Some days I just don't care

Does it ever get to you? I know, stupid question, right? We are all busy. But at some point we start to get pulled in about fifty different directions and something has to give. For me, I really do love clothes, color and choosing what I wear. But at some point, I just go with whatever's on a hanger and shoot out the door. Such was today. I wore jeans, casual brown leather shoes and an orange v-neck sweater I picked up outlet shopping a few weekends ago. It wasn't my most professional, but I think it was okay for a day where my students were giving research presentations. What do you think?

1. Jeans --Levi (Target)

2. Shoes-- Sketchers

3. V-Neck-- Banana Republic

4. Button up--Banana Republic

I've been trying to pick up my game on getting healthier. Now that I'm no longer dissertating-- I can't legitimize the massive bowls of ice cream anymore (and if you knew my love for ice cream, you would know how hard it is for me to write that). I've picked a gym. It's such a luxury that I haven't had. Ever since I was in the undergrad I have been automatically enrolled in a University gym.

(being a chemist I almost chose this gym solely on the name)

I've started eating a little healthier, too. I even got creative and made this terribly sappy lunch on Valentines Day! I call it my "beeting heart." I'm such a nerd.

But with everything that I'm trying to do personally, professionally and physically fitness-wise sometimes fashion is the first thing to go. How about you guys? What is the first thing off your plate whenever you've gone into overload mode? Do you get slack about your dress in the classroom?

The disillusionment of being done

Yay! Hooray! Yippee! I am happy to say that I am now the Dr. Chemist-coture. In early December I put on one of the puffiest robes ever made, walked across a stage, shock a guys hand and that was it. Five years of effort in and one PhD out. I was elated. And graduating at the holiday break had its reward too. Two weeks of guilt free vacation and no more graduate school work, right?

Wrong.

I don't know why I was so naive as to think that things would slow down for a bit after I finished. I guess I thought after all the pats on the back and "well-dones" I was due for a little R&R. But it was back to the books for me.

Just before graduation, I had a phone interview for a dream-of-a-dream postdoc. Quickly thereafter, I was elated to find that I was invited for an on campus interview. During the break, things started moving quickly and I realized how much prep-work need to get done. Herr Doktor and I only have one desk. As I rarely work from home, this has never been a problem. But I needed a workspace and quick. So I improvised and assembled myself on my piano stool. Not perfect but it worked in a pinch.

In addition, I started teaching my chemistry and society course this week. I must admit, I didn't put as much effort as I usually do into the the first week's outfits. I got these two sweaters at Target for a steal of $10 each. I love light blue and white together. Makes me feel like lighter (somehow even after all the holiday themed smörgåsbords). And the red one I think looks good with khakis. Sometime I think it's good to have some multiples of the same item in different shades to get your through the times you don't want to think too much about what you are wearing but you want to look fabulous. These sweaters represent my most common default. Button-down, sweater jeans/khaki combo. Nothing wrong with it. It works in a pinch!

Now back to those journal articles!

Dressing your Turkey and Black Friday Musings

Hello Fashionable Academic readers! I hope everyone stateside had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by somewonderful friends in my university community. A tradition that was started many years ago, and continues to grow each year. The first year I attended this dinner I was so excited to be asked to garnish the turkey (aka dress the bird!). Of course, I was thrilled. Each year I try to do something a little different for the presentation and I think it just adds a little fun to the event. This year, it was carved orange cranberry bowls, endive, radishes and scallions.

I just love to eat first with my eyes. And the sides looked equally tasty! Featured here a the requisite sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts and, of course, green been casserole.

Unfortunately, I didn't' get any photos of the lovely attendees (was too busy stuffing my face!) but, needless to say, everyone looked fabulous.

Another tradition with friends, is the somewhat controversial, always a spectacle, Black Friday. Up at 3 am, elbowing for deals, as a poor grad students, it's my one chance to nabs some serious deals on clothing and other "necessities" (well at least necessary during a shopping rampage). Did you Black Friday this year? Do you go overboard with shopping in the last months of the year?

So as I write this post, sleep deprived, but full of delicous food, I am wishing you, dear readers, the most wonderful start to the holiday season and a Happy Thanksgiving.

