The Math Fashionista » dresses

Dress Week Challenge Day Six

Ana — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:57:47 +0000

Sorry for posting this so late! I said last Friday that I would post this Saturday or Sunday, but due to battery issues with my camera, I was not able to upload the photos until now. Friday after school I headed over to a friend’s house. She has two loving and rambunctious golden retrievers, so after I left there I looked like a shag rug. Hence, I couldn’t get a good, hair-free photo of my outfit to post here. I wanted to post the photos I took of the other gals participating in Dress Week, because they all looked really great, and I just love the outfits they put together.

Left to right are Christina, a math graduate student, Brandy, Tracy, Shannon and Christy.

So that concludes “No Pants Week” on The Math Fashionista. Last Monday, Margaret from New York commented on my blog, asking, “What’s the point of the challenge exactly? To be dressier? More feminine? Or is it strictly a kind of fashion challenge?” Here’s how I responded:

“Hi Margaret! Since I didn’t come up with the challenge, I can’t say the exact “official” reason for it, but according to some of the gals who are participating, they are mainly doing it to feel more feminine. I think a lot of women who work in math/science/tech (traditionally, very male dominated fields) sometimes shy away from dressing in an “overtly” feminine way. Not necessarily because they enjoy dressing in a more “masuline” way, but because they don’t want to draw a lot of attention to themselves or stick out, and they want to be respected and seen on the same level as their male colleagues. I know this is the case with the women I have spoken with personally about this. So, “Dress Week” was really just a fun fashion way of feeling more girly and dressing up a little. It was kind of to say, “Yes, we like math, and we’re smart and hardworking, but we’re also female, and that shouldn’t be a big deal.” I feel fairly confident wearing skirts and dresses to school, and do so regularly, but a lot of the women I attend with don’t feel as confident doing this, so I can say my personal reason for participating in the challenge is to show solidarity and to support my classmates and friends.”

I am lucky to attend school with such fabulous, confident women, and I had a really good time with this challenge. I hope if you are in similar situation in your life or at your workplace, you will likewise feel inspired and confident enough to dress up a little bit if you want to.

Dress Week Challenge Day Five

Ana — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:00:36 +0000

I wore all black and white today. My original plan was to go the Austin Bloggers Meet-Up in the evening after school, and I was going to carry my red handbag and wear my red specs, which would have provided a little punch of color, but alas, math homework took longer than expected and I had to miss out this time (sad face). I know, that’s such a lame excuse. I’m hoping the meet-up will be a semi-regular thing, and I can catch it next time. I’d really like to meet Indiana Adams of AdoredAustin and interrogate her on her thrifting techniques and strategies. I can’t believe the amazing stuff she manages to find!

The dress is Milly, cardigan and belt are Express, necklace is Nine West, and shoes are Me Too.

Meanwhile, No Pants Week is going swimmingly. Normally, today would be my last post of the week (as I post one day in arrears, so take Fridays and Saturday or Sunday off), but I am going to finish out Monday through Friday in frocks (to meet the guidelines of the challenge). Because of this, I will probably post my outfit here either Saturday or Sunday. Also, I’m hoping to get a few more photos of the lovely lasses from school. If I do, I will also post those as well. Today, I managed to snap a few more shots of my fabulous fellow frock-wearers. Left to right are Christy, Tracy and Shannon, and Brandy.

Dress Week Challenge Day Four

Ana — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:00:02 +0000

This is one of my favorite skirts, and I was so excited to be able to wear it again, because I haven’t pulled it out since last winter. It’s a rather restrictive skirt, so if it’s above 80 degrees, I find it’s too hot to wear it. It was 78 degrees today, just under the cut off point. I decided to try wearing my heels because I didn’t have to do too much walking today. My feet ached a little at the end of the day, but nothing too bad. Dress Week is going great! I snapped some more photos of other participants in the challenge. I will be posting those Friday.

The skirt is Marc Jacobs, the shirt is from Express, and the shoes are Stuart Weitzman. Please excuse the wrinkles, the photo was taken at the end of a long day.

Dress Week Challenge Day Two

Ana — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:00:57 +0000

Day two of “No Pants Week” and things are in full swing! It was gorgeous and warm outside today here in Austin–perfect dress weather. I saw several of my dress week compatriots in the halls at school and they looked fabulous! The only hiccup came when I went to visit one of my professors during his office hours. He only has one chair in his office (which he sits in), so I had to put all my contortionist skills to good use in order to stay decent whilst basically rolling around on the floor so I could write notes at the same time (there’s also only one desk). Who needs yoga, right?

I can’t wait to wear my outfit for tomorrow! I don’t want to give too much away, but it involves trying to make a cocktail dress look casual (which can be a challenge in itself).

The sweater is Anne Klein (via TJ Maxx), the skirt is J. Crew, the necklace is Nine West, and the shoes are Me Too.

Welcome to No Pants Week on The Math Fashionista!

Ana — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:00:04 +0000

I tweeted about the “No Pants Week” challenge a few days ago, and got several teasing responses, all along the lines of “Does that mean what I think it does?” Alas, no bare bottoms here (and yes, I am wearing a skirt in the above photos). “No pants” simply means “skirts and dresses only.” A female graduate student at my university came up with the challenge for herself and told several others who joined, and it spread from there to other math grad students. Now some undergrads are even in on the action (including myself). The only stipulation on outfits is that a skirt or dress must be worn, no pants (but leggings and tights are okay), and bonus points will be awarded for heels. Several of the lovely ladies participating have agreed to let me document their outfits, and I will be posting them here sometime this week, along with my usual dailies.

So, without further ado, here is my first one. The denim jacket is Gap, the tank top is from J. Crew, the belt is from Express, the skirt is DKNY, and the shoes are Stuart Weitzman.

(Peach)(Denim)

Ana — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 03:07:46 +0000

One way I like to make a dress more casual is by throwing a denim jacket over it. This works for lots of items in my closet that at times I feel are “too dressy” for the occasion. I have a white jacket and a blue denim one, and without them, I would have a huge hole in my wardrobe. If you don’t currently have a denim jacket, I would highly recommend getting one. There are lots of styles available now, so if the traditional boxy western jacket isn’t your thing, there is a good chance you could find something else. As you can see, the jacket in this outfit is more of a motorcycle style. I have found a slightly cropped style works best with pants and dresses or skirts, so look for one that hits at or slightly above the hip.

The jacket is BCBG, the dress is J. Crew, the belt is from Martin + Osa, and the shoes are Naturalizers, swapped from my friend Tanya.