outfit inspiration – PhD in Clothes

I tried copying Dakota Johnson’s outfits for a week

Last week Pinterest showed me an outfit from Dakota Johnson (yes, of 50 Shades of Grey). It was the type of outfit that made me say “hey, I can make that!” so I pinned it. By Friday, the Pinterest algorithm had decided I had an unhealthy obsession, and was ONLY showing me Dakota Johnson street style. But all the outfits were pretty cute and casual (not to mention she has an amazing loafers and sunglasses collection). So here I am, deciding to remake as many Dakota Johnson outfits as possible…

Outfits with Sam

A new series where I show off what other stylish grad students are wearing (if you want to be featured, message me!). This week I asked my friend Sam, a MA student, to show us what she wore.

Monday

I never wear my hair up because I don’t like my chipmunk cheeks, but I think it’s always good to stretch yourself. As a curvy woman, I love a set of good fitting jeans. These jeggings are from American Eagle, one of the only store that fit my wide hips and smaller waist. I thrifted the boots from Goodwill.

More color, please!

This season marks my three year anniversary of dressing using a capsule wardrobe, and I have no idea how I got dressed before I made the change! If you don’t know what a capsule is, it’s based on the idea that too many clothing options lead to decision fatigue, and dressing with less options will maximize your wardrobe. Caroline, over at Un-Fancy, suggests 37 pieces, and the idea is that they should all focus on a similar style and color palette. Here’s a get started guide if you’re interested.

When I first got a capsule, I was in love with allll the colors (teal, seafoam, lavender, blues, red, pinks, yellows….to name a few), and I basically quit color all together, because I realized that if you buy only neutrals everything matches. Lately I’ve been missing color, though, so I am working on incorporating more color into my capsules. Here are my picks for this spring and summer:

My ideas for how to bring color back into my life are pretty apparent in this pic:

-Select only a couple of colors

-Pick colors that pair well

-Focus on adding color with accessories

-Steal Home Depot paint chips to keep myself on track (taping these up next to my closet has been helpful and reminded me of what colors I should focus on)

I’ve been enjoying this tomato red and yellow so far. Here’s a link to my pretty yellow sandals, red purse, and all the bandanas.

Everlane pieces I’m thinking about using my tax return on

Does anyone else get excited about filing taxes? As a grad student, my comedic level of income leads to the govt saying “oh wow, you are really poor” and giving me a lot of money back. Money that I should have gotten in the first place by changing my paycheck withholding rate, but those are always a mystery to me, and I kind of like the surprise money that comes around in the spring. Considering tax refunds a “surprise” is not very adult of me. Anyway. I’m saving most of my refund this year, but am thinking of getting one investment piece for teaching/the job market. Here are a few of my ideas. Help!

Everlane cashmere crew sweater: Cashmere just screams “I AM A RESPONSIBLE ADULT WITH A SWEATER SHAVER” to me. I know that $100 is a good price for cashmere, but it still hurts. This is the only time of year I have that much $$ lying around, so maybe now is the time. Now, to decide on a color…

Relaxed silk shirt: Listen, I watched The Fall, and am now convinced that Gillian Anderson is a bad ass feminist detective mostly because she is herself but also because she owns like 20 white silk shirts. Because I am not at put-together as her, I’m thinking blue or black to hide the inevitable coffee spills. Cost: $88.

Sleeveless: A slightly cheaper option. Would look great under sweaters. Extremely useful if your classroom is as hot as mine. $65

Cocoon coat: The biggest splurge, but coats always end up being great investment pieces for me. I left Phoenix at age 18 and haven’t lived anywhere warm since 😦 Cost: $265. Also looking at a cheaper option from Land’s End because the quality is great and they make tall sizes.

Bonus sensible pumps in a fun light blue color. What investment pieces are you eyeing?

How to avoid looking like an undergrad in grad school

Is this a common grad school anxiety? I think it is. If you’ve come straight out of your undergrad, you probably want to look older so that you don’t get hit on by some guy in the dining hall line who asks, “so, are you a freshman?” (#truestory). Some ideas:

-Messenger bag or tote>backpack. Some suggestions.

-Mix one business casual piece in with your casual wear (in this case, oxfords).

-Sweat pants/workout clothes are awesome and you have every right to wear them but they may increase the risk of the aforementioned junior-guy-hits-on-you scenario.

-Glasses have been shown to boost your perceived credibility.

You could also just decide you don’t care if someone mistakes you for an undergrad! But on days when you do care, the above can be helpful.

Fake spring

Ootd because global warming has made February tooooo nice

Spring conference style: Time off

I did manage one outfit photo during this conference.

Sometimes actually getting dressed on the weekend helps me get things done. Things this outfit & I achieved yesterday:
-car wash
-brunch
-delivered a stack of books to my office
-bought snacks for the Super Bowl
-wood conditioned the house cutting boards
-dyed my hair
-stained the couch with hair dye 😭
-cleaned the bathroom
-made stir fry for lunches this week

But I forgot to grad school…oops.

How to dress as a new graduate instructor

Q & A: What do I wear to teach or TA as a graduate student?

This was my first question when I was admitted to a Masters program–how fancy do I need to get? A few business casual items can go a long way toward building your teaching wardrobe. Some to start with:

Dress pants

3-5 button up shirts (polka dot, maroon, buffalo checked)

Comfortable shoes! (Flats, oxfords)

A nice cardigan (thrifted, here’s a good one), and a blazer

I basically mix these items in with my casual tees, dresses, and jeans for teaching purposes.