CoedUgly's blog

I’m a firm believer that almost any outfit you wear can be improved by the perfect pair of heels. I’m also a big fat hypocrite because I almost never wear heels while I’m at school because, oh I dunno, the walking part. Berkeley is a hilley.. hilly? school and there’s nothing more awkward than seeing some poor girl maneuvering her way around campus in stilettos and believe it or not I have witnessed this plenty of times here at Cal. While my fellow interns Wendy and Liz are certainly heel advocates I always have trouble managing the whole foot/pain/death part of it. As mentioned before those girls teeter-tottering around campus are hard to watch but at the same time I love seeing girls who can totally rock their heels. I always stand there in my oxfords or Docs thinking, “How are they walking!?”

There’s also a question of appropriateness. It’s not like wearing heels to the mall or even to go grocery shopping, it’s school. It’s hard enough in academia to be taken seriously as a girl interested in fashion; showing up to class in 6 inch platforms probably isn’t helping the cause. I’m still trying to figure out where to draw the line when it comes to what heels are appropriate for trekking around campus but I think that anything in the shoe boot/bootie category is safe. What do you guys think? Platforms? Clogs? Wedges? What’s appropriate for school?

xo Nancy

1st pic: yayee heels!
2nd pic: I just thought it was funny..

Fashion people are often declared either bag people or shoe people, and I consider myself one of the latter. But with the frequent rain we’ve been experiencing in the Bay Area, I’ve had to suck it up and stuff my feet into some more practical footwear. Trouble is, I’m not into rubber rainboots, since they’re clunky and uncomfortable to me, so here are a few of my alternatives:

1) Patent Leather – While brightly patterned rainboots will always rain supreme (yes, I’m awful), I find them awkward to wear and walk in. This is especially so when the rain stops and I’m left with very clunky footwear. Solution: Patent leather. It’s waterproof, on-trend, and you’ll look wonderfully sleek and sophisticated. Shown: Steve Madden

2) Platforms- If you’re a heels-no-matter-what kind of person, you might have an advantage here. Platforms will keep your feet farther away from actual water and will decrease the chances that your actual toes will get wet. Just make sure they’re walkable, because you know those puddles are out to get you. Shown: Harajuku Lovers

3) Rubber soles- No matter which shoes you’re wearing, you should make sure they have rubber (vs. leather) soles. They’ll keep the water out, more or less, and will give you better traction against slippery ground. If your shoes don’t have rubber soles, you can consider resoling them with rubber soles. I did that to a pair of booties (not the ones in the main photo) and was surprised at how much easier it was to walk even on a non-rainy day. Mine are by Jeffrey Campbell.

4) Duck boots- Kind of outdoorsy, but definitely made for splashy situations, duck boots will give you similar amounts of rain protection as rainboots, but look less ominous (or am I the only one who thinks rainboots look ominous in a “watchoutitsgonnarain!” kind of way?). I don’t have a pair myself, but I’ve been searching for a nice pair in my size. Shown: Etsy

5) Docs- I’m sure many of you have a pair of these lying around, and they definitely fit the bill. They’re pretty waterproof as they are, though a patent pair would be better, and would be great for stomping around in shallower puddles. For a punch of color on a dreary day, try wearing a neon-bright pair instead of basic black. Shown: Doc Martens (Lavender)

Here’s to you staying dry in this cold-catching weather!

—Wendy

This past week I had the opportunity to attend New York Fashion Week as well as work at the Chictopia10 Summit. I can’t even begin to sort through everything I learned and experienced during my short one week stay in New York, but for the sake of all you uglies I’ll give it a whirl. The days leading up to my departure were filled with anxiety and that kind of nervous energy you get when you’re excited but… terrified? I had never been to New York before and with all the stories people tell you about the city it can seem pretty scary. Images of walking through empty streets alone at 2am (I don’t know why I was alone), getting mugged, DYING were trickling through my head and by the time we landed I had no idea what to expect. Turns out, New York isn’t nearly as scary of a place as I thought it would be. In fact, it really isn’t all that big either. Everything is accessible by subway and the city is fairly easy to navigate, even for the directionally challenged like me. Fashion week was an eye opening experience for me and since I didn’t really have any idea as to what I was getting myself into I thought I’d share with you guys a few things I’ve gathered from my stay.

*Disclaimer: This is just my personal experience so please take everything I say with a grain of salt. (I hope I used that expression correctly)

Don’t worry so much about what you’re wearing.
Honestly the kinds of outfits you see in the tents range from high fashion to street fashion to no fashion and of course, too much fashion.

Bring Snacks
THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT. On one of the nights after a long and grueling day my friend Seika and I didn’t have our first meal until 10:30pm. We were so exhausted we ate our entire meal in silence and probably paid the check 15 minutes after we ordered.

Business cards
This one I failed to do but you never know who you’ll meet waiting in a coffee shop after being rejected from Rebecca Taylor. I’m looking at you, girls from Chic Intuition!

