When Your Skirt Matches the Tree...

Last Tuesday was a very exciting day. No, not because I found a tree to match my skirt. Although that was fun too. But it was because my friend Ruth came to visit!

Ruth used to be my chevruta, but then she had to go get a job in DC, far away from me. (So selfish.) We still study together on Skype, but it is not the same. So imagine my excitement when she told me she was coming in to speak at a panel!

I have to admit that I did not attend said panel. However, we did take a lovely stroll through the park and have vegan food for dinner. I heart vegan food. I made her stop and take blog pictures for me, because I realized my skirt matched the tree so nicely!

An embarrassing confession about this outfit. I realized that it is the exact same one I wore here, but in different colors. Yes, this is my other random British skirt bought on impulse. In my defense, the two look very different, but when I realized I was wearing the same shirt in a different color as well, I thought about not blogging about it. But how could I hide such a thing from you, my loyal readers? So here you have it, in all of its awkward glory.

We also saw black tulips! They were so gorgeous. Man, I love the spring.

And finally, to top today off, some excellent advice I saw on makeup bags for sale in a store window. I didn't buy them, as I don't wear makeup, but I photographed them so I could share them with all of you. Because to me, few things sound more delightful than being a beautiful cupcake. AKA, let your freak flag fly, and the world will love you for it.

What I'm wearing: super old British skirt, Willi Smith shirt via TJ Maxx (similar here), Sperry for J.Crew boat shoes (similar here)

Q&A: Modest Swimwear

Hello, dear readers! Welcome to our first question and answer feature on the blog! Today's question comes from Hollis, and it is about how to find modest swimwear:

Question:With the hot summer weather coming, I'd love to see a modesty post about swimming/swimwear! New York doesn't have the same kind of scene, but here in the suburban south I'm at the pool with my kid almost every day all summer long and I feel uncomfortably naked in a bathing suit. If I want to swim, I go at a lower traffic time and get in and do my workout and get out. It's the lounging that's weird. As I'm sure you can guess, this is both a pragmatic fashion question and a larger question about modesty and exposure. I wear a long sleeve rashguard over my suit, primarily to protect me from the sun but I like the coverage too. But I'm still so uncovered everywhere else. Do you have any suggestions? -- Hollis

Answer:Ah yes. As the weather warms up, the swimwear question always comes with it. Swimwear is a source of anxiety for many women, modestly inclined or not. I'm not going to deal with the body image piece here today; we will leave that for another time. However, I will cite my friend Amy's wisdom: You know you get a bikini-ready body in one quick step? Step one: Put on a bikini. True story, Amy.

Anyway. For those of use for whom modesty is an issue, however, swimwear is complicated beyond just body image. There are a few ways to go, in my experience.

Option #1: Just wear a bathing suit. A good number of my friends end up suspending modesty parameters when they are at the beach, under the assumption that that is actually the normal mode of dress there, and also that nobody is looking. It is also true that a one piece/ skirted bathing suit/ long tankini (God bless whoever invented the tankini, making it easier for us to go to the bathroom without taking off all of our clothes) is often much more modest than the string bikinis many people wear. If this option works for you, I have had great success with Lands End bathing suits for providing a little more coverage. (And they seem to be having a sale until tomorrow, if you're in the market.)

Option #2: Modest swimwear. I don't have a lot of experience in this area, but I have friends who have bought bathing outfits through companies like Hydrochic and Modli. The nice thing about these companies is they tend to offer a range of styles depending on your standards of modesty, including skirt options, for those whom that is a requirement. They also sell water-friendly hair coverings. I've never gone this route, partly because I don't spend enough time at the pool to justify the expense and partly because I'm fairly certain I would drown if I tried to wear a swimming skirt. But for people for whom maintaining the same standards of modesty at the beach as they do in day-to-day life is a requirement, this is definitely good to know about.

Option #3: This is sort of a middle ground, and where I hang out. I usually wear a normal swimsuit under a t-shirt/ rashguard and men's board shorts. (See the picture above, from a delightful week at the Jersey shore last summer.) I don't wear shorts in normal life, but I've found that many men's bathing suits provide me with the level of coverage I feel comfortable in at the beach. The nice thing about them is that they are meant to be used for swimming, so they don't weigh you down the way a bathing outfit might, but they still provide a lot of coverage, which is useful for both maintaining modesty and sun protection. It's not necessary to spend a lot of money on them-- mine come from Old Navy and Target-- and they could theoretically be worn without a bathing suit underneath, although I've never done so. Look for a board short that has a 10 inch inseam or longer. Also, remember that men's clothing are not cut for hips, so I often end up going up one size so that I don't feel like my legs are sausages. You'll still be more covered than basically every woman you see, but long shorts and a t-shirt are much less conspicuous, if that's a factor for you. (In a pinch, basketball shorts work as well, but they can fall down if you're in rough water.)

