Paring Down: Case Study #3

In my last post in this series I discussed a few reasons that an item should go, such as:

1. Do not wear
2. Do not like
3. Does not fit (body or wardrobe)
4. Should not wear

To recap, the way I figure these things out is by wearing the item in question.  In the first case, I wore the woodpecker sweater skirt and found out that even though I loved the look of it I felt uncomfortable wearing it. The first three categories applied. In the second case, I concluded that I could not wear the flowy tent-like top the way I was wearing it.  I'm currently holding onto it, but I might sell it on eBay to make room for and enable the buying of a more flattering top. This is the good thing about Anthro items: the resale value on eBay is pretty good.Well, let us move onto a truly embarrassing case:

  

cashmere teal sweater - Moth/Anthro 

black slip - Jockey (remixed)

black skirt - H & M (remixed)

tights - Eloise/Anthro 

earrings - defunct boutique in KC (remixed)

green beads necklace - Target (remixed)

scarf - H & M (remixed)

black wellies - Capelli via Marshalls (remixed)

Why such a dramatic pose?  Am I channeling Raphael's St Catherine of Alexandria (which, to complete your unsolicited iconography lesson of the day, strongly resembles the woman on the cover of a mid-90s Smashing Pumpkins album)? No, I am not in ecstasy.  I am thinking, Why, God, did I do this to myself?

I know I should have gotten rid of this sweater a year ago, but I couldn't.  Look how perfect this particular shade of teal looks on me! Look at it against shades of light green! And it matches every bottom imaginable:  black, brown, jeans, gray! Why do I need to get rid of it?

Did you see it, yet?

There it is.  Public shaming complete.  SFE's #1 rule for paring down: If you think you can't get rid of an item, wear it.  After a day of having to keep my arms clamped by my sides, I am ready to throw it into the rubbish bin (unless any of you have some amazing way to re-knit over the tearing in the armpits, which got even worse yesterday). And the worst thing about this was that I didn't really have time to come home and change, but I had to before SME and I headed to small party. And I didn't have time to change my entire outfit, so I just switched out my sweater, necklace, and boots:

  

cardi - Anthro/Sparrow (remixed)

necklace - Anthro

boots - LOFT (remixed)

Had I not been in a hurry I don't think I would have worn the black, white, and blue tights with the necklace and top.  I probably would've gone with the mauve, white, and red version of them, but I'm glad I varied my look.

 necklace has been doubled

Are any of you secretly holding onto embarrassingly threadbared items because you're too attached to them?

Layering and the Perils of DIY Fashion Blogging

On Wednesday I photographed my outfit before I went off to a lecture (see below left).  I've been trying to play with layering with sweater material, which can be tricky.  I tried this before back in January with the same dress, but I wasn't that pleased with the result.  This time I layered a brown long-sleeved tee under the red dress that you've seen here at least once a month before.  I am also displeased with constantly wearing my wellies and I've thought about wearing the shoes I'd like to wear with my outfits, but this is actually what I am wearing to slog through snow, slush, and puddles of grossness.

dress:  Anthro/Moth via eBay (remixed here and here)

wellies: Carpelli via Marshalls (remixed a million freakin' times b/c of weather, ugh)

earrings:  same boutique where I got the brown/red/purple scarf

          Left: long-sleeved brown tee:  LOFT                        

sepia floral tights: Anthro/Eloise (remixed)

scarf - H & M (remixed)

gold floret necklace - gifted MIL (remixed)

hat: GAP - gifted MIL

Right: brown cardi: Ann Taylor (remixed)

    brown tights: Assets/Target 

scarf:  World Market (remixed)

choker - Accessorize UK (gifted years ago)

When I saw the photos the next day I liked the palette (red, brown, teal) but not the result.  SME also said I looked school marmish. There was a Jumper Effect of my layering. Avoid this at all costs.

 

Then, on Thursday, I got ready to attend an event, but didn't photograph before I left the house because I was running late. So, I grabbed my camera and left the house. The event in question was a silly party in the office of a senior scholar.  Before long, I had imbibed multiple PBRs and was wearing a glow stick like a halo on my head.  I helped clean up and then... I FORGOT MY CAMERA! I realized this when I was on my way home. A colleague assured me it would be safe on Senior Scholar's Desk.  Safe, of course, but that's not what I was panicking about:  What if Senior Scholar wanted to return the camera to its owner (me) and had to look through the photos to find out who the owner was?  SS would be sure to discover about 15 photos of me posing in the red dress (I was having trouble with the flash and blurriness on School Marm Day).  Needless to say, the Thursday Outfit never got documented, I skipped out on Friend Friday, and I forced SME to drive me to school at 8:30 on Friday morning so I could recover the camera before Senior Scholar looked through them.

