April Fools' Day FBFF

This week's questions are about blogger etiquette and the rules of engagement.  For more Friend Friday fun, pop over to Modly Chic.

1. Guest posts are a good way to gain new exposure. What do you think is the appropriate way to go about securing a guest spot?
Well, typically our guest posts have been in response to a request for a particular kind of post or have been the result of swapping posts with someone.  I would say that for the most part you shouldn't try to solicit a guest post from a blogger on the blog of someone who you don't have much of a relationship or connection with.  It just seems like poor form to ask to write a guest post for a blog that you don't regularly read or comment on.

2. Leaving comments is essential to growing your blog. But how can you leave a comment without coming across as ‘Follow Me. Follow Me!’?
Well, I comment on a lot of blogs over the course of a given week.  Some blogs I visit daily because I have developed a strong connection with their authors over the course of the past year or so.  Some I visit once or twice a week.  I actually read the content of the post, and I usually try to respond to the questions asked in the post or to say something more than "cute shoes." I know people have different opinions about this, but I usually don't provide a link to my blog because I feel like some might interpret it as pushy, and I don't ever say in my comments "follow me" or "love your blog, follow me back."

3. We’ve all gotten a mass email at one time or another asking for blog exposure, a link exchange, etc… But the mass emails don’t work. How do you make your email stand out from the crowd?
I don't send mass emails as a general rule.

4. In interacting with other bloggers where do you draw the line between seeking support and begging for exposure?
Hmmm.  I occasionally ask other bloggers to participate in events (CFPs etc) we are having here at Fashionable Academics.  I comment on blogs and will sometimes name drop, but, while I love that we have readers and people who comment regularly, I try to keep in mind that this is a hobby for me.  Ultimately, this blog doesn't need "exposure."  I'm not in this for fame or sponsorship or the ability to quit my job and earn a living by blogging.

5. What’s one rule of engagement error you made and how have you remedied that?
During my first couple of months of blogging, I think I probably wasn't as tactful as I could have been in some of my comments and in the way I approached other bloggers.  As with everything, there is a learning curve.

Happy April Fools' Day!  Hopefully none of your pranks go awry.  My back is still playing tricks on me, so I've been rocking a heating pad as an accessory all week.  Hopefully, things will be completely back to normal soon.

FBFF: Beauty Products, A Roundtable

First things first.  We'd like to announce that the winner of our Shabby Apple Giveaway was Anne!

Congratulations, Anne!  We'll be in touch shortly.  Thanks to everyone who entered and who reads our blog!

Now without further ado, we're on to this week's FBFF Questions.  For more information about FBFF, head over to Modly Chic.


1.  What's your favorite drugstore makeup product and your favorite higher end product?

AUH: High End: MAC Plushlash. Drugstore: Revlon Quad in Wil Orchids

LHdM: My favorite drugstore product is Mabeline Mineral Power Blush.  I don't really do high end make up.  I guess the highest you could say I go is I wear Aveda and Body Shop lipsticks.  Aveda's are my favorite.

SFE: Boots No7 (at Target in the U.S.) powder and black eyeliner. Over the past few years I've stopped using a lot of drugstore makeup because I find it difficult to work with or find colors I like and that was wasting money.  I think I throw out 2/3 of every lipstick/gloss I buy at CVS.  For a couple more dollars I can buy Clinique and use it until it runs out.  It's actually worked out to be cheaper. And my favorite higher-end product is Stila eyeshadow, especialy the combination of Kitten and Holly Golightly.  I use it at least 3 times a week, but it looks awesome for low-light, bar-light or theatre-going as well.

2. Is there one type of product that is your go-to, can’t live without?

AUH: Eyeshadow. I can look pale with pinched lips and not care as long as I've got some paint on my lids.

LHdM: Moisturizer with an SPF.  I use of Oil of Olay.  Honestly, I don't always wear make up, especially in the hot and humid months of summer, but I always wear my moisturizer.

SFE: Blush (I use Origins). If I'm running late and I only have time for one thing, I will go with blush because it makes the most difference for me. If you can add lipstick/gloss while in the car, on the train/bus even better.

3. What’s the best hair product you’ve ever used?

AUH: Aveda Be Curly shampoo and conditioner. Sausage curls ftw.

LHdM: Aveda anything really.  I use the Be Curly when my hair is longer.  Right now I use their Color Conserve shampoo and conditioner, and Confixor, Smooth Infusion, and Volumizing Tonic.

SFE: Bumble and Bumble Brillantine. So worth it.

4. Fess up, what’s the worst beauty look you’ve tried to rock and look back at now with a little shame or apprehension that you actually did that? 


AUH: Blue eyeshadow and red lips. I was 12 but looked 16 or 17, so it's even more embarrassing to see in photos.