Back to School: Chemistry and Society

It’s my last quarter at big midwestern university and I am ecstatic. Not only for my pending graduation (Yay!/Finally!), but also I have been assigned to teach a lovely course on “Chemistry and Society.” It’s a GEC course for non-science majors to fulfill a core science requirement, so there’s not a lot of actual chemistry that they will have to take on. But, what we will address is how chemistry (and science in general) have an impact on decision making (everyday and otherwise) on some hot button current issues/events. Things like what, if anything, should be done about global climate change? What renewable energy sources would be most viable? What are these so called “green fuels” and how “green” are they? In short, I am thrilled to have to rare opportunity to step outside the “let’s learn how to balance equations and work out limiting reagents” that dominates most chemistry courses.

On my first day back in the classroom I wore my favorite “green” shirt and purple plaid tie. I just love that this shirt is somewhere between summer and fall and fits the timing of the autumnal equinox perfectly.

I accessorized with my ever-necessary timepieces. This particular watch was a gift from the hubby on our 2 year anniversary. He was away in Germany in the archives and I was stateside preparing for my general exams. During that tough time apart he was super supportive. Lovingly, he had engraved on the back “Du liegst mir im herzen”. Cheesy, I know, but every time I check the time I think of how sweet he was during that rough time. Do you have some accessories that hold fond memories of the giver? I love utilitarian gifts that make me remember a place, time or person, don’t you?

Here’s to a Sweet New Year שנה טובה ומתוקה

While I’m not Jewish myself, I am fortunate enough to have friends with whom I can celebrate the holidays. I thought I would showcase some of the food and people attending this year’s Rosh Hashanah dinner. Our ever-gracious hostess provided her guests with an amazing evening. The traditional apples and honey, round challah and tzimmes were of course a big hit. But so were the lovely salads and desserts.



In honor of the New Year and with a nod to the round theme of this holiday, Herr Doktor sported a lovely shirt featuring embroidered geometric patterns.

The hostess and I pause for a photo during the preparations before the other guests arrive

This year Rosh Hashanah is really early in the fall. So for me, the Jewish New Year and the new academic school year are really close together. I am excited for what I hope to be a pretty great start to the New Year. I have set a dissertation defense date in mid-October and I’m applying for several postdocs and other jobs. So fingers crossed, it will be a new beginning for me and that makes me excited. How about you? Does the start of term make you feel like you can begin anew? Something about the fall air makes me want to buy No. 2 pencils. Is that weird?

Where have I been?

Hello outside world! I know that it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. So while my retinas readjust to the light of day let me tell you about why I’ve been away. Most people hibernate in the winter but a international postdoc deadline, along with wrangling the last year in my program meant that I would spend the majority of my summer deep inside the dissertation cave. As of today, I am pleased to say that I have mailed off the postdoc application, completed a presentable rough draft of my dissertation and submitted another paper for publication. All that has meant that my summer has been spent in front of the computer in mostly jeans and a t-shirt/polo. As a result of spending that much time in front of the computer screen, I was in need of some new eyeglasses (damn those crossed eyes from sitting too close!). I of course loved shopping for these and lucked out with a friend in optometry! When I was shopping, the dissertation, postdoc proposal and papers really influenced my choices. I new I wanted my new glasses to center on my science-iness in all it’s nerdy glory. So I got these super geek glasses that are made by a German company (OGI) and are part of their Seraphin line. I love that this line is a take on some classic 1930s frames (http://ogiframes.com/seraphin/). I feel über chic in these!

As I prepare for my defense (scheduled tentatively for mid-October, Eeeks!) I hope to get back into the swing of dressing for fashion and function. Have you let things slide for a big deadline? Or boarded yourself inside your office to make a final push? Did you manage to do it stylishly? Give me some tips! Till then sweet readers, I’m still here somewhere among the papers!

A Night Off

Recently, my academic life has turned into an all star writing fest. I’ve recently discovered my dream postdoctoral fellowship has some application deadlines that are going to require me to finish a little faster than I once thought. And to quote a recent facebook status “ …[it] feels like I just fired the starter pistol on my last year…” But my I have made sure that my late night working, and Sunday writing fests don’t’ get the better of me. I promise myself at least one full day on the weekend, off. Worry free, guilt free, off! No writing, no chemistry, no thought experiments. And on this Saturday, I had a lovely shopping day with my besties and picked up a few items for the “date” with my hubs. I needed some new jeans and found this black dress shirt for $10 bucks! I know the outfit is a little dark for the every-so-anticipated spring. But we were heading out to sexy little wine bar for dinner and drinks and I like how sultry this outfit looked. The night off was well worth it. Fancy bottle of wine, wonderful tapas, and long chat by a fireplace. Not one compound, fellowship application or experiment crossed my mind. Bliss!

