Guest Lecturer: Allyson from Decoding Dress

Hi everyone! As you're reading this, Cary and I are embarking on the last day of our California vacation. Here at Academia Sartorial, we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming on Monday, but today I want to introduce you to the most thoughtful blogger I know, Allyson from Decoding Dress. And I mean thoughtful in all senses of the word: Allyson is very considerate, as you're about to see, but she also thinks a lot about fashion and why we make the sartorial choices we make, which is one of the things I love about her blog. Before you read, though, a disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I did not ask her to write any of the following...


Guest Post: Five Things I Love About Emily and Academia Sartorial

Hi there and welcome to my guest post! I'm Allyson and I normally blog over at Decoding Dress, but I'm a big fan of Emily and of this blog, so I was thrilled when she asked me to guest post while she's on vacation. I'm such a fan, in fact, that I decided to tell you five things I love about Emily and Academia Sartorial. Here we go!

1. I love the clothes. Emily and I share a common love of LOFT and she has an uncommon knack for mixing their laid back, feminine vibe into her wardrobe to make it fit the occasion perfectly. As someone who owns a lot of their pieces, let me tell you that's no easy task, no matter how easy Emily makes it look. Which leads me to say...

2. I love Emily's style. And when I say I love it, what I really mean is I'm insanely jealous of it. It's comfortably chic, feminine without being frou-frou, smartly casual. It looks effortless, which is part of
what makes it so lovely, but I've discovered that it takes plenty of effort to pull off. She's also broken the code on accessorizing perfectly. Her whole look communicates balance and serenity to me. All that said, however...

3. I love that Academia Sartorial isn't just about the clothes. I don't know about you, but I like a little real life with my outfit blogs. Emily hits the sweet spot here every time. I love the little glimpses into her day-to-day that she gives us. Whether she's sharing her passion for her students, showing us some pictures of her freshly refinished dining room chairs, or telling us about a get-together with an old friend, I really enjoy getting to follow along. I can tell Emily isn't in the blogging game just to show off her cute wardrobe. I feel like she's here for the same reasons I am: to be a part of something, to share a little of herself with us and to take a little of what we share with her and make something special out of it all. That's where friendships come from, and that's what community is made of. It's good stuff. Which reminds me that...

4. I love her philosophy. It's way up there at the top of the page. See it? "Style and smarts are not mutually exclusive." As a recovering post-secondary school addict I absolutely adore that. When it comes to fashion for women in academia the envelope is very, very tight and it takes courage to push it. (See this post at Threadbared, which is a bit dated but still relevant, for some very interesting background on the subject.) That's why I was hooked on Academia Sartorial the moment I read Emily's little bio blurb about getting a PhD in "not looking like a college professor." But lest you imagine this blog will be full of lofty academic commentary or rarified monologue peppered with ivy-covered buzzwords...

5. I love that it's all so accessible. Emily could doubtless wax prolific on any number of scholarly topics and leave the rest of us feeling like we should have spent a little more time cracking the books, but she doesn't. She lets her guard down and opens herself up to us. She's witty but never a show-off, modest about her accomplishments, and confident without a trace of arrogance. These are rare traits among the faculty -- the professorial life doesn't exactly encourage humility -- which is why I'm sure the students who are fortunate enough to be under her tutelage or care absolutely love her. And I think her fashion sense reflects her accessibility perfectly, which takes us right back to reason number one!

So there you go - five reasons why I love this blog and why Emily is one of my favorite bloggers! I know you have your own reasons, though, so why don't you share them in the comments? What a great gift for Emily to find when she returns from her vacation!