LHdM: I used to go to the tanning bed a couple times a week and was pretty tan.  It's less the look that I feel apprehensive about than the fact that I might have given myself skin cancer.  I've been trying to embrace paler skin the past few years.

SFE: Bangs.  I have a really uneven hairline and it just doesn't work. Also, I regret the smoky eyeshadow I wore for my engagement photos--even though it probably looks the best on me the photos were taken during the day in natural light, not at night.

5. When it comes to beauty products, we all use the same basic products. What do you use that helps show off your personal flare and personality?  

AUH: Er....my mother's love? I have been blending purple and teal eyeshadow recently for a Mardis Gras look, if that counts.

LHdM: I'm pretty minimalist in my beauty routine, so I don't have a good answer to this question.  I love to wear lipstick, though, and I go through cycles when I paint my nails a lot.  And even though I don't wear much make up, I do notice that I'm still wearing more than many of my female colleagues.  Some of whom have told me they were socialized not to wear make up during grad school.

SFE:  Stila eyeshadow.  It's a little sparkly, which shows off my sparkling personality.

So what about you?  Do you use many beauty products?  What are some of your favorites?  Do you feel pressured to not wear make up?

Friend Friday 1/21: Authenticity and Fashionable Academics

We decided to have a little bit of fun with this week's FBFF questions. Please forgive our snark, but "authenticity" is a very loaded term for academics, especially those of us in the Humanities. We hope you won't be offended that some of our answers are a bit tongue-in-cheek. And if you're not a fan of snark, perhaps you will be a fan of SFE's sparkly skirt. As always, thanks to Katy of Modly Chic for providing this awesome platform for bloggers to come together, and to the FBFF group for being such a wonderful community.


Most readers and fellow fashion bloggers value authenticity in the blogs they read. How would you describe blog/blogger authenticity?

AUH: I think it has to do with finding your own voice. When I first started blogging I thought I needed to sound authoritative somehow and felt a little uncomfortable talking about style. It's an ongoing process, but I'm feeling much more confident now about not turning on a "blog self" vs. a real self. Although I still chop my head off when I'm making a goofy face in pictures.


SFE: Authenticity, like authority, is a word that is loaded with a variety of values and it is established through meeting audience/reader/spectator expectations. Is Jessica Quirk an authentic blogger because she has always had an interest in fashion, seems really enthusiastic about it, and invests in it? Or, are we more authentic because our blog has a DIY look, you know a "blogspot.com" URL and no DSLR camera photos? That said, I don't really think "authenticity" comes into play with the blogs I read. My daily reads also include Broadsheet (recently defunct) and Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish. Of all the things I've questioned about those blogs authenticity has not been one of them.


LHdM: Ummm, SFE, my photos are shot with a DSLR.... :P I often ponder this issue of authenticity because I blog under a moniker instead of my real name. However, I feel like my real voice comes through even as I have crafted a sort of separate public persona "La Historiadora de Moda" for the purposes of semi-anonymity. I definitely curse less on this blog than I do in real life. I also eat far more cheese than you would ever know from just reading this blog.


When it comes to your blog how to you infuse it with that true/authentic feeling?

AUH: I don't overthink my writing and post some less than flattering pictures.


SFE: To be honest, I really hope I don't "infuse it with that true/authentic feeling." To do so, would mean I would publish the unattractive outfit photos that none of you want to see anyway.

SFE wears a new sweater 2 ways, here's #1
sweater - GAP
Twinkle dress - Girls from Savoy/Anthro (remixed)
tights - Simply Vera/Kohls (gifted)
earings - Corcoran Gallery, DC (remixed/gifted)
scarf - self made
shoes - faryl robin (remixed)

LHdM: I try to keep it real. I blog about how my sartorial choices intersect with my career and other aspects of my life. I don't try to offer didactic advice. And when something pisses me off, I post about it. Like AUH, I don't spend a lot of time overthinking most of my posts. That's what my research is for....

Have you stopped following a blog in the last three months? What made you lose interest?

AUH: N/A


SFE: I lose interest when the blogger doesn't post that often. I also tend not to read Andrew Sullivan when he's on vacation and a guest blogger takes over. There, that's authenticity: I'm interested in Sullivan as curator of information and not someone else.

#2: More authentic?
Sweater - Gap
Skirt - Gap
Scarf - London Street Vendor (remixed)
Green earrings - Anthro (remixed)
Leggings - Fylo (MIL-ed/remixed)
Wellies - Capelli via Marshalls (remixed)

LHdM: Like SFE, I tend to lose interest in blog that go weeks or months without posting new content. I also have to admit that I lose interest in blogs whose authors don't return comments. I know this is something people disagree on, but I'm a southerner and I have expectations about hospitality and reciprocity. So when I visit SFE sometime soon, I fully expect her to let me borrow that awesome GAP skirt she's wearing.