1. Shirt-- Target

2. Tie-- Banana Republic

3. Vest-- Target

4. Jeans --Levi

Do you reward your hard work with “vacations” from the academy? If so, how do you let go of work?

Hitting the High Notes

On Sunday, LHdM and myself took our respective husbands out to the opera and a Valentines day dinner. I love to dress up for the theatre. And a second perk of dressing up (in addition to listening to a wonderful symphony or in this case a phenomenal opera performance) is getting the chance to see what everyone is wearing! During the intermission as I watched people milled around I noticed a few sour notes (Ugg boots at the opera??) but mostly got some really great ideas for some fashion trends I’d like to try. In particular I spotted a gentlemen wearing a great double breast pocketed button down shirt in a military-ish green. In fact the outfit was sort of a twist on military dress (epaulettes and various small pockets) with some black pants and a silver silk skinny tie. I know most of you must be scratching your heads right now, because how could you make that look formal? But it really was a great look although slightly unexpected at the opera! Do you skew traditional when attending events like these? Or do you go out on a limb? One of the trends at these performances is to see and be seen, so which do you catch yourself doing more?

It's time to make a change

On Friday, I decided to change things up a bit. I had grown my hair out for my wedding back in July so that I could have a hairstyle that was classic. Something that I wouldn’t look back on and say “Goodness gracious what was I thinking?” I had been thinking about going back to my shorter more modern hairstyle and was talking it over with a friend when she suggested, what about going darker. I was intrigued. I had never gone for all over color, and I have been some version of blond all my life. I had to go for it. I went to a local salon on Friday, wearing my red cashmere scarf, and discovered that they were doing a “tip for a cause” that went to the American Heart Association Go Red Campaign. Perfect! I debuted the new haircut at a dinner with my husband’s colleagues and our friends on Saturday night. I dare say, I like being a brunette? What do you think?

Before:

After:

1. Vest-- Target

2. Shirt --Banana Republic

3. Shoes --Robert Wayne

4. Jeans --Filene's Basement

4. Tie--- Gifted (from J. H. in GA!

Sundays in the "Grocer" with George...

Sundays are usually my day to catch up. Catch up on emails to friends, time with my husband, and taking care of housework. One chore that always comes due on Sundays is grocery shopping. As promised in my last post, I’m featuring what I wear on my day to day activities.Today we’re off to a photo shoot at the grocery store. I just got a new wool plaid vest in a super deal. It was one of the purchases where you say to yourself “I don’t know what I’ll wear with this, but for this price I need this garment.” I tried to channel Alexander Mcqueen (who I love!)with this outfit. His Fall ’09 line showed what some began to call “a Sweeny Todd “ with butchers jackets and long trench coats with lots of hats. In his Spring ’09 line (yeah, I’m looking ahead already) a lot of rolled trousers and jeans are coming. I put together what I think to be a pretty good “mash-up” from one of my favorite designers. The trench coat was actually my grandfathers and made it’s way from England sometime around 1950.

What is he wearing?

While some on FA are currently under a shopping ban (stay strong L.H.d.M.), I recently went a little wild on a shopping trip and purchased some non-classroom but professionally appropriate clothes that were unbelievably marked down (featured here a knit zipper top that was more than 80% off!). While I feel the outfit meets most professional standards I worry that the epaulettes (which I love) and double front pockets may be too “youthful” for a meeting with faculty or colleagues. What do you think? If you were in a meeting with me what would you think my outfit was saying about me?

Top/Shirt - - Express

Skinny Tie - - Thrifted

Pants - - Alberto

Shoes - - Robert Wayne

Glasses - - Calvin Klein

Umbrella - - Totes

Supplemental Information:

In a recent post featuring La Historiadora de Moda and Ann Underfunded Humanity, we’ve starting looking at the life of the researcher/lecturer/professor outside of the classroom. Those chance encounters with our colleagues, and more often our students, keeps our guard up for suitable fashion choices outside the workplace while maintaining some level of professionalism. In the next series of post, I’ll be blogging what I wear to the run errands, go to a coffee shop, and dine at bars and restaurants. I’ll talk about fashionable choices that keep in mind the eyes of students and colleagues while still allowing for expression of a life outside academia. What is the style of an academic away from the academy? Take the chemist out of the lab and what will he wear? We shall see….

