Multitasking OOTD

I wore this outfit to campus near the end of the semester on a non-teaching day to evaluate student presentations. I can get away with being more casual if I am not scheduled to be at the front of the room.

During this week in particular, Chris was back in Ghana for work so I was relying heavily on childcare help from my parents. As I was taking my self-timed OOTD pic, my mom called to coordinate with me on whether Emilia would stay over there or come back home, hence the phone in the photo.

I was going to retake it but a flurry of cars and passers by came through and I got too self conscious. I commend the people brave enough to take their outfit photos in public AND in front of a public! Even after years of blogging I still feel too awkward for that.

Details:
Boden essential scoop shirt (I love this shirt and got mine on sale. The fabric is thick but not too thick and the quality is great!)
J. Crew Factory Linen Cotton Skirt
Spanx tights (on sale!)
Marc by Marc Jacobs "punk mouse" flats (half off!)
Marc by Marc Jacobs Turnlock Teri in Elderberry (old ebay find)

Conferencing OOTD

This is the outfit I wore to present on the award panel of the conference in St. Paul. I had no idea what to wear. Because it was a smaller conference I assumed (correctly) that people weren't going to be very formal. I didn't want to be overdressed or under-dressed. I picked this ponte knit J. Crew Factory dress and layered an old Anthropologie cardigan over top. Because the conference was journalism themed and the award I received was for the study of mass communication history, I carried my newsprint Kate Spade Bon Shopper tote bag. I love a theme!

I think the outfit was a good choice because I was a little more dressy than the audience but not so much so that it was glaring. It was a great experience presenting my work to a packed house of well-wishers and I received excellent feedback on my project.

Special shout out to the very ornate hotel bathroom in which I took this photo. It had a small card catalog-esque built in for warm hand towels and a whole fancy lounging area for grooming and hanging out. It kinda made me wish we had stayed at the Saint Paul Hotel rather than the (perfectly nice but not necessarily historic or ornate) Doubletree!

Details:
J. Crew Factory Dress (current season in colorblock here; similar here)
Anthropologie cardigan
Spanx tights
Ferragamo My Joy flats
Kate Spade tote (current season on sale here)

Mother's Day Matchy Match OOTD

Although my semester is long over and I have less on my plate, I am still busy working on my annual review, wrapping up my book proposal, drafting a journal article, and focusing on another project that I can't yet share here. (For the record, I am not pregnant! That's almost always the first thing I think when a blogger writes vaguely about exciting news so I figured I should address it.)

The project (exciting in its own right!) actually started a while back but accelerated in April and is on the cusp of being share-able. I will talk about it as soon as I can. It's taken up the time I usually spend blogging which is part of why I considered stopping last month. But after reading some thoughtful comments and emails and thinking it through, I realized that this space is important to me. I don't have a lot of time to put into it but I think it's worth updating whenever possible. Thank you for following along!

So back to the subject at hand... I decided that Emilia and I should match for Mother's Day. I searched for options that would fit her based on things I already own or would like to buy, and I wound up with a baby gap navy striped dress for her to match something in my closet. I actually wore this dress last Mother's Day (from J. Crew two springs ago)! We got a lot of compliments for matching! And next year when she is big enough for Crewcuts sizes, we will have even more to choose from (J. Crew Factory actually has a few matching mom and daughter pieces! Here's another set for mom and daughter. And this blogger favorite from f21 comes in girls sizes too.).

I had a great Mother's Day and went to South Park to play at the playground, see the bison and other animals, and eat lunch with my family, my parents, and my sister. Sadly, my brother had to work. Later that afternoon we visited my stepmother-in-law and family. And we spent the evening with my mother-in-law and brother-in-law at the Pirates game.

And matching sports clothes is always easy! Happy (belated) Mother's Day!

Details:
J. Crew dress
Old Navy Leggings
MBMJ flats
Pirates hat and shirt

On E:
Baby gap dress
Old Navy leggings
Stride Rite shoes
Pirates hat and shirt

Quick Primary Colors OOTD

I wore this to campus to teach. Fluttering Flora has been a staple of my "Pregnant in Anthropologie" wardrobe because I bought the gray gently used via ebay, early into pregnancy. I was excited to see the deep sale cuts to the dress and nabbed it in blue. I paired it with fall versions of primary colors and am surprised and glad it still worked, despite the size of my belly.

Click to check in on my week by week belly shots.