We can't communicate effectively on our blogs, something we don't live in real life... what are some ways you try to live an authentic life?

AUH: I've gotten better over the years about saying no to things I'd rather not do and I'm finally keeping a journal again, an honest one, so that I have a better understanding of what my priorities are. One of the things I love about being in my late twenties is that I either feel less pressure to "be" a certain way and/or feel more confident about not spending as much time around people who make me feel uncomfortable.


SFE: I obsess about being original and not being a poser. Therefore, when AUH or LHdM express interest in a skirt I already own from Anthro I throw flaming bags of poo on their front porches to teach them not to cramp my authenticity. I suppose snark is authentic.


LHdM: Please excuse me for a minute, I have to go deal with a flaming bag of dog shit on my porch.... Then I need to peer pressure AUH for a while.


Give a shout-out... Which bloggers do you think are truly genuine and why?

AUH: Many! I feel as though I could have fantastic conversations with many of the bloggers we follow--they all share parts of their days and have amazing senses of humor and style.


SFE: Stay-at-home-mom blogs.



LHdM: I'm going to go with those awesome headless bitches over at IPF. They keep it real. Seriously, though, I feel like it's hard to narrow this down because who am I to judge whether or not someone is authentic on her blog. I will instead avoid answering this question, and say that there are some style bloggers who I think are authentically amazingly nice and kind. Due to space, I will only list a few: Clare of Between Laundry Days, Tania of What Would a Nerd Wear, Terri of Rags Against the Machine, Jentine of My Edit, and Vahni of Grit and Glamour.


Happy Friday, everyone!

Friend Friday 1/14: Polyvalent Perspectives

Both SFE and I (LHdM) are participating in Modly Chic's Friend Friday today.  To see a full list of participants and learn more about Friend Friday pop over to Katy's fabulous blog.


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 Monday
Dress - 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?

Friend Friday: New Year's Resolutions and an Outfit

It's Friday and I'm participating in Modly Chic's Friend Friday forum.  To learn more, pop over to Katy's fantastic blog.  I was hoping this would be a collaborative post, but since most of my co-bloggers are visiting family and friends, Shakespeare's Feminine Ending is allegedly building an igloo, and Megarita is nesting in preparation for the birth of Sprout, it's just me.

1. What's the one thing you vow to learn or do in 2011 to improve your
blog?
At some point this year, I vow to get a tripod and remote and to start experimenting with taking my own photographs.  M. is a great photographer and his skills have improved so much, but mine seem to have stagnated.  I'm also hoping that in 2011 I will post a bit less here and my co-bloggers will post a bit more.    

2. What did you learn about blogging in 2010 that you plan to put into
practice next year?
I learned that a cleaner layout makes for a better blog for us.  I also learned how to use twitter (sort of).  I'd like to get more of the FA team to join twitter, even if it's mainly so I can converse with them in 140 character messages all day long.  I also learned that CFPs are a lot of work for us, but the posts are so much fun to read when they are finally put together.  I'm sure we'll be announcing our next CFP sometime soon....

3. Do you have any high-level goals for your blog in the coming year?
Monetization? More comments? More connections with other bloggers? A
new template?
We would love to make more connections with Etsy vendors for giveaways, product reviews, and sponsorships.  So far we've only had mixed luck with this.  I love making connections with other bloggers, and I'm sure I'll continue to do so through commenting, tweets, and emails.  

4. If you could collaborate with one other blogger within your sphere
of influence in 2011, who would you like to collaborate with, and what
would you like to collaborate on?
Crap!  One!?!?  There is no way I could pick only one blogger I'd like to collaborate with.  I love to collaborate!  This blog is collaborative.  I'd love to do something fun with the awesome ladies of IPF (D-Med, we are running a half at some point in 2011!!), Be Fabulous Daily, and The Cohabitating Closet.  I'd also really love to swap posts or work with Courtney of Sartorial Sidelines.  I'm sure AUH and SFE would love to collaborate with Anthroholic. The list could go on and on but you'd be reading this post into the new year.  

5. What do you plan to do to support other bloggers next year?
I'll keep doing what I've done.  Comment whenever possible.  Take part in challenges as I can.  Respond to emails, FB posts, and tweets.  


I wore this outfit the other day to work from home on a publication project and some class prep for the new term.  I was hoping to get out for a couple of hours and meet a friend for coffee that afternoon, but by the time she called I had just really settled in to a work groove.  Since deadlines are fast approaching, I took a raincheck and my silk pants and I stayed in for an afternoon of checking a transcription of a sixteenth-century document.

