WWW | 21 Dresses

In my home growing up the mantra was always quality over quantity when it came to clothes. Though this is likely the best approach as far as stewarding your resources well, I was the black sheep of our family in this arena. Mom used to always joke that I went through clothes like candy...and not because they were worn out, because I quit liking what we bought only a month later. What can I say? Call it my passionate make-up, but I fall hard and fast when it comes to a new outfit and unfortunately sometimes I change my mind almost as quickly.

That said, for today's edition of What to Wear Wednesday I'm gonna take you to a spot that's kind of become a lifesaver for my wallet - Forever 21. I've got to have Forever 21s in my life so that I can make rash decisions without breaking the bank every once in awhile (ok...maybe a little more often than once in awhile).

Forever 21 has so much variety. Though their stores keep getting bigger and sometimes feel overwhelming, I almost never leave with nothing. So today I wondered over to there web home and looked through the plethora of summer dresses they offer. It was so much fun to flip through the hundreds of adorable summer styles they had...and even more fun to see that in almost every case the price was under $30.

So I'm listing some of my favorites, specifically that I think would be just fab for a summer shoot below. Let me know what you think in the comments.

   

WWW | Shorty Shorts

Hot! Hot! Texas Hot!

And I don't mean the good looking kind. It is so stinking hot and dry these days.

I thought droughts only really happened in the Bible. Pretty soon we're going to be experiencing famine too. I've gotta find my King Joseph before it gets so bad they're rationing food.

Well I thought it was a good day for a short shorts issue of What to Wear Wednesday. At first I looked at those men's JCrew shorts and thought no way. Then I started to feel guilty we make boys cover so much of their legs when it's so darn hot out there.

You own those shorty shorts, good looking JCrew man. And while you're at it, encourage your lady to wear a Madewell fedora. You know she looks oh so hott in it! And I do mean that to have two meanings.

 

Here's to getting out their and soaking up some flaming hot rays!!

www | baby bows

So Jess usually writes the What to Wear Wednesday column because, to put it bluntly, I'm not that fashionable and I'm not really sure what anyone should wear. V-necks, jeans and flip-flops are my uniform of choice. They're nice, comfy and require no thought in the morning, which is good because it takes my brain a while to boot-up most days.

There is one fashion thing I do know though--baby girls should wear bows. Sometimes baby boys and girls are difficult to differentiate and bows are an instant fix, especially since no one likes being at the grocery store and hearing how handsome their little girl looks that day.

Since Evan and I aren't finding out the gender of our baby, I've been scouring Etsy looking for my favorite bows. I plan on having a small stock waiting in case we welcome a girl come July. So I wanted to share my favorites so far and see if I can get some help making some final decisions.

Here are my seven favorites. Help me decide which to get by telling me your favorite in the comments section!! Me and my (potential) girl really appreciate it!

WWW - Sunday Dress

So many churches expect little more than jeans and flip flops these days. Maybe the term "Sunday Dress" is obsolete.

Though the Jones family's shoot will not necessarily occur on a Sunday, their precious outfits would totally fit. I feature a lot of casual outfits in WWW, so I thought I'd branch out today and show you how to dress it up, but coordinate well. I love these neutral tones together.

Keeping up with the Joneses may seem tough, but these simple duds would make any family look not so simple!

What do you think?

WWW - GAP edition

Maybe I shouldn't commit to having scheduled blog posts...I'm pretending today is Wednesday. So here is your WHAT TO WEAR WEDNESDAY, Friends!!

Hi, I'm Jessica and I may own more than my share of clothes from the GAP. I've been this way for as long as I can remember. Too often I come home from a day of "running errands" only to be ragged on for having ANOTHER GAP bag in my hand. I just can't get away from their fabulous selection of staple items. GAP is just so classic. If it's not broke...

So, this issue of WWW is all about GAP (and that awesome engagement ring). I thought I'd mix it up a bit this week and show you how affordable and simple it is to put together a great summer outfit for a photoshoot.

This adorable summer couple is prepared for a casual, playful outdoor engagement shoot in their bright sunny duds.

I'm all about wedges with shorts too. This is a fabulous way to dress up warm summer clothes.

What do you think? Doesn't this outfit make you want to play outside?

www - dressing for the sun

In middle school, we wore uniforms. Most days we could wear khakis and a maroon or navy polo. We were a good looking bunch...except on Wednesdays. Wednesday was chapel day and our chapel uniforms were awful. When given an opportunity to dress mass children, do yourselves a favor and don’t pick little navy ties and pleated skirts to the mid-calf.

They were tacky, but it was easy. It was nice not to pick out what I had to wear everyday for sure. As an adult, sometimes getting dressed in the morning is one of the toughest parts of my day (rough life, I know). I’m really hoping it’s an uphill battle. One day, maybe I’ll be surprised what a fashionista I’ve become (pipe dreams).

