arctic fox

hi, friends!

this week’s photos are pretty special, if i may say so myself.  delaney took me to one of her favorite locations to shoot, and i have to say i think the pictures turned out better than ever.  it certainly seems that as we’re shooting more and getting to know each other better, the photos keep getting stronger.  this spot is actually the reason why i contacted her to do the photos for my blog; even though i’d been following her on instagram a while, it wasn’t until i saw some photos she’d shot here for someone else that i decided i had to reach out to her.  i’m so glad i did!

this week’s look features a faux fur vest i got for christmas (thanks, mom and dad!).  i styled it with a lace free people dress (as seen here on mollie in my very first blog post!).  i think they are a great combination because they balance each other out — the lace dress has bell sleeves and can feel quite dressy since it’s black, but the vest takes it down a couple notches.  to top it off, i threw on a bunch of jewelry and my trusty jeffrey campbell lace up boots.  i could easily wear this out with my friends or to a casual get-together/party.  i think faux fur vests (and vests in general) are very practical because they keep you warm without adding too much bulk and are a little less fussy than a full faux-fur coat.

 

dress – free people; faux fur vest – 6 shore road via free people {sold out, similar here}; coin necklace – top knot goods {similar here}; long necklace – free people; boots – jeffrey campbell x free people

i’ve said it before but i’ll say it again — i believe style and interesting outfits are all about balance and contrast.  some people really like things to match (i.e., red shoes with a red bag), but i hate that because it feels too fussy to me.  i understand that that is many people’s aesthetics, however, so i respect it…it just isn’t for me.  when i was working at nordstrom in the women’s shoes department, so many women would come in asking for shoes to match a particular item of clothing.  it used to make me cringe because that really looks quite dated on a lot of people, and it just isn’t that interesting.

most of those age-old fashion rules are not law anymore.  ladies, your shoes don’t have to match your handbag.  you can mix black with brown (guys — sorry, you gotta pick one when it comes to your belt and shoe combo, especially with your suit.).  the hardware on your shoes or bag doesn’t need to match your jewelry (seriously?).  and for crying out loud, wear a pair of nude pumps with your cocktail dress instead of a pair in the exact shade of pink you see in the pattern.  rules are boring and meant to be broken; take a risk and if your eye likes it, go for it.  if you just really like for everything to match, i get it, but don’t think that you’ll look crazy for wearing a cool pair of brown boots with your black jeans.

turquoise and sterling silver statement rings – vintage; delicate stacking rings – all considerthewldflwrs; lipstick – nars audacious in liv; lipliner – mac in currant

➶details➴

silver bangle – free people {old, similar here}; leather wrap bracelet – vintage; quartz bracelet – vintage; stone wrap bracelet – chan luu

STYLE TIP: don’t be afraid to layer your necklaces to create different looks.  the key is to take pieces of varying lengths and pile them on, starting with the longest ones.  don’t be too concerned about mixing metals, either; the more varied, the more interesting your stack will be (can you see why i’ve been preaching about mismatching?)  this can help you get more mileage out of your accessories and keep them feeling fresh even if you’ve had them for ages.  jewelry and accessories are really how you add a personal touch to your look, so don’t overlook them.

no, we did not travel to alaska to shoot this look; this is a random pile of salt delaney found, right here in nashville!  

i mean…how cool is this place!?

that’s a wrap, folks! ➸

many thanks for reading!

➳ alyssa