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FacebookIt has been a while since I answered an email from one of my little muffins. It's not because I haven't been answering emails from you. It's that they haven't seemed to be making it onto the blog. What the heck have I been doing around here?!?
I have a letter in my stash from dear Scibling and loyal friend of the blog ScienceWoman from over at the ScienceWomen blog. She writes:
Dearest Isis,
Though we may not always see eye to eye on the practicality of footwear, I adore your sense of style. Both your writing and your wardrobe choices are hot! Your Letters to our Daughters project has been blowing my mind with its awesomeness. You are truly a goddess of style and substance. I implore the goddess to spend some of her time to help me with a fashion challenge.
The academic year is finally over, and just as I am turning up the heat on my science, the climate is turning up the heat on me. In Mystery City, it's HOT and humid in the summer. But in my building, the AC runs on overdrive. So I've got to balance sweating on the walk in to work with freezing as I sit at my computer, cranking out papers. Most summer days I don't interact with many people, aside from the daycare teachers, so I tend to go pretty casual. Last summer, I wore sandals, capris, and a plain colored t-shirt. But I usually ended up frozen by mid-day, and threw an oversized cardigan over the whole thing for the afternoon. And sometimes, I'd end up in a meeting, feeling a little sloppy.
So here's my plea: Please, oh goddess of style, recommend a blazer or sweater that will be versatile enough to see me through summer work sessions in a frigid office and impromptu meetings across campus. Ideally this is something that I could hang behind my office door, pull it on as needed, and it would coordinate with almost anything. Does such a blazer exist? Because if it does exist, surely La Isis can help me find it.
Your adoring Scibling,
With the letter, my darling Scibling enclosed this picture:
Figure 1: The original ScienceWoman and Minnow picture.
I want to answer this question. I really, really do, but I am just so darned distracted by ScienceWomen's feet! Before I can possibly continue to her letter, I have to take care of a little business....
Figure 2: Ah! I now feel better about the world and better prepared to answer the question. Those Jessica Simpson flats are just so damned cute!!! And now, look at how cute they are on ScienceWoman!!!
But back to Professor Woman's question. The bane of my summertime existence is also the ice age-like swing in temperature going from my car to my office. I swear that my office remains the same temperate 45 degrees in July as it does is in February. So, I have a couple of key items I keep around so that (let's be graphically honest here) the inhabitants of my row of offices do not become intimately familiar with my areolar anatomy. Here they are:
Item 1 - The Cropped Denim Jacket
I like this with a patterned skirt and plain colored tee. Or, a neutral skirt and patterned blouse. Or, a neutral skirt, plain colored tee, and wild shoes. I often wear mine rolled up to the elbows because I generally don't like things touching my forearms.
However, the law is that you can only wear one denim item. Why? Because this is just plain silly:
Item 2 - The Cardigan
I keep cardigans in white, brown, and black in my closet as general staple items. I tend to wear them out and have to buy new ones yearly. Here's one I am loving:
I like a nice cardigan because it can be worn with anything. That said, can we all agree that those big, bulky, knot dusters are not acceptable unless you're doing this:
Item 3 - The Bad Ass Blazer
I've got nothing hilarious here. I just love this:
There you have it, dearest ScienceWoman. Three equally hot and amazing options to keep you from freezing your science off in your office this summer. And, I think that denim jacket could be adorable with those plaid flats. I'm just saying...
Education
Physical Science
Comments
Once again, more excellent advice from the goddess!
New epidodes of What Not To Wear will start on TLC in a few weeks. You only have to watch a couple of episodes to understand the practicality and flattering properties of a blazar, denim jacket, or cardigan.
I also keep a pashmina in my office in case I need an extra layer while at my desk; I would never wear it to a meeting or clinic, though.
Posted by: Pascale | May 26, 2009 9:54 PM
I
Minnow's Hello Kitty socks are adorable.
Posted by: jc | May 26, 2009 10:25 PM
and the rest is:
I love WNTW. Here's a denim jacket that Clinton would squeeee over. Go to qvc.com. It's item A88832. $36! After you wash it a few times, it gets softer. Clinton has a line of clothes on qvc, but I haven't tried it. I've been eyeing his A85903 magenta sweater.
