Saved by the cardigan

Saved by the cardigan, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

I thought this was a cute, comfy outfit when I walked out the door this morning. The top is part of my "shop my closet" efforts (I have not one but two pink skirts. It's true) and the skirt is equally stretchy and comfy. However, when I got to school, I noticed that shirt is, um, a little clingy on top. And that the skirt makes me look wide. Luckily, the cardigan is very long and loose, and well I pull it over my body, these unfortunate consequences of head to toe (or knee) jersey get mostly fixed.

Mostly fixed, anyway

It's always a struggle for me to want to dress like myself (which is youthful and casual) without killing any attempts to be professorial. But I don't want to dress professorially most of the time, because I find that boring and I did not pick this field to be constrained in my dress. While this is casual, a few students asked me for directions and asked about another professor's office hours, so maybe this outfit works. Good enough for a sunny day in April.

Shirt: Dillards, (6 years ago)
Tights: Target
Cardigan, Loft (last year)
Belt: Not Just Vintage
Skirt: Self made
Shoes: Ecco

Hello kitty

Hello kitty, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

Today is cold. It feels like 43 degrees. I'm off to the local grocery store to pick up last minutes items for our vegan dinner thing tonight. Lemons, spinach, red peppers, etc. I may blog about this at my other, less frequently updated food blog later this evening. (One of the couples is traveling from Westchester so I assume it won't be a long evening).
I am not cranky about the colder weather. Once it gets hot here, it will be an oven so I am pleased that it feels like spring should (sorry warm weather lovers. I am feeling my semi MIdwest roots). Speaking of which, nothing says "Bed Stuy, do or die" like a crocheted pink kitty hat purchased at an Big Ten town indie craft fair on a Saturday afternoon. I am one of the few young Asian American women who lives in our neighborhood. I guess I can be known as the kooky one with kitty hat. (My own cat always attacks it from behind. I guess she wants to be the only one with adorable ears).
Have a lovely weekend, bloggy buddies!

Jacket: Tulle
Circle scarf: American Apparel
Tunic: Billabong, via Cliche
Leggings: Target
Boots: Born, via ebay
Hat: craft fair, Columbus, OH (sorry adorable Etsy seller, I lost your card!)

Rad and the Case of the missing benefits

Rad and the Case of the missing benefits, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

I had to go to school today to solve a mystery. It seems I am getting $85 less in my paychecks since last pay period. Since it's all direct deposit, I had to go to school and look at my stubs, which I usually get file away. I was all, "did some tax benefit geared towards economic recovery recently expire?" but that didn't make sense. No matter what anyone says, we're not actually recovered from Le Great Recession.
After some super sleuthing (OK, chatting with our office manager and some folks at HR), it seems this is a fee for providing my domestic partner benefits to Blokey. Annoying, but since we are now officially hitched, it should end (sometime, it's a backdated deduction for now). Part of me is uber annoyed, because if we'd known, we would have paid the $40 and done a courthouse wedding in Brooklyn prior to the ceremony in Chicago. (I'll leave out my thoughts about what this means politically).
Onto the clothes. This again another attempt for me to wish I was still in the 1990s: empire waist flowy dress, trucker jacket, and fake combat boots. Blokey and I have to go shopping at the fancy store in Manhattan so we can make vegan Spanish food for friends tomorrow, so I am dressed for utility today.
Also, this dress was for a few years my go-to travel dress, but it's become all stretched out in the neckline. It works OK for with a scarf but I am considering fiddling around with it to make it a summer tank dress. More to follow.

This level of decolletage freaks me out. For reals.

Also, I had the good fortune of getting a lovely package in the mail from Blokey's aunt. She used to be quite the sewer, even making costumes for local theatre productions. When she saw sewing books on our wedding registry, she told me that she'd sent old sewing books. She also sent me pretty killer dress making shears and a beginning kit. Yeay for awesome aunt-in-laws!

It's sewing Christmas in the cohabitating apartment!

Jacket: Levis.com
Scarf: Street vendor, midtown Manhattan
Striped dress: H&M, 2007
Plum leggings: Target
Boots: MIA

Big girl shorts

Big girl shorts, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

Yesterday, after teaching (mostly showing videos and also chatting about US hegemony- they were really cute yesterday after spring break*) I felt ansty and I knew that I'd have to pull out the sewing machine. It was a record breaking 90 degrees yesterday. Today is also very warm, and I realized that I need shorts suitable for grown up activities, not just my diet of cut off jeans, super short shorts, and hotpants that I pair with tunics for causal wear. I had a few pairs of pants in mind, mostly ones that are too big (I historically have a problem with sizing my pants correctly).
I decided to go with these, which are very cute, made with a nice brushed twill, and have a great floral interfacing at the waistband. But they were too big, too mid 2000s, and I already have a pair of black dress pants that fit. I only need one.

I know you are jealous of my uber sophisticated denim headband (from a jeans cutoff operation) and my copyright violating faux Murakami tshirt (from some crazy market in Seoul)

Here is my final result. I worked well into the AM, mostly taking in the side seams and waistband of these pants. I was pleased even though there is some waist band weirdness going on.

Maybe the kitty costumed girl on a duck toilet bowl doesn't make for a good teaching outfit

This outfit is inspired by Tania from What a Nerd Would Wear, a true JCrew enthusiast! At 80 degrees and blazingly sunny, it's probably still too hot for this outfit, but I am having shoulder showing anxieties (The Waves wrote about this earlier). I think that shoulders are really intimate, even in casual settings, but I'll get over that soon enough.

