Clever Clip Review

A few months ago I was reading a post on Corporette and came across the Clever Clip. I was intrigued. At the time my hair was about 3 inches shorter and I really didn't know how to style it daily, especially for work. Well, I decided to go ahead and buy myself some clips and see how they worked, it was only a $10 investment for 3 and the shipping was cheap. Now, I don't know what I would do without them.

You may have noticed that I often wear my hair up. In fact, you can see the Clever Clip in action in this post, this post, this post and the picture to the left. I normally use the Clever Clip to wear my hair in a french twist. Without the Clever Clip, my hair would NEVER be in a french twist as I don't know how to secure a french twist without the Clever Clip, chopsticks or a claw clip.

I absolutely love this clip. I am able to wear my hair up, make it look neat and polished (or messy and funky depending on my mood) and not use a whole bunch of bobby pins in order to achieve my goal. In addition, its really quick to just roll my hair up and clip it. I definitely recommend buying this clip if you have shoulder length or longer hair as it can be a real life saver.

***Disclaimer: I am not getting paid for this review***

My rut

1234In the past, when it got cold, I would simply wear jeans and a sweater or sweatshirt everyday. If I felt daring, I would wear boots instead of sneakers. The summer was similar except that instead of sweaters it would be tanks or t-shirts and jeans. This changed a few months ago. I didn't realize I was in a rut until I got myself out of it. This blog is my way of making sure i don't end up in that rut again.

Now that I am out of my rut and have vowed to stay out, I have realized the depth or lack thereof of my wardrobe. As I have explained before, because of a limited budget, I tend to buy and collect pieces that are solid in color and function in multiple settings. This has essentially resulted in a color blocked wardrobe where I wear one color for bottoms and another for tops. In breaking out of my rut, I have attempted to mix that up. Part of it has been incorporating layers such as cardigans or blazers or tights. Another has been by exploring accessories such as necklaces and brooches and belts. The result (I hope) has been more interesting outfits that explore my personality rather than just a pair of items or colors thrown together.

1234Another way that I have added interest is by exploring outside of my comfort zone. Today is one such day. Yesterday while shopping for candy for our booth for the University's Halloween celebration, I came across a great long cardigan in a dark magenta on sale from Target. My first thought was, "I'm short, this thing is going to make me look REALLY short." Then, thinking about this post by Tiffany of I am Style-ish I decided to try it on. I was thinking, she's shorter than I am and looked fabulous in that long cardigan, maybe I will too. So I tried it on and fell in love with it. So much so that I searched around the sales rack and found the same one in a dark turquoise. Not only is it cute, it is super comfy and warm!

The Details:

Cardigan: Target Merona Brand

Lavender T-shirt: Target Mossimo Brand

Jeans: Old Navy The Dreamer Cut

Black Boots: Nine West

Costume-izable

Today was the University's Halloween celebration for local kids. Because I think that working in the community is important, my organization participated. Part of the celebration was dressing up of course. Well, given that I knew it would be a busy day, I decided to just wear something that could transform into a costume (hence the title of the post. I'm smart, huh?) Anyway, so for the celebration I decided to dress up as a gypsy. This made changing what I wore all day to the costume SUPER easy. All I had to do is add some jewelry and a piece of cloth and I instantly became a gypsy.

Something that I've noticed is that I have been wearing my tan boots a lot lately. Same for the new target belt that I wore today. Part of it is that I like both a lot and they go with a lot of things. But I don't want to be repetitive. I may have to consciously give each a hiatus. Not sure. Any ideas?

The Details:

Brown Tiered Skirt: Old Navy

White Blouse: Target Mossimo brand

Boots: Candie's (not shown in the pics)

Belt: Target Mossimo brand

Dark Blue Tights: Marks & Spencer

Fall!

1234I love fall. My guess is that this stems from it not existing in Miami, Fl where I grew up. As a result, when leaves change and it starts getting chilly, I get really excited and mesmerized by the changing and falling leaves. I also love scavenging in my closet for clothes to wear in different ways. The dress I'm wearing today is something I scavenged from my closet. While studying abroad in Amsterdam my friends and I took a weekend trip to Paris. Of course I went shopping and found this dress at United Colors of Benetton. The neckline is such that I may not be able to wear it as a dress without some layering, but for fall, that was remedied with my brown sweater.

I added my brown tights that have the same feel as leggings without the bulk and a pair of boots. I also added a slip to make sure the tights weren't noticeable and also to add some bulk to the dress. You can kind of see the lower edge of the slip in the pics below. Normally I wouldn't like that, but because the dress is above the knee and the last few inches are sheer, the slip worked out perfectly. Of course I have included Bella as my trusty photographic partner. Unfortunately, the pic to the right is the only picture that didn't come out blurry. I decided to post a blurry pic (below) anyway because its much cuter and you can see the whole outfit better despite the blurriness.

