fashion hauties: May 2012

Lace and Lime Green Outfit of the Day!

Hey guys! I haven't done an outfit of the day in over a week, so here goes!

Lace tank from Ya!, Vintage Tommy Hilfiger shorts. Belt from Vineyard Vines, and bangles from Forever 21. Clipboard from Vera Bradley. I made my pen. I would love to do a tutorial if you guys are interested!

I bought my ukulele a year ago, but am just starting to use it more often! I want to pick up guitar- does anyone have any advice?

I am in love with the lace- it reminds me of a doily. Viva la vintage!

The bracelets gave a nice pop of color that relate to the preppy, beachy theme of the look. I have to say, I've had these shorts all Spring but just broke them out now because of the weird fit. They are huge! I wouldn't usually have purchased them, but the color is to die for! The light lime is such a fun, summery pastel that's hard to find.

Special thanks to Will and Olivia for playing ukulele in the background!

Elli and I's magazine shoot is this Friday! It's crazy to plan, but so exciting. You'll be the first to see the pictures, pinky promise!

See you all soon! -Abby

June Photo Challenge!

Hey guys! Because of the obvious photography obsession here, I decided to create a photo challenge for June to celebrate finally getting out of school and having more time to take pictures! Cheers for that!

For those who don't know what a photo challenge is, each day in June you take a picture pertaining to the day's theme, and post it on Facebook and/or Twitter. At the end of the month you will have a memorable collection of memories to remember (Punny? Look at day 30.)!

For the Challenge, I'd love to see your pictures! Tag me on twitter (@fashion_hauties) or Facebook- we'll be posting the best ones up here at the end of the month!

Thanks for reading everyone and catch you soon! -Abby

New Review: Gigee Marie Clutch

Hi Everyone! I wanted to do a review on a clutch I recently got that I've been obsessed with. I love the colors of mine (inspired by this top design), and they're also available in leatherette, in suede in marigold, tangerine, and sorbet. So many options!

Gigee Marie clutches range from $20-$52.

It's a perfect size folded in half- about six inches tall and a foot long- but after being unsnapped and unzipped, it offers tons of space for all of your goodies.

One of the best parts besides the exposed zipper is the inside- a satin floral fabric that literally had me squealing when I first opened it!

Check out my outfit post from Saturday to see how I wore my clutch!

Overall, this is a great clutch- hands down the best one I've owned -and the bright colors really unleash your creativity and brighten up a boring look instantly.

Thanks again to Gigee Marie for sponsoring Fashion Hauties!

Dear Abby: Fashion Edition- The Shoes of Summer

Dear Abby,
In the winter I always have a pair of shoes to wear however, now that the weather is getting warmer I have found myself only wearing flip-flops and Sperries. I love a pair of rainbows as much as the next girl but I NEED some variety in my footwear. I don't really like toms and would prefer to stay away from heels- I'm looking for a casual look I could wear to school. What would you recommend?
Thanks,
Tess

Summer is so fun to wear statement footwear! Here are a few of my favorite looks:

Pretzel Sandals

The Jelly material and criss-cross pattern of these sandals make them unique and wearable. Sandals by Melissa, $84.

These floral Espadrilles by Etienne Alexander, $39, are so cute and beachy. Worn with a chambray shirt and khaki shorts, you've got ultimate perfection.

Colored Sperries are a perfect way to spice things up and have a unique look. Sperry for J. Crew, $98. I especially love the orange ones!

Glitter T-Strap sandals from Steve Madden, $30 will add the perfect amount of sparkle to your look without bringing on too much bling.

Minnetonka Mocs, $30. These mocs have a great bohemian vibe that would look dazzling with vintage high waisted denim shorts!

Neetlepoint loafers are great! They're unique, comfortable, and elongate the leg. Get a pattern that you like or get them monogrammed- they'll polish off any look!

These leather sandals are not only super strappy, but have a micro heel! The heel is visible, but will not be any different from walking in a normal shoe because they're so low. Madewell, $138.

I hope your summer shoe endeavors go well!

To ask Abby a question, email her at fashionalexandria@yahoo or click here.

Trending for the 2nd Summer in a Row: Espadrilles!

There's always that one trend that is so loved that it's continued into the next year.

This whole spring, but the past few weeks especially, I've been seeing these hopping back into stores by the hundreds.

Here are some of my favorites:

Anthropologie, $168 These strappy numbers have just enough color to tone up the tones or match perfectly.

Kate Spade, $275. Even though this price is a bit steeper, they are one of the cutest pairs of wedges I've ever seen! The colorful rope design is a perfect statement!

$130, Topshop. I love these so much! The braided straw is so beachy and fun- they couldn't get any better! The only complaint with these is that if you're not wearing a bright outfit, they would look sort of bland. If worn with a summer color, such as honeysuckle, violet, or kelly green in dress form, they would go excellently!

The classy, beachy feel of Espadrilles bring together a nice, free-spirited vibe that is still classic. They're comfortable and easy to walk in, but dress up an outfit instantly.

How do you wear your espadrilles?

Outfit of the Day with Molly!

Molly and I went shopping today! I got a great casual dress that I can't wait to show you guys! Here is what we were wearing:

My Dress is From Lands' End Canvas. Belt from Vineyard Vines. Earrings are vintage, Watch from a boutique, and Gigee Marie Bag. I am IN LOVE with this bag that Angela, the designer generously sent to me! I'm going to make a post reviewing it later this week, but the second I took it out of the shipping wrap, I couldn't wait to use it!

The Color Blocking with the Earrings, Belt, Watch, and Clutch make the look go from Blah to Aha!

Molly's Shorts are J. Crew, Sandals are from Steve Madden, and top is from Old Navy. Alone, it isn't one of the shirts that I would usually choose, but I seriously am in love with how she paired it with the shorts. She brought a seemingly cliche symbol to the look, but after pairing it with the shorts, she matured the look and made it look flawless! This outfit is great.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Hopefully I'm going to get some trend reports up tonight- I've realized that basically all of my posts this month have been photo shoots! Let's get some variety in here!

Until next time, Abby

Ode to the Tropics

Elli and I have been doing a lot of photo shoots lately! This shoot we decided to take an ode to the tropics and stop by the Hawaiian spirit with some wide brimmed hats, tribal necklaces, rainboots, and sunglasses.

Hat from a random boutique somewhere near my house. We got some great headshots with it- even though we looked dumb wearing it- it just finished raining!

Top from Blue, and I have no idea where my necklace is from- but my sunglasses are from Aldo. Gap Khakis.

A bike rental place generously lent us a bike for some shots. They turned out great!

This shot was taken right before our meeting with Janice, the editor of Facon Magazine. The reason we met with her is also the reason for some very exciting news! Elli and I were hired to do a shoot for the magazine. The theme is Junior Bridesmaids, and we're doing the shoot at River Farm. We've been spending the past week preparing every minute of this so it turns out amazingly! Stay tuned at the beginning of June for updates and sneak peeks!