Hobnobbing

Hobnobbing, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

Following Future Lint's sage advice, I planned this outfit the night before. Today, we are going to a small work party for my department, but some administrators will be there too. I have been thinking about about sexiness (or perceived sexiness) and dressing, in the context of Jesse.anne.o's blog post. While she was writing about harassment that occurs as we expose more of our bodies in warm weather, a related concern for me is how exposing our bodies can negatively effect other's opinions, personally and professionally. To me, this professional element is a feminist issue. When I show my legs or even the shape of my legs, whether this is considered "appropriate" relates to how others police the fact that I possess and display a woman's body. Perhaps I feel free to expose more of my legs because I generally keep it covered on top, and I don't wear lots of jewelry or makeup. Not that these are bad things (showing decolletage is awesome, as is the fun of jewelry and makeup), but in a way, I think that we (females) learn to limit/censor activities that draw attention to our femaleness in the work place, and it's a bit ridiculous. In contrast, drawing attention to masculinity is generally praised.
So I happily bring the uncomfortableness of the feminine to the party. (Blokey gives a thumbs up, which I appreciate as he'll have to stand with me). Last year, I wore something shorter (but with leggings. I got asked politely if I was the secretary by some folks, and I don't care if this happens again). I know it's hardly a big act to dress the way you want to a social event, but this outfit is one tiny act in a larger attempt for me to boldly accept and express myself, without shame or fear. I figure it's good for folks to meet a young looking woman professor who dresses like a young woman.
What are your thoughts? Are you concerned about censoring your sexuality around co-workers, even at social events? Do you think I've picked foolishly (there's still time for me to change the outfit) and damn it, I should add a few inches? Or do think that PhD should be open minded enough to recognize that hemlines are just inches and folks should be free to dress as they please?

Edit: It's chillier outside than I thought so I will likely add grey tights to this outfit, which I think changes the modesty balance a lot.

Without the jacket, I think there is probably too much skin. I think upper arms are more intimate that legs, though.

Blazer: Banana Republic
Dress: Mir 101 (?) from Cliche (it came with a hoodie and I cut it out)
Belt: Not Just Vintage
Camisole: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Aerosoles, thrifted

Sharing

Sharing, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

Today, we have to share our street with a certain famous international shoe and textile brand that is taping a "block party" television commercial. I interrupted their shooting a couple times (hey, they were on my stoop and the company made ). I mostly just a little annoyed for my neighbors who had to move their cars this whole weekend.
I wore this weird mix of 50s and Western elements today because we are going to the DMV to finally get NY state driver's lisences I rehemmed (cut) the bottom of this American Apparel skirt, which had that weird upside down U thing going on. The black and white stripes on this cardigan are very small, so the photo looks somewhat psychedelic. I also created an ad hoc sweater guard (curled out cardigan tops make me sad) with some blue embroidery string. I hope the end result is a non-boring license ID photo.

My quickly done sweater guard (instructions: take a thicker string in a color you like. Make a bunch of knots and thread it through a buttonhole. Wrap the leftover string around the top button. Trim if desired.

This is another 100% thrifted/secondhand or swapped outfit.

For A-Dubs: a close up of yesterday's flower applique:

Cardigan: Loft: thrifted
Boy's western shirt: vintage, Ebay
Skirt: AA, swap and DIY hemmed
Boots: Durango, thrifted
Faux sweater guard: DIY

Better in theory

Better in theory, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

So this outfit worked better in theory. By that I mean, it looked awesome in my mind. But even in this very early morning picture, it seems a little off. But then, walking about 20 blocks in the Lower East for doctor stuff, I realized that the shoes were all wrong (too cold weathery), and that using a stretchy belt can not save all too big in the waistband skirts (I've heard that this is a frequent issue for women). The skirt kept falling out of the back. Oops. The sleepy face is because I stayed up late to prep. Thank goodness outfit posts show me what my laissez faire hair is doing lately. (Mental note, give Giovanni* a call.)
Luckily I have three pairs of shoes in my office. Yeah, I'm like the crazy "shoes in my office" lady (they hang out with my blazer, a scarf from Target, and a coat that I didn't take home once because it got hot. Can you tell that I love having my own office?) I planned a cuter outfit in response to Academic Writer of In Professorial Fashion's call for an outfit with special details, but that outfit is too warm for high 70s and sunny. I'll do a better one soon!
On a happier note, I bought pattern number 3, the clear winner. I may make one that is just below the knee so I can strut around, feeling like a quasi military B.A., but maybe it'll be so much fun, I'd to a shorts version in a knit!