The Details:

Dress: United Colors of Benetton
Sweater: Old Navy
Tights: Target Merona Brand
Boots: Candie's
Brooch: Sew Lovely from etsy

Effortless Perfection

    Once upon a time, at my very prestigious undergraduate university, the term "effortless perfection" was used to describe the pressures women at the university felt.  In essence "effortless perfection" means having the best grades, the best boyfriend, belonging to the best clubs, being involved in extracurricular activities AND having an amazing body all while not breaking a sweat.  

    It's been a while since I thought of this term, but reading this article about Filippa Hamilton made me think about it once more.  In case you didn't know or don't feel like clicking on the link above, Hamilton is the model that was photoshopped in a Ralph Lauren ad that was recently mistakenly released.  The ad depicts a tall beautiful woman whose waist is smaller than her head.  Clearly, the model was photoshopped.  Unfortunately, the apologies that ensued from Ralph Lauren the label and Ralph Lauren the man are not the end of this Public Relations debacle.  It turns out that Hamilton has been fired for being overweight.  She is 5'10 and weighs 120 lbs.  That's a BMI of 17.2 which signals her as underweight on the BMI scale.  "Normal" is between 18.5 and 24.9.  Hamilton would have to gain 9 lbs and weigh 129 lbs in order to reach the minimum for normal on a BMI scale.
  In comparison, I have a BMI of 29.6, right on the cusp of being obese and most definitely in the overweight section of the BMI scale.  Luckily for me, I don't need to be below a BMI of 17.2 to keep my job (yay!).  But seriously, what does it say for our society when a beautiful young woman who is most definitely underweight is seen as too big to model?  Unfortunately, its not surprising.  It makes me angry on a basic level.  Its incredibly unhealthy to hold young women to these ridiculous standards.  But we do.  Or at least we used to.  
    Thinking about it, all of the fashion blogs I read are full of beautiful courageous women who are willing to show the world how they look day in and day out.  However, none of them would probably make the cover of Elle or Vogue or star in a Ralph Lauren ad and most importantly I LIKE THIS.  I began blogging because I was inspired by the many beautiful women online that share their style perspectives and imperfections online.  I know I'm not perfect and I sure as hell don't make it look effortless.  I guess the conversation that took place at my Undergrad University did really affect me.  It made me aware of this crazy image and the dangers associated with attempting to be this effortlessly perfect woman.  
    Most of the time I like the way I look, but more importantly, I like the person that I am.  And I'm going to work hard to keep it this way, whether that means losing 20 lbs or figuring out which shade of lipstick works best for me.  This is who I am, and I won't let a fashion ad, a designer label, a law school, a law firm, a man or a woman for that matter let me believe that I should change that.              

Had a bad day (again)

Yesterday sucked.  I was in pain all day.  Hoping today gets better.  I'll try to get pics of my tights up on tomorrow's post sometime soon.

The Details:

Turquoise top: Old Navy

Gray pattern pants: Gap

Black heels: Nine West

Purple Necklace: Target

Purple Tights

    I have habitually crafted an outfit around a specific new item that I just really want to wear.  I've done before  with my consignment skirt, my pashmina and my dark pink dress.  Well, today I have done it with a pair of purple tights.  These aren't just purple tights, oh no!  They are purple tights with a black swirly pattern.  I feel daring.  To balance out my super cool and crazy (for law school) tights, I have paired them with a matching sheer purple long sleeve t-shirt, a simple black sheath dress that I have belted and a pair of short boots.

    When I found these tights at Target I got pretty excited.  I was hoping for burgundy tights, but these purple tights, on sale, were just too cool to pass up.  Now, it would be really hard to figure out a way to wear these tights to work and have them be appropriate, but for school or weekends or just being funky, they're awesome.

Also, this morning while making tea I realized that I am nearly entirely covered in stuff I've gotten from Target. Yay Target!

The Details:

Tights: Target Xhilaration brand

Dress: Target

Belt: New York & Co.

Shirt: Target Mossimo brand

Boots: Nine West

Meeting Day

1234Today I had my first meeting as President of our law school's Hispanic Law Student Association. I wanted to make sure I looked authoritative and approachable at the same time. I chose a belted cardigan and jeans for the day. I also added a black sleeveless cotton shirt that has some ruffles on the front. Its sort of a subdued shout-out to the Hispanic part of my organization. All in all, I feel like my goal was accomplished. (As a side note, the meeting was a success and several first and second year students definitely want to actively participate.)

1234In addition, I'm loving this weather. The weather has turned so that its pretty hair day weather. In other words, because of the lack of humidity, my curls stay curly and my waves stay wavy. Coupled with the length of my hair, its been a good hair day for me. Add to that the success of my meeting and I'm just having a pretty great day.

