I’m late on putting up this post due to a busy week and week-end — but it was full of work productivity and fun, so I can’t complain. This week will be just as busy and I’m in the middle of some prep work for school tomorrow, so I’ll cut to the chase and show you what I wore. In general, it wasn’t a very stylish week. Lots of clothes chosen for comfort before fashion, but I’m fine with that at the moment.

Monday Lecture:I found some tee-shirts I liked at Target, the ones billed as “dressy” shirts, for only $7 each. I like the fit a lot and the fabric seems like it’ll hold its shape. I may go back and get a couple more colors if these wind up washing well. They can replace the stretched out, pilly, armpit-stained ones I bought three years ago. Shirt: Target. Cardigan: Target (least favorite color of the ones I have from there, therefore least pilly). Trousers: Gap. Wedges: Rampage ($30 deal at some shoe warehouse place that recently opened up here).

On another note, I always jokingly promise whenever I post pictures of my ‘do that “no socks were harmed in the making of this bun.” If you’re on Pinterest and have browsed the hair pins, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If not, here. Anyway, I spot Obvious Sock Buns on campus pretty frequently, and I do not like them. For one thing, cutting up a funky old sock to put in your hair is gross. For another thing, why not just work with your own hair instead? A little teasing goes a long way for a fine-haired gal like myself, as you can see above. Just say no to hair prosthetics!

Tuesday Honors: I liked this more in theory than in practice. Oh well. Blouse: Old Navy. Cardigan: Target. Trousers: Gap. Wedges: Rampage.

Wednesday Lecture: My diagonally striped blouse made it back into the rotation, this time for a different set of classes. (Once again, I’m loving that I can remember where I wore what so I can avoid wearing the same outfit to the same class all the time.) Also, this is a new cardigan from Target to replace the super pilly teal one pictured from Tuesday. I love bright cardigans so much that I really consider having one in my favorite color to be an important wardrobe staple, but I couldn’t bear how worn out that old one was from all the washings. Also, I know that replacing it with another cheap one will just mean more pills in the future, but I’m just not in a position to spend $50-60 on a sweater, you know? If this lasts as long as its predecessor, I’ll be fine with that. Blouse: Target. Cardigan: Target. Skirt: LOFT. Shoes: I started with these wedges on again but changed into my grey Mary Jane heels on the way out the door.

Thursday Meetings: Instead of teaching classes on Thursday, I sat in my office all day for bad-to-back one-on-one meetings with my students to go over their essay drafts. I figured jeans were fine for that sort of thing, so I made an exception to my normal rule. Also, hooray for blazers and boots, my favorite combo! The icy-cold AC in my office made this not only acceptable, but necessary. After hours of sitting still in a cold room, I was grateful for the extra layers. Blazer: Anthopologie. Blouse: LOFT. Jeans: Old Navy. Boots: Frye.

Friday Meetings: I had another day of student meetings in my office on Friday, so I was casual again. Felt good in this all day, except that this blouse’s buttons tend to get unbuttoned easily, so I have to watch my bookbag strap to make sure it doesn’t cause a wardrobe malfunction when it crosses my chest. Or I could have worn an undershirt, I guess. Blouse: Gap. Jeans: Seven for All Mankind. Boots: Some brand I forget from DSW — they’re made of canvas (!) and vegan and I love them.

I hope you are all having a lovely week! I hope to be back with some non-fashion content soon and a 5K trail race report this weekend. Cheers!

Greetings, friends! It’s time for another self-indulgent set of photos of myself. All in service of figuring out my wardrobe better, you know? I’m still at a point where I really don’t want to spend any money on new clothes, so I am trying to make it work with the things I already own. This is getting easier now that cooler weather is on its way (soon, please, soon!) and I even dared to break out a blazer this week. I swear, putting on a blazer instantly makes me feel better about whatever I’m wearing. Often, a pair of heels will work the same kind of magic, but I don’t like to wear them every day — especially on days when I’m walking/standing a lot, and especially when I’m babying my recovering hip injury. I think I had a few duds this week — today’s outfit is particularly dodgy. Helpful advice appreciated!