I was still unhappy with the School Marm outfit, however, so I re-styled the red dress for a performance I attended last night. The scarf is essential to this outfit (and to keeping me warm). Compare with a shot sans scarf:

The weight of this scarf (and not the lighter teal one) actually lays against the fabric, separating the top of me from a fuller skirt. Not only does it bring everything together in terms of color, but without a belt, the scarf makes the shape and proportionality more appealing. 

How about you?  Have your outfit photos ever been discovered? If so, by a senior scholar or a boss?

Incognito

I have thought about writing this post for months, but when The Worst Day of the Month passes, it no longer seems necessary. We have discussed how different situations and different expectations impact our sartorial choices:  For job interviews, we don suits; for the first day in the classroom, we at FA tend to wear our blacks/grays or a blazer and save our patterns and florals for later in the term. We've discussed that when one is on campus, even on non-teaching days, it might be a good idea to look professional, or at least keep a blazer handy, in the event you run into your students or have an impromptu meeting.  But how do you dress yourself when it's the dead of winter and you have five extra pounds of water weight in your stomach and (mostly) in your chest and when you look into the mirror you think, I should just stay home and hide?

 dress - Loft (remixed)

cardi - Sparrow/Anthro (remixed)

tights - Eloise/Anthro

scarf (hair) - Tie Rack (remixed)

scarf (neck) - Chicago boutique (remixed)

earrings - Corcoran Gallery, DC (remixed)

ring - Folger Gift Shot, DC (remixed)

wellies - Capelli via Marshalls (remixed)

Hiding always seems like the best option, seeing as there are a number of things that are out of the question:  all of my bras save for 1, my favorite little jacket that buttons across the chest,  anything form-fitting across the chest or belly, most pants because they just make me feel awful and with snowboots or wellies, they look particularly ridiculous, and of course particularly anathema items like pencil skirts. 

But what you should not do is stay home and hide. And let's face it, most of us can't--we have work, teaching commitments, meetings, family responsibilities, and research to do. You should get dressed in something at least semi-structured that's still comfortable. This outfit is a modification of one I wore back in October.  The difference in cardigans is very important.  The pink summer weight GAP cardigan would have highlighted my + 1 cup size chest.  The ruching and roomier chest on the Sparrow cardigan (worn here) hides, minimizes, and still adds color. And remember that knit or wool allows more mobility than, say, a blazer.

Of course, the bloating (and leg cramping, ugh) isn't as nearly as bad as what goes through my head: It  took me at least 15 minutes just to put on tights because I sat on my bed feeling sorry for myself thinking what's the use? If you're like me, and countless other women, you associate PMS not only with physical symptoms, but also a few especially low days of body dysmorphia, depression, and/or anxiety (Wondering why? Well, for those of us not on hormonal contraception, at least, that evil trinity of feelings is caused by the fairly sudden drop in progesterone shown here). Instead of pretending that each month the Universe suddenly hates me and curses me with this shit, the best thing to do, I've learned, is to expect it and have a plan to combat it (insert gratuitously nerdy metaphor about Hobbits v. Orcs, Humans v. Cylons, or The Knight of Burning Pestle v. everyone else). After leaving my house in this outfit a friend of mine even told me I looked "Spunky."  Let it be known that in no way does spunky allude to concepts like bloaty, pudgy, depressed, or sad.

Finally, besides the aforementioned prohibited list of items, this is not a time to try out new outfit formulations or attempt to rehabilitate pieces of clothing.  Wearing either of my Pairing Down case studies--the Moth skirt + too big sweater or the tent-like black top--would have, in the words of Anne Shirley, sunk me into "the depths of despair." However, after looking at these photos, I am happy to announce that I have resolved to purchase a belt that resembles the universally beloved Snakebite Belt by Anthropologie (shown here on Sara of You, Me & Anthropologie) because many of my dresses are fuller than necessary around my natural waist and cinching would probably be flattering. I will attempt this new trick next week.