Outfit Details:
Fluttering Flora dress from Anthropologie
J. Crew Factory Rosette cardigan (similar)
Wolford tights (buy them here or here)
Ferragamo Varina flats in Oxblood (buy them here or here)
Redraven Studios bib necklace; Kors watch (here or here); Linea Pelle studded wrap bracelet

BTW, I have been having some issues with Disqus commenting and apologize if you have tried to comment without success and/or had your comment eaten by this unfortunately buggy comment client. I've been told the issue is resolved but I am still contemplating a return to Blogger since it now allows replies. Thanks for bearing with me!

Anchors Aweigh OOTD

I wore this to a backyard bbq at my friend's house the other week. By now, I'm a bit more round in the belly but still wanted to share.

I have a question about this dress. Will it be possible to style for fall or is it too summery? I do know that it might not fit me by the time it is fall. I am just trying to determine my wardrobe options in the future. What say you?

Details:
J. Crew Maritime Anchor Dress (available here or here)
vintage Alviero Martini leather bag (buy it new, here)
Purple canvas Keds (available here)

Recent Dressing Room OOTD

Believe it or not, and despite the recent heat wave, no so long ago it was cool enough to wear this ensemble in the evening to my local Anthropologie. I'm already getting to the point where the largest and loosest of my regular pants are tight and uncomfy. I guess I will not be one of those pregnant ladies who is all and only belly?

Details:
Anthropologie top (from many years ago so I have no idea what the name is)
Splendid lightweight drapey cardi (similar here and here)
J. Crew matchstick cords (thank god for the rubber band/hair tie trick with the buttons!)
Chloé flats (this season's version; cute and budget similar)
Kate Spade Bon Shopper in the "Journal" newspaper print (clever travel mag edition on sale here)

Nautical J. Crew fit reviews

Thanks to the deal hunting Fashionism gals, I was alerted that this sweet, striped anchor dress is marked down in stores with an extra 30% off. It is on sale online, too but I hoped to avoid ship costs. I hit up my local J. Crew last night to see if they had it and evaluate whether I could wear it into pregnancy and beyond.

My store had one Maritime Anchor Dress left in my regular J. Crew size: medium. In my opinion, this dress (also available here and here) is cut generously. The medium felt a little loose even after four months of pregnancy. It is a thicker knit cotton that might be a bit warm for summer days. But for a breezy day near a body of water or for evening, I think this dress is perfect! It has two side zippers near the hem and long sleeves. The length was reasonable and I could see this working as a future Memorial Day or Labor Day dress even after pregnancy. Despite the medium's generous cut, I would have tried the large if it existed in my local store. For this price, I still bought the medium on final sale. After discounts it was a great deal! 

While there I stumbled upon the cutest anchor dress and nearly snatched it up at full price. Were it not for my transitioning body, and the practical thoughts that it brings, it would be mine.

I also found it, named the Dizzy Anchors Dress to run a bit large, as I could zip the size 8 with no problem. The only place it was fitted was in the bust, where you probably want a tailored fit. But for my own current bustline, I would probably be better off in a 10. It is a very flattering cut that should suit a bunch of figures. The dress is an un-stretchy, light and airy cotton. Perfect for summer! I believe the bodice was lined though I cannot recall if the lining extended through the skirt. If it did, it was unattached to the outer fabric. The dress features a side zipper and pockets.

A detailed bodice shot above demonstrates how the bust on my size 8 was snug. I must remind those who might usually wear similar sizes that my bust is larger than normal due to my "condition." I think this dress is on the large side of true to J. Crew sizing overall. Ample busts might need a larger size if they're currently in-between. The side shot is just to indulge any bump-watchers. To see more detailed bump shots, you can visit here.

Finally, I tried on this Striped Button Front dress because it was marked down even more so than the Maritime Anchor. It looks so cute on my stylish blogger pal, If Grandma Wore J. Crew.

I loved the length on the striped button dress (wearing size medium) as well as the ease of its cut. It would be a dress that could work through a bit more of my pregnancy (even in size medium) as the waistline was generous. I might even size down under normal circumstances. But I didn't care for the arm/sleeve holes. They were cut a bit larger and the way the tank cut into my shoulders would necessitate a cardigan or tank layer solution. I decided that on final sale, I should be frugal and only pick my favorite of the two discounted stripey dresses. The anchor won.

Hopefully these fit reviews can help my fellow J. Crew fans! I'd check out J. Crew in person this weekend if you are interested in the striped sale dresses since the extra 30% off is currently only available in stores. And my closest, highly-trafficked store (Shadyside, for your Pittsburghers) only had one striped anchor dress left. Happy hunting!

