Use it or Lose it!

Better late than never, I am excited to finally post my selections for this round of Jewish Girl's Use it or Lose it Challenge! It is my first time participating and this round focuses on shoes and cardigans. Because I recently did some weeding, I don't have a lot of unused pieces in either category. But I did temporarily rescue three pairs of flats from my blog sale. Temporary reprieves have been granted and if I don't figure out how to wear them, they're back on the chopping block! I also grabbed four cardigans. I'm a little worried that three of my cardigans are too summery to give them a fair shot. But I might reevaluate once the challenge is over, one month from now. 

Here are my "at risk" sweaters:

top row: Drapey striped cardi from Free People

Embellished ivory cardigan by Morgan (bought on vacation so it has sentimental value)

bottom row: cropped bow cardigan from anthro in mint green

boxy mustard see by chloe cardigan

Here are the shoes:

 top row: Juicy Couture red perforated leather flats

mbmj "love marc" bow shoes

bottom row: BCBG embellished rain jellies

Delman Wonder suede striped flats

Les Prairies Des Paris striped flats from Anthro are getting one more chance! Thank you to Jewish Girl for inventing such a fun challenge! I can't wait to see how everyone does.

Blogging and Body Image

When Galadarling requested blogger contributions on the subject of blogging and body image, I decided to up a brief submission.

I focused on that nagging urge to compare one's own body with others. A friend of mine once said that no matter how you feel about your body in any given moment, there will always be someone who wants to be the size you are right now. For me, that idea begins to put things into perspective. When I think of it in combination with the knowledge that I am never as critical or hard on others as I am on myself, I feel liberated from the need to be negative about my own body.

Here is what I wrote:

Much like socio-economic class, bodies have often been the elephant in the blogosphere dressing room. So few of us discuss the subject openly (though Sal of Already Pretty does a fantastic job raising awareness and promoting acceptance). Despite the large amounts of silence, bodies and body image can be a source of significant internal struggle for many women. When it comes to blogging and body image, we must resist comparisons. Many of us exist within a media environment where the impulse to compare “who wore it best” and to scrutinize the bodies of women have become reactive, knee-jerk entitlements, fostered through celebrity tabloid culture. It would be naive to disregard the ways that such thinking can trickle down into our ordering of everyday, non-celebrity bodies. But we must suppress those impulses for the good of ourselves and others.

One of the things that has helped me in my own resistance is to hold firm to my feminist beliefs. Just as I believe there is room in the fashion/style blogosphere for all types of styles, I believe there is also room for all types of bodies/shapes. With a positive attitude, I strive to be less hard on myself when it comes to my appearance. Although it might be difficult to remember while lurking in such an aesthetic realm, we are not the sum of how we look. Our blogs encompass brief glimpses of lives much more complex and much more dynamic than mere surfaces can deliver. I’ve learned to accept the aspects of my image that bred insecurities in my youth. In a way, this has become a side effect of active blogging. I work every day to unlearn judgmental impulses and the habitual need to self-scrutinize. I remind myself that when I read blogs, just as when I see women in my day to day life, I do not see their flaws. I try to extend myself the same kindness. Most of us are too caught up in our own responsibilities, challenges, and enjoyments to spend time picking others apart. But the decision to stop those impulses is exactly that: a decision. And paths to self acceptance are neither linear or smooth. There are good and bad days. But at the end of most of them, I realize that comparisons (based on what others have or how others look) are unproductive and unfruitful.

You can read the entire entry with the thoughts of many very smart, stylish ladies here. Thank you for including me and organizing submissions on this very important subject, Gala!

Summer work piles up right when I leave town

I was out of town for a few days so I didn't have free time to update. Now that I'm back I am bit behind on everything so I just wanted to share a quick outfit. It has been incredibly hot here. My home lacks central air conditioning and the air conditioning in my car decided to stop working (which is frustrating since I just spent a small fortune on repairs last month). So when I am in Pittsburgh I am dressing for comfort.

This cotton dress was an early xmas gift from Chris that he bought and gave to me in Brazil. I was excited to pull it out for summer since I only wore it once last December. I paired it with my map print bag from ebay, an anthro belt, and flats.

