28/30 & 29/30 Monochrome and Monotone

These two outfits weren't my most inspired of the 30x30 challenge by far.  I wore #28 for an 8am department meeting and to write a final exam on Friday.  By noon I had fled the office in an attempt to beat the worst of the snowstorm home.

30x30 Items: 9. Purple Corduroys - Mango + 19. Grey Top - Zara + 24. Purple Cardi - August Silk + Sub 3. Duck Boots - Ugg

30x30 Items: 7. Dark Wash Bootcut Jeans - Express + 13. Ecru blouse - BCBG + Sub 2. Melon Cardi - New York & Co. + 29. Red Mary Janes - John Fluevog

Accessories: Earring turned necklace (self-made), Beer - Left Hand Brewing Co.

Outfit 29 was for a day of reading, football watching, and hanging out with Bailey.  She doesn't mind when my outfits are uninspired, but she gets a little freaked when I yell at the TV during Sooner football games.

I'm sorry for the brief and rather boring post.  I'm trying to get through a bunch of final papers before lunch with some colleagues today.  Do you root for any college football teams?  Do you feel any affiliation to the athletics of the university you attended as an undergraduate?  What about where you went to grad school?  Where you work?

Observation

1. Dress - Moth/Anthro (remixed)
Scarf - H&M
Trench - LOFT (remixed)
Maryjanes - New York & Co. (remixed)
Tights - LOFT (remixed)

Yesterday my mentor observed me teaching. We had planned this in advance, but both of us forgot about it until she e-mailed me 20 minutes before class started. If I had remembered I probably would have written out an obsessively-detailed lesson plan and chosen a different outfit.  When I have been observed in the past, I have tended to go overboard on lesson-planning and try on a series of outfits before settling on something more black-and-gray and structured.

Had I remembered the observation I would have probably worn some combination of black and gray. I would have tried on this outfit and pronounced that the shape of the red dress + the gray tights and maryjanes was too Alice to be professorial.

2. Peacock Earrings - Accessorize (remixed)

Why did I equate observation with necessitating an outfit that sets a serious and professional tone for the first day of the term? My mentor has seen me in enough settings to know that I do not hold to a bland color palette and that my style is quirkier. She, herself, doesn't eschew color. And, to be honest, I think our students expect their arts and humanities instructors to display some quirky sartorial choices. For Pete's sake, academia offers a privilege of sartorial flexibility and self-expression that is not possible with a lot of other types of employment!

3. Teatime in Office

In addition to these reflections on being observed, I also observed something else: I am more productive and more confident in my various academic roles (instructor, historiographer, critic, witty bullshitter) when I dress like I have a job that is not attending yoga classes.

4. Sweater - Gap (remixed)
Tank - Banana Republic
Pants - Talbots (remixed) *these look great IRL, not so much in photos*
Earrings - the Corcoran Gallery, DC (remixed)
Bag - Joy Susan
Scarf - Boutique in Chicago

I agree with Sara of Orchids in Buttonholes who said, "Getting ready for my day as if I were going to an office has made a huge impact on my morale and my productivity and my sense of self." Even when I'm alone in my office grading or lesson planning I feel more confident in my ability to make decisions as a teacher and a researcher when I've outfitted myself as someone who is charged with a task.
I write this because I wanted to get away with wearing yoga pants and a sweater today. The devil on my shoulder told me that my best pair of black yoga pants look better on me than the black Talbots trousers do. The more attractive devil on my other shoulder, however, reminded me that yoga pants were NOT appropriate for holding office hours or attending a small reading group with faculty and grad students. The morale of the story: Take the advice of the devil wearing Anthropologie.

Sweater Weather: Non-Teaching and Teaching

1. Sweater - Moth/Anthro (Ebayed)

Pants - Talbots
Shoes - J-41
Scarf - World Market (remixed)

Last week on a non-teaching day I wore the above outfit to campus. I had back-to-back meetings and then a few hours in my office. The weather had just turned colder and I was able to maintain both comfort and warmth in dress pants, a sweater, and campus-friendly shoes. The next day, when I taught and had a reading group meeting, I wore this:

2. Sweater - Moth/Anthro (Ebayed)
Skirt - Ann Taylor (Ebayed)
Shoes - Ferryl Robin (remixed)
Tights - Ann Taylor LOFT
Cloche - Ann Taylor LOFT

I ditched the cloche before I left the house, but I did enjoy the shape of the hat with the vintage feel of the outfit--and I had fun posing with it.