UPDATE: There is now a code for an additional 30% off sale items at J. Crew online. SHOPNOW is the code and as far as I can tell, it doesn't automatically generate a "final sale" designation.

Tiered Stripes Top

I was excited to find a Bailey 44 tiered piece at the Mission Valley Nordstrom Rack while I was in San Diego. I grabbed it and immediately worked it into my wardrobe rotation. I wore it for a day of informal meetings and campus business.

It was cold that day so I had a few layers that worked with the outfit for interoffice/interbuilding travels.

The entire outfit is pretty dark and fall-like but I prefer fall colors anyway so I'll risk seasonal inappropriateness.

Details:
Bailey 44 tiered stripe/pieced column top (summery tank versions here and here)
J. Crew matchstick cords (on sale for $19.99 before coupon codes!)
Romeo and Juliet cardi
Stuart Weitzman flats (similar here and here)
Marc by Marc Jacobs bag
Kors watch (15% off watches on saks with coupon code "friends"; 20% off clothes!)

Outfits of the throwaway

I have mostly resolved to venture outside of my office walls and take some better lit (or at least non-fluorescent-lit) outfit photos. But I still have a cache of office outfits that document what I've worn to campus spanning the last few months of time. I didn't post them because most were repeats already blogged in semesters previous and the quality of photos was too poor. Still I wanted to put them together in a post for my own semester-to-semester archival purposes. 

Row one, left to right:
See by Chloé dress, MBMJ captoe pumps
Anthropologie dress and cardigan, Chloé flats
Marc by Marc Jacobs dress, J. Crew cardigan, Jimmy Choo flats

Row two, left to right:
Callixta dress, Missoni Target tights, Aquatalia boots
Marc by Marc Jacobs dress, Old Navy ls tee layered underneath, Chloé flats
J. Crew factory cardigan and cami, Anthro skirt and belt, Miu Miu flats

---
An unrelated aside: I was so saddened by the death of Adrienne Rich this week. What an amazing, revolutionary mind! I still assign "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence" when it suits the curriculum. I was feeling especially weepy and inspired after reading her obit in the Times which included an incredible quote she made upon turning down the National Medal of Arts:

"Art means nothing if it simply decorates the dinner table of the power which holds it hostage."

I keep thinking of it. So I want to share that food for thought and thank her for her legacy. May she rest in peace and may the rest of us do what we can to enable a more equitable and less hateful world.

Easy weekend outfit

I wore this (and was actually a bit too warm with the cardiwrap) for neighborhood errand running, a trip to Target, and a dog walk. I've been trying to make more of an effort to photograph outfits outdoors. I know it will not be practical for me to do so all the time. But when I can, I plan to try.

March feels a bit less busy than February in some ways. But all of my formerly postponed tasks have been re-prioritized so I am really just as swamped. My on-campus hours have eased up a bit which is nice. Next month brings my birthday, the end of the term, and travel to San Diego. I have never visited this city and will be staying in Little Italy (which feels fitting as a current resident of Pittsburgh's Little Italy) so bring on the restaurant, sight-seeing, and shopping suggestions! I will be there for a conference but hope to also have some fun.

Outfit details: 
Parameter cardiwrap from Piperlime (similar and well priced)
Gap body shirt underneath (via Gabes)
J. Crew matchstick cords
Coach captoe flats (similar)
Anthropologie scarf (via Gabes) (similar)
Cynthia Rowley bag from Zappos (similar and budget similar)

As an aside, I was featured on the Facebook Page of Hanes Hosiery! I have a few pairs of thigh high and control top sheers to giveaway and will be doing so this week. So stay tuned! 

Wardrobe Rotations

J. Crew Factory Rosette cardi

Kate Spade Calista dress

Spanx tights

Nine West mary jane pumps

MBMJ Softy Max Satchel

Arm candy: Linea Pelle, Target, Kenneth Jay Lane, Kate Spade, Hiptique

Vintage necklace and gifted amber pendant

I wore this ensemble to teach and to attend some committee meetings on campus. Last April, I gravitated toward this dress because of the styling possibilities it could yield. But when I reached for it this week, I didn't experiment too much from my most recent pairing.

I've written before about how one of my favorite mundane aspects of my job is that you teach a new crop of people every term, giving your wardrobe the chance to debut to a fresh audience with a fair amount of frequency. Perhaps this is a silly thing to value and of course, you still see the same faculty and staff regardless. I also realize that many profs will likely encounter the same students multiple terms if they teach on a small campus or in a smaller department.

