Denim: I was wrong about you

I swore I would never own any denim clothing that wasn't a pair of jeans. And then, on one of my frequent trips to Goodwill, I found this dress. It was beautiful. It had poppers down the front. It was my size. It called my name, and it cried when I said that denim wasn't my thing. So I brought it home. Now I think it might be one of my favorites.

 Today I'm wearing:

Dress: Walmart via Goodwill (I only just learnt that Faded Glory is a Walmart thing!)
Jacket: H&M

Tights: Target? I have a lot of cheap black tights, so who knows.
Shoes: Ross

 The badge I'm wearing is an ally badge from a training program that our school runs. I have been trained to support LGBT students on campus, and wearing the badge on my jacket or backpack lets students know when I am out and about that if they need someone to talk to about these issues, then I am safe person to approach. I thought everyone knew about the scheme, but several people asked me at work today what the badge was. Everyone seemed to think it was a cool idea, so hopefully more people will take the training and become allies too.

Here's a close up of my shoes, because: They. Are. Amazing. The have the months printed on them in a glorious rainbow of colors, and they are so comfortable. I think my girl scout troop will approve of them tonight.

--C.

Keep it Simple, Stupid

Today for me involves meetings, laundry, cleaning, ironing, grading, and more grading. Oh, and some coding, just to spice things up a little. I didn't get dressed until lunchtime today, and I was in a hurry so I threw on this skirt from the weekend and found the first top that wouldn't look weird with it. The result: boring but workable for my busy day.

 Boring Wednesday wear includes:
Shirt: Walmart via Goodwill
Skirt: Westbound via Goodwill
Tights: H&M, probably

Shoes: H&M

Hopefully tomorrow will be less blah. I guess some days I just don't have time to make an effort, and today was one of them. I won't shy away from taking pictures though, all my friends have seen me looking messy and in pyjamas and suchlike, so you guys get to as well. Right, back to tea and coding... ugh.

--C.

Just Peachy

 Today's ensemble features:

Sweater: Gap
Skirt: Target via Goodwill
Shoes: H&M

Have you caught on to how much I like thrift store shopping yet?

Sorry about the terrible pose in the second photo. In all the other pictures I tried to take, I'm looking off at a bizarre angle, keeping an eye on my next door neighbor's dog, who was watching me intently through the fence.

I hardly own any peach/orange colored clothing, so it seemed like a sensible move to pair these two things together. I really like this sweater, although I can never tell if it suits me or not. If you have a darker complexion (like I do), then I always think that oranges and yellows and light browns are tricky colors to work with. Hopefully this sweater is the right kind of orange to work for me. Mmm, peachy!

--C.

Cold mornings, warm afternoons

It's that time of year.  You wake up freezing in the morning, feeling like there should be snow on the ground (at least that's how I feel, although I love snow).  The only thing you can think to put on is a nice, cozy sweater and scarf for your walk to work.  By the time afternoon rolls around, you're panting and sweating under your heavy layers as the sun has evilly warmed everything up.

To face this dilemma, I decided to dress like my upper and lower bodies were in different climates.

 Sweater:  Gap, many moons ago

Skirt:  Gap

Boots:  ALDO

Scarf:  Random find

I also had to take a self-portrait, which was accomplished with my camera balanced precariously in the only place I could find that worked:  The patio table.  Thus begins a period of pictures called "Awkwardly Posing with my Tree."

But the boots!  I've been waiting to break out these babies, and this was my first chance!

My cat Olive decided that he wanted to eat in the middle of the photo shoot, and it's almost impossible to deny him when he starts his continuous meowing.  Unfortunately, Olive wasn't too keen on posing for a fashion blog--there was food to be eaten!

Stay warm in the mornings and cool in the afternoons!

--A.

Double Dipping: Rainbow Pride and Pumpkin Pie

I'm double dipping on my post today. Today I went (again! On the right day this time!) to the Pride Rally on campus. I took my rainbow flag, and we marched to the council building and attended the Human Rights Campaign meeting. It was a lot of fun and I met some nice new people. Hey hey, ho ho, homophobia's got to go! Right on, friends!

 Here's what I wore to the rally:

Shirt: sneakily borrowed from my friend Alex while he's on holiday. Sorry, Alex! I'll wash it before you get home!
Skirt: Old Navy via Goodwill
Socks: too-small tights that I chopped up and rolled down. H&M originally?
Shoes: Forever 21

I realize that this shirt is, umm, a sight to behold, but I don't really care. It was the most rainbow-esque clothing I could find that would fit me.

 

Yesterday I took a couple of hours off work and went to the local pumpkin patch with some of my friends. We had a ton of fun getting lost in the corn (well, sorghum) maze and petting the animals in the petting zoo. I didn't take proper outfit photos, but my friend Angelyn snapped a shot of me in the maze that shows what I was wearing. So here, for your viewing pleasure, is a location shot! Sometimes I do leave my backyard, see!