The Details:

Cream Cardigan: Target Merona brand

Jeans: Old Navy The Dreamer Cut

Black Ruffle Shirt: New York & Co.

Belt: Target

Brown Boots: Etienne Aigner

Chest Pain

     I was going to write about my outfit today, but it was just jeans and a sweater.  Then I realized that the patch on my chest was out there for the whole world to see all day long, so this post is about that patch. . .

    You know that post about my chest pain I've meaning to write, well this is it.  It all started March 2008 when I woke up with some severe chest pain.  I knew it wasn't my heart or lungs, but it hurt so much I got it checked out at student health.  They gave me ibuprofen and told me to come back in 5 days.  Well, 5 days later was Spring Break and they were closed.  I went to an Emergency Care Facility nearby and was told that I had something else and given some steroids and pain killers.  Well, 10 days later as my steroids were running out and I had school and I couldn't handle school and vicodin at the same time.  (Trust me, Constitutional Law on Vicodin is a BAD idea.)  So I went back to the Emergency Care Facility and they did an EKG on me.  Well, one squiggly looked bad so they sent me to the Emergency Room essentially telling me that I might have a pulmonary embolism.  At the ER they did another EKG as well as a chest X-Ray and chest CT and told me there was nothing wrong with my heart or lungs and that the first EKG was messed up.  So I went home with a prescription of vicodin hoping that my pain would go away.  
    Well a week later I called my dad crying that I was in pain and couldn't handle it anymore.  It was BAD.  Somehow Dad got me in to see another doctor.  This doctor was very nice and understanding.  He has daughters and understood what its like to have your kids far away.  He gave me prescription for more pain pills, but this time a pill that would let me go to school and fight the pain at the same time.  He also sent me to a pulmonologist just in case.  Well, after a lot of sitting around and gaining 15 pounds, the chest pain finally went away.  I thought I was home free.  And then it came back.  My chest pain has recurred 3 times since the Spring of 2008.  I have no idea what causes it, I just know that its a HUGE pain in the butt.  This time around I have seen a rheumatologist.  (for those of you counting, that makes a total of 7 doctors that I've seen if we count the 2 teaching fellows when I went to see the pulmonologist.)  My rheumatologist has been very nice and above all else wants to limit the side effects of anything I take and not let anything get in the way of my studies.  He has prescribed a lidocaine patch that I wear on my chest.  
    Unfortunately, due to the placement of pain, the patch is highly visible.  Any neckline that isn't a t-shirt or a turtle neck will show the patch.  Well, rather than draw attention to it and tell people about it, I have decided to ignore it.  Yes, there is a white patch on my chest that sticks out of my tops, but poop happens and it makes my chest hurt less. 

Cold + Cuteness

1234This morning it was 32F when I got up to take the puppy out. For those of you in the rest of the world, that's 0C. I.e. it was COLD. As I wandered around the backyard waiting for Bella to do her business, I thought, well, I *could* just wear jeans and a sweater to school today. I'm sure the Blogoverse would understand that its just really really cold. Then I thought, well, if I give in now, that makes me kind of a wuss, and a non-fashion wuss at that. So, I have chosen to brave the cold in a dress. A very summery dress at that.

1234I was scavenging in my closet yesterday and thinking of The Small Fabric of My Life's Capsule Wardrobe Challenge and "found" this dark pink halter dress that I got while in Amsterdam during the summer of 2006. It is a dress that I haven't worn in a while because I have essentially outgrown the top. However, in thinking about the Capsule Wardrobe Challenge, I realized that I could layer it over a tank and under a cardigan and still be able to wear it while in the winter and without showing how the top doesn't fit anymore. In essence, I have recycled a piece of clothing I never thought I would be able to wear again. Eventually I think I might get my neighbor-seamstress to turn it into a skirt, but for now, I am wearing it as a dress. I may end up scavenging more things from my closet that don't fit perfectly and seeing if I can rescue them somehow.

In order to make the dress cold weather ready, I am wearing gray tights, tan knee high boots, a light pink tank under the dress, a full length slip over the tank, the dress and a cardigan on top. Except for a big of my chest, I am covered head to toe and quite warm.

The Details:
Dark Pink Jersey Dress: H&M
Light Pink Tank: Old Navy
Gray Tights: Xhilaration from Target
Boots: Candie's
Cardigan: August Silk from Ross
White Coat: Guess Outlet


As you may have noticed, Bella is my favorite photographic accessory. I'm not comfortable just looking straight into a camera for a picture, so by incorporating her, I have something to look at.


Also, I had two different friends compliment me on my outfit today. :)

Feeling good naked

This week I read a couple of Articles that definitely made me think.  The first was Tyra Banks article found here.  Now, I'm all for a girl taking control of her life and losing weight by working out and the like, but thats not the part that caught my attention.  This part did:

"I may be doing a little bit of TMI, but I always feel great when I don't have clothes on, unless the lighting is bad in the dressing room. But sometimes certain clothes, when I put them on and they don't fit the way that I would like them to, that's when I tend to get self-conscious."