So those are my thoughts on swimwear. Hope that helped! Certainly, this is one of the more complicated areas of modesty, so it's important to figure out what's right for you, rather than worrying about what other people are doing. And no matter what, remember to wear sunscreen! (Especially if you're exposing parts of your skin that are usually covered. That's a lobster waiting to happen.) Happy swimming everyone!

Have a question you'd like me to answer? Leave it in the comments, or email me here!

Suburbs Have Staircases!

Today, we continue my exploration of the wonders of suburban living. (AKA, these pictures are also from last weekend.)

In addition to having a yard, in the suburbs, people often have houses! And those houses have multiple floors! For example, I slept on the third floor, where the ceiling was all slanty. Will the wonders never cease? So here I am, making friends with the staircase. Hi, staircase! I am only used to things like you outside of my living space!

Just kidding. I am not actually as much of an alien, or city snob, as I am making myself out to be. But it is true that I have never lived somewhere with an inside staircase.

Anyway. Let's talk about texture for a moment, shall we? I am very into fabrics that have texture, especially ones like this dress, which is otherwise solid. I'm not sure the pictures show it super clearly (next time I wear it I'll take a close up), but this dress actually has a beautiful eyelet overlay over a solid base layer, which makes it much more interesting up close than it appears to be from far away. The attention to detail is what turns it from a plain blue dress into something really special.

I've been trying to use this blog as a way to get a little more adventurous in the way I dress. It hasn't really happened yet, but something I sort of want to try is pattern mixing, which seems scary but seems to work really well on other people? So I'm wondering if using a solid but texture piece might be a good way to start out. We'll have to wait and see.

Finally, this dress is a great lesson of "good things come to those who wait." I loved this dress last year from Boden, but it was too expensive to buy since I knew I would also have to find a sweater to go with it, etc. Then, a couple of months ago, I realized it was on major clearance, plus an extra 15% off. And luckily I got the last one in my size! I've already worn it a few times, and look forward to wearing it with other (brighter!) colors as the weather continues to improve.

Come back next week! Featuring our first Q and A post, and a spotlight on the many glasses of Curly Hair With Glasses. I tell you, the fun never stops.

What do you do to make your look more interesting? Any advice on pattern mixing?

What I'm wearing: Boden eyelet dress (sold out), Boden cropped cardigan, Audrey Brooke flats via DSW

Suburbs Have Yards!

As I mentioned on Friday, I took the train this weekend up to Boston to visit my friend Amy. Amy lives in Newton, which is suburban in a hard core kind of way.

To normal people, suburbs probably aren't especially interesting. However, as an eternal city dweller (I have never lived in anything other than an apartment, one year in a dorm room aside), I never cease to be fascinated by the suburbs. It seems likely that I drove Amy crazy because every five seconds I would say, What do people do with so much space?? (Sorry Amy.) And look! Here I am in her front yard! Because she has a yard! How fascinating.

For those of you who are in the North East, you might remember that on Friday, it was super cold, at least for May 1. Cold enough that I chose to wear jeans, because if I had worn a skirt, I would have had to wear tights, and I think we can all agree that tights in May are simply unacceptable.

Amy told me to strike a pose. So struck.

Looking at these pics, I realize that this is neither the most interesting, nor the most flattering, outfit I've ever worn. Oh well. You can't win them all, especially when spending 5 hours total in transit. I should really get these jeans shortened, but I never think of it until I want to wear them, so the cycle continues.

In other news, I think I'm going to start a Q and A feature on the blog. A few of you have reached out to me with questions, either relating to modesty or looking for fashion advice. While I am far from an expert, I'm happy to offer my thoughts on any and all related topics. So if you have a question you want me to answer on the blog, email me here, or leave it in the comments. We're going to have so much fun!

I should probably start working, as it is already noon. So that's all from me for now. Have a happy Wednesday!

What I'm wearing: Lucky Brand jeans via TJ Maxx, LOFT striped shirt (similar here), LOFT cardigan (similar here), Gap tank top, Toms shoes, super old scarf via Loehmanns

P is for PASS!!!

Some of my favorite things that I write about on this blog start with P. Purple. Pockets. Pleats. Polka dots. But today, our favorite P word of the day is PASS.

Yes, that is right. Your favorite modest, fashionable curly haired Talmud scholar has passed her fifth comp! This time it was Talmud Yerushalmi. For those of you not familiar with the Yerushalmi... well.. let's just say, imagine recording bits and pieces of a conversation, but not all of them, and then translating them into Palestinian Aramaic. That is pretty much the Yerushalmi. I am not sorry to see it be behind me.

Already thinking hard about my next comp.

For those of you keeping track at home, this is #5 out of 7. I'll take the next one in three weeks, and then will spend many months reading before I take the last one. But ABD is starting to feel like it might be in sight!

In addition to today being the day of the happy passing dance, it is also the first really hot day we've had this year-- in the 80s, and humid. I decided to break out the spring colors. This is a great skirt because it can match with so many different things. I went with green today, but expect to see it with other color combos in the future. Plus, the elastic in the skirt makes it super comfy, even when I eat celebratory cupcake.