 The blurriness of this photo is ridiculous and for that I am sorry. But the blurriness kind of makes the print of the dress look more like fireworks which is the only reason why I still opted to share.

Fellow PA blogger, Dana of Curvy With a Side of Confidence recently received the Versatile Blogger Award and was sweet enough to pass it along to me. Be sure to check out her great blog! I will have some reviews, outfits, and post trip updates on the blog this week. I hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

Bathing Suit Season and Body Anxieties

The cheapest maxi dress coverup I could find at Gabes

Chris in Buzios

Memorial Day marks the official opening of swimming pool season around these parts (though sadly for me but smartly for local families, the Pittsburgh city pools wait until the end of the public school year to open). Although I bought a bathing suit before my December trip to Brazil, I am always on the look out for swimwear that can support a bustier bosom. I've come to adore the Triumph For Your Curves brand (even if the name is silly) for their fun prints and wide range of bikini tops with underwire (sized like bras in a wide range of cup sizes, and everything!). I've also heard great things about the Figleaves in-house brands (Midnight Grace, etc.) and Freya, though I cannot speak to their longevity or support from personal experience. 

Although I have far from what most would consider a bikini body, I started wearing one within the last year or so. I decided that I was sick of tankinis (since I always pulled up the tank part of the top to sun worship) and one pieces (which made going to the bathroom a pain in the butt). I am no stranger to those body image issues that effect most of us. But I have come to feel relatively bold when it comes to swimwear, especially during out of town travel. It already helps when you are in a place where no one knows you except for your travel partner(s). But when you couple it with the relatively exposed swimwear culture of Brazil, I was even more confident running around, flabby body and all.

As examined in this entry from feminist fashion blogger Millie of Interrobangs Anonymous and posted on the website of MrsBossaDoesTheDo, vacations carry liberatory and experimental potential. An otherwise safe, static style identity can try new things without the watchfuls eyes of preconceived expectations. I wrote in the comments section:

There is something really liberating about being in a place where no one knows me (except the person with who I am traveling). Fewer expectations and fewer closet options mean that I am simultaneously less and more confined, if that makes sense. I don’t have to feel like I am dressing my usual “part” because I won’t see anyone who usually sees me but I have such a smaller range of options because I tend to try to pack lightly. 

One of my favorite things about traveling to Brazil last December was how completely body unconscious people were on the beaches. Granted, my boyshort bottoms had more coverage than most of the men’s trunks, but I found it really refreshing to see women of all ages and shapes and sizes wearing the tiniest of bikini styles without reservation. I wonder on some level if this is merely a product of availability? If swimsuit retailers there only sell tiny suits, then everyone has to wear them by default. But those typical anxieties about how my body looked on the beach (the feelings that I try to fight because they run so contrary to my feminist beliefs) were a little less intense as a result. I felt comfortable because 1. no one knew me and 2. everyone there wore tiny bikinis, making my less-tiny-but-still-bikini style seem modest. 

I obviously cannot speak for the women who live in Brazil (a culture where I have read that plastic surgery and plastic surgery tourism are more common and less costly than in the US, and gender roles/expectations for conventional femininity remain relatively rigid in part because of ongoing influences of the Catholic faith and the prevailing traditional standards of beauty). But for me it felt really powerful to walk around the beach without a coverup and without the same anxieties about body judgments.

Are you ready (I mean emotionally, not physically) for bathing suit season? I'm trying to get back to how I felt in December, regardless of the location of the pool or beach... But I've got a ways to go. 

For more feminist style content, visit here.

Uncertain Tippy: Hitchcock's Subconscious Influence

Tippy dress from Anthro paired for styling purposes with:

Moth cropped bow cardi from Anthro

Marc by Marc Jacobs mary jane pumps

Kate Spade tote

I am so grateful to Laura of Anthro Closet Chaos for putting out an APB on this Anna Sui Hitchcock-inspired dress called the Tippy. I never saw it in my local stores so by the time it went on sale, I was clueless about sizing. But I wanted it desperately! And I tracked down a size 6 thanks to reader, Melanie. Thank you both!