Yes, I know, she's a former supermodel who made a name for herself by modeling underwear, BUT (this is the important part) she like all women has issues with her appearance.  Ergo, its completely normal for you or me to have body confidence issues.  What struck me the most was how much I agree with her.  I feel MUCH more confident  naked than I do clothed.  I think its because clothing has a tendency to highlight parts of my body I would rather not highlight.  Also, clothing can pull or be too tight or just not be the right cut to fit my body.  Naked, there is no such problem.  I'm not advocating that we all give up clothes and just go naked, but I do think its important to feel beautiful in your skin.  Women are beautiful naked.  We are built soft and hard and full of curves and straight lines that no matter the combination are absolutely beautiful.  

    Its taken a lot of time to come to the realization that I'm actually comfortable naked.  One thing that helped is a photograph.  I have a picture of myself, taken from the back, in which I am naked, that I absolutely love. It might be the angle, it might be the lighting, it might be that its black and white, it might be the way my curves look soft and young, but for whatever reason it is one of my favorite photographs of myself.  I bring this up because I think its important to have something that reminds us how beautiful we are and can be.  There is a photograph of my mom taken at Disney World when I was very young and she looks amazing.  She is smiling and looks genuinely happy as well as beautiful and full of life.  I know that I want to look back at photographs of me and see that same sort of beauty and happiness.  

    Since we can't always be naked I also want to talk about this article.  Despite being comfortable with my body when its not wearing clothes, I am a big fan of Assets (Spanx sold at Target) and other undergarments meant to contour the female body into the best possible silhouette.  I love wearing my high waisted shorts under a dress or pencil skirt to smooth everything out.  Now, I love my curves, but sometimes, they're just not as smooth as they should be or as I would like them to be.  This is where shapewear becomes important.  It increases my confidence by insuring that I won't have to worry about panty-lines or other bulges that can appear under clothes.   
   But the question does come up, what do you do if your man tries to come on to you while you're wearing shapewear?  Do you, like the article's author, tell the truth and that's the end of it, or do something else?  Personally, I think I would tell the truth that I am wearing Spanx and just go with the flow.  If he can't deal with the fact that I'm being helped by some undies, how would he feel about a push-up bra?  Or rather, how would he feel about my insecurities or my desire to feel confident through a piece of clothing?  I think that how a man reacts to the piercing of the veil of female mysticism, to borrow a term from corporate law, may very well tell a lot about how he will react to your bad hair day or hangnail or breakout.  
   It may very well be that my point of view is skewed because I live with my Fiance.  Anybody have any thoughts?   

Nine West Coupon

I have a Nine West Coupon.  If anybody wants it, email me at lawschoolfashionista@gmail.com and I'll forward the email to you. 

Patterns v. Basics

Other than stripes, I own all of 3 tops that have a pattern on them. One is the cardigan that I'm wearing today. I got lucky and found it at Sam's Club in a size that fits me and a price that fits my budget. I have often thought about why I don't have anything with pattern on it and everything I own is so damn basic. Well, I have a theory. My theory is that basics are more wearable and easier to buy because you can mix and match them endlessly and wear them often (and also cheaper) whereas patterned items aren't. So, if you're a student and living on a budget, it makes more sense to buy a whole bunch of basics than a couple of patterned items. But this ends up being really boring. I find myself wearing just solid colors all the time. Its just not fun.
My plan to fix this is to combine my new love of consignment store shopping with the goal of finding patterned items, tops in particular. I also plan on keeping in mind the next time I go shopping that even though it may be more cost effective to get 2 plain solid colored tops, that I should get 1 patterned one instead. In addition I plan on using this strategy at outlet stores where I hope the cost effectiveness isn't such a disparity.

The Details:

Cardigan: Sam's Club

Sleeveless Top: Express

Pinstripe Pants: Gap Outlet

Black Heels: Nine West

Pashmina + Trench Coat on Fall Break

1234Today was the start of Fall Break. Of course our fall break is only a 4 day weekend, but its still nice to have a break in the middle of the semester. I could have chosen to stay home and veg out with Bella, Luna and Sherbert. Instead I went to work after a gyno appointment. Everything in the girly department looks good :) Let me take this chance to provide a public service announcement. No matter the size of your breasts or your family history or lack thereof of breast cancer, do monthly breast exams! Also, a yearly pap smear could easily detect cervical cancer before its too late. Click here for more information on women's health issues.
1234Taking a cue from E. at academichic I decided I would try my light blue pashmina for the day. Well, it was cold so I grabbed my trench coat and went on my merry way. I got the pashmina while I was studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain during the summer of 2005. For those of you who don't personally know me, I lived in Barcelona from '98-'00 when my parents decided to move our family of four in order to give my sister and myself a "cultural experience." I absolutely loved it there, so when I had the opportunity to go back and study abroad I took it. Because I had lived there before and knew the city well, I acted as a sort of Mommy duck and led my friends around the city until they were able to get their bearings. We all had a lot of fun and one day while walking down the Passeig de Gracia, we stopped in front of Casa Batllo and I bought this blue pashmina. Its very soft and I love the color. Even though I have worn it before as a wrap, I had never tried to wear it as a scarf. Until today that is. I absolutely loved trying something different and it definitely brightened up the black button down shirt I wore.