Cabin Fever

Like many of you in the Midwest and the Northeast I am not leaving my home today. In fact, I really can't. I opened the front door to my apartment building and was greeted by 16 inches of snow. Therefore, I used this snow day as a low stakes opportunity to try out an outfit idea (and because SME is also home I didn't have to snap my own photos using a timer).

silk dress - Edme & Esylte/Anthro (eBayed)
sash - self made
cardi - Ann Taylor
tights - LOFT (remixed)
maryjanes - New York & Co.(remixed)
amber earrings - The Corcoran Gallery, DC (remixed)
necklace - Urban Outfitters

I bought this dress on eBay last summer to wear for my anniversary and it worked out great. It especially worked out great because I had tried on the dress in Anthro the summer before. eBay buys are often successful when its a brand/size that I know for sure works for me and they are most successful when I was actually able to try on the item.

After layering the GAP sweater over the Twinkle Twinkle dress two weeks ago it occurred to me to experiment with more summer/silk pieces for the colder parts of the year. I also have been inspired by L.'s belting with sashes and scarves especially since I'm reticent to invest in belts when I'm weary of my midsection and not quite sure how to incorporate them into my repertoire.
That's where the sash came in. The dress was designed with a blue sash, but the eBayed dress did not come with one. When I went to the fabric store to buy blue silk material I also found a burnt orange that matched some of the specks on the dress and liked the contrast better. But does the sash work on the outside of the cardigan? The cardi is a bit roomy (despite my efforts to shrink it)--I should have bought a PM instead of a PL and I suspect the sash would look better if the cardi was more snug. There was some bunching that happened sometime between getting dressed and taking photos, which I fear could be worse if I actually wore it out and about. Hmmm.

Are their any reformed beltphobics out their who have embraced it? How about those who were especially worried that belting would be the most unflattering thing possible to the midsection/belly area?

detail of light blue and amber accessories

How to Dress Like a Grad Student

sweater - LOFT (remixed)
gray cami - LOFT (remixed)
[un-hemmed] eggplant cords - IDRA/Anthro
amber earrings - Corcoran Gallery, DC (remixed)
hair scarf - swap bin in dorm, ca. 2003
neck scarf - boutique (remixed)
shoes - J-41 via Zappos (remixed)

For a full day in the library I decided to dress "like a grad student." And by like a grad student, I mean those days when you were in coursework and attending lectures for large courses you were TA-ing for (but not for your Thursday or Friday section, of course). Or, those days when you had to spend all day in the library or a coffee shop or a cold apartment reading and planning for a seminar paper. In fact, I dressed like this because I'm working on a section in my first chapter in which I need to define keyterms and explain why I'm taking up one set of terms and rejecting another set in order to explain my theoretical stance. It was a cold, contemplative note-taking day and I managed to take a few pictures in the stacks without getting caught.Incidentally, while I was on my way up to the floor I work on when I work in the library I ran into a colleague who was dressed professorially: dark jeans, button-up, tie. I said, "You look nice. Are you teaching today?" He's not teaching right now, it turns out, but he was going to attend a job talk and he mentioned that he has begun to see this sort of style as part of professionalization as he (like me) is in the latter stages of graduate school.

In response to a post from S. of Narrowly Tailored I said that a big shift in dressing occurs when grad students go from being TA's to having their own classes which occurs around the time that we go from being in coursework to ABD. I, too, have that urge, but I find Winter weather to be my largest obstacle to dressing how I would like most of the week right now. Because I don't use a car and snow and ice are everywhere, footwear is a large concern and because I already schlep books and a computer in my bag (and a water bottle, coffee cup, and gym clothes), I generally despise toting around another pair of shoes. And if I'm already wearing the ridiculous snow boots it is hard to be motivated to wear anything beyond fleece-lined yoga pants and a sweater/sweatshirt--one cannot look styled when she happens to be 5 feet tall and wearing orange boots! When the weather is like this and I'm teaching I have no choice but to carry an entirely separate outfit with me to change into for the teaching/meeting period and then change back into the snow wear to get home. But since I'm not teaching I wonder, Why the hell would I carry an extra bag full of stuff that might tip me over in the snow if a gust of wind blows? Thus, I've been reflecting how much body type influences a "professional" look: on days like today I really envy the taller, svelter women who can throw on a pair of dark skinnies, Hunters, and a sweater. With a little makeup and accessories, they look ready to give a lecture, meet with students, or conduct a study.

How do you modify your dress when the weather is icy, slushy, or just cold and evil?

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?

