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Back with another round of street fashion and casual, wearable steampunk! This week's featured soul is writer and critic Jessica Lawson. I stayed at her current residence in San Francisco last week as I toured with The Ghosts Project, and I was pleasantly surprised when she emerged in the following get-up. Jessica is employed as a teacher at the University of Iowa, and her clothing choices prove that one can be professional and fashion forward simultaneously.

We took these images outside Macky Hall on the California College of the Arts campus, Oakland, CA. Thank you to Jessica for posing for me and for letting me borrow her camera. I thought I'd be clever and leave my SLR at home for a change, but it seems I can't escape playing photog, ever. :) Read on for outfit details!

Jessica is wearing:

• Classic green jacket - Free People from Cactus Flower in Bloomington, IN, $80
• Black knee-high boots - Xappeal from Rack Room Shoes in Bloomington, IN, $30
• Chocolate flowy skirt - Five and Diamond in San Francisco, $40
• Headscarf - Athena in Bloomington, IN, $18
• Black top-striped OTK tube socks - Sock Dreams, $12
• Dreadlocks by G-Spot Hair Design in Iowa City

Her hair is so bad-ass I can hardly contain myself. Brightly colored dreads, permanent or temporary, are a wonderful way to fly your freak flag, grow out your natural hair, and get your mop out of your face. Jessica's ritual for caring for her hair is thorough and meticulous, and the versatility of her locks truly makes me covet them.

I love the strength and functionality of this outfit. Subtle details are the key: notice how the heels of Jessica's boots match her deep brown skirt. Buckles and buttons offset body conscious tailoring and the clean lines of her jacket and skirt. Perfect for the club or the office, and for taking over the world.

Thank you!