How do you determine what you will wear that day?
LHdM: A number of factors determine how I'm dressing on any given day. I tend to dress more conservatively during the first couple of weeks of a semester, when I'm still setting the tone in my classrooms. I tend to up the professional factor when I have a department meeting (unless it's at 8am on Friday when I can expect half of my department will be in jeans and sweatshirts) or a meeting with an administrator. My mood, the weather, and the fact that I don't like to repeat items from the day before too often also play roles in my sartorial choices. Case in point, yesterday I wore a blazer when I probably usually would have worn a cardigan.
(Shirt - Zoe D. (remixed), Blazer - George (thrifted months ago and only wearing now for the first time), Skirt - Anthro (remixed), Boots - John Fluevog Bondgirl (remixed)
SFE: 3 factors influence this decision: For whom will I be performing (self, students, faculty, committee, visiting scholar)? Weather (will it start out 40 and drop to 0)? Mode of transport (bike, bus, train, car)? After that it's whatever I feel like because if I don't like what I've chosen for the day I will go batty! And if I regret the ensemble I wore for teaching I'm ridiculously self conscious and off my game. This is why I developed the mantra, "when in doubt listen to the advice of the Devil wearing Anthro," because most of the dresses and skirts I own from Anthro are forgiving, flattering, and fun to wear. I might be bored with it, but I won't be uncomfortable.
The Devil's in the Details: SFE copycats LHdM's palette from MondayDress - Moth/Anthro - (ebayed & remixed)
long-sleeve tee - LOFT cardi - Banana Republic (remixed)
leggings - LOFT (remixed)
scarf - H & M (remixed)
wellies- Capelli via Marshalls (remixed)
Owl Necklace - Etsy/gifted
Do you plan outfits out in advance for a whole week, month, weekend?
LHdM: With rare exceptions, I almost never plan outfits in advance. Occasionally, I'll try to figure out an outfit the night before (see 8am dept. meetings above), and I'll plan outfits when I'm traveling or for job interviews, conferences, and other professional activities of that nature. However, even when I do plan my outfits, I often end up wearing something else, as I did for my dissertation defense.
SFE: Rarely--it really has to be AN EVENT. Even when traveling I really don't plan outfits, rather I pack things so I have choices. I do find it important to plan outfits for higher stakes situations, such as giving public presentations or defending my doctoral exams. In fact, I waited until after I took my exams to take a Friday to get my hair cut, go to Anthro, and have lunch with myself. I planned my outfit around the purple sweatercoat I purchased and paired it with the Most Versatile Dress I've Ever Owned. Sometimes, thinking about self-fashioning takes the pressure off. Oddly, weddings work that way, too.
Do you have any specific way of tracking outfits and items already worn so you don't repeat?
LHdM: Aside from the blog, no not really.
SFE: Same here. Sometimes SME will say, "You're wearing black, again?"
How do you discover new combinations of items in your closet? (Trial try-ons? Hanging items together?)
LHdM: I draw tons of inspiration from magazines, tv, and other bloggers. I'll see things on blogs or in magazines that I love and then I'll try to think if there's a way to put an LHdM spin on them with what I have in my own closet. I do occasionally try hanging items together, and every now and then I'll try on a bunch of different outfits -- usually for a special occasion or to procrastinate from some heinous task, such as grading lots of papers for a survey class.
SFE: Usually by trial and error. If I buy a new piece, especially a skirt or a cardi, I'll come home and see how it coordinates with everything else in my closet. Outfits can also be built around tights, scarves, and earrings. I also tend to draw inspiration from the same places as LHdM (blogs, paintings, BBC miniseries, and Vogue). But because of my height and shape I tend to copycat texture combination and palette rather than specific pieces. For example, if I wear a fitted blazer with skinny jeans tucked into riding boots (paired with one of my colorful scarves) I will look like a flamboyant jockey who stopped training, but if I see such an outfit on, say, Academichic I might think, "Huh. Teal on the top really brings together neutrals + black."
Trying out a new accessory: The Owl Necklace was a gift from a member of SFE's cohort to mark the occasion of the entire cohort advancing to candidacy. It was decided, over a pint, that SFE is the owl in the middle--the little one.To streamline the process for 2011 what is one new thing you can do to cut down your dressing time?
LHdM: Holy shit, if I would just put laundry away in a timely manner my dressing habits would be revolutionized! I often do a load of laundry and then let it sit in the basket for a week. Then I will want to wear something, but realize it's crumpled up in the basket and have to figure out something else. I don't roll with the ironing.
SFE: SME and I need to put shit away (part of cutting down on anxiety, too). There are at least 3 times a week when I cannot find black tights, black slip, or black camisole because it's lost in a basket or drawer of black lycra.
So we're curious: how did you determine what you're wearing today? And what are your plans for this weekend?
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