Listening Ears

TOMS

Academia: As student life coordinator in my program, I'm the person the students come to with personal problems. Usually, these are problems like, "I got a parking ticket," or "I have a sore throat," and they're pretty easy to deal with and move on from. Today, however, was a day of BIG personal problems, or problems that were small but extremely personal - not problems that I could always help with either.

Did your teacher ever tell you to put on your listening ears when you were a kid? I'm a teacher, and I told myself that today. Sometimes I get in a hurry when I'm helping students because I know there's a line outside my door and everyone wants to see me in the 15 minutes they have between classes, but today I had to remind myself to really slow down and listen to people. I think I need to do that more often anyway; today was a good start.

Sartorial: This is the second time in this 30x30 that I've worn this dress under a shirt, and I really like it. It's comfortable but still put-together-looking. I love how the 30x30 is helping me find new ways to wear things. This is my 15th outfit, so I'm halfway there. I may not be singing the same tune 15 outfits from now, but for now, I'm happy.

P.S. The glasses are because I didn't sleep well and couldn't stand the idea of putting contacts into my sleepy eyes. But I think they make me look serious and guidance counselor-y, which is exactly how I needed to be at work today. Maybe I should wear them more often?

Siren Call

Jeans

I bet this outfit is not exactly what you expected when you read the title of this post, is it? The truth is, I casualed out today after spending most of this past weekend dressed up for Easter. On Saturday, I wore a sundress to Cary's family's Easter dinner, and yesterday, I wore pretty much exactly the same thing as I wore on Friday. So today, after all that dressing up, and on the first student-free half-day of the between-semester break, I couldn't resist the siren call of my jeans and sneakers.

Is this my most creative outfit ever? No. Am I wearing these jeans for approximately the 87th time since I bought them a month ago? Yes. But I was comfy for the office work I had to do today, and I felt cool. (Not temperature cool though - it was 90 degrees here today, yuck.) I promise I'll wear something more interesting tomorrow.

You Look Like Teacher

T-shirt: LOFT
Pants: LOFT outlet
Cardigan and shoes: Target
Glasses: Coach
Belt: Vintage from consignment shop
Pin: Inherited from great-grandmother

Good news: I did not get a speeding ticket today. I did pay a fun visit to the Clerk of Court to pay my ticket from yesterday, but it was just too much fun to put into words so I won't even try. Sorry, y'all. My visit did help inspire today's outfit, in that I tried to look like a respectable, responsible adult, rather than a speed demon criminal. I even wore my glasses, which are my most respectable and responsible accessory. And I think it all worked, because when I went to class, my students had a lot to say about my clothes.

My class is a low-level, beginning English class, and almost entirely male. This conversation happened between a 50ish dad from South America and two young guys from the Middle East. Here it is (with names changed, of course):

Gustavo: Emily, you choose clothes well.
Me: Thank you!
Mohammad: Why you wear glasses?!
Me: Ummm...
Ahmed: You look like teacher. Your glasses.
Me: I am teacher, so that's good.
Gustavo: No really, you look very nice. You always look nice.
Me: Thanks again. So... let's start class now, okay?

Such are the fragmented conversations my class has. This is pretty typical: people shouting out random comments, usually in English, that are not always totally connected to what anyone else has already said. When you only know this much English, you just have to say whatever you're able to. I was pretty impressed that this group of guys had noticed that I was wearing clothes at all, much less were able to discuss it.

Do y'all get random comments on your clothes? What's the most random thing anyone has said about them?

Welcome Back, Trouser Jeans, and Friend Friday

T-shirt: Target
Trouser jeans: LOFT
Shoes: Rack Room
Scarf as belt and necklace: Inherited from grandmother
Earrings: Gift from parents


So first, the news: I have been eating healthy and going to the gym in order to fit back into these pants, and now I do! Yay! I celebrated by wearing them with one of my favorite t-shirts, and in one of my favorite color combingations: red, white, black and denim. And I felt great in this all day, which is my main litmus test of a good outfit.


And now, the reflection. I have been aware of, but haven't participated in, Modly Chic's Friend Friday questions before now, but I thought today's questions about feminism and fashion were really thought-provoking and wanted to join in. Feminism and academia are linked in a lot of ways, and I think the idea of feminism has taken on an ugly meaning with some people. The word conjures up images of women who hate men and want to see them brought low. In academia, those images are of women who are devoted to the study of hating men and bringing them low.


I am, and always have been, a big fan of men. I've been blessed to be surrounded by good men who respect women my whole life - first my father, now my husband - so I've never felt abused or oppressed by men. I recognize that not all men are like that though, and that some societies systematically abuse and oppress women. I consider myself a feminist because I believe men and women were created equal by God and deserve the same opportunities and respect.

1. Do you think there is an incompatibility between feminism and a love for fashion? No. To me, the end goal of feminism, is for women to be able to choose what they want and be given the same respect as men would be given for those choices, for better or for worse. Those choices include fashion. If a woman wants to dress like Audrey Hepburn or k.d. lang or Lady Gaga or Cinderella, or if she wants to cover her hair or dye it purple or shave it off, that's her choice.
2. There is more to each of than a love for fashion, how do you incorporate every aspect of yourself into your blog? What I decide to wear is affected by the rest of my life, so I talk about the rest of my life. I talk about my family, my career, my interests, and how I spend my free time. That stuff is my life. What I wear is a creative outlet.
3. With the fashion industry still being a male-dominated profession, how do you think it would differ if women played a larger role? I think more clothing would be suited for the average woman's body, and it would probably be more comfortable. Women are uniquely able to know what other women need from their clothes, in terms of both figure-flattery and comfort.
4. How is your self-image and the way you carry yourself informed by your beliefs? I'm a Christian, and I believe God loves me. I've believed that since I was little, which has given me a lot of self-respect. When you think the same Person who made the stars cares about you, you tend to like yourself more. I haven't always loved my body, my hair, or my skin (hello, adolescence), but knowing that I was created the way I am intentionally has helped me maintain an overall positive view of myself. That doesn't, on the surface, appear to have anything to do with feminism, but I believe it actually does. I respect myself, as a woman, because God values me as a woman. If he chose for me to be female, why should I feel any less than a man?
5. Do you think clothing/makeup/hair helps communicate the truth about yourself or are those things superfluous add-ons? I see my wardrobe as a way to express myself creatively, so I guess in that sense, I use it to communicate the truth about myself. I don't see my clothing/makeup/hair as superfluous, but rather as a means to let the way I see myself on the inside show through on the outside.

In the end, for me, being a woman is part of who I am, and liking clothes is part of who I am, and wanting other women to have choices and opportunities is part of who I am. I don't see any conflict between all those parts of me. And if feminism has achieved the goals for which I believe it exists, I don't think there should be.