Accidental "Regency"

Let's just say that I'm the one on the left.
And here I am in a dress I didn't think would do what it did to the degree that it did plus my favorite teal top and ubiquitous boots. I really love the color combo and people stopped to compliment me on my outfit, so a friend took a shot of it--and what it revealed is that this dress is sometimes just too revealing! It wasn't until I saw the photo that I realized the full extent of its AUH-displaying powers. I don't think it was like this all day, though.

What do you do in situations when you find that you're revealing a little more than you would like?

Top Photo: *The* Pride and Prejudice
Bottom Photo:
Boots: Frye (remixed)
Dress: Target (remixed)
Cropped Cardigan: Target (remixed)

Paring Down: Case Study #1

Cowl neck sweater - LOFT (remixed)
Long-sleeved tee - LOFT
Sweater Skirt - Moth/Anthro (Ebayed)
Leggings - Phylo (MILed)
Boots - Capelli via Marshalls (remixed)
Scarf - Gap (gifted)

The hardest thing about paring down is getting rid of some pieces I absolutely love. Some of them are because they no longer fit and some of them are because I have either never really worn them, no longer wear them, or wince when I put them on. In an effort to figure out what is salvagable and what is not, I'm going to be wearing hard-to-part with pieces over the next few weeks to see how it goes. This was a test case.

First of all, I hate this sweater. I love the color and the neck, but it's really too long and too wide for me on the part that exaggerates my pearness. Widening me also makes me look shorter and that's already getting to me this time of year as winter boots keep me down. I have kept it because I haven't been able to find a suitable replacement. I also am attached to it as loungewear--it looks great with clogs and yoga pants for running errands on a Saturday when I'm also going to the gym. For now, it'll stay.

But I love the skirt. I remember lusting over it at the store and then I purchased it for cheap on eBay. But I've only worn it once and that was yesterday. I have had difficulty styling it--I do not own red or yellow, and the purple/garnet tops I own do not go with the shape of the skirt. Brown and black make it look blah. A red shirt and a long gray clingy cardi would look great, but I currently own neither. They would not be bad wardrobe additions, but there are things that I need more: boots, shoes, trouser jeans, and a blazer. But here is the reason I'm going to part with this beloved piece: I was uncomfortable in this outfit all day and it was the bottom as much as the top. The length of the skirt and how it sits on my waist isn't flattering. I need at least 3 more inches of height and a different wardrobe for the top. As I mentioned in my Friend Friday dialogue with LHdM, if I regret an ensemble I'm self-conscious and off my game. Therefore, I'm saying au revoir to the skirt--but with a kiss on each cheek.

What pieces did you hold on to the longest even when you knew it was time to let go? (Wow, that sounds like a dead relationship).

Addendum: I am resolved. The skirt has got to go. I tried:

But its still how the skirt sits on my waist and lays against my bum.

And the suggestions about a black top worked the best (if you ignore the flash on my chest):

...but when I paired it with a gray cardi it made me look frumpy and wider again. I realize I loved the idea of the skirt in the world of the forms, but when I put it on my body (twice removed from the Platonic ideal--not thrice, that is what you are seeing in the photograph, a representation) I do not like it.

Extra-Curricular

The Revenge of SFE's Winter Uniform
Sweater - LOFT (remixed)
Cami - LOFT (remixed)
Skirt - H & M (remixed)
leggings - LOFT (remixed)
wellies - Capelli via Marshalls (remixed)

Despite trying to avoid the "uniform," of black skirt, leggings, and boots I found myself back in it on Saturday morning. While I don't think it's possible to join Cynthia on her February blackout, I do think I might consciously avoid styling the bottom half of me this way during the workweek. However, for Saturday morning it was really functional--both for weather and for teaching.

I wouldn't wear this in the university classroom, but for teaching Saturday morning English as a Second Language, it's not bad. SME, who is a social worker/educator, needed another volunteer at his organization and conscripted me. And actually we're teaching together, which is nice.

Adding Some More Colour
Scarf - The Tie Rack (defunct)
Earrings - Accessorize (remixed)

Since grad school started I've been good about volunteering to be on committees or organizing events at school, but I was wary about volunteering elsewhere because I was aware that regular commitment is an important and essential quality and I knew that I would have to cancel because of travel, research, or writing the endless stack of papers during coursework. And, if you've ever organized volunteers, you know how detrimental it can be if they only commit 75% of the time. I am very glad to be done with coursework. I really loved some of my seminars, but I associate "coursework" with "feeling like shit all of the time," because of the sleep deprivation it took to write 4 straight years of papers. Being out of coursework has also allowed me to get involved in my community and to feel less transient. And I do feel like I have more of stake in what goes in my state, city, neighborhood, etc. It's still pretty minimal, but now I teach ESL in my neighborhood, volunteer with SME's theatre company (his volunteer job), and lector at my parish.