But then I ditched the hat in favor of a less-exciting prop:

Sometimes I wear gold with this sweater, but I like pairing green earrings with green shoes--it bookends the top and the bottom of me with. I love green and I do wear it well, but my eyes are multiple shades of green (from blue/gray near the pupil to brown/hazel on the outer-part of the iris) and they look best when I accessorize with flecks of green instead of wearing larger blocks of it.

3. Earrings - A Now Defunct Boutique in Kansas City

Two questions:

1. I've used multiple books, an umbrella, a hat, my hood, and a coffee cup as props to obscure part of my face--do you have any other suggestions for SFE's props?
2. Those earrings from the "Now Defunct Boutique in Kansas City" were purchased a decade ago for Prom--no shit. They are the oldest accessory I purchased for myself that I still wear with regularity. What is yours?
   

Campus Wear: Teaching v. Non-Teaching Days

I think I tend to dress like a nanny (see below) or a crunchy mom on the days that I go to campus but do not teach.

1. Nanny Wear
Top - Ann Taylor Loft
Cami - Banana Republic
Skinny Cargoes - Ann Taylor Loft
Helmet - Target?

This is what I wore last Wednesday when I rode my bike to campus to do work in the library, attend a 1-hr reading group, and then go to the gym. When I ride my bike it is a bumpy 8-mile round trip ride and requires me to wear a backpack. And when I dress like this I tend not to wear makeup or really do my hair:

2. Scarf - Tie Rack (defuct)
Earrings - Jessica Simpson (ugh: I really want to lie and say I got them at Filene's, but I loved how they imitate the rose windows of stained glass so much that I paid full price at Macy's)
Hair - Brushed and still drying

On the day I wore this outfit I did run into a student whose friend thought I was an undergrad.  Then I attended a reading group, where I may have irritated an emeritus professor when, discussing modes of taste in philosophy and literature at the time, I recalled my reaction to reading Alexander Pope as an undergrad (why the hell can't this just be in prose?). This is the draw back to looking young and dressing non-professional.  But I didn't feel like jamming my backpack full of a professional-looking outfit just to wear for 5 hours before I go to the gym. I'm fine with changing on days that I teach, but on library days I'd rather just bring a single outfit (plus gym clothes).

Compare to today, where I tried on multiple outfits and finally settled on The Most Versatile Dress I've Ever Owned:

3. Dress - Anthro/Corey Lynn Calter
Cardi - Anthro/Sparrow (gifted - thanks Mom!)
Scarf - H & M
Legs - Bare (all hose had run!)

This shot was horrible, but I uploaded photos to my computer this morning and left without the camera. Here's a shot of the dress alone:
I've worn this dress to a wedding (LHdM's), a rehearsal dinner, my exam defense, a conference, and countless times to teach in. It dresses up or down and is one of the most season-less, flattering fits ever. I love pairing it with red, gold, maroon, purple, green, and teal. Today I went with black and maroon.

4. Earrings - Anthro
Hair - Done

It doesn't take a lot for me to look put-together, but a little effort really does make a difference. And although what I wear does not actually reflect how much knowledge I have on a subject or how much time I spent lesson planning, I would be a fool not to acknowledge that there is a general perception that correlates scholastic readiness with sartorial readiness.

5. Shoes - Indigo by Clarks
Wine Rack - Not full :(

Accessorize-ing

I am still scrambling like all hell to tweak my syllabus into something perfect, but at least the book order is in.

1. Sweater - Express via Marshalls

Linen pants - Fresh Produce via Marshalls
Sandals - Bear Traps via DSW
Sunglasses - H & M (remixed)

I have a departmental meeting today and, lately, I've been running into colleagues, faculty, and even former students.* For that reason, I will now be banning yoga clothes for day time wear. I went with something simple and bike-able. It also strikes me as boring: beige and black, seriously? Which is why accessories are key:

2. Peacock Earrings - Accessorize
Scarf - London street vendor, a bijillion years ago

You must be thinking that Shakespeare's Feminine Ending was lucky enough to get a fabulous grant to go do research in England this past summer, or that she had a romantic continental vacation and went crazy at the Accessorize at Heathrow while catching her flight back to North America. Something more amazing happened.

