Pajama Dress

I have to tell you that this dress, which I wore on Monday for a day of writing at home and on campus, is probably the most comfortable thing that I own.¹  I'd say that it's even more comfortable than yoga pants or pjs.

1. Dress - Target (remixed)

Shoes - Steve Madden (remixed)

Necklace - Boutique in Berkeley (gift and remixed)

Earrings - Target (remixed)

Purse - Express (gift and remixed)

Sunglasses - Oscar de la Renta (thrifted)

Right now comfort is an absolute necessity.  I tell you the final stages of dissertating have not been good for my back, my waistline, or my ability to fall asleep.  If it weren't for Bailey, I'm not sure I'd ever get outside on the days that I'm not teaching, but at least she gives me an excuse to go to the park.

I know I've this worn dress and these shoes together here on the blog before, but right now most of my mental energy is being devoted to the beast (my dissertation, not Bailey).  I added different earrings and a necklace, so that should count for something, right?

Well, I'm off to teach my last class at the small liberal arts college where I've been a visiting faculty member this year, and it's definitely bittersweet for me.  On the one hand, I'm relieved that the semester is drawing to a close because I desperately need more hours to devote to massively overhauling one of my chapters into two.  On the other hand, I'm also very sad to be leaving an institution that I've fallen in love with over this past academic year.  

What about you?  For those of you who are professors, teachers, or students are you taking or marking final exams yet?

And have you weighed in on whether or not there is a distinction between fashionable and stylish and if this distinction might be gendered?  Since I tend to use these two words interchangeably and tend to focus on their meanings as verbs rather than nouns, I don't really view them as distinct as Herr Doktor and many others do.  What do you think?

“Stylish” Butch or “Fashionable” Femme?

A few weeks ago I went out with friends and colleagues to a nice wine bar to celebrate La Historiadora de Moda’s new job. One of my friends complimented my outfit, a button-up-sweater-vest-tie combo, and then inquired whether my husband, thechemist-coture, had “dressed me.” This wasn’t the first time I’d gotten this question, and, as it turned out, the answer was yes. As the conversation evolved we tried to pin down just what it was that made my style different than my husband’s, and thus made clear whenever he picked out my outfit. The friend who had originally started the conversation with her compliment suggested that, while I was stylish, my husband was fashionable (a proposition, I should add, about which he is rather skeptical). To be fair she also put herself in the “stylish” rather than “fashionable” category, although, since my knowledge is limited, I’m going to focus on men today. So, I’ve been wondering: is this a useful distinction for men’s fashion? What exactly does it mean to be “stylish” but not “fashionable”?

Given that everyone (myself included) perceived a difference in style between my own outfits and those my husband picks out for me, let’s assume for a moment that such a distinction exists. I think it includes, but goes beyond, a simple comparison of the clothes we tend to choose and reflects broader differences in how folks perceive the two of us. In other words, it’s not just about clothes it’s also about personality. I can think of at least four reasons for why I might be considered “stylish” and he “fashionable.” The first two deal with the clothes we choose. First, we differ on the basic combinations, colors, and patterns that we tend to use. My preferences tend to be subdued, darker and less complex in combination and pattern, whereas he is more daring in his use of color and more willing to embrace unorthodox combos and patterns. Second, he is more willing to add accessories (from men’s fashion’s admittedly limited repertoire) such as vests, ties, and coordinated glasses. But, really our choices of clothing and accessories aren’t that different. I mean, we’re not talking a Johnny Weir - Evan Lysacek catfight here.

This brings me to my less-concrete, personality-dependent explanations for the “stylish” / “fashionable” distinction. Expectations, I think, play a key role here: my husband has expressed considerable interest in fashion, and thus people expect more concern from him about how he looks than they expect from me (although if I keep writing for a style blog that might change). More importantly, gender performance, seems to be at the heart of the distinction. I suspect that the “stylish” / “fashionable” distinction is also another way of expressing the butch/femme dichotomy that most gay and lesbian couples have to deal with. Although my husband and I agree that our relationship really doesn’t follow any set gender roles, it seems clear that, at least for many of our family members, friends, and colleagues, I’m perceived as the no-frills butch and he as the flamboyant femme. Although we’re a gay couple, which invites such comparisons, I think the butch/femme analogy defines a spectrum of men’s fashion regardless of relationship status or sexuality. Indeed, it seems clear that there’s a tipping point where one’s interest in what one wears seems to imply not only one’s gender performance but also one’s sexuality, but that’s a whole other can-o-worms.