I have been a major fan of Alfred Hitchcock's work since I was a child, sneaking late night episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents on Nick at Nite (back when they played television classics from the 50s and 60s). My brother and I consumed and obsessed over the popular canon of his cinematic creations as teenagers. And I studied the psychoanalytic theories that influenced the director as a graduate student. A few years ago I was gifted a Hitchcock box set from my parents. It allowed me to see a bunch of works with which I was previously unfamiliar. And although I grew to adore some of the lesser known movies, I still love the cult classics.

In fact, I worry that my love for Hitchcock and his masterpiece of special effects, The Birds has colored how I see this dress. Such an influence could be more powerful than sale goggles. It's silly and short-sighted to buy something based on the intellectual and pop cultural associations it evokes for me. Sure, I've mused before that materiality is more meaningful than the mere acquisition of stuff. But I am not so certain that this dress is the right fit for me, despite its evocations. So opinions and yays or nays are welcome! This was a pricier piece than I usually buy (even on sale), during a period of relative fiscal austerity. Help me answer: Do I like this dress only because I like thinking about the film?

Hitchcock's The Birds is a remarkably misogynist take on the shifting norms of gender and courtship at the mid-century. Anxieties over the meaning of masculinity, if and when a woman aggressively pursues a suitor (in the context of heterosexual relationships) permeate the script, which was based on a novella by Daphne du Maurier. Ultimately our beautiful, confident, modern heroine (played by Tippy Hedron, after which this dress was named) is reduced and quite literally henpecked to near oblivion. By the film's end, the audience is left to presume that the "natural" order of things (in the gendered world, where femininity caves into submission and masculinity enjoys supremacy) has prevailed. The woman has been "put in her place" by nature's revolt against human progress. It is disturbing and powerful to witness. To read about Hitchcock's films and gender, check out The Women Who Knew Too Much: Hitchcock and Feminist Theory.

I fell in love with this dress because I was already in love with the film. Then I saw it looking amazing on some of my favorite bloggers! Help me decide what to do. And be sure to check out how those bloggers wear it! See Laura wear the Tippy here. See Becca here. And see Anjali here.

Luck's been a lady of late!

One of my favorite things about trying to keep up to date on google reader is learning about the fun opportunities of blogger giveaways! I've had a few lucky moments in the last few months that I wanted to round up so I could reiterate my gratitude to the bloggers who hosted them.

Tippy of Tres Tippy's CSN giveaway from a few months ago yielded new shower curtains for my bathroom!

 City Scene "Henna" Shower Curtain

Thanks to the Pretty Ladies of In Pursuit of Pretty Things, Chris and I are enjoying a year of Netflix and Netflix Instant!

I am still trying to decide what summer maxi dress to buy with the Forever 21 gift card I won from Carly of Strawberry Heels Forever!

Parker dress worn as blouse from the Shopbop sale section.

And thanks to Roxy of Effortless Anthropologie and Shopbop, I have a new Tucker dress I can also wear as a blouse and black leather Tory Burch Revas.

I haven't done a giveaway in a while, here. And because I was too swamped with work, my blog anniversary has come and gone. But I intend fully to pay forward the incredible generosity of the above bloggers with a giveaway of my own. Thanks again, ladies!

Mystery Money OOTD and how I'm curbing my consumption

Nanette Lepore You'll Be Mine dress

Forever 21 belt

Coach sequined captoe flats

Michael Kors Calista hobo

Earlier this week I decided to venture to the Tanger Outlets in Washington, PA because Chris and I had Mystery Money coupons from Off Fifth. I figured that even in the worst case of us both only getting $10, $20 off any two purchases would make it worthwhile. We indeed got the smallest mystery amount but everything in the store that is not on clearance is an additional 25% off. And the clearance selection is pretty decent. I personally didn't like the fit of anything I tried. But I spotted some cute things.

For example, you can get a DVF wrap dress for around $60 after the clearance discount (plus mystery money can bring down the price further). I saw a few Nanette Lepore dresses, some Tibi tops, and some MBMJ dresses that would have been around $40 or less.