Posted by: jc | May 26, 2009 10:27 PM
Thank you, oh most amazing goddess. You have truly outdone yourself with options in all three categories. I will be clicking links and buying items this very evening. I look forward to waltzing into work next week feeling put together and knowing that I can crank out hot science without freezing my a** off.
And thank goodness you put me in flats. :)
Posted by: ScienceWoman | May 26, 2009 10:52 PM
If you mostly wear neutrals, you can also wear something bright over your shirt/blouse and look very put-together. I met with a friend today who wore a red cardigan over a white blouse and navy slacks, and looked terrific.
At the other end of the fashion spectrum is my department chairman, who keeps a collection of Hawaiian shirts in his office. He throws one over his t-shirt and shorts when giving lectures and attending meetings. However, we have a wimpy AC system and offices and labs are most notably NOT too cold in the summer.
Posted by: Karen | May 26, 2009 11:32 PM
If you want to treat yourself to a cute, oh-so-soft cardigan, check out those by Splendid. They come in different colors depending on the season, but you won't want to take it off. Unfortunately, they're a little pricey, so try to find them on sale.
For something cheaper, you could also look at Old Navy's shirred open-front cardigan. I want one in about every color.
Posted by: Allison | May 27, 2009 12:41 AM
I am style-impaired, alas, but even I am getting an urge to order that cardigan.
Posted by: Kim Hannula | May 27, 2009 9:31 AM
Having a selection of jackets and cardigans is also important for scientific meetings! I mean, last month in New Orleans for EB I was working up a sweat strolling to the Morial center, but then freezing in the meeting rooms! Same thing with travel days - the airport is often a bit warm, and the plane (on boarding) is toasty this time of year. Then, after takeoff, the temperature drops 20 degrees or so, leaving those in short sleeves all goose-bumpy. A light shirt with neutral slacks and a denim jacket works great in this situation, as does jeans with the same shirt and a cardi.
Almost everyday all year round I am in some version of these layers. I have one office in a 5 year old building where I am generally comfortable, but my second clinical office is in a turn-of-the-last-century building with "climate uncontrol." One year I came back after a few days off for Christmas to find a box of Godiva chocolates on my desk that had melted into a single lump (very difficult to eat, but I managed). In the summer it is often cold enough to hang meat. Dressing in layers gives me options!
Posted by: Pascale | May 27, 2009 10:28 AM
Yay, some styles I can afford even on a grad student's budget!
Posted by: Academic | May 27, 2009 10:39 AM
Well done Isis. I especially love SW's new shoes!
I hit Ann Taylor Loft every year, but styles vary a lot based on where stores are located. Banana Republic has great options too, and though sometimes pricier, they last and look new for a long time.
Good luck SW! Will you post photos of what you find?
Posted by: Sheril R. Kirshenbaum | May 27, 2009 11:36 AM
I think I have cardigans in every color. (Okay, not orange. I look terrible in orange.) I find that landsend.com and oldnavy.com are great sources for these staple items, particularly in the sale sections.
As for nipping out (guys...it's not you...it's the temperature), I swear by Victoria Secret Ipex bras. They keep my girls in check.
Posted by: unbalanced reaction | May 27, 2009 10:01 PM
1) The image of those shoes is burned into my retinas now. Thanks.
2) Dammit. I thought it was me and not the fact that air conditioners (when they are operating) are generally set to "freezer burn". My ego is now permanently deflated. At least it will pack well.
3) How old is the little one? Her (I am assuming her - boys can like Hello Kitty socks but I'm not assuming them as a first choice) outfit is cute.
Posted by: Hap | May 28, 2009 1:46 PM
Ditto #1 on the pashmina that permanently lives in my office.
Isis, in addition to this excellent advice (I too will be buying that cardigan and maybe the blazer), I think I remember reading that you keep a few extra pairs of shoes at your office, right? A girl's gotta have some practically stylish items on hand wherever she is! I will also confess to having the top drawer of my desk for lip gloss, toothbrush, deodorant, etc. Is that TMI?
Posted by: Callinectes | May 29, 2009 4:03 PM