--- A formal congratulation to La Historiadora de Moda and M. on their nuptials Friday! I’m so very happy for you both and am honored I was able to be a part of your special day. I wish you the best and many chic years together!

The Geek in the Glasses

It’s been awhile Fashionable Academics. I don’’ know if you fellow readers are like me, but I go through “spurts” of research heavy workloads. And being that it’s the season for my advisor’s annual seminar romp through academia, this spurt has been longer than would be desirable.But alas, I am beginning to see the light through the inevitably too long tunnel. And my research is benefiting from being on my advisors schedule.

I’m currently under fellowship funding right now, so there isn’t much going on by the way of teaching (praise to the chemistry gods!). As such, my daily wardrobe has slumped into my relaxed “okay we are going to go cure cancer today, not stand in front of lots of students” kind of dress. That being so, I’m not too keen to put any of my science wardrobe choices up on the blog. (not everyone appreciates a lab coat the way chemists do!) However, the one thing that never gets neglected during my brief spurts as an overworked lab rat is my eyewear. I own way too many pairs of glasses for one person. But I love them. And they get noticed more often then any other thing I wear. I love frames that match what you are wearing. Don’t you? They’re just too much fun! So how many is too many? Right? Here are some of my faves.

Do you have an obsession with a particular accessory? Any other opticophiles out there?

Use as directed

Recently, La Historiadora de Moda asked me to post about a budget beauty product that I would recommend. And as I’ve posted before, I really don’t have a commitment to many of the lotions and potions out there (although I do love to have them around my bathroom for pampering). However, I have found a hair product that I have begun to use religiously. For the longest time, I’ve tried to tame my hair frizzies and get that amazing healthy shine that my stylist could in the salon, but to no avail. Finally, I’ve found a product that I love. Two words. Hair serum. Now this product is almost exclusively marketed and used by people with longer hair, but I find this magic elixir to smooth out and produce that healthy look that I love when I go to the salon. A few pumps worked into wet hair allows me to blow dry my hair and tame it like never before. Now I know that most readers out there will be rolling their eyes at my naïveté , but this post is for the boys. If you have shorter hair and don’t want to use hair product that leaves your hair sticky and gummy, I recommend trying serum. Sometimes you have to be inventive and repurpose the beauty products out there to suit your needs. Have you ever had a beauty product that you have used “not as directed” to suit your needs?

Best Dressed at the Thanksgiving Table

La Historiadora de Moda knows me very well. Just as much as I love to dress myself in clothes that show off my since of style, I equally love to cook. I love to eat with my eyes and my mouth so I try very hard to make the food I cook look its very best. So, on Thanksgiving day she asked me to snap some shots of our dinner table to share with you, our readers.

Of course I couldn’t resist getting a few shots of the very stylish dinner guest that had joined us for the holiday meal.

(from left to right: my husband in a Banana Republic shirt, tie and button down sweater; hostess Michelle's adorable deer earrings from Wholly Craft; myself in Banana Republic top and J. Crew checked chinos; Beth in a great party wrap dress.)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Attention Holiday Shoppers...

Sometimes I like to dream big. When I was a kid, around this time of year the Christmas Wish Book would arrive at our door and my sister and I would devour it. With markers and highlighters in hand, we would go crazy making a wish list that would probably drive Santa into bankruptcy. After years of playing Santa myself, I realize there are some financial limits to the merriment one can afford this time of year. But in the spirit of childhood fantasy, here is my at times unreasonable and at others completely feasible wish list for this holiday season:

1. Belts!!! Lots of them. I never have enough!
2. Earl Warwick –John Fluevog Boots (yes!, La Historiadora de Moda has had her influence on me)
3. Happy-Go-Lucky DVD (not extravagant but my husband and I saw it when we were in Berlin last Christmas -- the year we got engaged-- so it has some holiday sentiment for us)
4. Diversely colored ties – mainly in plaid (particularly love with scotch plaid right now!)
5. To be home with my Family-- my old family, and the new one that I started this year
6. A belted trench coat –(I’m determined to make myself look good in something belted)
7. New laptop/handbag(s)—(the one I have now, while awesome, is from IKEA and has seen better days)

Things can get out of hand this time of year. Last year my now husband, then fiancé and I were trying to keep cost down because we were trying to pay for our wedding. We decided to make bath bombs and salts for our friends and family to keep things economical. But with families our size, it was still quite a venture. Where do you draw the line on gift exchanges? What limits do you put on your real wish list? Do you try to stay away from the crazy cut-throat shopping this time of year? Or do you capitalize on the amazing deals?