1234Something I realized while putting the outfit together was that even though I was covered in brand names I didn't pay full price for any of it. I'm not a super bargain hunter. I don't stalk an item in a store until it goes on sale. I just simply refuse to pay full price for anything unless its an absolute must. I love sales and looking for coupons online is so easy that it feels like I'm throwing money away if I don't try. I also try to keep my shopping under control until I can find my way to an outlet store. Outlet stores rock especially for finding staples such as button downs and trousers. Outlet stores + coupons are even better!

Oh and by the way, the reason the first pic up top and to the left looks odd is that my camera is slowly dying after 6 years of faithful service. Luckily this picture was rescue-able and turned out pretty cool. Most pictures unfortunately turn purple and bleed. So we'll see how I manage to keep the blog up to date with pictures if my camera dies. Hopefully if I get some ad revenue I can replace my camera.

The Details:

Trench coat: Old Navy

Trousers: Banana Republic Outlet

Boots: Nine West

Button down: Zara
Earrings: Blue Nile

Consignment Shop Shopping

    Retail therapy was at its best last Thursday. I had gotten some not great news earlier in the day from my doctor, so I needed something to distract me. Luckily I don't live near the mall, so the only retail store on my way home was a consignment shop. I have been there several times and almost every time I find something really nice. This time around I stumbled upon a skirt I had first seen about a month ago. I didn't buy it then because it was full price at $19. Later that week I went back and couldn't find it. In retrospect, it was probably moved to another part of the store. When I went on Thursday, I found it and it was on sale!!! I paid $4.35 for the skirt!
    So, despite the cold and rainy-ness, I am wearing the skirt today. I have paired the yellow linen skirt with a forest green sweater, my tan suede boots, and a brown leather belt. Now, as I mentioned here I haven't really done the belt over sweater thing before, but for whatever reason it completed my outfit today. The Fiance even agreed! (funny story below) In addition, to keep myself warm I am wearing tights under the skirt and boots to keep the cold wind from freezing my legs. I guess I have taken Luinae's advice on layering to heart.
     The funny story: I tried on the boots and skirt last night to show the Fiance to see what he thought of the yellow and tan together. Well, at the time I was wearing a royal blue t-shirt. Apparently when I rounded the corner into the living room where he was, out of the corner of his eye it looked like I was dressing up for Halloween as Snow White. I now know NOT to wear this skirt with royal blue or else I will look like this all over again.

Pics to come!

Update: Here are the pics. . .

I included both pics so you can see the true color of the skirt and the little rascal that distracted me thus making me look weird in the pic on the left.

The Roundup:
Sweater: Old Navy
Belt: H&M (I think)
Boots: Candie's
Black Tank: Old Navy
Skirt: Consignment Store
Tights you can't see: Target Merona brand

The day in which I give up. . .

Today, I am not fashionable.  And I am perfectly ok with this.  Sometimes, you just need to take a day off from trying and throw on a sweatshirt and jeans to go to class.  Today is that day.  I may not look cute or particularly pretty, but I am warm, comfy and not messy.   To me, this is a win.  Also a win? Starbucks hot chocolate (more on that in a minute).  Since I am feeling a smidge under the weather and my chest is hurting (I'll do a post on this later today---don't worry, its nothing serious, I'm ok) I decided to give myself a day off and to stop and get something warm and yummy to drink while in class.  I'm not a coffee girl and I had already had my cinnamon apple tea so hot chocolate it was.  Boy is it yummy.  Let me tell you, for days like today, the people over at Starbucks deserve a medal.  That's all for now.  Hope your day is better than mine. :)     

