Two months ago, at the beginning of the summer, I asked Dr. Isis, the goddess of all things domestic and laboratory, for some fashion advice. My problem was one of hot outside-cold inside – which is pretty unappealing when referring to undercooked microwaved food – but also pretty obnoxious when you are talking about frigid offices in sizzling summer weather.

Here’s part of what I asked Dr. Isis:

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.

The Goddess obligingly responded with suggestions, commentary, and even links to the appropriate web pages, and off I went for some on-line shopping. Below the fold, I’ll show you the results on me.

First, I present what I always think of as “The Isis Sweater,” but which is really a very lightweight cardigan from Target.com.

Another view is in my Flickr photostream. I originally ordered two of these – one in gray and one in white – but the fabric is very thin and the white one just looked see-through, and, well, cheap. Yes, I know it’s a lightweight cardigan for under $20, but apparently I have a problem with being able to see through my sweaters. Who knew? So I returned it with no problems. It took me some time to warm up to the gray cardigan too, mostly because I wasn’t sure what to do with the bits than hang down in front. But once I started wearing it, and learned to ignore those extra-long front thingies, I fell in love with this sweater, and I’ve worn it quite a bit. It’s perfect for the chilly afternoons in the office (or for going to see Harry Potter in an overly air conditioned movie theatre). It’s small enough to ball up in my bag when I want to take it somewhere, and the wrinkles shake out pretty quickly. (In the picture above, I’d just pulled it out from the bottom of a pile of laundry.) So my final verdict is: Gray is good and certainly worth the $12.58 for which it is currently selling.

Next, the Isis blazer from Ann Taylor Loft.

This blazer is sadly no longer available. I should have bought it in a second (or even third) color while I had the chance. That’s how much I love this blazer. I really don’t want to say any more about it, because I don’t want to give fits to anyone who didn’t get one when Isis originally recommended it. (Hint: I don’t think the goddess herself has one.)

Finally, while returning the cardigan at Target, I ran across a lovely navy blue, sleeveless shirt with a tie at the bust. It was on clearance (not on the web) and less than $12. I think of this shirt as the Isis shirt, even though she had nothing to do with it. Even though I haven’t snapped a picture of it, I think Isis would approve. (Scicurious does anyway.)

But wait, now that Isis has worked her magic on ScienceWoman’s wardrobe, has the diva also corrupted ScienceWoman’s footwear sensibilities? Stay tuned to find out.