What about you, Fashionable Readers? What extra-curricular/extra-academic activities are you involved in?

ps. I'm now on Twitter!

A Few Resolutions

pumps - Ferryl Robin (remixed) * snow boots - Lands End (gifted-Mom)

I have generously been given a teaching reduction and am only responsible for attending meetings and working on my dissertation until September. While I realize that that is a whole lot of time, I also know that if I don't make realistic weekly writing and monthly goal schedules (and stick to them) I could easily find myself regretfully reflecting on how I mismanaged and squandered all of this time 9 months from now.

sweater - Ann Taylor LOFT * skirt - Express (remixed)
tights - Eloise/Anthro

Vita Activa

Manage Stress & Anxiety: Although I've flown regularly my entire life, when I was 18 I began to dislike flying and it transitioned into some pretty horrible aerophobia (cue bad references to 2nd Wave metaphorical novel) about 5 years ago. After attempting to self-medicate in variety of ways (3 gin & tonics before boarding; 30-hour sleep deprivation plus Benadryl) I found myself in my university's counseling center where I'm now actively working to manage my condition. Since I began therapy, I've discovered that despite being able to rationally explain why I should not feel fear or panic in certain situations I've somehow trained my body (think kinesthetic memory) to produce and hold onto fear and panic. It's bad enough that when I turn in grant applications, my stomach and chest tighten at the thought of being on an airplane for 8 hours en route to London. Thus, some resolutions for retraining my body: continue therapy, cut down on caffeine, add yoga to regular exercise, and become more organized (To avoid banal panic like "Oh shit! I lost a paper I was supposed to grade!).

Responding: I have a horrible habit of receiving gifts and feeling grateful and not sending a note expressing gratitude until 6 months later. Similarly, when you Wonderful Readers respond to my posts, I think about what I want to reply but I don't do it immediately and so the time passes. I resolve to respond in a more timely fashion (this will probably also cut down on the anxiety).

Dress for the Job I Want, Mon-Thurs: In 3 years (the max time for this to make sense) if I do not have a tenure-track Assistant Professorship I want to be able to know that it is the economy and the job market that caused me to change careers and not because I did not write a solid dissertation, present enough papers, or revamp papers/chapters into published articles. In order to meet my writing and professional goals (see below) and to do them well, whether I work from home, the library, or a coffee shop I need to be dressed for work. Like Sara of Orchids and Buttonholes, I have to feel put together for "my morale and my productivity and my sense of self." Because of the weather, I thought I would start on this tomorrow, but then I decided that I should start today--even though I'm snowed in, I'm wearing the fabulous multi-textured brown, gold, and green outfit pictured here:

cloche - Ann Taylor Loft (remixed) * scarf - H & M (remixed)

Vita Contemplativa

Dissertation and SFE [Forthcoming]: Hopefully, being dressed, organized, and less stressed will allow me to concentrate on this dissertation. Many of my successful colleagues before me have committed to 2 pages/day, Mon-Friday. A friend and I have modified this to allow for necessary days of research without writing: 8 pages/week. And if we have 8 pages or more by Thursday, then we get to take Friday off! This realistically puts me at 3 (out of 4) Chapters by August 31st, which is also what I need to be at for my committee members to guarantee a June 2012 graduation in job letters. Also, I need to have a publication listed on my CV next year and I have two papers that simply need to be reworked and tweaked a bit and then sent out by next month. I think I might budget in some sort of reward for that.

detail of tights: brown with cream specks and green dots

Distracted vs. Purposeful Use of Time: Last year for Lent I gave up Facebook (my gateway to procrastination and endless hyperlinking) and then, after 40 + days, I went right back to habitually wasting time on the Internet. Recently, a friend of mine wrote an article on how we know that Internet use is changing our minds and but we don't exactly know how it is affecting our moral character:

It should not be shocking that a habit like constant Internet use might change us at a profound level, perhaps even ruining the capacity for sustained, contemplative focus that we once took for granted. The notion that actions create habits, which in turn shape moral character, is the foundation of virtue ethics.

