What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Going Through the Motions

Sweater: Boxy, knit by yours truly
Dress: Alabama Chanin, sewn by yours truly
Tights: Unknown
Boots: Blundstones

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: A New Dress

Dress: Melow par Melissa Bolduc
Tights: Unknown
Boots: Aquaitalia

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Ready to Spring or Ready for Spring?

Dress: Junya Watanabe
Tights: Unknown, made in Italy
Boots: Brunello Cuccinelli

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Highly Suspicious

Dress:  Aida Barni
Vest: Dolce & Gabbana
Tights:  no label
Boots:  Timberland (thrifted from Mom)

Day 3: Reminiscent of My Punk Rock Days

Yep, this is the dress off-duty but still working hard.  Add a sweater, some striped (barely visible) Falke tights, my Alabama Chanin demo (for class) bandana, Blundstones, and the boy's hand-me-up leather jacket, and I'm good to go, or stay home, which has been my inclination.

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Chin In Hand Takes the Pressure Off

Dress:  Aida Barni
Vest:  Dolce & Gabbana
Tights:  wool but label unknown
Boots:  La Canadienne

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Cover Up! It's Cold (Outside as well as in the Fridge)

Dress:  Morgan le Fay
Jacket:  Comme des Garcons (mom-me-down)
Turtleneck:  Cadeau (thrifted)
Tights:  no label
Boots:  Blundstones

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Foiled by the Weather

Dress:  Karen Klein
Tights:  Not marked
Boots:  La Canadienne...

but these were the shoes I'd intended on wearing

You may not be able to see it, but that's snow outside the window.  It's already hard enough to get around London, and I don't need to break my ankle even if these shoes are pretty spectacular.

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: She's a Lady (Go Ahead, Sing Along)

Dress: Chaiken
Tights:  Hue
Shoes:  Isaac Mizrahi
Scarf:  Hermes

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Quick! Before Anyone Sees Me Taking This Picture In the Hallway

Dress: Cabbages & Roses
Cardigan:  Dorce (vintage)
Tights:  no label
Shoes:  Robert Clergerie

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Demonstration, Not Riot

 Jumper:  Cabbages & Roses
Shirt:  Moschino (thrifted)
Tights:  Hue
Shoes:  Lulu Guinness
Glasses (readers):  Eyebobs (Velvet Underground)

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: The View From Here

Dress:  Ralph Lauren
Tights:  No label, guessing Hue
Boots (not seen): La Canadienne
Glasses:  Eyebobs (Passion Nut frame)

Some Things I Learned From a Long Trip - Baggage

Before I begin, let me say one thing - 2013 has felt like the year of packing poorly - and I have always been a pretty efficient and smart packer.  But this year, so far, has made me rethink that.

So, the first thing I have realized is that a) you'll always need something and b) you'll always have at least one item you don't wear.  How is that helpful?  Well, it's not, by itself; however, let's take this a bit further and use it to make a guideline.

(Stay with me here; there's a little background/digression coming, but I swear, it'll all come around to my point.)  As you know (if you don't, pretend), clothes are very important to me, and while in Berlin, I did have a bit of a crisis around my wardrobe and feeling like myself.  I won't go into too much detail except to say that my clothing and how I dress is an integral part of my identity (I have ideas for an article around this).  How can one pack for a trip longer than a week or two and maintain one's sense of self (I know, pretty intense) without carting, say, five suitcases?  (By the way, our extra suitcases cost us €50 each, which is already pretty expensive, but the person to whom I paid the fee told me that if we'd flown out on Saturday, the rate would've jumped to €150 each!  He went on to say that American Airlines made something like $8billion in excess baggage fees alone last year.)

Now this is a work in progress, but I have an upcoming 5-week trip to put it to the test.  What I think would work best for someone like me is to start with some key pieces, like a dress that always looks fantastic and that you can dress up/down and wear in multiple temperatures.  I would've had that with my Patagonia dress (the one of the traumatic day in Marrakesh), but I had jettisoned the hoody I wear it with when we were in the "lightening the load" frenzy before we flew to Berlin.  This time?  Dress and hoody.

These key pieces should be distinctive but malleable, and this is where I plan to do more experimenting.  For example, I almost never think about wearing a skirt over another dress to create a different look.  This technique has great potential and is quite versatile.  I tried a variation of it with a long white shirt over a fully pleated skirt, and it was pretty cool.  Also, the jeans that fit you perfectly should be packed.

A number of my friends had said to me, "You'll buy clothes in Berlin," and I've already discussed one of the issues with that.  Nonetheless, there is something to be said for not packing and getting basics like t-shirts, for example, where you land (if possible).  While there can be issues with that approach (spending money, buying things made in China, etc.), it can also save you the headache of the "lightening the load" frenzy one might be engaged in to avoid paying €150 for an extra suitcase.  To make this really work, I'd suggest donating whatever basics you've bought abroad to a charity (I doubt you want to pay €150 to bring some t-shirts home).  I did end up making a number of items including a t-shirt and a skirt, which I have yet to blog about.

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Deep in Thought

or trying to get a few more zzzzs

Dress:  Aida Barni
Vest (oops! forgot it): Dolce & Gabbana
Tights:  wool, brand forgotten
Boots:  La Canadienne

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: 20

Skirt:  label missing but I think it's Maria Calderara
Shirt:  Theory
Sweater:  Valerie Stevens
Tights:  Wolford
Shoes:  La Canadienne