Finally, Sarit, my esteemed photographer, asked me to talk about my sandals, on account of her loving them. Until now, I've sat out the gladiator sandals craze, because most of them hit around the ankle, which always made me look stumpy in the legs. However, I liked the idea of them because my heels tend to get dry and crack like crazy in the summer, which is very painful. I love that these have backs. So when I saw a pair in gladiator style that crossed the foot instead, I was very excited. But I needed another pair of shoes like I need a hole in the head. But then... DSW sent me a birthday coupon. Oh, ok, DSW. If you insist. Winning!

All in all, good day for Rachel. And I hope for you too! See you back here soon!

What I'm wearing: Boden skirt, Jones New York shirt via TJ Maxx (similar here), b.o.c. sandals

In Which I Try to Be a Bella

Here are two things about me that I used to be embarrassed about, but have come to embrace. Number one: I love musicals. They're just super happy, and everyone dances, and then you get an earworm for days after. Number two: I love a cappella music. Maybe that's sort of nerdy, and a little college, but whatever. I think the ways that people can blend their voices together to make them sound like instruments is so cool, and I am not ashamed to admit it.

I mention this not because it is true confessions day on the blog (although that might be funny, so maybe we should do that one day), but because the story of how I came to own this shirt is intimately connected to these two loves of mine.

Have you ever seen the movie Pitch Perfect? If not, stop reading and go watch it now. No, seriously.

Okay, you're back? Welcome. Isn't your life better now than it was before? You're welcome.

Anyhoo. In the dramatic, turning point, vomit scene towards the end of the movie, Chloe, who is played by Brittany Snow, wears a super cute loose tunic-type top that is longer in front than in the back, with a pair of fitted jeans. (I couldn't find a good picture, but if you're super committed to the cause, you can google Chloe Pitch Perfect red shirt and you'll see what I'm talking about.) Somehow, that outfit stuck in my mind, and when I saw this shirt on sale at Anthrolopologie last year, I couldn't resist the chance to recreate it.

Not to hate on Pitch Perfect, which i would clearly never do, I like my version better. I'm very into this emerald green color (better reflected in the detail pictures, and the sleeves and neckline both have the pretty flowered detail. Finally, where Chloe's top has pockets, mine has lace! And who doesn't love a little lace? This shirt is also a great example of why I tend to love things at Anthropologie, even though I can rarely afford them. The attention to detail takes what would otherwise be a really ordinary shirt, and turns it into something a little more special.

So those are my guilty pleasure admissions of the day. Less than two weeks until Pitch Perfect 2 comes out! What's your favorite guilty (or not-so-guilty) pleasure?

What I'm wearing: Meadow Rue shirt via Anthropologie (similar here), Madewell jeans, Downeast Basics cami, Toms shoes (similar here)

Guys, I Found POCKETS!!

Hello from the train, everyone! Yes, that's right. Your favorite nearsighted, curly haired friend is on the go again! So what better way to pass the time then by updating the blog? (Internet permitting, of course.)

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been super into tunics lately. As was also true in my last post, this was sold as a dress, but was way shorter than anything I would consider even remotely reasonable to wear. (The saleslady was like, Oh, just wear it with dark tights! No thank you.)

I'm not sure the dark lighting in my apartment really does this dress/ tunic justice. It's super beautiful and very unique. I really love the contrasting patterns between the top and bottom of the skirt.  It's silk, with stretchy smocking on top, and of course, pockets! Which I just discovered, even though I've worn this before. (See, for example, my birthday post.)

This a reenaction of what had happened 45 minutes earlier,
when i discovered the dress had pockets.

Judging from people's reactions (So many compliments! Thanks friends!), and based on what I saw in the mirror, I think this works better over a skirt than over jeans. I'm not totally sure why? The line just seems smoother and more flattering. But you can be certain that I will continue to wear this as much as possible.

One more note, on the shoes, since apparently I am just spending today's post talking about my clothes. (No shame in that, right? This is a fashion blog after all.) If you can't tell, they're actually a bright magenta. When I bought them, I wasn't sure I would wear them enough to justify keeping them. My friend Sarit convinced me that I would find a way, and she was totally right. I actually wear them all the time, especially because I have a lot of black and navy in my wardrobe, and these are great for a pop of color. They're also super comfortable. Unlike most flats, which are, you know, flat, these have a small wedge hidden inside. It's much better for arch support, which means I can wear them all day without my feet hurting or getting blisters. I would say odds are good that another pair or two of these are in my future.

How do you like to add a splash of something unexpected into your quieter outfits? Let me know in the comments! I'm always looking for new ideas. And have a happy weekend!

What I'm wearing: Maeve dress as a tunic via Anthropologie (sorry, it's old, and my googling didn't provide anything similar), Banana Republic Sloan skirt, Audrey Brooke flats, Downeast Basics cami