Normally this would have meant I walked out with major clothing haulage. But I am trying, after years of sale-goggle purchasing to only buy stuff that I love and that fills a gap in my wardrobe. This process of consumption curbing is partially inspired by what I've been reading on the fantastic blog, The Year of Nothing New. It is written by another Anthro and DVF lover who is managing her enthusiasm for shopping with a year of abstinence.

Although I am not personally abstaining, it is inspiring to read her blog along with all the participants in Kim from Anthroholic's Shopping Ban/Shop Your Closet Challenge. With my coupon I did end up buying a set of Nambe crystal bud vases for the house.

I have bad luck with glass vases and seem to break anything that isn't very sturdy. So I consider this purchase to be a good one since this crystal set was on major clearance. I also find it to be very pretty, like most Nambe pieces. Because I walked out of there without any new clothing or accessories I felt pretty victorious. Chris got two packs of cookies than ran him .50 after the coupon!

Soon after, Chris was driving in Squirrel Hill and the car overheated. Long story short, a week after I spent a small fortune on car repairs, the car is back in the shop. And I am glad I have been curbing my consumption because that means I have more emergency funds and more savings. But still. :(

So much for couches and cameras until we figure out what is wrong and how expensive the repair will be!

Late to the party: Take Action dress review

February was a crazy month for me. It flew by. Numerous publication and faculty service deadlines convened at the same time. It entailed a bigger-than-usual trip because Chris and I flew across the country (instead of staying around the East Coast). And it didn't leave a lot of free time for shopping. For this reason I was excited that my local Anthropologie still had a bunch of the Take Action dresses in store last weekend. I never tried the Twinkle Twinkle dress (its predecessor) so I had no idea about fit. But I liked the newer color combo and loved how it looked on Becca and Anjali. I grabbed an 8 which seemed to work. Although the top fit a bit oddly, particularly underneath the bust (above the gathered waist) where it bloused. At least the bottom was a good fit. I think if I was going to buy this one I would want to wait until a second cut sale because I think I would only wear this layered with something and/or belted. This might be one of those dresses on which I pass but admire on others.

Fashionable Academics Virtual Conference

Today I am among the participants in the "What a Feminist Looks Like" virtual conference at Fashionable Academics. I encourage you to read all the entries and add your own to the comments section. This was a great way to integrate Women's History Month with blogging so I want to thank the smart, stylish folks of Fashionable Academics for the wonderful opportunity to participate.

Here is what I wrote about what feminism means to me:

"Feminism has been the guiding philosophical thread of my academic career. And for me it means embodying and championing bell hooks’ notion that feminism is for everybody. Students are often reluctant to self-identify as feminists, shying away from the much-maligned word. My role is to reframe their definition of feminism, moving it away from wounds left by backlash but also refusing to dilute or disempower its potential. I begin with the concept of reflexivity. A feminist outlook includes reflexivity and gratitude in addition to the space for frustration and anger. Feminism encourages thoughtful reflections about privilege. It fosters the idea that privileges come in many forms. Feminism interrogates not only gendered privilege but class privilege, racial privilege, intellectual privilege, ethnic privilege, national privilege, able privileges, sexual identity privileges, faith/spiritually situated privileges, etc. It takes seriously the idea that class privileges do not only connect with wealth. 

Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of non-financial forms of capital couples with Patricia Hill Collins’ belief that power functions in matrices. Add Kimberle Crenshaw’s theory about intersectionality, (i.e. that is not productive to look only at one aspect of identity in isolation from others), and you can shed light on how to become more reflexive about privilege. These ideas help students understand relationships of power and the systemic marginalizations that can result.  My hope is that our conversations inspire not only gratitude and frustration, and a sense of feminist inclusion, but also I strive to cultivate a shared feeling of civic obligation. Together we should do what we can to ameliorate privilege discrepancies on local, national, and global scales. For me that is what it means to be a feminist."