So, do I think it’s a useful distinction—yes. Do I think it’s just about the clothing and accessories we choose—no. Check out the photos, try to guess which outfits I put together and which ones my husband choose for me, and tell us what you think about the “stylish” / “fashionable” distinction.

Why I Am Not a Fashionista, Part I

I love clothes and I have a sense of style, but I'm not a fashionista.  I realize that I'm a nerd: I have hair that tends to be frizzy or at least big; I am blind as a bat without my contacts or glasses; I read books for work and for fun; I have a GEEK shirt and an HOLA! shirt that I wear with pride; I get ridiculously happy when I use the OED.  Speaking of the OED, it defines the term fashionista as "a person employed in the creation or promotion of high fashion, as a designer, photographer, model, fashion writer, etc. Also: a devotee of the fashion industry; a wearer of high-fashion clothing." Even if I had the financial means to be a fashionista, I would not be one for a combination of political, personal, and environmental reasons. There's also the fact that most of the clothing made for the runway wouldn't fit my size 8/10 frame or my athletic calves.  Would I perhaps have one or two beautiful gowns and a few pairs of strappy sandals a la Carrie Bradshaw?  Sure.  But, as a general rule, I'd still buy clothes at the charity shops.
  
I love dresses and skirts, but I buy most of them at thrift stores, off of clearance racks, or from Filene's Basement or TJMaxx.  I wear clothes and shoes until they pill to pieces, fall apart, or don't fit anymore.  If I can in good conscience, I give away used items of clothing as hand-me-downs, through clothing swaps, or by donating to Goodwill.  Most of my jewelry comes from local boutiques, independent sellers on Etsy, or was given to me by loved ones.  I do own a few pairs of expensive Fluevogs and one pair of Christian Louboutins, but these were all rewards for accomplishing major career goals.

Since starting this fashion blog, I have experienced some serious covetousness.  Sometimes I see outfit posts on Fashion For Nerds, and it requires serious will power to not max out my credit card at All Saints and Tsubo.  Andrea of a cat of impossible colour sometimes makes me want to go on a vintage dress buying binge.  Occasionally, I do give into the uncontroble urge to buy a dress or a pair of tights at ModCloth.  But I'm well aware that I'm on the budget of a grad student.  I do make some extra money adjuncting right now, but I've been trying to pay off some debt.  And considering the dismal academic job market right now, my financial situation is unlikely to get better any time soon.  I have a budget for my wardrobe, and I stick to it.  Fortunately for me, another result of blogging and being part of such a wonderful community of amazing bloggers is that it has made me a lot more creative about the way I make use of my wardrobe.  I've learned new things about layering skirts (from Sal and Audi) and tights (from T.) and sweaters.  I've gotten more creative about combining colors (thanks to the lovely ladies of academichic and Franca).  I've learned to love belts and the color yellow.  I've learned how to make use of what I already have to emulate trends without having to go shopping.

That said, I don't love all trends, and I accept that some that I really do like simply don't suit my body type.   I can't imagine going into tremendous amounts of debt for clothing and purses a la Carrie Bradshaw.  I like clothes.  However, I realize that caring about accessories and shoes is only a part of my personality.  It's the part that people see first when they meet me, but, while I enjoy clothing and see attire as a way to perform and subvert a myriad of identities, and while I think I have a well-developed sense of style, I do not pretend to be a fashionista.  I simply want my choice to wear a floral skirt and sweater tights or two dresses at the same time to be as valid as the choice to wear tweed or tattered jeans into campus is.

What about you?  Are you a fashionista?

The First Lady of Fashion

As I was watching Obama's address last night, I couldn't help be distracted by two things.  One was Joe Wilson's disrespectful outburst.  The other was how fabulous our first lady looked in that sort of dusty rose colored Moschino skirt suit that she was wearing.  I want to own that suit or something very similar!  The brooch was such a nice touch.

I really like the fact that Michelle Obama has supported up and coming designers - particularly minority designers, such as Thakoon Panichgul,  even as it has earned her some criticism from famous designers, such as Vera Wang.  I love that she bares her buff arms.  I love that her sense of style seems to meld common sense with confidence and power with youth.  I think she always looks smart and polished in addition to being smart and polished.

I hesitated to blog about this because I do take healthcare reform seriously, and I don't want our readers to think that I was *that* distracted.   But having read way too much political blog today, my blood was starting to boil.  How could I achieve a happy, feel-good state once more?  Well, since I can't afford the suit, looking at it online, thinking about the gorgeous seamwork in the back, and writing about it was the next best thing.

What do you think about the first lady's style?