dresses that have thin straps?  If so, do you try to minimize the appearance of the bra by wearing a nude one or one that matches the straps, or do you wear a brightly colored bra that you think is cute?  (I saw a lot of this, too.)  And does the thickness of the strap matter to you?
• What's your reaction to women or their outfits when their bra straps are visible?  I hate it on myself, but it doesn't "bother" me nearly as much on other women (as long as they're not at work), though I don't know why.
• Anyone care to weigh in on why bra straps are becoming more acceptable to the masses at the same time that visible panty lines seem to grow ever more abhorrent in the public opinion?
• Have you discovered the holy grail of strapless bras, and if so, where should I go to find it?

How to Be Mistaken for the Instructor

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
This whole ensemble is new (except for the wedges that may soon fuse to my feet), but this is a pink version of the same blue print dress I've been wearing to death and the purple one I took out of my sister's closet during black-out week.

Composition:
pink satin dress and belt (H&M via sister's closet)
abstract floral/rorschach test print tee (American Eagle)
white canvas wedges (MIA)

Usage:
Two weeks ago, I started a six week intensive intermediate German course in order to get a head start on my PhD degree's foreign language requirement.  I spoke German fairly well after studying it in high school and college, but that was years ago, so I am really enjoying getting back into the language.  I'm taking it with undergrads, so I anticipated that they might mistake me for the instructor.  In an attempt to avoid this confusion, I wore the more "casual" of my work-appropriate ensembles during the first week (like this one and this one) and no one mistook me for the instructor.  Success!!... I thought.

Until the second week.  When I cruised down the hallway Monday morning wearing this more formal ensemble (but with short sleeves), a young student waiting outside the classroom hit me with "Are you the teacher?"  I answered "No," but she still told me she was hoping to add the class after being on the waitlist.  I said "She usually gets here about 10 minutes before class," but I thought "then where were you last week?"

Anyhow, my instructor is the same age as me, and even dresses fairly similarly, so though this young lady had never seen her, the guess wasn't far off.  In fact, when my instructor arrived that day in the black version of this beloved, extremely versatile H&M dress, I laughed to myself and felt jealous that I don't own it in black.  (Perfect LBD material!)  When she complimented me on this bold, experimental (for me, at least) pink and purple ensemble the following day, we commiserated about how difficult it is to dress in this heat.  She also told me she never thought of wearing a top over a dress before, and she is going to try it next week.

I agree with her-- I really like how this $3 clearance tee from AE gave a whole new look to this dress.  I felt like putting the belt that came with the dress over the top of the tee brought the whole thing together and drew attention to the pink flowers? splotches? on the tee.  And, while there was a lot of girl-love for that outfit that day (Katie and another office mate both complimented me on it), one guy who sits behind me in German class said "What do you see in her shirt?  It looks like a horse to me."  Oh, undergrads... how I have missed you! : )

Prompts:

• For those of you who teach, do you feel pressure to dress differently when playing the role of "student" than you do when playing the role of "instructor"?
• Or maybe, how do you dress when you'll be in a group of people who are, in general, noticably older or younger than you?  Do you dress to match or do you just wear your normal attire?
• How else might I style this tee?  It's actually deep purple, not black... and I have an identical one in different, almost neon shades of pink.  I haven't worn them much, though, because I'm having trouble figuring out what they "go" with, and they're banded at the bottom, which makes them difficult to wear with jeans or shorts.

Dinner With the Girls!

Drafts:

Earlier Drafts:
Anne-Marie considers these shorts and these heels her summer staples.
Katie loves this purse for summer outings, and she previously paired these heels with a more subdued outfit.
Liz already professed her love for this striped tank and these rose gold sandals.

Composition:
On Anne-Marie:
pink and green patterned tunic (inherited from either mom or sister?)
linen shorts (Lulu's)
nude suede heels (Seychelles via Piperlime)
brown suitcase purse (gift from sister via Target)

On Katie:
cream "dandy" tank (Ann Taylor)
dark green shorts (JC Penney)
pink heels (Bakers)
green purse (Coach)

On Liz:
navy and white striped tank (Gap)
black pin-striped vest (H&M via sister's closet)
black beads (unknown)
black linen skirt (Forever 21)
stone colored leather bag (Kate Spade Westbury Dani via Ebay)
rose gold sandals (Old Navy)

Composition:
When we recently got together to catch up over dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, we realized it was a great chance to stage a photo shoot!  And after enduring several scrutinizing looks, we have a new respect for those of you who take your photos out in public!