 

 

The second photo shows my (perhaps inappropriate?) footwear. Somehow I managed to stay fairly clean and respectable looking... until I went down the slide, got covered in hay, did a backwards roll, and got grass in my hair. Up to that point, I was the very model of taste and professionalism. Or something like that. Sort of.

For our pumpkin-based adventure I wore:

Shirt: got it at a clothing swap I went to a while back. No labels.
Skirt: Target via Goodwill
Tights: H&M
Shoes: Reikers via Goodwill

I hope all of your weeks have started out well!

--C.

Neutral Nancy

Rain, rain, go away... actually, you can stay for a while. I quite like being cuddled up cosily inside listening to the steady pitter-patter of rain on the windows. I didn't sleep very well last night, and it took me a really long time to decide what to wear today. In the end I went with a bunch of different neutral colors. I wasn't too thrilled about how this looked when I first put it on, but looking at the pictures, I actually really like this combination. I am so often wearing odd colors or bizarre pattern combinations that it's nice to keep it simple sometimes.

 Today I'm wearing:

Sweater: Gap via Goodwill
Vest: Forever 21 via Goodwill
Skirt: Westbound via Goodwill
Tights: Primark, a really long time ago (they are a weird brown/green/grey color so I don't wear them often)
Shoes: Reikers via Goodwill ($3! sooooo comfortable!)
Hair flower: probably Primark?

Forgive my odd pose in the last photo, I wanted to get a shot where you could see my GIGANTIC hair flower. Right, I need to start working on my to-do list so that I can go out to the pumpkin patch tomorrow. I have never been to one and I am pretty excited, although it will still be really wet out after all the rain we've had this week. But I'm not about to let a little water ruin my autumnal fun!

My parents are now readers of Try Not to Stare, so hi Mum and Dad! Miss you! I hope you like today's choice... I know I will hear if you don't! ; )

--C.

Lady Grey

What a grey and dreary day! (Ooh, my 'e' in grey just gave away the fact I am an English import!) It hasn't rained here in a long time, so I'd almost forgotten how to dress for the wet weather. Then I remembered that I have awesome polka-dot rain boots and everything was okay again. Whilst most of my clothing matched the sky (mainly shades of grey), my jacket jazzed things up nicely. Although I ended up having to switch out for a more waterproof jacket since it stopped raining and started pouring right before I left for lunch... my waterproof is bright blue though, so it still worked. Then I topped it off with a beret for two reasons: everyone appreciates a nice beret, and it covered up my frizzy hair.

 Today's grey ensemble features:

Sweater dress: Target via Goodwill
Cardigan: H&M
Tights: Forever 21
Rain boots: Target
Beret: H&M, replacing the one I left on a flight to DC :(
Coat: New Look via ebay, many moons ago.

The last picture showcases my 'pondering the rain' face. I'm pretty cool, I know. Oh, and I was right about how cool my socks looked yesterday, I received many compliments or varying sincerity about them. At least my Girl Scout troop appreciated them (and I know they wouldn't lie, as they frequently tell me when they don't approve of my outfits!) Right, back to listening to the Mystery Jets and grading... how did I get so rock and roll?

--C.

The Mid-term Blues

My first mid-term exam of the semester was today, and I woke up early to finish studying for it. Somehow, I decided that blue striped knee high socks would help me in my quest for knowledge. Hey, I don't have to look professional on Thursdays... and my legs were cold this morning.

Today's jaunty ensemble features:

dress: H&M
shirt: BCG via Goodwill
socks: H&M
shoes: Walmart via Goodwill

It grieves me that we don't live anywhere near an H&M. It grieves me, but it pleases my wallet. Anyway, I'm going to go and try to cross off some of my to-do list before the big party starts in our department. There's free beer, which causes almost unheard-of levels of excitement among the grad students. Ciao, bellas!

--C.

Study Fuddy-Duddy

What I'm wearing today is nothing special, as I had a rough day yesterday and a day full of studying and meetings today. How I loathe mid-terms season! So much to remember and my poor little brain has been fried enough recently as it is. Oh well, I just need to suck it up and get back to the books. At least I'm not alone in my suffering, A. has the same exam tomorrow as I do.

 Today's attempt at dressing myself includes:

Denim legging jeans things: White Stag via Goodwill
Green long sleeved shirt: Old Navy via Goodwill
Black short sleeved shirt: Target via Goodwill
Shoes: Walmart via Goodwill
Yeah Goodwill!

I am self-aware enough to realize that these jean legging things are not at all flattering on me, but today I just needed to get stuff done and be comfortable, and they fit the bill. I generally avoid any item of clothing that can be described as 'skinny' or 'slim-fitting' since I am neither skinny nor slim. At least they came from Goodwill, so I didn't have to pay very much to get my ill-advised skinny jean fix.

Right, me and my good friend and study buddy Joey Goose (he's an awesome large red and green paisley stuffed goose who looks like my friend Joey, hence the name) are going to hit the books again. So many equations. So little time. Oh, similarity theory, you're so cray-cray!

