SFE's Feminist Style Iconography: Tori Amos, Anne Shirley, and American Girl

I missed out on Feminist Style Icon day, organized by the fabulous Franca of Oranges and Apples, on account of getting that stupid essay out to a journal yesterday as well as the fact that I was wracking my brains trying to figure out who my Feminist Style Icons are.  Franca and LHdM had great ones.  And it was especially hard to think of which feminists influenced me in terms of style as opposed to challenging how I think, act, and interact. This was so difficult for me that I could only think of works of fiction, which I will get to in a minute. But, really, the biggest and most overwhelming influence on me since the age of 12 has been Tori Amos. Perhaps it's cliche, but it's true.

 I remember the exact moment I first heard Tori Amos--I was in the living room of family friends in Ohio and a 10-second clip of her playing "Caught a Lite Sneeze" on the harpsichord came on the TV to advertise for her MTV Unplugged appearance.  It was the Spring of 1996. There was something about the combination of her voice, the orchestration of her music, and that baroque instrument. Boys for Pele is her most difficult album for most listeners, but is and always will be my favorite. Without getting too analytical, it is everything that feminist revisionist art should be.  Not mention that her feminism didn't stop with her music, but also founded RAINN.

 

Both her music and her style combine elements from different periods and they purposefully play with iconography.  Even in her deconstruction there is a playfulness to it. And whenever I lecture on Mary Stuart, I always show this photo, which might be my favorite:

But prior to my sudden enrapture by a single song, my feminist style icons as a girl were Anne of Green Gables and the American Girl characters.  Maybe the young women in these books never actually articulated a feminist stance, but they fought for what they believed in and they didn't reject thinking about social and political conflict.  And I loved Anne's self-fashioning.  She was feisty, intelligent, a competitive student, and an eventual educator, but she still insisted on puffed sleeves and organza should the occasion call for it.

And while I did NOT have a desire to get married or have children when I was a girl or a teenager (again, these were not positive associations for me), I knew if I did, I must find a Gilbert Blythe--a partner whose love for me is rooted in friendship and comedy as much as it is in eros.

Like Katie, I am a military brat and the American Girl books were big on the bases when I was young.  Although I am conflicted about the brand now, I loved and will always love those books.  I credit the narratives of historical fiction through the gaze of single young woman combined with the "Looking Back," section at the end of the books for encouraging my academic interest in history as well as my political commitments. As a girl, I was deeply affected by the "Looking Back" section of Samantha Learns A Lesson, which discussed child labor practices during and after the industrial revolution.  For some of us, the books that force us to attend to issues of capitalism, labor, and social justice are the works of Dickens; for me I needed to see Samantha's boots, jackets, and sailor suit along with them. 

 

SFE channels her childhood and styles it up for a Volunteer Appreciation party

dress - Anthro/Girls from Savoy (remixed)

cardi - GAP (remixed)

gold glass earrings - Anthro (remixed)

floret necklace - gifted/MIL (remixed)

navy tights - LOFT (remixed)

gold shoes - Steve Madden

And I knew the moment I first saw it that I loved the cut and print of the Twinkle Twinkle dress because of Molly McIntire's Miss Victory costume from Changes for Molly. It was the vintage '40s cut plus the stars that had me at hello. What do you think?

Or, am I the only one who sees it? What about you?  Any feminist style icons from fiction?

The Importance of a Good Cobbler

Dress - Anthro (remixed)
Sweater - Mossimo/Target (friended--Thanks B!)
Tights - LOFT (remixed)
Boots - LOFT (remixed)
Scarf - London Street Vendor (remixed)
Earrings - ? (gifted/remixed)

Today I'm Think Tanking with two of my colleagues and then meeting SME to see a play, so I chose the Twinkle Twinkle dress in order to kill two birds with one stone: focus on work like a superhero and be dressed for our date. I'm also trying to rediscover pieces I haven't worn in awhile, pare down those I won't wear again, and remix those I do regularly wear. (For that reason and the impending February weather, which will guarantee at least 6 days in which the only appropriate clothing is fleece-lined yoga pants and big snow boots, I am taking a pass on Kendi's Winter Edition of 30 x 30).