Anne-Marie:
Tunics!  Until dinner with the girls, I had forgotten about tunics!  And how much I love them with shorts in the summer when my tan line is too obnoxious to wear strapless tops!  This outfit is actually the fourth I tried that night.  My closet was conspiring against me and took pleasure in showcasing the outline of my bikini with every other garment.  This light cotton number came to my rescue.  Now, the hefty brown satchel I carried is another matter.  I tote it everywhere and affectionately call it my "Mary Poppins Bag" because it holds everything.  E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.  But its container merits do not negate the fact that it is far too bulky in both color and size for this otherwise easy look.  I m on the look-out for a new, seasonal, hold-everything bag.  Maybe one like Liz s white Kate Spade would fit the bill?

Katie:
As everyone knows, I am a huge fan of frills and dramatic clothes.  I am also a recent shorts convert.  So I decided to pair them together and see how it went.  I like this cream top for the fun flounces on the neckline.  I normally wear it with a skirt or tailored pants, but I wanted to see how it would work with an incongruous bottom.  These slate green shorts provided the contrast I was looking for; it's casual summer fun meets romantic dandy wear.  To highlight the contradiction, I completed the outfit with these bold statement heels.  I like the way the little frills on the shoe match the frills on the shirt, and I thought it was a fun way to punctuate this sartorial venture.  Also, I've been wanting to try shorts and heels, and this particular evening I had the attitude of go big (tall?) or go home.  For a bag, I just went with my beloved bright green purse since I think wearing different shades of the same color can add some sense of unity to an outfit.  Looking at the pictures, though, I'm not completely sold on that decision.  Perhaps I'll try a brown bag like Anne-Marie's or another neutral next time. 


Liz:
Why did I show up to dinner with the girls wearing an outfit that paired navy with black, horizontal stripes with pinstripes, and a menswear-inspired vest with a full short skirt?  Well, where else could I go wearing such an experimental ensemble?  One of my favorite things about participating in the style blog community is how much it has encouraged me to try out styles that are outside my comfort zone, so I thought dinner with my co-bloggers was a good time to experiment.  Another thing I like about going out with these two is that I never have to worry that my outfit will look like "too much" in comparison;  I know they're also going to be wearing clothes that  say "I had fun putting this look together."  Today's post also marks the blog debut of my new Kate Spade bag, which is the summer replacement for the Kate Spade bag I blogged about earlier.  I bought the bag as my MA graduation gift to myself, and since that accomplishment is one I got to share with Anne-Marie and Katie, this post seems like the perfect place to introduce it.  My only regret about my outfit is that these two seem to be sharing some kind of color coordination ESP, and I didn't get the memo.  Look at them-- they're both wearing bright pink, cream, and slate green and they both combined shorts with heels! 

Prompts:

• What do you wear for dinner out with the girls?
• What situations or events encourage you to try more experimental styles?

My Styling "Aesthetic"

Draft:

Earlier Draft:
I discovered this red jacket in my sister's closet during black-out week.

Composition:
eyeglasses (Kate Spade)
black cami (Old Navy)
red short sleeved jacket (sister's closet)
black patent belt (H&M)
red and black rose print skirt (gift from my roommate in undergrad!)
flat t-strap sandals (gift from my godmother)

Usage:
I'm prepared to make a pretty bold declaration concerning this ensemble:  This look represents my style "aesthetic" better than any other look I've posted here on the blog so far.

If you're a Project Runway fan (as I used to be, before the show lost me when it moved to LA and the Lifetime network), you've surely noticed the way they use the term "aesthetic."  Apparently, an aesthetic is a thing, and each designer has a different one.  I've written before about why I believe aesthetics is an egalitarian mode of evaluating the arts, a la Ranciere, but that seems to have little in common with the way the term is used in the design community.  Dictionary.com suggests that "aesthetic," when used as a noun, refers to a philosophical theory or idea of what is aesthetically valid at a given time and place.  I guess that fits with the way it's used on the show, but their use of the term seems even more specialized.  I think they use the term "aesthetic" to signify a hybrid between what we, in composition, would call "voice" and "point of view."  One's design aesthetic seems to relate to one's personal attitude toward fashion, how one demonstrates that attitude in the design of one's clothes, and how one differentiates one's own designs from those of others.

For example, you might hear the following uses of this term on Project Runway:
Nina Garcia: "I don't see any sign of taste in her aesthetic."
Michael Kors: "I think she has kind of a cool trailer trash meets outer space vixen meets Nabokov aesthetic."
Heidi Klum: "I like her aesthetic because it involves showing a lot of skin, and I favor micro-mini hem lengths and plunging necklines whenever possible."  (Okay.  Maybe Heidi isn't quite this self-aware.)