For those of you who find that you need to spend time in Washington, D.C. for various reasons you may be interested to know that D.C.'s Union Station now has an Accessorize--in fact, Union Station has the ONLY Accessorize in the States. Last month I was changing trains there and took a walk through to get a cream puff at the Vaccaro's in the basement and almost went apeshit when I discovered it was no longer there (of course, the flagship Vaccaro's in Baltmiore's Little Italy and other locations still remain). However, when I returned up to the main floor I saw the sign: Accessorize. Impossible! I quickly forgot the fact that I was cream puff-less.

3. Bag - Accessorize

So, I picked up some accessories and went on my merry little way. And I love this bag--I can carry two or three books, a moleskin, a legal pad, wallet, iPod, etc. and it's perfect for my size. I also find the single strap works easier than two. And here's a final close up of the Peacock earrings, which remind me of the Arabian dance in the Nutcracker ballet:

*Question: When a former student doesn't *see* you when walking past you, but is staring off into space somewhere off to the left of him/her, is that because s/he doesn't want to see you or because s/he legitimately just stares off into space away from oncoming passersby? See, I've dealt with direct avoidance before: I was at the gym last year when a former student walked into the stretching room, saw me doing sit-ups, dropped his/her mouth open, turned on his/her heel and quickly exited. And I think s/he exited the gym. Any students/instructors out there have similar stories?

Bicycle, Bicycle!

After much contemplation, I have decided to indefinitely postpone buying the awesome cruiser that I'm so tempted by.  There are several reasons for this: there is nothing wrong with my current bike, I haven't been biking all that frequently over the past couple of years so until I'm biking several days a week every week it's not a purchase I feel I can justify, I'm moving in a few weeks and I don't want to have to deal with moving one more largish item, and finally, after buying this bicycle dress, which I wore yesterday, I'm broke.¹

1. Dress - Anthropologie

Belt - from another dress (remixed)

Sandals - Steve Madden (remixed)

Necklace - Boutique in Santiago de Compostela (remixed)

Sunnies - Oscar de la Renta (thrifted and remixed)

Bag - Target (remixed)

Bike - Schwinn (remixed)

I couldn't afford a new bike.  However, I could afford a basket for my bici.  I've been wanting one for years, but just never got around to it.  I might never have either, if I hadn't been participating in this round of LGRAB's Summer Games.  Here I am admiring my handiwork.

By the by, I was also wearing a pair of pettipants under my dress so that I didn't flash random joggers on the bike path or former students on campus. 

I also wore this outfit to a little dinner party last night that my adviser hosted for me to celebrate my successful defense.  I think this dress is going to quickly become one of my summer favorites -- as well it should so that I can get the cost per wear down to a reasonable number.

I'm going to a Pride Party tonight and then I'm heading out of town for a few days to house hunt and get oriented in my new town.  What's on your agenda for the weekend?  Do you have any bike rides planned?  Any fun social outings?

Wishlisting

I spent the weekend revising my intro and conclusion and wanting to throw my laptop across the room when I tried to format the whole thing according to the grad school's fucked up rules.  I tell you, the Table of Contents almost broke me.

At any rate, between that and getting sick on Saturday, there hasn't been much style going on over here on my end.  So I decided to show you what's on my wishlist.  I am thinking of rewarding myself when I have the PhD with this:

Wouldn't it be fun for bike rides to the library to pick up books for recreational reading and for riding around campus and town in a cute skirt and flats? 

Dusting off the Wheels and Social Cycling

I had been meaning to dig my bike out of the basement (its winter home and this year its fall, winter, and most of spring home) a couple of weeks ago.  My husband and I had even planned to go on a bike date last week, but then the weather turned rainy and his family came into town, so my bike stayed in the basement until the other day, when I finally decided there was no time like the present to air up my tires and bike into campus to run some errands, drop off some library books, and meet with one of my committee members.

I also took the opportunity to participate in Let's Go Ride a Bike's Summer Games.  While on campus, I left a note on a cute cruiser with a basket.   I hope that the bike owner thought that it was cool rather than creepy.  Maybe the fact that I wrote the note on the back of a neat flamenco postcard, which I had been using as a bookmark, helped to push it into the cool category.