Monday Lecture: Well, I liked my hair on Monday, I will tell you that much! (Part hair, French braid the top half of each side, gather in a bun, easy.) I really like this full, black-and-white skirt, too, but I wasn’t super happy with the top half of the outfit. A perfect, crisp white t-shirt and a less pilly cardigan would have worked better. Do you know where to find a perfect, crisp, non-see-through white t-shirt? Let me know! T-shirt: Old Navy. Cardigan: Target. Skirt: Gap. Shoes: Target.

Tuesday Honors: I liked these colors a lot, but I felt like the outfit was missing something. I tried on a blazer and loved the look, but I deemed it too hot to wear. Regretted it later (so wore it the next day, see below). Blouse: Gap. Trousers: Gap. Scarf: Target. Earrings: Target. Shoes: Target.

Wednesday Lecture: This outfit prompted a “you look nice today; any special reason?” from a male colleague, which tells me two things: 1) men (or at least this one) understand “looking nice” to involve suits/blazer because this is how they get dressed up and they do not understand women’s fashion, and 2) my other outfits were not deemed “nice.” Blazer: Gap. Trousers: Gap. Blouse: Target. Shoes: Target. Duckface: shamefully acknowledged.

Thursday Honors: I forgot to take my picture yesterday until after I’d gotten back home at the end of the day. Can you tell I’m slightly worse for wear after a long teaching day? Also, I really hope it’s my bad posture from holding Mr. Eegs that is causing me to look so pregnant in this. UGH. Dress: Target. Cardigan: Target. Belt: Target. Shoes: Target. Hair Tie: Emi Jay (and highly recommended for the not-creasing and not-pulling properties!). Dachshund: Limited Edition Special Egon.

Friday in the Office: In theory I like these black skinny jeans, and I do not feel this way about other skinny jeans I have and wear and love, but these…are they, like, super unflattering? What is the deal? I am not averse to wearing skinnies with flats and I don’t mind the silhouette it gives me, but today I just feel a little dumpy. Maybe because it’s my Special Ladies’ Time for Ladies? At least my hair looks good today if I do say so and I do. Blouse: Target. Jeans: Old Navy. Cardigan: Target. Shoes: Target.

What do you think about today’s attempt? Okay, or never wear again?

 

Hey, y’all, it’s finally the end of the week! Whew. Although this was a short week with Monday off, it still felt incredibly busy and I’m grateful that I made it through. My to-do list felt heavy with a million tiny tasks, both at work and in life, and I had to keep shrugging off the feeling that I was forgetting or neglecting things. I was, in fact, neglecting things and messing things up, but at least that only happened at home and not at work. I feel like the most important thing I can do is be present and mindful in class and with my students and I did manage that this week — but outside of work? I was a forgetful, careless, mess! Oh well.

This week I was mentally ready to start wearing fall-weather clothes, but here in Alabama it’s still in the 80s-90s every day and recently even more humid than it has been all summer. We are dying here. Dying. On this morning’s run, for example, I had to stop and pour water over my head several times and it felt like my skin was on fire. On fire, yet improbably damp thanks to the humid air’s refusal to let my sweat evaporate. But I digress. My point: I want it to be fall, but it stubbornly refuses to be. Why can’t the weather system just mold itself to my needs once in a while? Huh? Rude, is what that is. Rude.

So here’s what I wore:

Monday Off: Thanks to the Labor Day holiday this week, I did not have to dress up for my usual Monday Lecture. Instead, I snapped these pictures of what I wore on my morning run, kind of as a joke. Ha. Ha. Ha? It turns out that, unintentionally, I swathed myself entirely in Nike products. I must have been channeling Track Town USA.

Tuesday Honors: I really could not resist the allure of boots with a dress on Tuesday. If you’re paying attention, you can see that I’m already repeating this dress. Thanks to documenting everything, though, I can tell that the last time I wore it was on a Friday, to a campus event, and I have not worn it in front of my honors classes yet. Thank you, past self. Dress: Simply Vera. Belt: Target. Necklace: Target. Boots: Frye. (A rare non-vegan shoe and an even more rare splurge from last fall! I can’t buy any more boots until at least 2021.) These cute tortoise glasses are from Zenni Optical, home of cheap specs. Sadly, I have to inform you that this is the second pair of these frames I’ve had from them and both pairs broke in the same spot, so I won’t be replacing them with another pair from Zenni. I do like to have a pair of brown tortoise frames for the rotation, so I may wind up trying some from Warby Parker.