I don't know if stylists are said to have "an aesthetic" in the same way that designers are.  (Maybe Anne-Marie will weigh in here with her expertise as a devoted fan of The Rachel Zoe Project.)  But if I take this term and apply it to myself in order suggest I have a styling aesthetic, this ensemble is the quintessential representation of it.  Though I've never before worn these items together, when I styled this outfit up and looked in the mirror, I thought, "Wow.  If there was ever an outfit that could be described as Liz-ish, this is it."
Tailoring details that create visual interest?  Check.
A bright color paired with black?  Check.
Body conscious but tasteful?  Check.
Items that hold sentimental value?  Check.
Belted?  Check.

I felt great in this look all day.  I've already started giving thought to what I'll wear on my first day of teaching when the new semester begins, and this is the new frontrunner, though I'd likely wear a blank tank with a higher neckline underneath and pair it with my favorite black wedges instead.  I do like how the ensemble looks with these flats, but it might have helped the proportion here if I'd rolled the skirt over a few times so the hem fell just above my knee instead of below it.

Prompts:

• Do you agree with how I've characterized the use of the term "aesthetic" on PR?  Want to share more general thoughts on the show with us?
• Is it wrong to suggest that both designers and stylists develop this kind of an aesthetic?  In my opinion, designers and stylists seem to perform a lot of the same functions when it comes to putting a look together... but then again, I'd be kind of offended if someone suggested that writers and editors do basically the same job, so maybe I'm just ignorant of the differences.
• Do you think you have a style "aesthetic"?  Does it take work to style looks that fit that aesthetic or does it just come together naturally for you?

When Styling Falls Flat

Draft:

Composition:
necklace (gift from husband)
gray eyelet cami (American Eagle)
purple pocketed dress (H&M, from my sister's closet)
stone belt (NY&Co)
white wedges (MIA)

Usage:
I've already shared some of my surprising styling successes here on the blog, so I thought I'd see how you guys respond to a styling look that, for me, completely falls flat.  I found this great dress in my sister's closet, so I thought I'd try pairing it with light-hued accessories to make it feel summery.  I tried to add some visual interest by wearing this eyelet cami underneath instead of a standard plain white one.  I like this cami as a layering piece because I just can't quite bring myself to wear a lace cami to work-- it feels like my undergarments are showing-- but the eyelet detail feels like a nice middle ground.  I swapped out the purple tie belt that came with the dress for my stone colored belt and put on my new favorite wedges.  I guess the outfit isn't terrible, but it's putting me to sleep.  On top of that, I noticed that the skirt portion of the dress was a little snug when I tried it on, but after wearing it all day led to the nice accordion of wrinkles across my lap that you see here, I accepted that this dress will just have to stay in my sister's closet.

I've been trying to think of how I might have styled this differently, and I think what the dress really wanted were some pops of warm-hued colors.  I have been coveting Anne-Marie's orange pumps and coordinating bangles since she debuted them here, and I can imagine that pairing bright accessories like those with this dark dress, rather than relying on light-toned neutrals, would have resulted in a much better look.  It occurs to me also that I might have too much going on here in terms of "visual interest."  With sheen, pleated pockets (4!), buttons, eyelet, and a belt that varies in thickness and texture, it's like the eye doesn't even know where to look.

Prompts:

• How do you style dark-toned garments to make them feel more summery?
• How often do you put together an outfit, wear it all day, and then still decide that it just isn't working?

From Vacation to Vocation

Drafts: 

 
Composition:
antiqued gold finish earrings (Charlotte Russe)
purple cotton jersey dress (Victoria's Secret online)
white button down (Express via sister's closet)
brown stretch belt (Kohl's)
brown wedge sandals (Old Navy)

Usage:
I mentioned earlier that I was having a lot of trouble finding affordable, easy summer dresses, so naturally I found this one after I had given up searching.  I really like the fit of this dress, and it will be perfect for my upcoming beach vacation, my attendance at a summer ATP tennis tournament, and countless outdoor social gatherings.  The cut of the dress is definitely not work appropriate, though, so I wanted to try to re-style it in order to get some use out of it during my work week.

A while back, I put together this look which featured a belt to disguise the line between my button-down and one of my favorite skirts.  I thought I'd try to recreate that look with this dress since its skirt is an office appropriate length.  I found this short-sleeve button down in my sister's closet, so I wore that over the dress, folded up the bottom of the top, and positioned it under the belt.  This belt is about 2" wide, and all but the buckle is stretch material, so it did a nice job of flattening out the fold and disguising it.  I thought I might end up adjusting this all day long, but I was surprised at how well the belt held everything in place.

When I wear this again, I think I'll wear the belt about one inch lower so it's not right under my bust, but I liked the overall look here.  I'm always excited to find new ways to maximize the usefulness of an article of apparel! 

Prompts:

• Do you tend to keep your work wear and your casual attire separate, or do you try to find ways to mix and match them?
• Do you have any other tricks for making a more casual item of apparel more appropriate for the classroom or office?  (Feel free to share links!)