Shakespeare's Masculine Ending and I have resolved to try to reduce our after-hours Internet and computer usage, which includes subscribing to the actual paper-version of the Sunday NYT--seriously, what a more enjoyable ritual than scrolling and worrying about spilling coffee on your keyboard! For me, this also means scheduling time for the blogosphere so that I enjoy it and don't have that nagging (anxiety-inducing!) feeling like I'm procrastinating other scheduled work.

detail of accessories: earrings - Anthro (remixed-gifted)

So, Dear Readers, I'm asking for advice: How do you get yourself to stick to schedules? Those of you who have been on fellowships, how did you manage your time? Lastly, I have 2 works spaces: a closed carrel at the library (where ALL of my books are) and a desk at home--I'm thinking I might plan for 3 days at the library and 2 at home, but I worry about the back and forth. Thoughts?

Building and Budgeting

It is true that I was attempting to build an igloo last week. After I traveled to see family and friends on the East Coast and researched for a week, I arrived at my in-laws' in New England and was hit with all that snow that began on Boxing Day. SME and I attempted to build an igloo by making large ice bricks out of a Rubbermade storage bin. This is not the way you should build an igloo and contradicted all of the research (YouTube and Wikipedia) I did on the topic. After a few hours we abandoned our valiant effort and settled on "fort" rather than "failed igloo." My research was a more productive effort.

*Shakespeare's Masculine Ending shores up our igloo/snow fort*

Had I posted on what the traveling scholar/amateur igloo builder wears, it would have all been repeats. I left my home on the 7 December and didn't return until the New Year. I was inspired by all of the 30 for 30 outfits and packed even lighter. It was like 15 for 30. You have already seen a lot of the outfits I put together: Orange sweater & black skirt, black sweater dress, gray pants & black sweater (wow, I missed that purple sweatercoat!), red sweater dress. I also had a tendency to wear black skirt, black leggings, and black wellies with a sweater and a scarf. The weather and the lack of wardrobe brought that on. In fact, here I was in my "uniform" on the 27th in the dressing room of Ann Taylor LOFT:

sweater coat - ATL * skirt - H&M (remixed) * leggings - ATL wellingtons - Capelli via Marshalls (remixed)

Which brings me to my next topic: I've acquired an aversion/weariness of making purchases and though I liked this sweater, I passed on it. SME and I sat down and made a budget in the fall and I had not been sticking to it. I've been staying within the overall budget, but regularly exceeding the clothing, shoes, and accessories "line item." And I refused to accept that necessities counted, which irked SME (who happens to do the budget for the NGO he works for and they stretch and use each and every cent). Take the Lands End coat I legitimately needed: That was well over budget for the month of December and SME told me so. Let me be clear: he did not tell me not to buy the coat, only that we were, once again, over budget. While I was traveling I realized that I was spending more on restaurants/bars and would go over budget in that category and so even though I was in DC, Baltimore, Philly, New York and Boston, the only thing I purchased for myself were sock inserts from Aldo. After exercising that much restraint I've grown almost suspicious of spending money right now.

I do not plan to go on the Great American Apparel Diet, as LHdM, Rad, and Cynthia are, but I am not making any purchases until I figure out a few things and decide how I might incorporate a reward system to get this dissertation, some grant applications, and articles out and on their way. One thing is for sure though: I need to unpack, do laundry, pare down, and start remixing lest I stay clad in black skirt, leggings, and boots all winter. Here's me yesterday, my first day back in the Midwest in nearly a month:

bottom - uniform (see above) * sweater - gap
tank - ATL * scarf - boutique

Are any of the rest of you retreating to a winter "uniform"? If not, is there another season in which you find yourself in one?

* * *
Lastly, we do have a budget friendly announcement for our readers: During the month of January you can take 15% off purchases at Buttons N Baubles during the month of January by entering the code "fashionable15".

Defying the cold

I think we need a caption contest for who can best express the "don't you dare" face I'm making at the snow outside.
This is another one of those summer outfits that I tried to convert via red Spiderman tights and Dr. Martens. And yes, I did actually wear this around the office and outside today even though the temperature read 10 degrees F. Starbucks and a local coffee shop closed due to weather advisories and I wore this outfit without contracting frostbite. Hmph.

Oh--and I actually love the Dr. Martens and skirt look, though my parents were horrified when I wore something similar (but with sleeves) to Thanksgiving. Your thoughts?

Hope you're all staying warm while defying the snow!
Top: Target (remixed)
Skirt: Thrifted
Tights:?
Boots: Dr. Martens (remixed)

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!