Wednesday Lecture: I really liked this outfit in terms of the look, but it wound up being a bad choice for lecture. I have to use a clip-on microphone that attaches to a clip-on battery pack so I can walk around the room with the mic. It’s pretty great, and makes me feel like I’m in a music video or something, except you need something to clip the big battery pack on, get me? This outfit had no belt, no pockets, and no waistband. I had to clip it to the back of the dress’s neckline, where the little antenna on the battery pack proceeded to tangle and molest my hair all through class. Lame. Dress: Talbots (thanks to Claire’s hand-me-down pile!). Shrug: Old Navy. Necklace: Target. Shoes: Target.

Thursday Honors: I don’t think this is a very exciting outfit, but it’s comfortable, serviceable, and looks professional enough, I guess. I do really like the flower detail on the top. I’d love to substitute a grey blazer for the cardigan, and I shall, when the weather cools down. Top: LOFT. Cardigan: Target. Trousers: Gap. Shoes: Target.

Friday Office Work and Meetings: I wound up wearing this today and…yeah, I don’t love it. It’s boring. I was just not wild about anything I pulled out of the closet this morning. I was pretty set on the idea of jeans because it’s Friday, but I wanted a blouse instead of a t-shirt because I have to attend two meetings with grad students and faculty, so I wanted to look reasonably dressed. I don’t know. Eh? Blouse: H&M. Jeans: Gap. Belt: Target. Shoes: Target.

Do you hate clothing sizes just as much as I do? Can I just rant about that for a minute? I understand that there isn’t much consistency in women’s clothing sizes. Some of this is definitely due to brands that keep putting smaller labels on bigger clothes, i.e. “vanity sizing.” It’s easy to tell which brands do this — I have tried on some shorts at LOFT in a size two that fit me. I do not say that to brag; I say that because it’s just completely wrong and ridiculous. I am 5’9, weigh 140 lbs, and wear a 34D bra. I am slim for my height, but I am NOT a size two. That is utter bullshit. Most places I shop, I will find things that fit in 4, 6, or 8, depending on the brand. In the more (relatively) high-end places where I shop, I can expect to need a bigger size, but at places like Old Navy, I’m on the smaller end. But see the Friday picture above? The blouse I have on is a size 14; the jeans are a size 4; the belt is an XL*. Whaaaa? The same holds true for a lot of people I know — I remember talking to one friend a while back who told me that she had items in her closet, all of which fit, ranging from 6-16. This just shouldn’t be necessary. It makes it SO hard to judge what will fit, and online shopping with any brand you haven’t bought before is a total crapshoot. Do you experience this same nonsense?

*I got out of the habit of wearing belts when I was fat because the biggest size belt I could find at Target was XXL, and it wouldn’t even remotely wrap around me. Now I know why: because an XXL is probably about a size 8-10, and I was a size 20. Bullshit!

Toward the end of this week, I found myself getting tired of taking and posting photos of my outfits. I think part of the problem is that I am processing them (and getting them to flickr) via Instagram, and I have several friends on Instagram who don’t read this blog and therefore have no real context for why pictures of my outfits started appearing in their streams. Without the reasoning behind the project and the attendant discussion of styling and planning (minimal though it is) I think it just seems so self-indulgent and vain. Like, “Hey, look at me and tell me I’m pretty!” Ugh. So I’m not sure how long this type of documentation will continue. Maybe I’ll try to cut out the Instagram-middleman and just post things here?