Still, I enjoy organizing a work wardrobe rotation structured around both the seasonal changes and the semester length. At the moment, I am teaching only two days a week so my wardrobe can stretch pretty far in this particular schema. On the days when I'm not in the classroom but still on campus, I tend to lean in the direction of casual comfort. And I usually forget to document those. But most of them are repeats you've already seen in various dressing room photos. They involve cords, sweaters, blouses, and flats/boots. Unfussy, boring, and just pulled together enough to pass muster.

How do you organize a wardrobe rotation for the workplace?

As an aside, this winter has been so mild that I've noticed my warmest options aren't necessary. I've only worn my warmest winter boots once. And it hasn't been too cold to need more than just tights with a dress/skirt. I feel like I'm waiting for the other snowshoe to drop!

Quick weekend shopping OOTD

Fair Isle sweater by Aqua (on super sale!)

J. Crew draped neck silk blouse

J. Crew Matchstick cords

Tory Burch Revas

Michael Kors Calista hobo

Misc. bracelets (gift, KJL, Target)

I wore this to the mall with a girlfriend where I got my new watch band fitted to my wrist and grabbed some pretty table linens from Williams Sonoma who was having a huge clearance sale. It's nice to go to the mall in January cause it is so much more peaceful than it is in the lead up to Christmas.

How was your weekend?

Christmas Eve OOTN

J. Crew top

Kate Spade skirt (current season version here, others on sale here and here)

BP cardi (that I left in my purse all night)

Spanx tights

There were many contenders in the running for my Christmas Eve Outfit of the Night. But I ultimately chose this combo because it felt festive. Every year the Italian side of my family gets together for the Feast of the Seven Fishes. And like many Italian families, there are a lot of us! I look forward to it as soon as the holiday season begins because I get to catch up with relatives and eat the incredible seafood made by my aunts and cousins. Chris might look even more forward to it than I do because of his deep, abiding love for baccala (salted cod). It is one of those annual events where I have an elephant's memory for my outfits. I remember what I wore when I was 8 and what I wore when I was 28. So I always toil a little over the possibilities. But I was pleased with my final ensemble. And I had a wonderful time! Happy holidays!

Work Party/Last Day Outfit

J. Crew top

Off Fifth skirt

Cece cardigan

Chloé lock flats (similar here)

Spanx tights

Rosette Necklace (gift)

I realized I have no good photos of my conference outfits (save for a couple mirror shots) so I am going to have to play dress up to share them. But in the meanwhile, the semester has ended and for the last day of teaching, I also dressed to attend the faculty and staff holiday party in my building. My mom is a schoolteacher so I come from a family that sartorially observes holidays. But I wanted to bridge looking serious with looking festive so I avoided over-the-top green and red combos. I wore a beaded silk top from J. Crew (bought on major sale last January), a festive rosette necklace that was a gift from my friends Em and Cee, and a skirt from Off Fifth.

On repeats and no repeats

J. Crew factory rosette cardigan (similar here)
Kate Spade dress (current season version)

Gucci wedges

Heathered bittersweet Spanx tights

Vintage necklaces, Linea Pelle leather bracelet, Target enamel bangles, Betsey Johnson watch

Alternate title: Why I don't (30 for 30) remix. The ideology of consumerism is powerful. The lure of the consumer fix and the emotionally transformative prospects for retail therapy continue to inform purchase decisions among even the savviest shoppers.* I've long believed in the idea that through repeated wearing, a garment's use-value increases (so if you take the cost-per-wear calculus, it becomes less expensive to the purchaser the more you rotate an item through your ensembles). Still, that desire for more, newer, better has meant that so many of us continue to pursue quantity, regardless of quality. Personally, I know I have too many clothes, even if the majority of the stuff I buy at this point is of nicer quality. Reading through the intelligent and practical thoughts of "The Year of Nothing New" helped me better understand my own personal tendencies for amassing quantity. And rewearing pieces (without self-imposed wardrobe constraints) is something I practice constantly (monogamous dressing is my pastime). I admire that so many people participate in the 30 for 30 challenges, as I do think they can inspire creativity and innovation among people who have limited wardrobes (during extended travel, for financial reasons, or just for the sake of relative minimalism). But I have never considered participating in such challenges myself.

Like many of the various remix challenge participants I find myself thinking that I have too much.  Even after consistent edits and weeding, trying to be as ruthless and unsentimental as possible; even after multiple resolutions to "buy less, buy better," I still find myself capable of avoiding repeats within the fall and winter months of the semesters. I suppose that sounds obscene to some. And I guess I should clarify that I don't mean each outfit I wear is always completely new. But the central component of an outfit can easily be swapped for each new semester audience. After all, right now I only teach my students two days per week. When I have a wealth of options it makes me think I should rotate for the sake of equitable use even when I get the urge to repeat (to the same audience) in quick succession. So I try to go through a rotation of outfits that is organized based on season.