Change of shoes
There was a turning point where I gave up on heels all together and just wore my Docs everywhere. For all you uglies who aren’t wimps like me a change of shoes is always a good idea

Presentations can be just as good as a fashion show
Don’t knock presentations. They’re not as high profile as the runway shows but if you really want to get up close and personal with the garments they’re a great way to go. Also, just a little note, if you’re not sitting in at least the first three rows good luck seeing anything below the models’ torsos.

Be fashionably late
All shows start about 30 minutes after the scheduled time.

Be NICE!
I think that kindness is probably the most underrated quality a person can have. I found that being nice and polite to the PR girls often got me decent seats and I was only standing at one or two of the shows I attended. On that note, don’t worry if you have a “standing” ticket, almost all shows will require seat fillers so just keep an eye out for the empty ones and make your way over once the PR girls give you the okay.
I hope you guys find these tidbits helpful and please leave any questions you might have in the comments!

xo Nancy
1st pic: Magalis Garcia presentation, I loved this model.
2nd pic: Anna Wintour and Virgina Smith; the best part of a fashion show is watching Anna and her team of Voguettes literally sprint out of the venue once a show is over.
3rd pic: Celebs!
4th pic: Long live McQueen! Outside the Alexander McQueen store.

I probably get the above question more than any other comment on my wardrobe. Even better is my usual articulate and witty response, “Err…. I dunno. Cuz like.. I dunno?” And in all honestly I’m still not quite sure where my gravitation towards androgynous clothing comes from. There are a ton of reasons why someone might want to dress with a more masculine influence. Some women might find it empowering or believe that they’ll be taken more seriously while others consider it to be a reflection of their identity. For me, I think it really comes down to being comfortable in my own skin. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a part of me that loves all things girly, frilly, and romantic. I’ve even been known to wear a dress every now and then; but anyone who sees me often will tell you that more often then not I am in a “man” outfit.

Anyway, it’s something that’s been on my mind and I just wanted to share it with the community. What are your guys thoughts about masculine dress? Is it a conscious choice or does it just come naturally for you?

xo Nancy

The words “sweater guard” probably bring to mind something your grandma keeps handy for when the weather is chilly. You’re probably right. But I didn’t realize until after seeing the lovely Miss Emma Pillsbury on (my fave guilty pleasure-ish show) Glee wear them time after time in modern and interesting ways.

Since being popular in the 50s, sweater guards have since been mostly forgotten and overlooked as an accessory/jewelry piece. Which means it’s the perfect way to bring some unexpected pizzazz to your outfits. While they can be worn in the traditional way, on your sweaters to hold them ajar, sweater guards also look adorable when clipped to the collar of your favorite button-up shirt, as Miss Pillsbury demonstrates in the bottom left photo.

Due to its versatile nature, however, the sweater guard can be worn in so many different ways, especially since they come in both clip and pin form. Here are some I’d like to see:

1. In your hair as a barette
2. On a blazer lapel
3. On your shoulder as a makeshift epaulet
4. On a pair of lace-up booties for blinginess
5. On the waist of a high-waisted skirt
6. On the back of a sweater or jacket to help cinch it in.

If you’re creative you can definitely come up with a way to work one into your wardrobe.

Though sweater guards might not be prolific in your local thrift or vintage stores, chances are, you can score one for under $10 on eBay. Etsy also has some great offerings, as you can see to the right. Find them here for under $15 each:

Bows | Hearts | Simple | Flowers

<3 Wendy

I’m not sure about you guys but I am absolutely dreading the first day of school. This winter break sped by way too fast for my liking. But alas here we are at the start of a new semester. So you’ve moved into an apartment/dorm/you’re sick of the stuff you’ve got and decide it’s time to decorate. You want you’re room to look good but not like the cracked out ones in Kmart commercials. Yes, your college probably has an Ikea conveniently located within driving distance but I thought I’d put together a few alternatives that are probably as equally obvious with a few surprises.

Call me crazy but it kind of weirds me out when people have the same bed sheets as me; and if you’re buying yours at Ikea chances are you’ll probably have several “same-bedsheets” encounters, especially if you live in the dorms. Enter American Apparel bedsheets. Yeah, I didn’t know they made them either but I checked them out the other day and I have to say they feel REALLY nice. There are only a few color options to choose from for the time being but hopefully they come out with some fun patterns hint. Stores like Urban Outfitters and Karmaloop carry tons of fun merchandise including housewares with unique and interesting designs.

As far as decorating you’re apartment I’d say thrifting is probably the cheapest and funnest? way of finding interesting furniture that won’t break the bank. In Berkeley we have an excellent junkyard type place called Urban Ore which carries pretty much everything you might possibly need for dirt cheap. You might not even have to step foot in a furniture store. :)

xo Nancy

1st pic: American Apparel bedding
2nd pic: Urban Outfitters duvet
3rd pic: pillow from Karmaloop