It's only about 2.5 miles from my house to my campus office at R1 school, but since it was a very hot day and I hadn't been on my bike in almost a year (for shame, for shame), I decided to dress pretty casually and to wear flats.¹  I used to have a bit of a reputation for biking around campus in heels, but that was a few years ago when I lived much closer to campus and rode every day.  Maybe I can earn that reputation on my new campus next year.....

 1. Shirt - H&M

Capris - NY&Co. (remixed)

Flats - Steve Madden (remixed)

Sunnies - Esprit (thrifted and remixed)

Backpack - ??? (I've had it for years)

Bike - Schwinn

The outfit photo is from after my return ride, and I was a bit sweaty and dusty.  If I had been smarter, I would have hosed my bike off a couple of hours before heading into campus, as my bike was embarrassingly dusty from it's basement exile.  Oh, well.  Now it's been washed off and is clean and just waiting for a date ride with M. sometime in the next week or so.

When's the last time you rode your bike?  Do you tend to dress differently if you're cycling or walking into campus/work than if you're driving/taking public transit?

Rainy Days are Here Again

For me, slightly chilly rainy days on campus mean a couple of things.  One is that I just have to accept that on those days I will have Big Texas Hair, and there's nothing that I can do to prevent that.¹  

 

1. Big Texas Hair - Humidity

Dress - BCBG (remixed)

Tank - H&M

Boots - Kenneth Cole Reaction (remixed)

Necklace - Gift (remixed)

Earrings - Target (remixed)

The other is that I require one of my trench coats because I can't be bothered to get my umbrella out to walk between buildings on campus unless it is really pouring.²  It's not that I am lazy so much as the very act of taking out my umbrella seems to exponentially increase the chances that I will break it or lose it.

2. Trench - Michael Kors (Filene's Basement and Birthday Loot)

So that's exactly what I had to do today....  I rocked the big hair at breakfast with a couple of friends and colleagues, one of whom was visiting from out of town, and then my hair, my trench, and I commuted to SLAC for lunch with other colleagues, a meeting with a student, and to teach my class.

Rainy days can be tricky for dressing and styling hair that is prone to frizz.  I find they can be tricky for teaching, too.  My students' energy definitely tends to lag on grey, drizzly afternoons, and I have to admit that mine is not at its highest on days like today either.

How do you deal with low energy days in the classroom?  In general?

Blackboard Blues

Even though I almost never use the blackboard in my classroom (every so often I use it to make a stick figure illustration to drive a point home) and did not use it last night, I left my classroom with chalk dust all over me.  Why you ask?  I think it's a metaphysical law of wearing black pants.¹  Seriously, I don't remember ever getting anywhere near the freaking chalk, yet somehow when I walked out the door after teaching my evening class, it was on my pants, my Fluevogs, and my coat.  Sadly, this is not the first time this has happened to me, and I somehow doubt it will be the last.

1. Shirt - H&M (remixed)

Sweater - Shae (Filene's Basement and remixed)

Capris - New York & Company

Boots - Fluevog (remixed)

Tights - Target

If you are a regular reader, you know that I don't wear pants all that often, but two months into the shopping ban, I'm starting to get a bit bored with the things that I normally wear -- also known as dresses and skirts.  With the walks still pretty snowy and slick, I decided yesterday that I would dig out these capris.  No need to worry about getting wet pant cuffs with cropped pants, and paired with tights they are just as warm as pants or a skirt.  I completely forgot about the chalk curse, though.....   At least it didn't get on my derriere. 

Do any of you teacher and professor types share this chalk issue?  Do you have any item of clothing that seems to attract mud, coffee, red wine, grape juice or pen ink whenever you wear it?

Don't forget to mark your agendas!  We are having a Giveaway tomorrow!

Snow Day Reds

I have been wanting to wear my NISI jacket¹ again for a while and I had planned to wear it on National Wear Red Day, but I ended up staying in the house all that day because of a snow storm.  Then I considered wearing it on Valentine's Day to the opera, but I also really wanted to wear my pearl cameo choker and the two pieces just didn't quite work together.  So I waited one more day and wore my red jacket yesterday.  I paired it with my red dress and cognac boots (not pictured), and went out to meet my snowy fate.

