wear // a tale of two cities.

Can you believe this is my first outfit post of 2013?  Okay, technically this post was in January, but I took the photos in December, so it doesn't count.  :)  I hadn't planned on any outfit posts until I got a little closer to my weight loss goal, but then I scored some cute accessories so I just had to share (PLUS, I had awesome photographer Sandy of Sandy A La Mode to help me out during our recent trip to Santa Monica -- that's SM Pier in the background, people!).

I called this post "a tale of two cities" because my clutch bag bears the coordinates of the city of Paris, and my necklace flaunts my pride for my home state!  So, technically not two cities, but still two places on the map I consider very near and dear.

dress, Target (old) // California charm necklace c/o Style Lately // geometric necklace, PacSun // tights, We Love Colors // flats, Target // clutch c/o Sweet Spot Bags  

My clutch was customized just for me by Malin over at Sweet Spot Bags on Etsy.  I asked her if she could make me something with the coordinates of the city of Paris (I studied abroad there in college and it remains one of my favorite places EVER!), and she asked if I had a specific location or landmark of the City of Lights in mind.  So, my bag is customized with the exact location of the Eiffel Tower!  How amazing is that?  I think Malin's bags are an excellent choice for something like bridesmaids gifts!

Also, please give some recognition to my Hello Kitty sunglasses and Kate Spade iPhone case, thankyouverymuch.

This outing with Sandy was followed by a fun blogger dinner organized by me, Sandy, Carly, and Alissa.  The restaurant was way dark so apologies for this grainy little number, but here we all are!

From left to right: Aime, Carly, me, Sandy, Julie, Alissa, Jacqui, and Mandy!

We dined at True Food Kitchen, which was Alissa's pick, and I HIGHLY recommend it!  It. Was. Amazing.  Super delicious.  I think about half the table (or more) ordered the pomegranate mojito, and it was YUM.

Have you ever attended a blogger meet-up?

wear // little black dress

When I shoot weddings, my "work uniform" is usually some variation of the little black dress.  My aim is to look both professional and wedding-appropriate, dressy but not distracting (keeping both color and modesty in mind).

I'll occasionally digress from the black dress (I wore a dark teal to a wedding I photographed in December) but really, the LBD is my favorite, mostly because it gives me total freedom to embellish this relatively-blank canvas with my favorite fashion statements: accessories.

Look number one is the same I wore for my holiday party last month: shiny, sparkly, always-classy gold.

dress Internacionale // flats Witchery // clutch Rebecca Minkoff // earrings Bauble Bar // neckalce Hiroshi Kurokawa // tights H&M // iPhone case Kate Spade // headband BCBG Max Azria

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Look number two is all about mixing neutral black with its neutral cousin, brown.  I used to think black and brown together was simply unacceptable, but I've learned that when it's done right, it's a winning combo!

dress Dorothy Perkins // flats Tory Burch // bag Leftover Studio // earrings Dorothy Perkins // bracelet Maria Rudman // belt Dorothy Perkins // nail polish Topshop

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Last, but certainly not least, is the LBD with jewel tones.  Jewel tones are obviously most fashionable in autumn and winter, but I think keeping it monotone jewel tone is a good bet for spring and summer.  Especially since emerald is the official color of 2013.  And in cooler months (as in, right now), mix it up with a combination of aubergines, emeralds, fuchsias, and royal blues.

dress Oasis // boots Haider Ackermann // handbag Rochas // necklace Kate Spade / Isharya , $245 / belt Linea Pelle // nail polish Deborah Lippmann // coat Stitch Detail Mac // glasses Cutler and Gross

How do you "dress up" your little black dress?

Linking up with Lindsey & Lish!

wear // oh, deer.

I'm a pretty big fan of the online clothier eShakti and their unique custom-made goodies.  Their wares are some of the cutest you'll find, and even better, you send them your measurements and they make their items to your exact specifications, so you can order online without worrying about whether your purchases will fit or not.  They also offer regular sizes so you don't have to customize if you don't want to.

I picked out this little number and, as promised, it fits perfectly.  So much so I ordered three other dresses.  And when I lose the weight I've planned as part of my New Year's resolution, I'll be ordering some more with new measurements.  :)

On that note, this is my last outfit post til the aforementioned weight is lost.  I think I'll be posting some updates on my diet and exercise regimen, the first of which will be a guest post over at Katie's blog this month.  More on that later.  For now, please head over to eShakti and check out the ADORABLE numbers they have in store for late winter/early spring.

dress c/o eShakti // bracelet c/o Minnie Grace // necklace Whimsy House // shoes JustFab // ring JewelMint // nail polish Julep

Linked up with Lindsey today!

Anyone else make a resolution to lose weight this year (and plan on STICKING to it!)?

wear // emerald: the color of 2013

I'm swooning over Pantone's early December announcement that the 2013 color of the year is none other than emerald green.

{ via Pantone }

I'm really smitten with this color; I had a crush on it anyway and then Pantone shone a direct spotlight on it, and it was all over for me. 

Here's all the emerald I'm loving to wear lately...

These mittens-into-fingerless-gloves (from Target)

Julep polish in "Emilie" (coincidence? I don't think so.)

I'm also head over heels for this styled winter wedding inspiration with emerald accents from Ruffled.