Embellished Skirt: Billabong, via Cliche
Belt: from Presence, Chicago
Booties: Me Too from DSW
Shirt: H&M (very old)

*My very non posh, $30 hair cut dude on the Upper East Side. Saying that makes me feel more New York than I am.

Dressing for the home office; Dressing my best

Dressing for the home office; Dressing my best, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

I'm following La Historiadora de Moda's advice of dressing up a bit even when you're working from home. I haven't been working at home without major errands or meetings during the school week for a while now, so this gave me a chance to wear a skirt that I've decided is a bit too tight for teaching, but perfect for casual settings. It is helping with productivity. This outfit is also late following up to Eyeliah of Style Symmetry's challenge to wear 100% vintage for one week. I was challenging myself to go 100% thrifted/second hand just once, and it was really hard. Here, my glasses aren't thrifted but everything else is. Ooh, I am also "faking" a necklace by wearing a chain from my defunct fruit basket (we replaced them with better chain links) around my neck to fake the "chain link" design on the tunic.

I am smiling (which I tend not to do in outfit posts) to express my happiness with the the body I have, in the spirit of the Academichic's upcoming "Dress your Best Week." Here are my (for now) my five favorite things about my body (and then I will "dress" to play up these part during the week of May 10-14):

1) Legs
2) Cheekbones
3) Wrists
4) Skin tone (that’s weird, but I like my skin color)
5) Hips

I wanted to include but my big big head with holds my big brain, which I helps me think about big problems like explaining the structural causes of Global South debt to my students, but I think this exercise is supposed to maintain mind-body dualism.*

If you're a blogger, I'd encourage you to participate, and if not, I'd love to hear what your top five might be!

Tunic (as top), H&M, swap/gifted
Skirt: Uniqlo, thrifted
Wedges: Aerosole, thrifted
Belt: thrifted
"chain" link necklace: off a defunct hanging fruit basket

*Some folks who study philosophy taught me this. I'm definitely not a professor of philosophy, not matter what the degree says.

Mission: Jumpsuit

Too much sleeping during the day, mucus overruns, and general restlessness had me up at weird hours, thinking about possible clothing wants for the spring/summer. I probably need a linen skirt/shorts and a top or two, but these can be found easily thrifting or via ebay.

I have also been itching for a terribly impractical, but hopefully very rad jumpsuit. Not one of these formal numbers, like this Marc Jacobs deal. Seriously, I don't see the advantage this holds over a dress:

source:

I am thinking more about kicking butt and taking names. Perhaps fixing things too. Maybe like this:

(Source)

For a mere $350, I could have this Ali Ro silk/linen blend number. That is a cheeky price to charge for a one piece garment that is basically a scoop neck tank with a shirred top, that morphs into a simple straight cut of pants. It has minimal tailoring (resulting in a sloppy pajama-like appearance from the back, which you can see if you click through on Sak's page) and looks out of place for most formal occasions, yet with materials seem too fussy to allow one to adequately kick ass and take names, you know?

I had something in mind more like this middle image:

source

It's sufficiently maverick-y, but there's a weird crotch thing going on. In addition, it's Free People 2009, and I don't particularly relish giving up 1/10 of rent for a trendy outfit. Nor does Blokey.

There are some nice vintage options. The HuffPo featured this lovely number (in fall 2008!) so it' s long gone. Plus, one pieces, sight unseen, are tricky for torso-long ladies like myself. This model looks quite petite and there would be nothing sadder than the perfect jumpsuit, just 1" too short in the body.

It seems the best solution is DIY, as it's pretty easy to add an inch to two to bodice of a pattern. Luckily, the interwebs is awash with affordable jumpsuit patterns. I'm thinking Farrah Fawcett meets Top Cruise meets Annie Hall. Here are some possibilities:

number 1 (this one is "Fast and Easy", my favorite kind)

number 2 (It says here that I can just sew and go, which appeals to me)

number 3 (simple-to-sew: do I sense a theme here?)

number 4 (Does it come with a jumpsuit for Blokey? And could I trick him into growing that mustache?)

number 5 (this is the most dressy, like what a sassy schoolteacher might wear)

The best part is that not a single pattern is more than $7, and they are all relatively simple to sew. I am completely off my rocker, or do you think I could possibly pull of this fringe trend?