But I do have a set of outfit collages for this week so I might as well share them! Here goes:

Monday Lecture: I love this black and white dress with a colorful cardigan – it’s one of my favorite things. Unfortunately, I am starting to see that the cheap Target cardigans I bought in several colors 2-3 years ago are now getting old and pilly. Is that simply something that happens with cheaper sweaters and would higher-quality items not do that? In spite of the pills, I liked this combo. Dress: Target. Cardigan: Target. Belt: Target. Shoes:

Tuesday Honors: When I was picking this out, it felt like a boring, no-effort, cop-out sort of outfit, but then when I took the photos I decided I really liked it. Surprise! Tank: Old Navy. Cardigan: Target. Trousers: Gap. Shoes: Target. Earrings: local boutique.

Wednesday Lecture and Meeting: Okay, this was my favorite outfit of the week, hands down. I like getting a little more dressed up on Mondays and Wednesdays because those are the days I speak in front of 90 people. I can also feel more comfortable wearing heels on those days because I’m only standing up talking for one hour (as opposed to three on Tuesdays and Thursdays). On this particular Wednesday, I also had to attend a big faculty meeting and I think it behooves me to be a little more professional for that sort of thing. I felt good in this all day. Top: Missoni for Target. Skirt: LOFT. Shoes: Target. Necklace: family antique.

Thursday Honors: I was not feeling it on this day — can you tell by my expression? Anyway, I like this dress because it’s easy and seems like an instant outfit as soon as I put it on. I should note that I got it on clearance. I only buy from Anthropologie’s clearance rack because that store is wicked ovahpriced, especially for a teacher like me, or anyone trying to save money. I think I got this for about $35-40, though, which I consider a good deal. Dress: Anthropologie. Shoes: Target.

Friday: Office Work Day. I am loving my casual Fridays! It’s so nice to get ready for work knowing that I don’t have to dress up for the classroom. This particular day was the day before the first football game, and was designated as “college colors day.” I gather this was going on all around the country — I saw lots of other folks mentioning it online. My choices for college colors are either Garnet and Gold for Winthrop (but I don’t currently own any WU gear), Green and Yellow for Oregon (occasionally a sore spot here in Auburn), or Orange and Blue for Auburn. I figured I may as well celebrate my workplace and wear the AU stuff. Shirt: Tiger Rags. Jeans: Express (courtesy of Claire’s hand-me-down pile — thanks, Claire!). Belt: Target. Shoes: Vans.

Here’s a bonus photo of my orange and blue watchband, which I forgot to include in the above collage.

So there you go, a week’s worth of clothes. I’ll probably be doing this again next week, but I may try to think about changing the mechanics of the process. We’ll see.

The first full week of school, and I am not yet sick of photographing my outfits every day. I’m not sure how long this little project will continue, but for now I am enjoying myself.

This week has been long and full of, um, opportunities to learn and to develop my patience, let’s say. Teaching is going well, except for my sudden inability to work well with technology — a problem I have really never had in life until now, so I’m just baffled and frustrated at own my little ineptitudes.

At least while I’m wrestling with my Britney-Spears-style microphone and battery pack at the front of the room, I’m dressed reasonably well, right? So, anyway, here’s what I’ve been wearing this week:

Monday: Lecture. This was the very first day of lecture, so I had to wear Serious Clothes. I actually really liked this outfit. Without the belt, this dress is kind of blah, but I loved it with the belt. Never thought I’d say that. You will be shocked to learn that every single item of clothing I am wearing in this picture is from Target. They’re all also at least 1-2 years old, so don’t bother looking for them at Target now. Aren’t I helpful? Aren’t you glad I am sharing my amazing fashion resources with you? You’re welcome.

Tuesday: Honors. Nothing special here — just a comfy dress, flats, and hair I was too lazy to blow-dry. I got a lot of compliments on the dress. I really like the cut of it, but when I ordered it, I thought the grey would be a little darker, and I don’t love the washed-out color it turned out to be. Dress: ModCloth. Flats: Target. The flats are actually new and available now! Whee!

Wednesday: Lecture. I liked this outfit a lot and felt snazzy in it all day, mostly because I love a collared shirt under another layer. Shirt: Target. Cardigan: Target. Belt: Target. Shoes: Target, like five years ago (and still going strong!), Trousers: (wait for it….) Gap.