I'm so grateful for feminism. Without the wheels of social progression I would not be who I am or live in the world that I inhabit. Granted, that world isn't perfect... But I believe that I stand on the shoulders of women (feminist and otherwise) who came before me. And I hope I can help to make the world a more equal, just place for the next generation. 

Be sure to go check out the entry so you can see how other fashionable bloggers feel about feminism! 

Readers' Hardest Working Garments Part Three

Beth from Another Fish in the Sea wrote that among her hardest workers is also one of her most treasured bargains. She says, "This skirt from Old Navy is almost 10 years old. I can hardly believe the skirt has held up this long, but  it is in a nice heavy flannel, and it is lined. The combination of the simplicity of the grey pencil skirt, with a small amount of detailing  on the bottom make it a classic and it is always easy to through on with a blouse when I don't have anything else to wear. (Or am too lazy to find something else to wear.)"

Beth also submitted a photo of her wearing the above breezy maxi dress. She wrote, "The other item that has been a workhorse in my wardrobe over the past year is a maxi dress from AT LOFT.  I've worn it to work (with a tank underneath and a cardi), to a bridal shower, to my friend's rehearsal dinner on St. John, on lazy Saturdays, out for drinks with friends, to outdoor concerts and all around.  It is insanely comfortable and at the same time is the easiest "complete outfit" in the world to put on. I guess neither of my workhorses are very glamorous, but they certainly earn their keep."

It's so true that often our hardest working pieces aren't necessarily the most glamorous or expensive. They're those pieces we rely on for comfort and versatility, again and again.

Shakespeare's Feminine Ending from Fashionable Academics wrote about her favorite red dress. "My red Anthro/Moth short-sleeved sweater dress that's a size too big (a M) but gets a ton of wear Oct-Mar." I can see why! Not only does it appear to be a very cute dress, but the color is excellent. Unrelated, I love her book balancing act in the photo!

Lastly, Marianne of Looks Good From the Back blogged about this topic not long ago when she discussed her beloved Marc by Marc Jacobs top. Be sure to check it out! And check out part one with Sahiti and Sarah and part two with 13 and Josie .

Readers' Hardest Working Garments Part Two

13 of Thirteen Pounds is a fellow academic and she wrote about a beloved blazer from the Gap. She said, "I wear it with everything, but especially to up the ante on more casual outfits when I'm instructing or in the field.  Or, it works as a completer piece for lighter tops, as in this pic. It's about a year old but is literally my best purchase ever. Plus...it's really warm." I love how she styled it with vibrant colors. A basic jacket can be so versatile because it goes with everything!

Josie from Jojophine is a newlywed (if my calendar math from her most recent blog entry is correct!)! She chose her favorite cardigan and dress. She wrote that, "I got both of them super cheap. The dress is gap (2 years ago) and I wear it with lots of different cardigans and belts as well as blouses to turn it into a full skirt. The cardigan is from H&M (1 year ago) and I wear it all the time! It was the best $20 I've spent in a long time on an article of clothing." That dress is too cute and the cardi has such pretty, feminine sleeves!

Thank you so much, 13 and Josie! One more batch to go, plus my own roundup.

Readers' Hardest Working Garments Part One

Sahiti of Adventures in Soro said that her classic Hunter rain boots are among the hardest workers in her closet. She writes, "They've protected me from knee high snow, melting slush, disgusting icy rain, and general cold weather.  They go with everything and they are heavy enough so I won't slip and fall."

Sarah from That Damn Green Dress said that shirtdresses remain a constant in her wardrobe. This one was shown being worn two different ways, styled for two different continents! She wrote, "This old black vintage striped shirtdress is such a go-to since the tiny gold, maroon, and teal stripes can be picked out with any number of cardigan or belt colours.  When I traveled to Frankfurt and Venice last year with only a carry-on bag of clothes to get me through 2 weeks, this was the first choice to go in the bag- dressy enough and casual enough for any occasion."

I love Sarah's dress and Sahiti's boots! Both are great exemplars of the subjectivity of hard working garment selection. Practical boots that keep you dry can be worn with a variety of outfits all season long. And a staple dress can take you from day to night, place to place. But depending on the preferences of the person, specific pieces become viewed as harder working. Thank you both for participating!