Following the Times

It’s not new for fashion to reach back, reinvent and reinstitute trends from years past. Fashionable Academics recently posted a New York Times article about the recurrence of Victorian Gilded Age menswear with just that phenomenon (see This Just in from the 1890s). After reading the article I was inspired. A modern twist on the “dapper dandy” is right up my alley. And looking at this rediscovered fad as a test to the versatility of my wardrobe, I stepped into my to closet to attempt and recreate some gilded age wear for myself. I started with the basics. A starch white dress shirt and heather grey tweed 5-button vest.^1,2 Good so far, but now I needed to choose the perfect pants. After looking through several pairs of khaki and black pants, I decided to go monochromatic. Grey wool pants would add cohesion to my newly inspired look.³ For some diversity and interest, a striped blue and silver tie would do the trick.⁴ It could blend the grey in the pants with that in the vest while introducing a new color into the mix.

Here in the Midwest it’s beginning to get chilly so I needed a blazer to top off this impromptu three-piece suit. I defaulted to my favorite. A deep navy blue Goodwill find that fits me like a glove.⁵ It has a thin widely spaced pin stripe that picked up on the grey in its two counterpart pieces. Add in some shiney irradecent loafers and sleek line eyewear in brushed silver, and I think I came close to recreating the look.^6,7

I’m a big proponent of men stepping away from the matchy-match, off the rack, standard suit (especially when the occasion calls for professional, but not exactly formal). You can really get a lot of wear out of your wardrobe if you buy piece separates and mix and match to get the “suited” look you’re after. Women do this all the time, and it’s time us guys get in on the action. After recreating this vintage look I started to think, what’s next? We’ve seen the return of the 1950s/60s, via Mad Men fandom. And now we are looking to the 19^th century for dapper dress. Is there an era that you would like to see or would predict to be re-visited for its fashion? I’m hoping not to have to go in search of a “ruff” any time soon…

References:

1. White Textured Dress Shirt –Banana Republic

2. Heather Grey 5-button Vest—Forever 21

3. Wool Pants—Express (purchased @ Goodwill)

4. Tie—Banana Republic

5. Blazer—Goodwill

6. Shoes—Robert Wayne

7. Eyewear—Calvin Klein

Men with PhDs without Corduroy Jackets

Close your eyes and picture that chemistry professor, the older gentleman, lecturing you through undergrad. Your remember him, right? Corduroy jacket, leather patches on the elbows. Shoes from 10 years ago. And the tie and shirt combo that was clearly picked out in the darkest of closet. We all have worried about becoming this frumpy, dated academic man. But for lots of us, we haven’t resigned ourselves to sloppy vintage wardrobes just yet.

For me, it’s always important to look set apart from my students. I’m finding to do that, and to keep up with this fall’s men fashion, I’m going bold by bringing together pattern on pattern shirt/tie combinations. Mixing these prints can be intimidating, but like combining chemicals to yield the desired product in the lab, when blending these prints together the perfect ratio will ensure the right reaction. There are a couple of pattern hybrids that I love for the fall (and in particular color combinations). The first is the stripped dress shirt and large print plaid tie. This look is exceptional in a saffron yellow stripe and an amethyst plaid. The key here is to keep one item strong while the other gets center stage. In this case I play up the tie while the shirt supplies a warm backdrop. When it’s grey out, sometimes I don’t fight the climate and just go with nature’s mood of overcast. Wearing a large-scale check shirt set on the diagonal in white, slate blue and grey is great with a coordinating tie picked out for it’s stripe on the same diagonal with tone on tone slate blues and grey. Take it down a notch, and keep warm, by adding a grey cable shawl neck sweater for a great seasonal rainy day look. And while there are still some autumn colors on the trees I get noticed with a persimmon tie and starched white shirt with pencil thin charcoal pinstripe and charcoal vest. It’s not a bad thing to mimic nature when she is looking so good!

The growing trend for young men in academia, and in tons of other occupations, is recognition that style makes a difference. Being fashionably minded is no longer just for the opposite sex. We know that style cannot only make us more confident about ourselves, but it can make the difference in how people recognize us, and who listens to us when we talk. No longer does the PhD have to look like he stopped shopping when he finished his dissertation. You can keep up with the trends in your field and in your closet too.