{ via Ruffled // photos by Dallas Curow }

I've even curated a Pinterest board to celebrate my newfound love of emerald!  I might be a little out of control.

How are you feeling about emerald?

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy and with Imprintalish!

wear // time for tights.

Let's get to the point here: I. Am. OBSESSED. With. Tights.

As soon as September hit and I felt like it was legitimately permissible to wear tights, I unleashed my stash.  I had at least four or five pair that still had tags on them from last year's winter clearance sales.

I really, really hope that tights aren't going out of style anytime soon.  Not only because I've invested, but because I LOVE them.  They're comfy but a little fancier than leggings, they allow me to keep wearing dresses throughout our California version of winter, they look darned cute with boots and booties and flats, and I don't have to shave my legs every day to wear them.  I know, too much info.  Whatevs.

In honor of tights, here are my favorite looks for what's left of autumn, and for our west coast winter, too.  :)

Way to wear 'em #1: bright pops of color (center of attention, anyone?)   Bold-hued tights can completely change the mood of any outfit.  I love the way these ladies have used bright colors to transform their looks in ways I wouldn't have imagined.  I'll be pairing this navy dress with bright pink next time, thankyouverymuch.

 A Beautiful Mess // Much Love, Illy // Roots and Feathers // Lipgloss and Crayons

Way to wear 'em #2: über-neutral (a.k.a. my comfort zone)   Mmmkay, so maybe this makes me a little boring, but I like to play it safe (or I'm just lazy) and 90% of the time, my tights are black.  To be fair, this is in part because I'm often wearing tights to a wedding for my photography work, and bright turquoise just isn't my thing for worky-work time (I don't want to take any attention away from the bride!  Turquoise camera bags are as far as I'll go, heehee!).  Anyway.  I think these examples of how to rock neutral-tone tights are spot on and, really, not so boring after all.

Kendi Everyday // Shannon Hearts // Skunkboy Creatures // A Beautiful Mess

Way to wear 'em #3: pretty patterns.   The availability (and variety) of patterns now available for tights-lovers like myself is almost overwhelming.  Almost.  I have the basic sweater-texture varieties and some lacey friends, too, but I could use some floral print or heart-patterned or something, too.  And I think I need to try this out immediately...

Lemon Jitters // Sandy A La Mode // A Beautiful Mess // Moda Mama // Shannon Hearts

Way to wear 'em #4: do the polka.   My absolute favorite look this year has been POLKA DOT tights!  Everywhere I see polka dot tights, I must buy them.  And when they are "one size fits all," I generally get frustrated.  ModCloth has been guilty of this.  But I can also appreciate that plenty of women are smaller than I, and thus "one size fits all" is not a problem.  So, ModCloth, no hard feelings.  I've also had good luck at Forever 21 and Madewell.

Skunkboy Creatures // Keiko Lynn // Coolspotters // A Beautiful Mess

What's the verdict on your end?  Are you a tights-wearer?  And if so, what's your fave?

wear // autumn wish list

It is FINALLY cooling down outside here in California (now that it's November, haha), so dreaming of scarves and sweaters isn't so crazy anymore.  According to just about every magazine I've read lately, there are a handful of trends that are cropping up (or simply resurfacing) for 2012, and I'm super excited about quite a few of them!  Four of them, in fact, making this perfect for four things.  :)

1.  One that I'm most excited about is technically a continuation from spring and summer: chambray.  Some of my favorite bloggers have totally rocked this trend with flying colors:

Kristina rocking a chambray dress and Caroline in a wear-it-every-day chambray button-up shirt.

Chambray is also a big deal for dudes this fall; it's one of the big men's fashion trends for autumn 2012.  Chambray's versatility makes for a great transition from summer to fall, so jump on this bandwagon (if you haven't already!).  This one from American Eagle Outfitters is my top pick.

2.  Next up is another continuation from spring and summer: colorful skinny jeans.  The twist on this trend for fall is pretty easy to guess: swap your springtime sherbet-colored pastels for darker autumn colors, like burgundy or plum.  And I do think they look pretty extraordinary with high-heeled pumps!  I can't wait to find some I love for the new season.

3.  Another big hit for fall (and for all seasons, if you ask me) is the tuxedo jacket.  Yet another spin on menswear for women, the tuxedo jacket is reappearing again for fall 2012 (I found archives for its popularity from 2006 and 2010) and is easy to dress up or dress down.

4.  There are a few more styles that I am personally a little hesitant about, but that I can appreciate as great fashion.  Peplum is one of them.  I think peplum is actually quite lovely, but I am just a tad too curvy for this style to be ideal for me.  I do have a friend who rocked a peplum dress in her engagement photos and she looked amazing!

My friend Vanessa donned a peplum dress is a gorgeous shade of royal blue for her engagement shoot.

"Peplum" is the Greek word for "tunic" and refers to a short little overskirt attached to a top or jacket, but the trend extends to dresses, as you can see the photo of Vanessa above.  Here are a couple more takes on peplum:

The lovely Sandy rocking a ModCloth lace peplum top and the Peplum Ponte Tank from Anthropologie

So, what do you think?  Which of these fall trends are you excited about and willing to try?  

Hope everyone has a great weekend ahead!