1. Dress - Nine West (remixed)

Jacket - NISI (remixed)

Tights - HUE (remixed)

Shoes - John Fluevog (remixed)

After two snow storms last week, it started snowing heavily again yesterday morning here.  Fortunately, I don't have to drive on Mondays because there were several accidents on the highways, including one on the interstate which involved more than a dozen vehicles.  Instead I merely almost fell several times on the icy and snowy walks and ended up with frozen hair in spite of wearing a winter hat.  I went into campus several hours earlier than usual as I was supposed to meet with a colleague and his former student who is interested in going to graduate school in my field of specialization.  However, the student didn't show up to our coffee meeting, so my friend and I had a cup of coffee, chatted, and did some work.  After watching numerous cars slide on the road from the coffee shop window as I graded papers, I ended up taking the executive decision to cancel my evening class. I figured even if I didn't cancel, at least half of the class would have been absent.

When I made it home I switched shoes and let my hair defrost.  I wasn't willing to go back outside for photos, though, and I think I've got more of a "the ice on my hair is melting" grimace than a smile on my face.  At least my grimace had nothing to do with my outfit.

Since we got about 10 inches yesterday and last night and it is still coming down, I canceled my class today.  Both counties that I drive through are in a Level 2 Snow Emergency, and as much as I like my students, I'd rather be safe than sorry.  So I'll be using my snow day to work from home on my dissertation and some grading.

Are you having a snow day where you are?  What do you like to wear on snow days or days when you are working from home?

Grin and Bear It?

Some days you just know that you're going to be cold no matter what you wear, so you might as well wear something that makes you happy.  Thanks to the snow stomping capabilities of my Fluevog Bondgirls¹ and my secret hidden extra pair of socks, I know that I'll be able to trudge through campus the day after a snow storm and still do it in style. 

1. Dress - ModCloth (remixed)

Tights - We Love Colors (remixed)

Boots - Fluevog (remixed)

Cardi - Target (remixed)

Belt - remixed

Ring - Salamanca, Spain (remixed)
Secret hidden socks - Target

I'm a wimpy fashion blogger when it comes to the cold weather.  At one point in our very brief photo shoot yesterday, I essentially started laughing hysterically because of the chilling wind. 

Admittedly, this outfit isn't what I would opt for on those absolute coldest of days or on a day in the middle of February when I'd have to spend much time outside.  When it's really cold but I have to trudge around campus to teach my classes, I'll wear an extra pair of tights or when it's really icy and snowy, I'll go for a more utilitarian look on the bottom half of my body (thermals, trousers, or dark jeans, snowboots) and my more typical layered look of a blouse and cardi on top.  The truth is a good winter coat, good boots, a snug hat, and lots of light layers will keep you as warm as you're going to get when nature turns against humankind.  (Yeah, I know, I'm being melodramatic, but this is the time of year that I start to think winter has a personal vendetta against me.)  I figure on those days, my students will realize that the weather is playing a large factor in my sartorial choices.

So what do you wear when it's really cold and the walks are covered with ice and snow?  And for those of you who teach, how do you balance dressing to maneuvre sheets of ice and drifts of snow and dressing professionally so that you don't look like one of your students?

Whimsical Snow Stomp

Today I had to run some errands, meet some students during my office hours, and give a lecture in one of my classes.  Since I have about a half mile walk each way to the bus stop and nobody in this town shovels their walks, I have to resign myself to wearing snow stomping boots for the worst of the Midwestern winter.  It can break up the boot monotony to pair a pair of bad-ass boots by mixing patterns and by wearing something a little more whimsical . . . for example, polka dot tights and a dress with a fun pattern.¹

1. Dress - Nine West (Filene's Basement and remixed)

Cardi - Target (remixed)

Tights - Topshop

Boots - John Fluevog (remixed)

Belt - from another dress (remixed)

Necklace - made by me (remixed)

Ring - shop in Salamanca (remixed)

I was so excited to finally wear these awesome tights!  M. ordered them from Top Shop for me over the holidays, and they didn't arrive until right before I left for my conference. I would have liked to pair them with a shoe that would show them off more, but that will have to wait until Spring Thaw.