 Shirt - Mandee (via Winners), Silk Pants - Club Monaco (on incredible sale and purchased during my expedition with Kristin), Shoes - Nine West (remixed), Lace Choker - H&M (gift from mother-in-law)

I'd love to know what you'd like to see on Fashionable Academics in the New Year!  Please leave us a suggestion in the comments!

In the meantime, I wish you a healthy, prosperous, and very happy New Year!

25/30 & Friend Friday: Blogger Burnout

For those not interested in my take on this week's Friend Friday topic, you can scroll down for my outfit.

The questions for this week's Friend Friday post particularly interested me because I occasionally feel a bit of blogger burnout and a couple of times have even considered stepping away from Fashionable Academics.  So far I have always decided not to do so, but I must admit that I'm planning on taking a winter vacation from Style Nation this year.

1. How many hours a week do you spend blogging? Has that number changed since you started blogging?
To be honest, the time I spend blogging varies greatly from week to week.  It depends on whether or not I have other deadlines, lots of papers to grade, and what's going on on the blog.  Since I have co-bloggers, I don't feel compelled to write posts every day by any stretch of the imagination, but doing challenges like Kendi's 30x30 or compiling links and pictures for CFP's can greatly increase the amount of time I spend blogging.  The first couple of months FA existed I only posted a couple of times a week and I only commented on a few other blogs.  In general, the amount of time has definitely increased so that I probably average about 8-10 hours a week spent taking photos, writing posts, and commenting on the blogs of others.

2. There is always more you can do, write, read comment on... how do you limit your time spent on these tasks?
I'm sure for everyone it's different, but the biggest way I've found to limit the time that I spend reading and commenting is to comment mostly only on the blogs of those who comment on our blog.  When I check out a new blog, I leave a comment, if the comment gets returned, I go back and if/when I rapport develops, I add the blog to my reader and comment regularly.  I know that not everyone has time or inclination to return comments on a daily basis, but since the dialogue and community aspect is so important to me I prefer to read the posts of bloggers who make an effort to return comments at least once or twice a week.  I know some bloggers don't comment or almost never do other than on a select few blogs, and while I certainly think that's within their rights as bloggers, it makes me a lot less likely to spend much time in their corner of Style Nation.  I do still read a few of those kinds of blogs, but I tend to skim them more quickly or only visit them once every couple of weeks.  I'm sure there is a lot of great content that I'm missing out on because this method isn't perfect, but it keeps the amount of time I spend blogging to a reasonable level.

3. Have you experienced Blogger burnout yet? How have you dealt with that?
I have experienced some burnout.  The biggest issue for me is that sometimes I feel frustrated that even though our readership has grown a lot over the past few months, we don't seem to be getting many more comments on posts.  In fact, I'd say the number of comments has stayed the same or even decreased since January to March of last year.  I try not to let this bother me, but sometimes it does.  And when I start to obsess about the number of comments we get on posts that's what seems to trigger feelings of burnout more than any other aspect of blogging does.

4. This time of year is always a lot busier than any other time.  Will your blogging change as a result?
As I mentioned above, I plan on taking some time off this year.  I will be taking a 3-4 day break from blogging next week as I frantically grade final papers and exams.  I won't be posting, and I probably won't be reading or commenting on other blogs for that period.  I also intend to take about a week off later in the month.  I will be spending the holidays with family and getting some work done on some academic projects that I don't have much time to devote to during the semester because of my teaching load.

5. Could you foresee a moment in which you are not blogging anymore?  How would you identify that it's time to walk away?
Yes.  I can imagine a future in which I would stop blogging at FA.  I hate to say it but with the academic job market being what it is, there is a possibility that I might not end up permanently in academia.  I hate to think about that because I love what I do.  It can be demoralizing, but I cannot make the percentage of tenure track jobs in my field increase.  While obviously style outside of the professartorial interests me, I'm not sure if I would continue to be a style blogger without the particular context that I've been writing in for the past year and a half.  I would also consider walking away from blogging if it no longer gave me a creative outlet and if it no longer felt like a hobby.

Now on to outfit #25.  For my next to last day of teaching this term, I wanted an extra layer of warmth so I wore a dress as a blouse underneath a skirt.  With the addition of tights, a slip, and my favorite new cardi, I managed to stay warm when I had to dodge between buildings and while in my slightly drafty office for office hours.

 30x30 Items: 5. Patterned Red Dress - Nine West + 11. Black A-Line Skirt - Sandro + Sub 2. Melon Ruffle Cardi - New York & Co. + 26. Bondgirls - John Fluevog

Accessories: Tights - Top Shop (remixed), Boleyn Necklace - Wendy Brandes (remixed)

 What's your take on blogger burnout?  What are your plans for the weekend?  Are you grading final exams yet?  Grad students, are you writing seminar papers right now?