That said, I’m hoping the longer I put together What to Wear Wednesdays, the better I’ll get at dressing myself.

So for today’s WWW, we’re going with a mother/daugther fun-in-the-sun summer shoot. It’s getting toasty outside, so sandals and tanktops it is! Here’s one way to do it well, folks.

Accessories are key. Pull out a fedora, and put little Josie in her super cool heart shades.

Maybe next week I'll include some great props for shoots. Stay tuned.

WWW - Scarves

There's a hole in my bedroom wall where a hook used to hang. At some point I thought it'd be a good idea to keep my scarves hanging up to add a little extra color to the room. It worked great until my obsession addiction developed.

Now there's a hole in my wall. Next time I'll have to find a stud (I mean the wall kind).

I love scarves. I love how cozy a scarf feels around my neck. I love the extra soft fabric near my face. And I love what adding a scarf does to an outfit. I just love them.

In dressing for a photoshoot it's really valuable to add accessories. Whether a fun necklace, a chunky bracelet or a great scarf...adding accessories can turn an outfit into a whole new creation. Also, since scarves are appropriate no matter the season these days, it's not a bad idea to keep your collection stocked.

So this week for What to Wear Wednesday, I've decided to make some great scarf recommendations.

Undoubtedly you can find some pretty pricey scarves out there, but I wanted you to see that there are fabulous accessories available to you at little cost.  The following are from one of these shops: Delia's, Topshop, Madewell, Urban Outfitters, Ruche, or Forever21.

ENJOY!!

And even babies benefit! We may or may not have been known to wrap a newborn in a great scarf for a photoshoot!

Do you have any favorite scarf stops you'd recommend. Let me know in the comments. I'm always on the lookout!

WWW - Little Family

This little family makes me want to have a little family so that I can dress them and name them really cute stuff. Until then, I have a blog for such things.

This What to Wear Wednesday post is for the family that is squeezing in some photos before their new baby boy becomes a toddler. Seth, Elizabeth (oh no, their names rhyme) and baby Jonah will look fabulous in these spring colors. Whether their shoot is in a perfectly lit field or right in their living room, these outfits should blend just right.

And because this post is about what to wear, I want to recommend a fashion blog that I've grown to love. If you spend much time on the world wide web blogstalking you may have already heard of her.  

Kendi Everyday gives awesome affordable everyday outfit ideas. She even features a Closet Challenge called the 30 for 30 Remix that'll help you to stretch your wardrobe further than you ever thought possible. Check her out.

Let me know what you think about these outfits (and Kendi Everyday) in the comments section. I'd love to hear your suggestions (besides Seth's need to fasten his pants) as well.

WWW - What to Wear Wednesday | Spring Break Family Edition

Alright alright...so I missed week two of WWW. I suppose this might say something about my consistency - that or my busy schedule. :)

But here we are at what to wear on this fabulous March Wednesday.

I thought I'd make this edition an ode to Spring Break since that's what is going on with most of the families around these parts this week. So we're going with warm weather clothes and brights!!

If you know me at all you know that I love everything color! Bright colors make me happy, so I made The Thomas Family BRIGHT! With solid colors and great accessories brights can be accomplished well. With a family, you've got to be careful to stay away from too many different patterns or photos can look very busy.

So what do you think of the Thomas family? Any suggestions for them?

WWW: What to Wear Wednesday

One of the things that Julie and I have realized as we take photos of folks is that most people aren't really used to having their picture taken professionally.

We get that!!

In fact, we relate to that. We had some photos taken of us in the last several months and it was so clear that we're not really used to it either. We struggled. :) Julie's still making fun of me for the serious faces I tried to make.

It wasn't pretty.

One of the more common questions we get before a session is, "What should we wear?" 

In order to answer that question for coming shoots, I've decided to start posting outfit ideas on Wednesdays. Now these outfits will always be ideas...templates if you will, for you to draw inspiration from.  

What you wear for a photoshoot should fit your personal style. You should always wear something that makes you feel comfortable. Clothes should enhance your personality not take away from it by being too tight or too awkward or not "you". We often suggest layers and accessories because they they offer more versatility. In the end, you should always choose outfits that make you feel great about how you look. 

Today's look is for Jill and Steve, the engaged couple planning a fall wedding. Their wedding isn't until October, but they need to get their save the dates out, so they scheduled a spring engagement shoot. These outfits aren't too match-y, but go well together. They picked an awesome little splash of color to go with their urban shoot.

In the coming weeks I'll give you different outfit ideas for you to flip through before your shoot. It is possible to have your outfits go together without matching so much you look like you're in a Mervyn's catalog.

Check back on Wednesdays for how to dress your the whole crew for a family portrait session. And let me know in the comments if you have any questions!