Bailey realized she hadn't said hi to you, dear readers, in a while, so she wanted to make an appearance today.

Of course, she can be very fickle.  After begging to come on the photo shoot, she decided that she didn't want to look directly at the camera.  I think she's still a little miffed about having to be boarded while we were out in California....

On my bus ride home from campus tonight I saw the most amazingly dressed man.  (His briefcase and reading material led me to think he might have even been an academic.)  He had on an amazing grey coat and  orange scarf and black pants tucked into some awesome rubber boots.  I think after five winters in the Midwest, I'm starting to realize that it is indeed possible to be stylish and stomp in the snow.

So, how do you style your snow stomping boots?  And am I the only one who is already sick of winter?

'bundle, v., part two

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about my love of the OED and an attempt to layer a wrap sweater dress.  The first time I layered it over another dress.  This time I layered the wrap dress¹ over a shirt and under a long sweater and belted it.

 1. Wrap dress - Target (remixed)

Sweater - Kikit Studios (Filene's Basement and remixed)

Tights - Target (remixed)

Hat - Bijou Brigitte (Madrid)

Boots - John Fluevog (remixed)

Necklace - Etsy (remixed)

The layers underneath my black wool coat² kept me warm while I was running errands and grocery shopping. 

2. Coat - Via Spiga (Filene's Basement)

Now, my layers are keeping me toasty as I do a little blogging, a little present wrapping, and a little revising.  And I'm glad to be snug and warm because my feet got chilled to the bone during my sloggy, rainy, snowy run this morning!

So I think this layering attempt was much more successful than my last one (it's definitely warmer than last time).  What do you think?  I hope you're staying warm and snug!  Is everyone finished with their holiday shopping?  Are you on holiday yet?  Are you traveling somewhere for the holidays?

'bundle, v.

Perhaps you love the Oxford English Dictionary like I do.  If you do, you might already know the many meanings of the word bundle, but then again you might not.  According to the OED, the word has several definitions:

1. trans. To tie in, or make up into, a bundle. 

b. To ‘fagot’ bar iron for the purpose of welding it together.

c. To wrap in warm, heavy, or cumbersome clothing, etc. Usu. in pass. and with up.

2. fig. To collect, to gather into a mass. (Usually with up or together.) Obs.

 3. intr. To pack up one's effects in preparation for a journey; hence, to go with all one's luggage or incumbrances. Of a number of persons: To go precipitately and in disorder, ‘all in a bundle’ (cf. 4): chiefly with in, off, out; also used with sing. subj. and in extended use.


4. trans. To put or send (persons or things) away, in, off, out, etc., hurriedly and unceremoniously. Cf. ‘pack off’, ‘send packing’.

5. intr. To sleep in one's clothes on the same bed or couch with (as was formerly customary with persons of opposite sexes, in Wales and New England).

I have taught a time or two about the Puritan practice of bundling.  I've bundled up all my possession to move numerous times.  I've tied things up in a bundle here and there.  I might have sent a person off unceremoniously a couple of times (although I didn't know until now that I had bundled them - ha!)  I've never welded anything, but perhaps I can make up for that by bundling up in warm and heavy (although hopefully not too cumbersome) clothing until Spring.

Yesterday I woke up to the first snowflakes of the season falling down here.  Snow is pretty to look at, but less glamorous for commuting and trudging around two campuses.  I wanted to stay warm and snug, but I also wanted to wear my new wrap dress from Target.  So I decided to layer dress on top of dress and over the knee socks on top of thick sweater tights.¹  With my snow boots, a winter coat, and the scarf that my friend made me, I was all set to brave the elements.  I have to say though I was glad that the snow didn't stick.  I was also glad that my outfit made me feel snug and warm throughout the day, although I'm not sure that it was as stylish as my first effort at layering dresses.

1. Wrap dress - Target

Purple dress - Target

Sweater tights - a tight boutique in Madrid

OTKs - Target

Boots - Rocket Dog (gift from my fiance)

Necklace - Etsy (gift from my fiance)

I feel like wrap dresses are hard for me to wear because of the way my body is shaped.  How do you style wrap dresses?  How would you style this dress in the future?  Also, am I the only person in the world who finds rings annoying to wear with gloves?