Planning

1234How far in advance do you plan what you'll wear? I ask because since starting this blog, I have become more aware of how I plan outfits. Its incredibly easy to go to bed at night thinking that I'll just grab something tomorrow morning. When it comes down to it though, it takes less time and energy to just think and finalize what I'll wear tomorrow the night before. This is partially because I'm not always functioning on all cylinders first thing in the morning. So, at the very least I give myself an option or two or three before going to bed so that if my level of functioning is lower than normal, I have a couple of options that I thought about the night before when I (presumably) was at a higher level of function.
1234That being said, sometimes, I also plan ahead thinking of the week as a whole. If I know I have a certain activity, like a date w/the fiance or a meeting at work, I make sure to plan ahead so that whatever I want to wear that day is available. Sometimes I plan for a whole week just because. Oddly enough, I take more time and energy to plan what I'm cooking for the week ahead than what I'm wearing that week. Weird.
1234So. . . today's outfit was planned yesterday. I decided that after a weekend of driving and playing puppy mommy I wanted to look a bit more put together than the man's undershirt and shorts I wore all day yesterday. So when I want to look put together without dressing up too much, I call on my trusty dark jeans. Today I have paired them with boots and a sweater. I have had these boots since high school and wear them often. The toe is seriously worn down, but they are so incredibly comfortable. Gorgeous supple leather and a heel height that is comfortable all day long is a hard to beat combination. I know I should replace them, but a pair of leather Etienne Aigner boots for a reasonable price aren't just going to fall into my lap.

PUPPY!

Like all fashionable women, I have a new accessory, a puppy! (JOKING)
But seriously, this is our new puppy. She is 7 weeks old super cute, super smart and super cuddly.

Email is good--Prime Outlets

So I received this in my email and figured I would share.  If you happen to live near a Prime Outlets enjoy!

https://www.primeoutlets.com/prime-my-closet/login.aspx

not so normal Friday

1234Normally on Fridays I go to class then go to work then home. Not so today. (insert sigh here)
1234Today is going to be significantly different. I am going to class, then a doctor's appointment then work then a school sponsored "how to meet and greet with legal professionals" and reception. This means that I have to wear something that is comfortable, will look great *all* day long and count as business professional. Also, its cold in the morning and will get warm during the afternoon. So my options for today are a skirt suit, a dress + blazer, a pant suit or pants and a different colored blazer. So what's a girl to do? I tried on every pants + jacket combination I could think of last night and ended up wearing a pair of black pants (that are *somehow* too big), a dark turquoise 3/4 sleeve button down shirt and a gray blazer for later. And I am also fully makeup-ed out. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to fix my hair so its all flat and not nearly as pretty as I would have liked. Overall though, I feel professional and put together. Hopefully I'll feel the same way all day long.


P.S. I took these pics in my classroom right before class started hence the awful lighting.




Edit:
I really wanted to explain why I chose the turquoise shirt instead of a plain white shirt and completely forgot to above. After my discussion last week starting with this post about color, it occurred to me that if I wanted to feel like a cookie cutter law student, I could wear white. However, I'm just not that girl. So instead:

1. I'm not wearing a full suit
2. I'm wearing a turquoise shirt instead of a white one
3. I'm wearing red/brown shoes instead of black shoes
4. I'm wearing my non-traditional pearl earrings found here
   
5. Oh and my necklace matches my shoes.

That's it for now. Hopefully I'll remember to take and post a pic of the whole outfit tonight.

On how I get inspired and decide to do something different

1234Yesterday I went over to academichic and became inspired by all three lovely ladies' rendition of A's signature look of a skirt, top and belted cardigan. Since seeing each of them wear the look, I decided that I might try it too. My look, however, includes a long skirt with boots and this lovely hair pin worn as a brooch from Sew Lovely. (I really do love these hair pins!)

1234In deciding to try a belted cardigan I have to be careful to keep the proportions appropriate. If, for example, the belt sits too high, my chest looks (MUCH) bigger and it looks like I have no torso. However, if I belt too low, then it looks like I don't have a waist. I think I got it right today and this is definitely something I would try again. Pics of the whole outfit to come later.

1234Update: So here are a couple of pictures of what I wore today. What I liked most of it was that I felt feminine and pretty. Also, that my cardigan is comfy and not too heavy makes it super easy to wear it with just about anything while keeping me warm without making it hot. Also, my good friend complimented me on the outfit which was great. :)

Coats

    One of my favorite "classic" looks is a trench coat with jeans, boots, a scarf and some type of top like a nice crisp white button down.  To me, this look has a classic elegance that is also no-fuss.  Because of this, I decided to buy my trench coat several years ago on a whim (also it was on sale).  A year or so ago I realized that the trench's top button didn't button which made me very sad and very angry at my boobs.  I mean, really?!?! aside from having to buy $60+ bras, my clothes don't always fit and now to top it all off a nice coat that I got on a bargain doesn't fit.  Boobs suck.  Big boobs even worse.  
    Anyway.  Well, yesterday I decided to try the trench coat on to see if I could get away with wearing the trench open over a brown sweater and jeans.  I tried it on and it fits!!!  I swear bells were ringing and crowds were cheering when I discovered this.  Now that I know the trench fits I won't have to get another coat for the fall and winter.  I can get away with wearing a blazer or sweater most days during the fall, but once it gets cold I need to start wearing a coat (assuming I care about what I look like and am not wearing a hoodie sweatshirt).  
    I have several winter coats that I love but only regularly wear a couple to school.  One of these is a gorgeous off-white Guess pea coat that I got on super duper sale at an outlet store while visiting my parents in Puerto Rico.  There is nothing like finding a gorgeous name brand item that looks great, is special and is on super duper sale.  The feeling is WONDERFUL!!! The other coat that wear often is a red pea coat length trapeze-esque coat.  I love that its a true red and makes me feel daring for wearing a coat that isn't black or gray.  I do have a lovely medium gray pea coat that has faithfully kept me warm for several winters.  I'm looking into having the pockets relined so that I can continue to wear it.  Anybody have any experience with this? 