I've paired the Twinkle Twinkle dress with a black cardigan here, a gray one here, and a lighter gray one here (and on our banner). Last week, I forwent the black and gray palette and paired it with navy blue and more green. Today, I returned to a green, black, and blue palette, but I played with length: adding a longer sweater and black boots. [The Twinkle dress is also available in polka-dot form, although I'm much more partial to the stars]. You may have noticed that these boots have been missing since early December. That was because I broke the heal, but didn't bother to bring them to a cobbler until after the new year. But I find that finding a good cobbler is like finding a good mechanic--it takes awhile!

I'm late to the importance of bringing shoes to the cobbler and clothes to the drycleaner in a regular and timely fashion (hence, the adolescent rodent coat), but I'm getting better at it because I realize that $15 or $30 here and there can really save a lot of time and money in the long run.

Aside from the cobbler, are there other craftsmen/women any of you make a point to see to maintain and care for your wardrobe and accessories?

Coat Conundrum!

I spend my winters in the Midwest and the upper East Coast. This requires me to don one of those puffy coats. Two years ago I bought my first one and made the biggest mistake: I bought a white one. I was inspired by a friend of mine who had a beautiful white one and looked so classy even though the coat sorta resembled a marshmallow. Only there's one major difference between her lifestyle and mine: She drives to work and I take public transit of all sorts in a place where winter is dirty. I also have to wear a backpack. Long story short, the white down coat that I bought two years ago now looks like it was made from the hide of a rodent going through an awkward adolescent phase:

1. Down Coat - Eddie Bauer

It started getting really cold here a week ago and I was lucky to be able to borrow a friend's Land's End coat. In fact, I really loved the option to just use a few buttons instead of zipping the whole thing up:

2. Down Coat - (in black) Land's End
Outfit - From last week

And so, after I tried on a number of different coats last weekend, I settled on the same one only in Spice Brown instead of Black--a shade that should hide dirty snow better than white.

Although Eddie Bauer coats weigh less and use slighter better material, Lands End coats fit better on me. Fit is always even if it the item in question is intended to resemble a sleeping bag.

3. Down Coat (Spice Brown) - Land's End
Dress - Girls from Savoy/Anthro (remixed)
Cardi - ATL
Scarf - London Street Vendor (remixed)
Tights - Vera Wang for Kohls
Boots - Capelli via Marshalls (remixed)

But now, I have a problem: What do I do with the Adolescent Rodent Coat? I took bleach to it and it's lightened up a bit. But it's still too dirty looking for a women's shelter to take and distribute. As far as function, it's still a great coat. I'm going to a football game next weekend in a cold place and there will be extensive morning tailgating outside. I've thought about using fabric paint to make it into a team-appropriate coat. Or will that just look like a gaudy adolescent rodent?

For those of you who know my Twinkle Dress Policy, I wasn't celebrating any great mile stone. (I've actually saved up 3 and can wear the dress 2 times!), but wore it for the last week of regular classes. My students are exhausted, but they're still bringing their A-game and so I thought I should bring mine.

Lastly, for those who celebrate, have a blessed Advent (began on Sunday) and a Happy Chanukah (begins tonight)!

Query: Is it still called Indian Summer?

Yesterday it was already warm in the morning and I knew it would get up in the high-70s (25.5 C), so I pulled out a favorite Spring/Summer dress. I was going to wear a professional looking black skirt + silk blouse combo, but I decided to take advantage of the last day of warmth. I definitely enjoy dressing for Fall/Winter more than Spring/Summer, but I've really enjoyed this outfit, especially because I thought I had already worn it for the last time three weeks ago--when the temperature dropped to the level that required the landlord to turn on the heat.

1. Dress - Ann Taylor Loft
Cardi - Tiny/Anthro
Cami - Banana Republic
Sandals - Bare Traps via DSW (remixed)

I've decided to forgo jeans in the classroom, so this is likely to be the most casual outfit I will don the entire term. And now that it is mid-term and my students know me and my expectations, I felt it was fine.  Because of my proportions--especially the height factor--I find that drapey, asymmetrical cardigans look best on me over dresses and skirts. Compare the above to pairing it with pants below:

2. Cardi - Tiny/Anthro
T-shirt - Banana Republic
Cropped Cargos - Ann Taylor Loft (remixed)

To be fair, that was the most unflattering photo I took of this outfit, but sometimes those are the most telling. Pairing this sort of cardigan with cropped pants on a shorter body is not necessarily terrible, but it is much more flattering with a monochromatic dress.