--C.

Living Loud and Proud

Yesterday I had several meetings at work, and then after work I dashed off to a local Gay Pride rally. Only, unfortunately, I was the only one there. It turns out I got excited and misread the email - the rally is next week. Oh well, at least I have time to make signs before it now. Since I mistakenly thought I was going to the rally, I wanted to wear something bright, so that I would stand out (and to make it easier for my friends to find me when they got there... sorry guys!) and I don't own anything rainbow colored so I thought these shorts were the next best thing. I ended the night having dinner with a friend and then working on my midterms (yes, plural, it's so sad) in a coffee shop. Believe it or not, I added a hoodie to this ensemble for the somewhat chillier evening, in exactly the same shade as the shorts. I purchased them in two different stores, in two very different cities, and this isn't a shade you see that much of! I looked remarkably and disarmingly similar to a frozen cherry terrine I made for a jello party we had recently.

 I was wearing:

The hottest pink shorts there ever were: Rue 21
Tank: Old Navy via Goodwill
Belt: Goodwill
Shoes: Ross

Whilst this outfit may not be extremely flattering (would these shorts flatter anybody? Perhaps not.) I can't help but like it. Sometimes it's more important to make a statement and not blend in, even if it does make your hips look wider. I haven't decided yet whether I'll be recreating the cherry delight for the rally next week, but dressing like a fruit was definitely a lot of fun... it left me feeling fruity, anyway!

-- C.

I guess that's why they call it the blues

Bleurgh, I'm sick today. Not as sick as I was yesterday, but sick nonetheless. My throat feels like I swallowed a razor blade, which is displeasingly reminiscent of the last time I caught strep (on Christmas Eve, if you can believe it! So unlucky!) so I'm hoping that's not the case this time. I made it into school for class, but then came home again immediately after. I'm busily drinking vats of green tea and orange juice and crossing my fingers that I'll be better in time for camping tomorrow. Anyway, for me, being sick means covering up, hence the scarf and long skirt. I even broke out my mittens last night at the candlelight vigil for LGBT acceptance I went to. I love my mittens! I added the cardigan today because no matter how unseasonably warm it may still be outside, it is always freezing in the classrooms in our department. I don't know how they do it!

 Today I'm wearing:

Cardigan: New Look

Shirt: Derek Heart via Goodwill
Skirt: Talbots via Goodwill
Scarf: Accesorize, a gift from my friend Suzanne
Shoes: Walmart via Goodwill
Okay, okay... I admit it, I kind of have a Goodwill obsession. What are you gonna do about it though, really?

I rarely wear this skirt as it's a little long for biking in and I tend to get oil on it, but since I drove to work today it didn't matter. It's also only the second ever outing for this cardigan, as I just don't find the longer length very flattering on me, although the pockets in it are really useful. If I button it up, I just look a bizarre shape. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can wear it and not look lumpy?

Okay, back to work. Sadly, my midterm is not going to write itself, nor are my students' labs going to grade themselves. If only! I'm excited for everybody to come back from the conference that A. is away at. It's been far too quiet at work this week!

--C.

The Beginning, Pt. 2

My blogging partner and I have rarely been in the same location since deciding to blog in the first place, so unfortunately our first posts will have little to do with one another!  At least we can see what the other is up to.  Clothes--bridging the distance!

I recently flew out for a conference, and my boyfriend kindly snapped a picture of my travel attire before I left.

Shirt:  Gap

Pants:  Gap

Shoes:  BC (breaking the Gap trend!)

Scarf:  Dillard's

Bracelet:  Fossil

When I think "flying," I think scarf.  There's something jaunty about soaring high above the earth with a scarf flapping behind, even if it does make going through security that much more difficult.

I'm back from the conference, so perhaps we'll be able to do a dual post at some point in the near future!  Get ready, world, for the dynamic combination of fashion and science!

--A.

Let's start at the very beginning

Since we decided to start a style blog, I guess not much is going to happen unless we actually post. I found my tripod today, which enabled me to finally attempt to take some pictures where my camera isn't balanced on the edge of the desk at waist height. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that I'm not actually very good at using said tripod. Hopefully that will improve, or I'll have to start a 'missing body parts' feature. Today's unfortunately missing body part: the top of my head.

 

I woke up really early today and got excited about how nice the weather was. I wanted to wear something that would work well for biking to work and for teaching lab tonight. I asked myself why I should settle for wearing one color, when I could wear many colors to reflect my happy disposition today, which was how this dress came about. Please forgive how disheveled I am in these pictures, I had just finished biking home from work. See the photo above for evidence!

 Today I'm wearing:

shirt: H&M kids

dress: vintage, from Goodwill

tights: Walmart kids

shoes: H&M

So welcome to our humble attempt at a style blog, and welcome to my backyard (it needs a lot of work!). I hope you'll enjoy our adventures in trying to stay stylish as two female science grad students in a small town.

-- C.

Hello World!

What are two grad students to do when they like fashion?

Start a blog!