The Scholar in Her Natural Habitat

  

I love being in the library -- any library -- which is good because I spend a lot of time in libraries. I have traveled to libraries around the country and the world for research, and I spend most of my time in the main library on our campus. I start and end each day there and spend my time there whenever I don't have to be elsewhere. I also have a carrel where the 173 books currently checked out in my name reside. I barely fit inside.

Since I log a lot of hours in the library, I have a few thoughts about library style. I guess I could wear anything at all to the library, especially on days that I don't have any other teaching and meetings, but I almost always make an attempt to look put together. First of all, even though I rarely plan to see anyone in the library, I run into friends and colleagues all the time (and students during midterms and finals). More importantly, I feel much better when my clothes are both stylish and comfortable. It's amazing what a colorful scarf or great print can do for my mood, which makes me happier and more productive.

My Library Style Essentials

1. A jacket or cardigan. When I'm in the classroom or in a meeting, I tend to generate a lot more heat. I'm talking, moving around, gesturing... but when I'm in the library, I sit still for hours on end. This means that I get pretty cold. For that reason, I try to make sure I wear a jacket or cardigan every day, even when it's nearly 100° like it was today. That way, I don't have to wear the grubby old hoodie I keep in my library carrel for emergencies. This jean jacket is much sleeker!
2. A scarf. Our campus library has very few windows and tends toward the dreary side. Not only does this help with the cold, it also helps amp up the coziness and cheeriness. I may not be home on my couch under an afghan and wearing fuzzy slippers, but a soft, bright square of fabric helps! I'm planning to buy a few more this fall... I'm especially excited about getting my hands on one like this. And maybe also this and this.
3. Comfortable layers. One of the reasons this skirt has been a great addition to my closet is that it has a stretchy waistband and soft knit fabric. Knit dresses, elastic-waist skirts, and jeans are my go-tos for days I'm planning to camp out at the library. I'm even guilty of wearing leggings (with a long sweater!) when my students won't be around.

jacket: Target | scarf: LOFT | skirt: LOFT [exact on sale in limited sizes] | t-shirt: Banana Republic | shoes: Banana Republic [similar] 

The Defense

As a rule, I love to plan my outfits. I think about what I'll wear to events like weddings and conferences months in advance, revising the look in my head and even taking it on a trial run. But for some reason, a few days before my dissertation defense, I had not a though in my head about what I was I was going to wear. My parents came out for the occasion, and while my mom and I were going for a run a few days in advance, she asked me what I planned to wear. She had planned her outfit weeks before (so I guess I know where I get it from) but I still didn't have a clue. She recommended a dress -- and asked me to describe all the dresses in my closet -- and then advised, "You need to wear something that you feel good in, and then once you put it on, you forget about it."

Skype Style

A new, and weird, feature of the already byzantine academic job market is the Skype interview. According to my illustrious elders, it used to be that you showed up to the national conference, met with some departments in person, hopefully got an on-campus interview, and with great luck landed a job. That still happens sometimes, but now the job search calendar is much longer (so the conference interview doesn't always work) and everyone's trying to save money (so no flying all over the country). And so, we have the Skype interview.