Thursday: Honors and faculty fall reception. I had to dress to teach all day (Tuesdays and Thursdays are my longer days) and then be at a dressy-ish reception in the art museum immediately after work. The fall reception is my favorite faculty event of the year, so I knew I’d look forward to it all day. If I weren’t going to be on my feet teaching all day and then on my feet for another 2+ hours at the reception, I’d have worn heels with this skirt. It just looks better with heels. But my feet were already exhausted from the week, so flats it was. Skirt: LOFT. Blouse: Target. Shrug: Old Navy (only worn in the freezing cold classrooms). Shoes: Target.

Friday: Office Work Day. I’m not in the classroom today (some Fridays I will be; most I won’t), so I decided to make it a casual day. I ain’t need to look fancy to wrestle with the recalcitrant course management system while eating granola bars at my desk, you know? T-shirt: Target. Cardigan: LOFT. Jeans: Seven for All Mankind (secondhand — no way I pay full price to buy new designer jeans, NO SIR). Belt: Target. Shoes: Toms.

Everyday things, because some folks wanted to know: Glasses: Ray Ban. I love these glasses. I tend to wear them mainly when my contacts irritate my eyes, but I’ve been wearing them a lot the last couple of weeks just because I’m too hurried and harried to put in my contacts in the morning. Watch: Timex Weekender. I have a couple other bands for it, which I’m sure will show up here some time. Necklace: Etsy. I love this necklace and wear it constantly. Bracelets: the beaded one was a gift, the three knotted ones I made myself. Claire and I made a bunch together in April and I figured I’d just wear them until they fell off, but they’re still hanging around. I actually don’t think they look very professional (and have other bracelets that would look better with my work clothes), but I’m keeping them on until further notice and that’s that.

The first week of school is now almost over, and even though I’ve only had one classroom day, I certainly feel like I’ve been through a long, full work-week with all the meetings, functions, and prep-work I’ve been doing. I do love the return to school in the fall though — perhaps even more so after having a few weeks free at the end of this summer. I’ve said it a hundred times, I’m sure, but for people like me, who’ve spent nearly their entire lives rules by the August-to-August academic calendar, the start of a new school year is just as nice as New Year’s Day must be for the rest of the world. Hey, it’s the middle of August: let’s start something brand new! What better time?

So, now for something new: “style” blogging. I use the word “style” loosely here. I mentioned earlier that my schedule this semester has me on campus more days than I’m used to and I’m trying to dress in a prefessional, work-appropriate manner and also keep track of what I wore in front of which class (I have one Monday-Wednesday class and two Tuesday-Thursday classes, and will spend Fridays either observing classes or working in my office). In an effort to make the most of my not-so-grand work wardrobe, when I have to repeat something, I’m going to try to repeat it on a day when I see different people — make sense? In order to keep track of it all I’ve been taking photos of my outfits. Are you shocked to learn that I could possibly get more self-indulgent and vain? I could!

Anyway, I’m going to post the photos here — not because I think I am so fashionable that anyone should want to emulate my style and not because I think I am hip to any kinds of new trends and not because I think I am a great example of workplace dressing. Most of my clothes come from places like Target, Old Navy, and Gap. Most of them are at least a year old. Most of them are fairly boring. So there you have it, your disclaimer. Obviously I feel a little awkward about all the photos of myself I’m about to lay on you. I am much more comfortable posting photos of my dog, as I believe you already know.

My goals are: to make the most of the things I have, to identify potential new combinations or new/better ways to wear things, and to identify where I could benefit by adding new items into my wardrobe when my small budget allows. I appreciate any advice you have!

Tuesday: Orientation Day. I was mostly working by myself in my office, but spent an hour at new graduate student orientation meeting the three new people who’ll be TAs in my class. I made it more casual for that reason. Tank top: Old Navy. Cardigan: Loft. Pants: Old Navy. Stupid grey flannel Mary Janes: Target. I am in desperate need of a nicer pair of grey flats. On the lookout for some.

Wednesday: Faculty Meeting. I tried this out at first with a longer, button-up grey cardigan and the belt over the sweater, but it just looked bunchy and frumpy. How do people get the belt-over-sweater combo to look nice? I need belt help. Also, more belts. Dress: Target. Shrug: Old Navy. Belt: Target. Flats: Target.