Jacket: Gap (2008), via mom
Tank: H&M
Walk shorts: originally from Dillards, DIY tailored and shortened
Belt: JCrew, swap

*I'd asked them where they were going to go for Spring Break 2 weeks ago. Like an idiot, I asked if they were going to the Jersey Shore, which is where I'd go in the summers as a kid, and they looked at me like I was totally crazy. Yesterday, a smarty pants but good student raised his hand in the beginning of class and said, "Professor, I really enjoyed my spring break at the Jersey Shore." Haha, everyone laugh at the prof.

Summer in the city?

Summer in the city?, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

Today is HOT. I can feel it. There is A/C in our classrooms, but it probably won't be turned on in mid-March). The sun is pretty hot at 8:10 AM and I fear for the afternoon. It's usually fine in my office but the first class after spring break, sunburnt students, and overheated classrooms is not the formula for the best class (luckily, we are films!)
I love this skirt, but it wrinkles so easily. And I felt the need for a jacket despite NY's projected record breaking temperature of 86 (and that is hotter in New York than in other cities, something to do with all those millions of people and thousands of tourists that make everything more sweltering). I think I became more cold blooded in the midwest, although I hear that the midwest is also unseasonably warm lately.
This jacket makes me happy although it's not as versatile as many warm weather coats. It's one of those jackets that make me glad that I have a bit of height. Also, it will protect me from still cool subway stations (they will get oven hot really soon).

I have a lovely sleeveless knit v-neck under the very light, sheer sweater. I don't think I've ever taught in a sleeveless top before. Is that too much arm? I once read one of those "how to dress for success in higher ed" pieces that said, "If you are showing your arms, you might as well be naked." Hmm. Is that true, or do students recognize that even the Man has sweat glands?

Skirt: Cynthia Steffe (thrifted in 2004)
Shoes: Aerosoles (thrifted)
Sweater: Muji
Coat: Industry, Cliche (Minneapolis)
Crochet nude tights: Kmart

Taking stock

Taking stock, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

Thanks so much, bloggy friends, for all your feedback. I just got back from Manhattan, where I returned the dress and did a few other work related things. This segues into many thoughts I've been having about this blog, my style, and my life. (Caution: possible self-awareness overload ahead).
I've been working as a professor for just under 2 years now. I complain a lot (sorry, JRu, I know that you read this sometimes), but I am a pretty happy and lucky person. My apartment is adorable, I'm in a great relationship, my colleagues are cool, my students are a riot (even when they grate on my nerves), and I have great flexibility with my time. But I haven't quite figured out my "big girl" finances yet. I have like quadruple the income from graduate school, but more expenses. And I unfortunately work in midtown, where the number of retail shops (not thrift) is ridiculous. (Also, lots of bad sandwiches). Since I have disposable income, no children, and no debts, I haven't seriously thought about how to allocate my income. And then sometimes when I've had a rough day, I'll look at clothes and all of the sudden, there goes hard earned money. Oops.
Sal, Elaine, Academic Writer and others commented that the dress might not be my style or easy to wear in multiple ways. I realized when putting away clothes last night that I have a lot of clothes. Many which I love but don't wear often. So I want to challenge myself, and use this blog as a way to stay accountable. A lot of other bloggers have inspired me to consider shopping ban, or a shopping plan, or something like that as a goal to guide my clothes spending (Sal, Alyson, and Jesse.anne.o all come to mind). I don't think I'd do so well on a total ban, and I still want to spend money on textiles as I learn how to sew, so I going to commit myself to at least 6 months of Sarah of Rhinestones and Telephone's Thrifty 365 challenge. (This would be more like Thrifty 182 but it lacks the same pizazz).
After I bought the mod-style dress (and a couple "work clothes"- all have been returned) last week, I came home and Blokey and I sat down and figured out a budget plan. We have generous allowances for food, entertainment, etc. (there's no hairshirts going on here). I am limiting myself to $20/week that can accumulate to spend on frivolous things, but it must be thrifted or some raw materials that I can use to create my own clothing/accessories etc. I will even try to make all my own non-monetary gifts (should be interesting, with a few babies on the way). I will allow myself shoes, underthings, socks, etc. and some items like workout clothes that may be better off new, but that will all have to stay in the budget. I have, of course, complete support from the fella. (He has a "fun things" budget too, but he'll probably spend his on guitar, music, and computer things).
For now, I am saving up my weekly allowance to go thrifting with Anne in Chicago in few weeks (academic conference). Wish me luck as I start this journey.

Dress: Brooklyn Industries
Socks: Target
Boots: MIA

Return or Keep?

Return or Keep?, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

I should not buy new clothes anymore, but I made the mistake of going into Daffy's last week to find some socks. And then I saw this huge display of Ben Sherman clothes on major discounts. This knitted black clingy dress seemed like a great idea at the time. I envisioned it as an easy travel dress, with colored tights in the winter. I wore it today just briefly with bare legs and realized that it's much shorter than I thought (again, it looked great in the mirror at the store).
It was $20, down from hundred something, so it won't break the bank, but is it worth it? Also, I don't want to institute a shopping ban, but I should really stop buying new clothes. I am not so concerned about thrifted and vintage, but I have too many clothes for our itty bitty closet.
Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!

I know that I am not actually Twiggy, but this dress makes me feel pretty carefree. Especially while watching films for class on Wednesday on American hegemony.

Also, thank you to Retro Riva for the blog award!

Ben Sherman dress: Daffy's
Shoes: Ecco