To return to the cardi + dress comb, it creates a really great neckline:

3. Earrings - ? (gifted)
Miraculous Medal - National Shrine, DC

Also, I have good news to share:

4. Dress - Girls From Savoy/Anthro (remixed)
Cardi - Banana Republic

Last Wednesday I confined myself to a library computer until 9:30 p.m. in order to finish a paper that had to be sent out and circulated. It was a goal and I met it, and per the revised policy, I got to wear the Twinkle Twinkle Dress on Thursday to celebrate.

Revising Policies

Last month I discussed how I have adopted LHdM's carrot (not-the-stick) approach to meeting professional goals: I vowed not to wear the Twinkle Twinkle Dress until I completed Chapter One. I broke that vow Thursday night, but I also realized that that particular policy was completely unrealistic.

1. Dress - Anthro
Cardi - Ann Taylor Loft
Rain Boots - Capelli via Marshalls
*The dress is a size 8; Jess, if you're interested in it, you might need to size down to a 6*

The occasion of wearing the dress was my husband's birthday, but before we went to dinner I did some major work in the library. In a way, it was my academic Wonder Woman dress (sadly, my WW pose came out horribly blurry). Instead of barring myself from wearing it I will instead wear it on the occasion of hitting major goals--including completing Chapter One. I also realized that Chapter One is just going to have to wait for a few weeks and that I have legitimate reasons for holding off: getting my Fall term course off to a good start, a separate teaching project, and a lengthy and important paper due for a professional organization. All of these things have to be done before I can get back to Chapter One. I think my new policy makes more sense.

Back to my outfit: It was rainy and cooler, so I donned new rain boots and stuffed my favorite brown mary janes into my bag. In the end, I wore the boots to the restaurant because I liked how they looked with the dress. Here's a closer shot of the boots:

I feel more comfortable with the slight wedge on these boots. They won't do in the snow, but I have an embarrassingly awesome pair of bright orange Land's End boots for that sort of weather.

Also, when I took these pictures both Shakespeare's Masculine Ending and a friend of mine were present and they laughed the entire time. Even though they know about my blogging, they thought that I looked insane while posing. After watching me pose multiple times for the timed camera, SME demanded that I let him take the shot of my boots so we could change and have cake and champagne.* I know a fair amount of us use a timer and a tripod for our photos--how do your partners, friends, and roommates react to your posing?

*Ann Underfunded Humanity: We saved the Rosa Regale you gave me for passing my exams until we had a proper pairing. On SME's birthday we finally popped it open alongside a flour-less chocolate cake. It was lovely!

Post-Modern Aristotle 101: Virtue Through Habitation (and Desire)

I am not going to show any pictures of what I am wearing today. I don't think it creates a vision of professionalism: blue Gap body t-shirt, Champion black cropped yoga pants, brown Old Navy flip-flops, and reading glasses. But if you are a researcher, it is likely that you understand this uniform as a professional one; today is a serious work day. I'm not teaching today, meeting with colleagues, or leaving my apartment until I go to yoga at 5:30.

And I am working, specifically, so that I can wear the dress pictured below.

LHdM's carrot-not-the-stick approach to reaching personal and professional goals has inspired me. I bought that dress from Anthropologie using my birthday coupon (15% off). I cannot wear this dress until I complete Chapter One of The Dissertation.

I have been ABD since the Winter, wrote 9 pages in February, have a MA thesis on the subject, and a database full of new notes. Part of my lack of progress is due to teaching during Spring. I taught my own course as the sole instructor for the first time and found myself in a constant, arrested state of tharn. And then summer came with the summer projects and travel. And now I am scrambling to finish another first-time-syllabus.  After this week, however, the majority of the new syllabus should finished and I will be back on the dissertation wagon and if I start feeling sorry for myself I can remember that the versatile Star Dress is waiting for me.

Don't think it's quite versatile? Au contraire! As a Humanities instructor I believe it is important for students to acquire skills (discourse/rhetorical analysis, methodology/historiography, critical thinking, argumentation, attention to use of evidence, etc.) that are applicable to a wide variety of situations. I also like the clothing I acquire to have versatile applicability--and the constraints of my budget demand that they do.  I think, after the beginning of the academic term that I can wear it in the classroom with a brown cardigan and maryjanes and to a fall wedding with flashy earrings and taller heels.

This dress was expensive, even with the 15% discount, but I reconciled it because of my visions of versatility. Do you find yourself doing the same?