Style Runs in the Family

My cousin, a resident of Louisiana, is getting married in June. When I saw her engagement photos on Facebook, I knew they belonged in the blog! Fortunately, she agreed to be featured in a guest post. She actually has her own blog, whose primary focus is her new-found passion for running. Check it out here. Without further ado, I present to you the one and only, Kimberly Rogers:

I recently had engagement photos taken, and I really was not sure what to wear. Since the fall colors are still out in early December in Louisiana, the photographer, ShaRelle, suggested incorporating some fall colors -- red, yellow, and orange -- into my outfit but also mentioned that black is always a safe choice. ShaRelle has a fabulous eye for color and photography in general (I really love the photos by the yellow tree), so I made sure to follow her advice.  I ended up combining those suggestions and creating an outfit that received a surprising number of compliments! 

My sophomore year in college, one of my sorority sisters led a "Bangin' or Busted?" fashion show that showed how various fashion choices can be taken overboard and go from 'bangin' (awesome) to 'busted' (not cute). One of my favorite moments of the show was when my good friend Brooke came out wearing an animal print dress, fishnet tights, thigh high animal print boots, and who knows what else. She was definitely in the "busted" category, but only because she had so many things going on in her outfit; any one of those items on its own could have been worked into a reasonable outfit. The idea of limiting the number of statement pieces per outfit is one that has stuck with me since that day.

I do not work in a formal office setting, so I have more freedom than many people when it comes to choosing what I wear each day. I regularly wear blue jeans and high heels, and many days, my statement piece is a pair of fun colored heels. Of course, this also means I have the freedom to dress up when I want to. If I do not have anything formal to do, I like to wear brightly-colored tights with a skirt or dress. 

Very rarely do I pay full price for anything.  Another fashion tip I have taken to heart over the years is that it is silly to pay full price for clothes that will not be wardrobe staples. The skirt I am wearing in the photos was a sale find at the Banana Republic Factory Outlet right before Thanksgiving 2013. I buy most of my clothes on sale or with a coupon, but especially my colorful heels. One of my favorite places to find shoes is the clearance section of Target, but I have found several good pairs during the clearance sales at Dillard's. 

As any good bride-to-be does, I have spent some time on Pinterest. I pinned a picture of a girl with "Save the Date" and her wedding date on the bottom of her shoes and knew I wanted a similar picture. Armed with a coupon, I went to Payless in search of some fun shoes to wear for the pictures. Although I seriously considered some plaid shoes, I ended up leaving with plain black shoes...and the red sequined infinity scarf I am wearing. Since most people don't go to Payless looking for scarves, it's pretty clear that the scarf was kind of an accident, but a serendipitous one! Having an open mind about where to shop and which brands to purchase has really helped me create a fun wardrobe.

I don't wear much big jewelry. In general, I have a "quality over quantity" philosophy about jewelry, and I have never spent much money on large jewelry. In the photos, I am wearing my engagement ring, which is actually an antique that my fiance found at Baldwin Jewelers in Ruston, Louisiana. Baldwin specializes in vintage, antique, and estate jewelry, and I have received many compliments on it. I am also wearing Mignon Faget fleur de lis earrings, although they are difficult to see in the photos because my hair was looking so voluminous and fabulous that day.

I am so excited for Kim's wedding in June! I promise to share pictures of that on the blog this summer! Thanks again for being featured on Stone Style, and thank you ShaRelle for allowing us to publish your photos!

Photographer: ShaRelle Mangum Gutierrez (http://sharellestudios.com/, https://www.facebook.com/sharelle.studios)

Top:  Victoria's Secret

Scarf: Payless Shoe Source

Skirt: Banana Republic Factory Outlet (2013)

Leggings: Kohl's (2012)

Shoes: Payless Shoe Source