Obviously some pieces can't be worn in the dog days of late summer and others simply are not practical to sport when it is 10 degrees below freezing. So my wardrobe strategy is seasonally dependent. Within the rotation my goal is to maximize what I have without pretend limits and with realistic attitudes about when to cut something from the roster (hence the difficulty I've had in finding pieces to include in Jewish Girl's rounds of the Use it or Lose it Challenge). Especially when they are novel or especially flattering, I find myself wanting to wear some pieces every day (like the above dress). But I resist, perhaps irrationally.

Should variety be the default when your options are plentiful? I often wear the same outfits in quick succession when they can be spread among diverse social circles. Some days I even want my own personal super hero uniform to involve an arsenal of the same garment that I thoughtlessly and happily sport all the time. I envy the simplistic chicness of a wardrobe consisting of all neutrals and/or just a reasonably small number of key pieces. And yet (like so many privileged Americans) my own relationship with consumerism  has been such that "more" often conflates with "better." Maybe it is the inevitable side effect of existing in a Supersize-happy culture?

Lately when I find myself staring into my wardrobe, wondering what to wear, I fantasize about that small, perfectly-edited, neutral-tone wardrobe where everything matches and everything is unfussy and chic.** And repeats are inevitable.

*For an academic take on the intersections of faith and shopping, see this excellent book by historian, Lizabeth Cohen.

**I acknowledge fully the immense privilege it is to have such a non-problem (aka a "privileged person in the developed world problem" which is increasingly becoming my more nuanced version of the useful shorthand meme, "first world problem").

End of the day OOTD

J. Crew top

Anthro skirt

Spanx tights

Rosegold Liz booties

It is often the case that I don't have time to snap quick photos of my outfit when I arrive to work. But the reality is that it's far more honest to show you how disheveled and wrinkled things get by the end of my longer days of teaching. After seeing this linen blend skirt in the above photos, I seriously considered bringing my portable steamer to keep in the office. Although, generally I do not recommend steaming clothes while you are wearing them, as doing so has led to more than one painful moment in the midst of my own rushed laziness. Still I liked this outfit for its subtle fall-appropriate neutrals, and in spite of the wrinkles.

Another quick pants outfit

To a Tee Blazer

Zebra top from Anthro (similar here)

J. Crew matchstick cords

Tory Burch Revas

Kate Spade Bon Shopper tote (loving this matchbook print version)

I wore this for errands and to stop in Anthro the other week. I am so behind on posts and outfits and life! I might just do an omnibus entry with some recent hits. Though first I need to have the breathing room to compose such an entry... I also apologize for my absenteeism among my fellow bloggers. My reader is stocked full of your recent posts and I am looking forward to when I can comb through everything.

Wearing the pants

J Crew matchstick cords

J Crew cocoon merino cardigan

Anthro top

Missoni wool scarf (scored from DSW for $20 years back!)

Reva flats
Misc bracelets and necklaces

Lately as the temperatures have cooled, I've gravitated toward layers and pants. I don't think I wore pants to campus much last year (if at all). That will not hold true for this coming year.

Belt crazy

J Crew cardigan and top

Anthro skirt and belt

Chloé flats

Spanx tights

I belted another cardigan. This isn't even a look I normally wear because of the adjustments and fuss required. But last month I bought two thin belts on sale, that actually seem to stay in place, and now I can't seem to stop. One of the reasons why I've been doing it is because of how it changes the proportions of a look. I am a bit short waisted and I am generally just short. So cardigans are often a bit longer on me than I might like, especially if I am wearing them over a dress or skirt. The belt emphasizes a waist that might otherwise get obscured in an outfit. But I feel overly fussy when I do it. And by the time I am done for the day, about to commute home, the first thing to go is the belt. 

See by Chloe for lunch

See by Chloé dress (75% off from yoox)

J. Crew factory celosa cardigan (still on sale with extra 30% off coupon code)

Anthropologie belt

Chloé peep toe pumps

I wore this outfit to lunch with a friend. And I will probably repeat it for campus soon too. For me, different audiences means the freedom to repeat without revision. It might be boring to some but when I find a combination that I like enough, I often repeat in quick succession. Look ma, no tights! It's been too hot to wear them and that is fine.