boots part deux

In my quest for knee high boots I went to Target in hopes of finding the ideal pair of boots for not a lot of $$$.  Well, I found two pairs that I really liked, but when I tried them on, I couldn't fit my calves AND jeans in them. :( This was the first pair of boots I tried on.  They are super cute, but because they didn't have a zipper and my calves are big, well, trying to get the jeans tucked into knee high boots look just wasn't going to happen.  This was all rather sad since they're pretty much the ideal boot I wanted.  The second pair of boots I tried on were a little funkier as they are gray and the top can be unfolded to create over the knee boots.  Alas! again the boots were just too narrow for my calves.  Target turned out to be a bust. 

I have also found a pair of boots from Old Navy.  These boots seem quite perfect.  They have a zipper and have a small heel.  I'm just afraid that they are too narrow for my calves.  Since they're available only online, I don't want to have to pay shipping for a pair of boots that I may very well end up returning because of my calves.  I did see these boots at Steinmart on Friday for a lot less than that listed price.  May end up getting those even though they have that buckle.  The plus side of course is that the shaft of  the boot is expandable.   

I think I'll probably just take a trip to the mall this week to see if there is anything out there and then make a decision.       

On how little girls are mean and beautifully confident RAs rock

1234Once upon a time I was a little girl growing up in Miami, Florida. Of course I had other little girls as friends, especially those from school. Well one day two of my little girl friends were talking about being pretty. One little girl, let's call her Mary, said, "My mom told me that little girls that are ugly grow up to be pretty." The second little girl, let's call her Katy, said, "Well then A-C (ie me), you're going to grow up to be beautiful!" It just so happens that I grew up with both these girls and even graduated high school with one of them. (the other transferred out before our Junior year.) I am absolutely positive that they would not be able to remember this conversation, yet it has remained with me ever since then. Right about now you might be thinking, well A-C-J, you're all grown up now, assuming their theory was right, you're beautiful! Yea, except no. You see, my face has not changed my entire life. Exhibit A is the picture of me as Snow White in 2nd grade, I was 8. Exhibit B is a picture of me earlier today. In fact, the last time I was home I looked through an album and found a picture of me at 2 months old where you would recognize the baby as me. So in essence, I still look like the same little girl that was told about 15 years ago that when I grow up I'll be pretty because right now I'm ugly. Now, I know 15 years is a long time to carry something so negative with you. But I can't help it. It was just one of those defining moments that has stuck with me.
It has taken a very long time and the help of at least a couple boyfriends and my wonderful fiance to make me believe that I am attractive and can be beautiful. This whole process, however, was not started by a boy telling me how pretty I am. It was in part started by an amazing and inspirational woman by the name of Theresa. Theresa was my Residence Hall Adviser for my hall my freshman year of Undergrad. One night, while feeling particularly low, she decided to cheer me up. I don't remember *exactly* what she said, but her whole point was that in order to feel attractive I had to feel confident. I had to believe that I was attractive in order for others to see me that way. She then continued with her crazy silliness and told to me to "work it."
Well, its taken a while, but I feel like I've finally put those little girls and their mean comments behind me. I don't always feel pretty or even attractive, but at least some of the time I do. This is a huge improvement, trust me. So now, rather than think of mean little girls, I try to think of an amazing woman whom I admire a whole lot. Thank you Theresa!




