University of Chicago's campus in autumn is easily the most photogenic time of year. Walking through campus on a windy day you can't help but notice the rainbow of leaves falling endlessly from above. So naturally, brainstorming a great backdrop for an all-black look did not take very long--well, except deciding where on campus would be the least socially-awkward for posing (and you know how bad I am at that) in front of a camera. Usually what ends up happening is that I get distracted and Alex has to consistently remind me that her manual focus camera cannot deal with constant movement. Whoops. The mood for this one turned out to be sort of old-movie-ish, which I think goes really well with the colors/setting!

Also as in this shoot on the rooftops of Marrakech, a few of you commented that I never wear skirts/dress up and that it was a nice change, so I decided to go a bit more fancy for this look, inspired by the beautiful Bib Necklace gifted to me by 9th & Elm, an online boutique of handmade and independent designers! Hooray to supporting small businesses!

 As mentioned in my wishlist post, I have been looking for an ostentatious, stand-out necklace for some time, and was so excited to receive this one in the mail! It it not too gaudy to the extent that it's too much for work or business-casual events, but bold enough that it can basically make a look complete. While I decided to dress up a bit in this look (because I don't do that enough on le blog), it would actually go great with even a tshirt + jeans!

You can check the necklace out (and similar) here!





(Alex made me add the one on the right) (I still object) 


Location: Reynolds Club Courtyard, UChicago | Photos: Alex | Necklace: c/o 9th & Elm | Boots: c/o Zappos | Jacket: Thrifted | Headscarf: Etsy | Top: Locally bought | Skirt: Handmade

Also this shoot is part of a little mini-series of commemorating Alex & I's first-ever-shoots (and trying to make us feel better by thinking we've improved) by going back to locations/looks similar to some of our first collaborations together and do them again....except (hopefully) much better. The pairing of this one can be found here. Which shoot do you like better? c:


P.S. Don't forget to enter to win the ethical camera strap giveaway from Artful Venture, here! 

More from 9th & Elm to come, so stay tuned! 

<(')