Holding in a sneeze (and a cough)

Holding in a sneeze (and a cough), originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

I've been sicky sick since my blog post yesterday. Is there anything worse than a fever when it's already 80 plus degrees and muggy? Luckily, I have a very loving and helpful fella to help me (he indulged my demand for "All Fruit" popsicles) and while my head is still woozy, I am feeling 1/2 way better. Here, I am holding in a sneeze, a cough, and ignoring my aggressive post-nasal drip. Sexy, I know.
In an attempt to make myself feel better (because it's not enough to be ill, I also feel insecure and suffer from low esteem when I am sick), I'm taking an outfit post. Is it cheating when you don't leave the house? I've been working on this batwing top from Burdastyle. It's a free, open sourced pattern. Just two easy pieces (and some trimming). Very fast, and the most time consuming part was actually taping the printed pattern together. Like everything I sew, it's highly imperfect, and instead of finishing the edges, I indulged my love of raw, unfinished jersey edges (if it's good enough for AA, it's good enough for me). Since I am sicky, today I just clipped and cleaned up the raw edges (Blokey helped. He has a much better eye for details than me).

This outfit is a bit monochromatic, but I think the camel colored sandals break that up a bit.

My new strategy of sticking to my goals of thrifting and making more (other than actually thrifting and making more) is to look for my specific desire (like a linen shorts) on ebay. It is more likely to be cheaper and second hand. So far, no luck on the right pair (there are over 1000 pairs of linen shorts on that site), but I'm happy with this plan of action for now.
Hope you had a good Monday.

Hot weather, R&R and Modesty Strategies

Hot weather, R&R and Modesty Strategies, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

It's freaking hot in Brooklyn, with a high of 87. It's not that I can't handle heat, but it was cold early this week, so the sudden shift in temperature is disorienting. In addition, I don't know how to dress cute for heat. I've heard other bloggers discuss this. In cooler weather, I rely on tights, jackets, cardigans, scarves, and other cool kinds of layering to add interest to my outfit, but in heat, I don't want anything but the bare minimum amount of fabric to cover my body. I put on Blokey's denim shirt to go buy apples but I was forced to take it off and suffered with sweat. Oh well. Maybe this blog will encourage me to consider summer jewelry, because my extensive collection of summery dresses may not be enough.

As for my "summer boots" wear, this outfit borrows from the "young people" I've seen folding down their lace up boots on the subways (and in my classroom):

So what does the Rad prof do during unseasonably nice weather? Work on revisions for a paper, of course! My desk has been overtaken by drafts, other papers, and my mind full of thoughts on how to be more brilliant. In the academic publishing world, R&R means revise and resubmit, and I've been sitting on one since our wedding. Oops. I was lucky to get approached by a journal to submit a conference paper, and they gave pretty good guidelines for the changes, but I had to get some distance from my work for a bit. Now I am refreshed (somewhat) and inspired. I'd like to submit this before the end of finals. No rest and relaxation for now.

But yesterday, I did attend a May Day event. Since I've been heavy on the politics here lately, I'll spare you the details. But I did get a good shot of tourists gawking at us:

As you can see, this thrifted (early 90s?) dress is short. I am comfortable showing a certain amount of leg (not while teaching, of course, and I remain reticent about showing bony shoulders), but I need modesty strategies. (If the weather were in the 70s, I'd throw on some leggings). It's windy and stuff here. Too many times, I've unwittingly reproduced "Some Like it Hot" in a less sexy manner with fuller skirts. Damn you, omnipresent subway grates. I'm intrigued by the Pettipants, which Audi and Erin have raved about, but haven't gotten on the ball with ordering a pair. I've read about other bloggers using bloomers, so here I am wearing a pair of very short bike shorts. I am also considering getting some lace ones (maybe making some?) that would peek out. (Here are some options or inspirations: Boscov's, NY&Co (I'd trim these), Top shop, Sears, ebay)

Hemlines have been pretty high for a few seasons. What are you summertime dress/skirt modesty?

Dress: "Vintage Blues" (such a 90s brand) via Brown Elephant Resale (Chicago)
Denim Western Shirt: early 2000s Gap, borrowed from Blokey
Boots: Mia