What I Didn't Buy

I went into Target yesterday with the sole purpose of buying trash bags. I went in with blinders on, intending to head straight to the housewares section. Ten minutes later I was in the dressing room with these guys. And it was one of those odd days when everything you try on fits and flatters.

I had a lengthy inner monologue with myself, justified and bargained, but ultimately, Reasonable Liz won out. She can be a real jerk. I left these goodies behind for another day.

I should note that this is the second time in a row I've walked into Target and purchased only the one (boring) item on my list. This means I've either cured my $60-of-random-crap-per-trip habit or that I'm due for one massive Target binge fest. Scary.

Hot Tip: Use Magic Eraser to Restore Old Converse

In Mindy Kaling's recent memoir she writes briefly of men she's dated and the dirty, dingy Converse sneakers they tend to proudly wear and never replace. She says something to the effect of, "Come on guys, they're a $40 purchase and you are an adult. Let's maybe consider replacing them."

Apologies for the messy paraphrase but my Kindle is out of batteries (score 1 for books, 0 for e-readers/me remembering to charge anything).

Anyways, I was definitely implicated in that line. I was probably wearing my dirtiest, dankest gray-on-gray Chucks at the moment I read it. Then I called my sister to talk about the book and she immediately said, "Did you read that part about the dirty Converse? Spot on!" I purchased a new pair—the navy ones above—shortly thereafter, and they immediately became as dirty as my old ones.

But we both recently learned a hot tip to lengthen the life of your beloved Chucks!

Tip: Use a Magic Eraser to clean your Converse. This weekend found my sis and I sitting on my floor, scrubbing our sneaks with a choose-a-size Magic Eraser I'd picked up to clean my computer keyboard.

Simply wet the Eraser, wring it out, and buff. It took neither time nor elbow grease. The result really is magical!



And a second tip: insoles, because, really, walking around in worn-out canvas sneakers has the comfort and support equivalent of strapping a cardboard box to your feet.

Mixing it up: two tone boots

1. Frye //  2. DSW //  3. Hunter

I'm no stranger to mixing black and brown. I will mix neutrals any day of the week: the effect is a refreshing change from all-black or all-brown and, I find, looks quite intentional and classic rather than "got dressed in the dark." And that is key.

 I've done no fall shopping yet, but two tone boots are high on the wish list. And if you haven't made the jump to mixing up your neutrals yet, a pair of rainy-day wellies is a good way to ease in. But beware: it's a slippery slope.

Lastly, the three boots listed here are far above my normal price points for shoes BUT maybe worth it? I splurged on an expensive-for-me pair of tall Steve Madden boots a couple years ago and found that the quality really has surpassed my other cheapy boots. But for now I'll probably pin and save for that magical day when I'm in a full-time position.

This App is Completely Necessary

One year ago when I was happy as a clam on my non-smart-sliding-keypad phone, I would have given major side-eye to anyone who told me I'd soon have an app to track and tag my outfits. But there you have it. Technology cannot be stopped. I'm a modern woman on the go and I kinda love this app. It's called Cloth and it was free for a limited time (I think it still is) although it also has upgrades that will match your outfits to the weather, which is pretty awesome/ridiculous.

Look, one day recently I stood near my front door and said "I wonder what the weather will be today?" and then I checked my two weather apps instead of stepping the two feet outside, like I'm Zooey Deschanel without the bangs.

This app lets you snap a quick outfit pic and then categorize it (everyday/event/work) and add your own tags and notes. I like it because eventually I'll be able to gauge what I wear most often; I'll remember what I wore on specific occasions; and, on lazy, uninspired days I can find an already put-together outfit.

You can enable Cloth to be private, which is what I do so I can make silly poses and not worry about the surrounding mess. Plus I dig the general design, interface, and font—easy to use and aesthetically pleasing.

Edit to add: Apparently this is an iPhone only app. Sorry, Android users! Was not trying to alienate!

Put a Beret on It

This fall sweater is killing me. I mean, the bird is wearing a beret. Oh, I'm sorry, "French hen" is what we're calling it, apparently, but I saw it on a mannequin in a JCrew window and kinda want to skip buying groceries this month in order to get this ridiculous sweater on my body, I love it so.



In my head it's fall and I'm wearing it with wide-legged jeans, navy Converse, pink lipstick, and a silky patterned headscarf. Or with a cobalt pencil skirt, collared shirt underneath, brown tights, and multicolored pumps.

French hen sweater from JCrew

Pants Party

As much as I love a good skinny-jean-and-boot combo, I'm totally happy for the resurgence of wide-legged jeans. Some would pair them with heels but I usually choose Converse, conventional fashion advice for short people be damned!

Some picks for fall, to be worn just about anywhere except in the rain because soggy hems are the worst amiright?

  1 Levi's Double Button Wide Leg via Zappos / 2 Old Navy / 3  Free People / 4  GAP

Academic Style: This is Not a Suit

Today was my first job interview in, oh, say, forever. I scheduled the interview (for an adjunct teaching position) less than a week ago and with my CV, teaching statement, and a folder of syllabi ready to go, I commenced sitting in front of my closet asking it "what should I wear??" and "why do I have so many hoodies and so few useful things??"

Asking around, I determined that my interview was not a suit situation. This was good because I do not own a suit. Eventually I'll go on the market for a tenure-track position and will invest in suits galore, and I picture a wild and fantastic JCrew trip and garment bags full of pinstripes. But that's about two years in the future. For this part-time position, a business-casual skirt + blouse or trouser combo would suffice. The Academichic archive on interview-wear was extraordinarily helpful in thinking about how to dress for success. (Does anyone else miss that blog as much as I do?)

Dressing up as a grad student is always a challenge. With no funds for a new outfit, I shopped my closet and, in doing so, brainstormed some combos that could work in any interview that skews toward the informal, or even for an informational interview or teaching situation. The most important thing is to look polished and deliberate, whether that means formal suit or A-line skirt. I'd hate to be uncomfortable or tugging on a skirt hem and likewise, would not want my outfit to distract from my credentials. My go-to is to pair the simple lines of a pencil skirt or basic trouser pant with two-tone colors to add interest (like a turquoise top and cobalt bottom, or rose blouse and mauve blazer) and then add one item of visual interest (scarf, necklace, blazer). Lord help me I LOVE a blazer. I also love a loafer.  

This first look is super simple. The visual interest comes from the color combination and everything else is neutral, but not matchy-matchy.

Blazer from Target. Blouse from Target. Skirt from Target. Scarf from Target. Pumps from Naturalizer. Earrings from Kohls.

This look, although streamlined, has lots of little interesting things going on: the lavender houndstooth against the aubergine blazer and burgundy shoe, the structured sheath. The color combination is just weird enough to be interesting, but not so weird as to be distracting.

Blazer (Aubergine) from Target. Dress from EShakti. Blazer (Black from Modcloth). Pumps from Naturalizer . 

I love the color combo below, which is a similar combo to what I ended up wearing to my interview. The blazer + brooch + loafer says "I am capable" while the colors say "I am self-aware" (and maybe "I love the ocean").

Blazer from Kohls. Blouse from Target. Brooch from Nordstrom.

 Trousers from Kohls. Loafer from Naturalizer. 

After shopping my closet and a bit of ironing, I ended up with the turquoise blouse pictured with a cobalt pencil skirt (from Target), camel belt, and thrifted croc loafers (croc-pattern, not Croc). I knotted a silky brown patterned scarf around my neck and felt just the right amount of "capable quirky academic."