There's more to come and if you missed out, feel free to discuss your hardest workers in the comments!

Double Blogger OOTD

This past weekend I threw a belated birthday soirée for Chris. And my good friend, hair stylist, and fellow blogger Erin of Shoe Love was in attendance. So I asked the birthday boy to snap a duel OOTD photo for the blog(s). Erin is wearing a very cool vintage frock with some gorgeous Louboutins. I am wearing a See by Chloé dress with MBMJ maryjanes. Speck is just glad to not risk being stepped on. She kind of demands being held during parties cause the volume of people in our tiny house makes her nervous.

By the way, Happy International Women's Day! Today marks the 100th annual celebration and acknowledgment of women's achievements and contributions worldwide. To read more about it, go to the website here. And to see a list of 100 women who have moved the world go here.

Hardest Working Garments Entry Extension!

Hello everyone! I have enjoyed learning about some of the hardest working garments/accessories in the closets of my fellow bloggers and readers. And I wanted to offer a short extension for additional submissions until Sunday, March 6th. I am throwing Chris's bday party this weekend so I won't have a lot of blog time, anyway. May as well extend things til I do have time to start compiling.

In case anyone else would like to submit a photo of their garments or them wearing the pieces, please do so between now and Sunday evening. Submit to: jesspgh at gmail dot com 

I will be featuring the posts next week on the blog. Be sure to include a link to your blog or twitter or website so I can list it with your entry! Thanks so much for reading!

Meeting Tien and Anjali!

I am so behind on blogging because I am drowning in work but I wanted to quickly post about my brunch at Bar Tartine, visit for treats at Tartine Bakery, and impromptu Bloomingdales shopping with Tien of Adiaphane and Anjali of Goldenmeans.

It goes without saying but man these ladies are intimidatingly gorgeous. In fact, when we were driving to the Mission to meet them, I warned Chris. I don't know why I found it necessary to do so. I guess I just wanted him to brace for an onslaught of pretty at brunch. Thankfully Chris is one cool customer. I on the other hand introduced myself AS Chris because I was a little nervous. And this is odd since I have met plenty of e-pals over the years, irl. Still, I bumbled. Thankfully Anjali and Tien were super sweet. It quickly felt like we were old girlfriends gabbing away over a meal. I was so excited to see Tien brought her fancy camera. And she generously took some photos of me and Chris.

It was pouring rain (which limited further my already limited wardrobe options) and Chris and I thought we had to head over to Oakland for our niece's bat mitzvah so we parted ways. When we checked in with Chris's mom we learned we had an hour to kill. Rather than sit in the hotel, Chris suggested we go to Bloomingdales where he wanted to buy a shirt that was lingering in his memory from the day before. As soon as we stepped through the door, we ran into Tien and Anjali who had the same idea. I wish I could have gone with them to Anthropologie. I'll have to plan on it for a future trip. Thank you so much to Tien for her skillful photography and fancy camera! And thanks to both Tien and Anjali (who conquered some brutal traffic to be there) for meeting up on a dreary, cold Saturday morning! I loved meeting in person these women who were both so incredibly sweet, funny, stylish, and intelligent!

In with the old OOTD

Banana Republic sweater (similar here)

Tibi skirt (similar here and here)

Spanx Tight End Tights

Rosegold boots

John Hardy necklace (bracelet here)

When I saw a blogger wearing this sweater from Banana Republic, I was thrilled to remember that I had it too (in black and in ivory)! I like its romantic poet sleeves and pussy bow. I unearthed both colors from the depths of my sweater dresser and planned to wear them asap. Anyone know which blogger was wearing it in ivory recently? I am having blogreader-induced amnesia. I thought it was Tien or Rosa but had no luck locating it in either place.

ETA! It was Overcaffeinated who wore the sweater and it was baby blue, not ivory! Regardless, check out how she paired it with an adorable patterned skirt here! 

In other blog-love news, I am thrilled to see that Becca (formerly of BeaisforBeautiful) is blogging again at the aptly named Best in Shop. Be sure to check out her newly launched blog!