Summer Black-Out Challenge

Drafts:

Composition:
Tuesday:                                                                  
purple satin-ish dress and belt (sister's closet)           
pink button-down (NY&Co)                                     
brown wedges (Old Navy)                                       
Wednesday:                                                                                  
antiqued gold earrings (Charlotte Russe)
green striped and yellow tanks (sister's closet)   
khakis (Old Navy)                                          
antiqued gold bangle (Ann Taylor Outlet)
white wedges (Mia via Sears.com)
 Thursday:                                                                
turquoise beaded necklace (Kohl's)                           
white button-down (NY&Co)                                   
stone belt (NY&Co)                                                  
cropped stone trousers (NY&Co)                              
rose gold flowered sandals (Old Navy)                    
Friday:
red jacket (sister's closet)
white cami (Old Navy)
brown belt (Kohl's)
cropped jeans (Gap)
red flats (gift from my mom)


Usage:
The alternative title for this post should be "Shopping My Sister's Closet."  My sister is storing her "nice" clothes at my house while she works at a summer camp for the next few months, which of course means I'm wearing them!  Best idea ever!  As I mentioned in my last post, I accepted Sal at Already Pretty's black-out challenge!  At first, I thought this would be easy, especially since I had access to so many extra items of clothing.  Over the course of the week, though, I realized I'm much more dependent on black apparel, accessories, and shoes than I had realized.

On Tuesday, I wanted to embrace bright colors to get away from Monday's neutral experiment.  This purple dress has the same cut as this one I love, and I originally tried wearing the button-down underneath the dress, like a jumper.  It didn't look right, though, so I put the button-down over the top and liked how the wide belt created a color blocking look.  In this outfit I felt bright and cheerful, and I noticed that being in a colored skirt gave me a little more pep in my step than my usual black pencil skirt does.

On Wednesday, I thought I'd try this almost-breton-stripe tank top I discovered in my sister's drawer.  (I love this look, which Anne-Marie styles here, but I haven't been able to find a breton tank top I like.)  I was feeling a little adventurous for my shopping excursion, I didn't have to go to work, and I was excited about my new white wedges, so I thought I'd try this cuffed khaki look I have liked on other women.  Verdict?  I still like this look on other women.  On me, I think it looks stupid.  Plus, I couldn't help feeling like the early 90s childhood version of myself who lived in pegged-legged jeans.  I had intended to use the yellow tank underneath to give the outfit a little more color, and the gold accessories to make it look more polished, but I still think the outfit looks too blah.  (If I cut out the jeans from Friday's look, and place them over the khakis paper-doll style, I think I'd have a MUCH better outfit!)

On Thursday, I thought about how one of my cold weather fall-backs is a combination of black and gray with a pop of color.  I decided that the summer alternative to this ensemble would be a combination of light khaki/stone items and white, and I added my turquoise necklace to serve as the pop of color.  I'm not sure that worked (it's mostly obscured by my hair), but I still liked this opposite take on my winter neutrals.  I felt refreshed and crisp in this ensemble.  Katie and I also agreed that the belt brought out the safari-like look of the button down, which has two chest pockets.  I can definitely see myself trying out different iterations of this color(less) scheme this summer.

On Friday, I was beside myself!  I couldn't think of anything to wear that wasn't black!  I wondered why I had ever accepted this challenge!  I wanted to get back in bed!  So I went back to my sister's closet and discovered this great red jacket/top.  It has some fantastic structural details that I'm not sure this picture really captures.  I know how I would have styled this any other time: with a black belt and black cami.  (I love red and black together.)  I was surprised how much more "summery" this outfit felt when I put on a white cami and brown belt instead.  I'm afraid the shoes might be taking me into matchy-matchy territory, but since they don't match the belt, I still felt safe in coordinated but not over-coordinated territory.

Thanks for this challenge, Sally!  It helped me realize that part of my problem with styling "summer appropriate" looks is that black is my default neutral.  Staying away from black helped me realize that I can use the clothes I already have to put together looks that feel right for warmer weather, whereas before I would have said that I have very few clothes that I like to wear during the summer.  I thought I would run out of steam when it came to avoiding black, but the looks from Thursday and Friday are actually my favorites, which suggests I was learning to think about my clothes even more creatively as the week went on.

Prompts:

• Has writing or reading "style" blogs helped you to identify blind spots in your styling tendencies?  Which ones?
• Have you ever tried "trendy" styling techniques like the cuffed khakis?  Can you execute them or do you fail miserably, like I did?
• Did anyone notice that I'm not wearing any prints? (Unless you count stripes, which I don't.) What's up with that?  Looks like I might have my next styling challenge.