Look, am I even supposed to be saying where I got all this stuff? It’s all from the same cheap places and it’s so old they’re not selling it anymore even if you wanted to buy it. I don’t know, man. I guess I will keep saying where it is from, maybe just so you can laugh at my glamorous teacher’s wardrobe? Okay then.

Thursday: First Day of Classes! Honors sections met this day. I love this striped blouse, especially the pleated sleeves. I said something on instagram about how no one but me ever likes it (thinking, in particular, of a non-compliment I once received on it where the friend said I looked “like one of those optical illusions”), and everyone there said they DID like it. So there. These shoes gave me a nasty blister on the back of my heel/achilles area. Damn them. Pants are too long to wear with flats; considering getting them hemmed since I hate teaching in heels. Blouse: Target. Cardigan: Target (my favorite color!). Trousers: Gap. Shoes: Target.

Friday: I’m not in the classroom today (working in my office most of the day), but I have a welcome-back thing for honors faculty later in the afternoon, so I didn’t want to wear anything TOO casual. I’m not super jazzed about this outfit. I’ve always liked the dress, but it always seems to need something extra. Today I added the scarf to break up some of the monochromatic green, but…enh? I also wish I had slightly dressier shoes that went with this. Dress: Simply Vera (for Kohl’s). Scarf: Target. Shoes: Report (DSW). Regarding my hair: don’t fret. No socks were harmed in the making of this bun.

I am thirty four years old and, therefore, probably too old to be wearing a nose ring. I am a professional, an educator, someone who (at least sometimes) wears suits to work. Nonetheless, I stubbornly do not feel like giving it up — and I do teach in Liberal Arts, which means I don’t really have to. I could probably get away with wearing Birkenstocks every day if I wanted to (but thank dog I don’t). I have been wearing the same plain surgical steel hoop in my nose for about the past 14 years. I decided, as some sort of nod to maturity (and also a desire for something new), to switch to a small sparkly stud I bought from Etsy. This would, I thought, be less conspicuous, and also pretty.

Let me just tell you what a giant pain in the ass this whole thing was. After finally removing the hoop (which was just a single piece of wire that had to be straightened out a bit to be removed), I tried for some time to insert the screw-shaped stud I’d bought to replace it.

As you can see in the photo, the screw is both an awkward (but clever) design, and a slightly thicker gauge than the hoop was. It was annoying and painful to put it in, but I figured once I’d gotten it there I was good to go.

Cut to two days later, when I woke up with my nose even more sore than it had already been and obviously inflamed and disgusting. Huh. I took the stud out, but could not get the hoop to go back (it was too bent up at this point and messing around with it was painful). I figured it was time to face facts: Just like Roger Murtaugh, I am too old for this shit. I would have to give it up.

But then, I was struck with inspiration: I would go to the mall. There is a Hot Topic in the mall. A Hot Topic that sells nose jewelry. Could I face the horrors of Hot Topic? Was the Hot Topic even still in business? I could and it was.

I walked right in, me, thirty-four years old, and tried to avoid having to talk to the teenaged boy working the counter. I guess the young people of Auburn are perhaps not the target market for exaggerated fishnet tights, manga lunchboxes, and Evanescence tee-shirts, because I was the only customer in the place. Of course, the teenaged boy (who, I feel like I should mention, had several facial piercings of his own, as is appropriate for a teenager) came over and had to help me choose a nose stud from the glass case, amiably chatting me up the entire time. He apparently could not see how mortified I was to be there: me! thirty-four years old! in a Hot Topic! Let’s just say I got out of there as fast as possible, before he could ask me if I was buying the nose jewelry for my kid or something.

There was a happy ending, though: after much washing and sterlizing and such, I managed to put in the smaller-gauge, L-shaped stud. It was approximately a thousand times easier to use than the screw-shaped stud I’d tried before, and because it was as skinny as my old hoop, it didn’t aggravate or stretch my nose at all.

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Before and After

Lessons learned: 1) check the gauge of any new body-peircing jewelry you buy; 2) Yes, Hot Topic is still in business, and 3) apparently I have determined that thirty-four is still not too old for this shit, at least for now.