*** I have in fact changed names to protect the not so innocent***

Leftovers from Belgium

1234The Summer of 2006 was my last summer in Undergrad before I graduated. I spent six weeks of that summer studying art history in Amsterdam, NL and Ghent, Belgium. The trip was incredible and I wouldn't trade my experience studying abroad for anything. I delved into a world and subject that I had absolutely *no* background in. I had never even thought of studying art history. But when it came down to it, I loved walking around museums and learning about the history and intricacies of Flemish and Belgian art. Challenging myself by studying a subject I had never tried was both hard and wonderfully rewarding. I definitely recommend studying abroad if the opportunity comes up. Moreover, the main lesson I learned was that by challenging myself and going out of my comfort zone I was able to face an unknown and grow intellectually as well as growing as a person.
1234Now back to the fashion part. While abroad my roommate was a girl named Corina. Well, at the end of our course Corina ended up leaving behind a pink striped skirt with some brown and cream flowers on it. I attempted to give it back to her while we were still in school, but alas, that didn't happen as we kept missing each other. Fast forward a few years to last week when I found the skirt in a box while I was cleaning. I have decided to wear it (even though I may get my seamstress neighbor to shorten it for me). Now, I have no idea what Corina wore with it, but I'm wearing brown tights, a dark green t-shirt and a chocolate brown blazer to bring it all together. As for accessories I was going to add a green and pink textile flower from Sew Lovely on etsy.com and a pair of brown-yellow snakeskin flats, but may hair cooperated this morning so it's in a barrette and I managed to cut my toe while clipping my toenails so I am wearing sandals instead of the flats. Funny how life gets in the way of planning. Either way, I like the look of the outfit and maybe when my toe feels better I can wear the flats with something else.

Bedroom color

1234Without knowing it, this week has turned into a discussion of color. Well, since my weekend posts are about home style, I decided to continue the trend. A few months ago I decided to paint the bedroom. I wanted something calming and cool and just plain pretty. The color we ended up choosing is called Impressionist Sky from Behr. It is this gorgeous shade of blue with gray and purple undertones.
1234There are several reasons I love this color. One is that its the right amount of color without being overpowering. Another is that its a very relaxing shade. A third is that depending on the decor, it could easily be a color for a child's bedroom or for an adult master bedroom.

More Color!

1234Today is a purple kind of day. Throw in some gray slacks, red/brown heels, a cream cardigan and some ruffles, and we have some business casual-ness going on. :)

Women in Law

I was telling a good friend of mine from law school about my blog and in describing it I told her about this post in which I explained that too many women in the law and in law school are afraid of color.  Well, during our conversation, we discussed that part of this reason is that the law is such an old and stodgy business that its very hard for things to change and takes a very long time as well.  

In addition, it is still viewed as a "gentleman's profession".  It is not unheard of, and in fact is rather expected that male older partners in firms will talk down to women associates (lawyers just starting out) and exclaim that they do great work, for a woman!  So taken in this context, its almost as if in order for women to succeed in the law, they have to be men.  Now, rationally this doesn't make sense and isn't quite possible, but fashionably it can be done.  This means wearing boxy suits that don't flatter, nothing bright or shiny, few accessories, short hair, little makeup, etc.  The list can go on and on and on!  

What is most unfortunate, for me as a woman of 25 getting ready to start my legal career, is that this is still happening in 2009.  It doesn't matter that a woman has legitimately run for her party's nomination for president or that some of the most powerful people in business are women or that there have been three different women be a part of the Supreme Court.  It is still easier and more acceptable for a woman to dress as a man rather than be beautiful or wear flattering clothes or have style.  

It is in this context that I write my blog.  Knowing that I am going into a world that has changed some, for example women are no longer required to wear skirt suits to court.  HOWEVER, it is still strongly encouraged because some judges really do care if you respect the court enough to wear a skirt suit to court instead of a pant suit.  I know that incorporating color (and style) into a legal wardrobe is difficult.  Its even harder to be pretty and respected, because as is often the case, pretty = dumb, bitchy and unqualified.  And of course, on the other hand, if you're too matronly or out of date, then you get made fun of.  Need I mention Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton and her pantsuits?  How much crap has she gotten because of her pantsuits? A LOT.  But you know what, it is on her shoulders, and the shoulders of many other women that have come before her, that I go into the legal field.  Yes, its hard.  Yes, I will be judged.  But, Yes, I can be successful and still be true to myself.  Yes, I can still have a family and be a lawyer (Case in point First Lady Michelle Obama and HRC).  Yes, it can be done.   




DISCLAIMER: It is not always the case that women are mistreated or viewed negatively simply for being women, however, there are enough of those places that still exist such that a law student like me can feel the negativity even while still in law school.   

Something Different

1234I have never tried to wear a dress with tights and knee high boots, but that is exactly what I'm doing today. I mentioned in yesterday's post that the fiance and I weren't completely sold on my brown dress + tan suede boots combination. After some thinking and reading the comments on Corporette's poll on knee high boots I realized that the reason we didn't think they looked right is that there was an awkward patch of skin visible between the hem of the dress and the tops of the boots. Well a quick trip to target fixed that. Now I am the proud owner of a great pair of brown tights.

1234I have also layered a sheer long sleeved dark turquoise t-shirt under the brown dress to keep me warm/to keep me from flashing a whole lotta boob. As if all that wasn't enough, I'm wearing the same necklace as this post and the gold flower from this post in my hair. I feel like writing it all down its a lot to wear and might be too much, but actually wearing it, its not. I really like this outfit and would definitely wear it again; it reminds me a little of the boho-chic style. I know that its not work appropriate, but it would be super cute for weekend wear once I start working or just wearing it to class for the time being.