Guest Lecture: Winter Stylings From a Former West-Coaster

I'm thrilled to introduce today's Guest Lecturer (Blogger) the lovely author of What Would a Nerd Wear.  She is a bike-riding bookworm trying to make better (and more creative) use of a sometimes-vanilla closet. The blogger is a West Coast-born nerd trying to stay stylish in a doctoral program in the Midwest.  And today she is giving us some of her fantastic tips on how to dress like a grown-up in the cold when you are from ever-casual California.

I grew up and went to college on the west coast, where my uniform for about twenty years was jersey dresses with leggings (plus a sweater in the "winter", minus the leggings in the summer). Needless to say, moving to the midwest and starting graduate school was a shock to the system, especially a system accustomed to perpetual 65-degrees-and-sunshine weather. It was not just winter that threw me for a loop, but the whole business of dressing like an adult, one expected to teach other college students, meet with renowned professors, and not show too much leg to colleagues. I had a few faux pas early on (a too-short skirt for teaching, trying to go out in the winter without mittens, and a near-fatal snowstorm in which I was wearing Birkenstock sandals...whoops!). Along the way, I've picked up a few tips to look like an adult and not freeze to death while you're in grad school in the midwest:

1. For the love of God, get a good coat.

A good coat is the central piece of a stylish winter wardrobe. Colleagues see your outerwear first and most often in the winter, because you're almost always wearing it. It almost doesn't matter what old sorority or band tee shirt you have under your sweater under your coat because no one will see it when it's below freezing. A good coat also keeps you warm in the inhospitable temperatures of middle America. By the spring of my first year in grad school, I'd managed to snag a thinsulate-lined, camel-colored, wool cashmere coat for under $100.  How did I do it? I waited until April, when all the coats you coveted in December are a quarter of their original price.



2. Learn to layer.

Keep wearing your jersey dresses, well into the winter. Just layer them with tights, boots, and sweaters. You can even wear jersey dresses over jeans in the winter--I like to layer shorter dresses as vests over long-sleeved thermal tees and jeans. I love layering dresses over button-ups or turtlenecks for teaching.

I also think a few light layers keeps one warmer than big bulky layers. I layering a long tank and a turtleneck under a button-up; or a tank, a flannel shirt, and a cashmere sweater; or two thermals under a zip-up with the hood out over a bulky sweater (I can't get over loving a bright hood peeking out from a sweater or coat).

Speaking of layers: wintersilks (or any other thin silk long underwear) have saved me from frostbite many a cold morning and they don't add any bulk under trousers or sweaters.

3. Get your hands on some beautiful scarves.

A few brightly-colored or patterned scarves spruce up even the plainest outfit (I personally find a white tee and jeans an unbeatable combo), make your winter coat feel fresh, keep you warm in the snow, and are eminently stylish. I have picked up about two dozen scarves over the years, many of them cheaply--on the streets in Europe when I was nineteen; as gifts or hand-me-downs from friends; from Target or Old Navy or H&M on the cheap; and if you really want to splurge, the triple-layered, heavenly-soft pashminas from the pashmina store online.

4. Learn to love tights.

As a California girl, I just can't give up my dresses, so I wear tights through the winter. Sometimes I layer two pairs together, but I find that thicker tights--most stores sell sweater-knit tights or wool tights--with good boots hiding an extra pair of socks will keep you toasty and chic-looking all winter long. Bright colored tights and bright colored scarves together will liven up an outfit, keep you warm, and keep you looking professional and put together (as the Fashionable Academics know well)!

The biggest piece of advice I have is to keep the "essence" of your style, no matter what climate or profession you find yourself in. If you're moving to warmer climates, invest in lighter versions of the pieces you already love (cotton for wool; spandex tights for ribbed ones; flats for flat boots). If you're moving to colder climates, keep wearing your jersey dresses and bright colors--you'll stand out in a sea of winter black and navy. If you feel like yourself, you feel confident, and (to regurgitate an oft-repeated but oh-so-wise cliche) confidence is truly at the heart of any stylish ensemble.

Thanks so much to What a Nerd Would Wear for guest lecturing today!  If you haven't already done so, you should pay her fantastic blog a visit.  We would also love to hear from you, so add your tips for winterizing your wardrobe!  Have you moved to a different region for college, grad school, or a job?  How did you translate your personal style?