MEGAN AUMAN

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one dress challenge, day 1: wrap dress and military jacket

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one dress, thirty ways style inspiration: grey wrap dress, military jacket, and chunky gemstone statement necklace

I know the idea of simply throwing a jacket over a dress isn’t the most groundbreaking styling trick, but often simple things can make a big difference when it comes to style. Adding a jacket is a great way to add some vertical lines to an outfit, breaking up a wide expanse of a single colored dress. Plus, this military jacket is my go-to piece for when I want to give an outfit more badass attitude, and it was actually tossing this on that made me realize I could make this wrap dress work for me.

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the challenge: one dress, thirty days, thirty ways

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style challenge inspiration: one wrap dress, thirty ways

Last week, I purchased a grey sweatshirt wrap dress online on a whim. I don’t normally wear wrap dresses, because despite every piece of advice you’ve ever read about them being universally flattering, they generally don’t look good on me, thanks to my broad shoulders and wide-set boobs.

(To be clear, when I talk about having broad shoulders and wide boobs, I’m not making a judgement about my body, just stating facts. Plus, I actually like how my broad shoulders make me feel strong and I love how my smallish, wide-set boobs give me ample chest real estate to rock a statement necklace. It’s just that wrap dresses, in general, accentuate those two traits on me in a way that is awkward rather than awesome.)

Still, I really wanted to like this dress. It’s cozy and warm and crazy comfortable and it has pockets! Pretty much everything you dream about in a dress. (Especially in the winter.)

But on its own, it pretty much confirmed my suspicions about the way I look in wrap dresses. It’s just kind of a grey mass that doesn’t do great things for my shape.

new year style challenge: wear one dress thirty different ways over the next thirty days

But I’m not one to give up so easily. (Especially on a dress this cozy.) While the dress on its own isn’t the best for me, I think this is a problem that can be solved by styling. (Rather than the alternative, which is simply to return the dress.)

So I’m giving myself a challenge. Over the next thirty days, I’m going to come up with thirty different ways to style this dress. My goal is to come up with ways to wear this dress that take it from kind of blah to totally badass and fun.

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your face doesn’t need facetune

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why we need more real portraits and less facetune

Yesterday, I got served an ad for the facetune app, and frankly, I was horrified. Not only can you remove blemishes and smooth out your skin, but you can literally change the shape of your facial features. All, so the app claims, your seflies can get more likes.

Since I’ve been photographing my jewelry more on myself, and posting more images of myself (without makeup), I’ve also been thinking about the faces we’re used to seeing online and in the media.

We’ve been told for years to take the images we see with a grain of salt, because literally everyone famous has been airbrushed or photoshopped. But now, thanks to technology, you don’t have to be famous to get the smoothing treatment. You can literally smooth and alter the shape of your face, all with the swipe of an app.

Lately, I’ve been following more people in the body positive community online, and the Militant Baker recently shared a post about the importance of changing our media diet by following more people with diverse body types. I think the same needs to be true for faces.

Because if all we see online are perfectly facetuned faces, it can only make us more critical of the actual faces (ours and others) we come across in our everyday lives.

So here’s my face, as it is. No makeup (except for lipstick), under eye circles, pores, and a zit I forgot to photoshop out.

Oh yeah, and a new Contra Necklace with a gorgeous stone I’m obsessed with. (And that’s available in my online store!) Because I’m trying this radical thing where I assume that real people (not smoothed out selfies) wear my jewelry, and I’m photographing it accordingly.

Contra Necklace length guide

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contra necklace length guide

I know not everyone likes to wear their necklaces at the same length. (Whether that’s due to personal preference or body shape.) Which is why I offer chain extenders in my online store for my signature handmade chains.

But I also know that it can be challenging to visual different necklace lengths when you’re shopping online. Which is why I photographed this Contra necklace (and chain extenders) at eight different lengths, to help you get a better sense of how they look when worn!

And the beauty of the Contra necklaces (and all of my handmade chains) is that you can actually clasp them at lots of different lengths (with or without chain extenders) for maximum versatility!

Read on to compare necklace lengths then head to my online store to find your perfect Contra necklace! (And chain extender.)

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cozy and elegant holiday style

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elegant and cozy holiday style: chunky sweater, tulle skirt, and gemstone statement necklace

I had big plans to post a lot of holiday looks on the blog this year, but then the holidays (and shipping holiday orders!) got in the way! But now that I’m enjoying a slow Christmas morning (and watching White Christmas on repeat) I thought I’d share this look I photographed the other week, inspired by this outfit post I put together last year.

It’s the perfect blend of elegant and cozy, with just enough attitude from the bold Contra necklace to keep it interesting!

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Best selling jewelry of 2017

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Contra pendant: best selling jewelry of 2017

We all love a good best seller list, right? Especially as the year draws to a close! So this year, I thought it would be fun to highlight my top five best selling jewelry designs of 2017.

There were some pieces that I knew would be on the list, and a few (I’m looking at you #2) that were a total surprise! But in the end, there’s a reason that each of these pieces have become best sellers. They’re all bold yet easy to wear, making them the epitome of what my jewelry line is all about.

Read on to see which pieces made the list!

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one neckline, nine different necklaces: what necklace to wear with a flannel button down shirt

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necklace with neckline style guide: what necklace to wear with a flannel plaid button down shirt

I know that buying a necklace online can be hard. Especially when it comes to comparing different necklace style and visualizing what they might look like on you. Which is why today I’m kicking off a new series on the blog where I show you what different necklaces from the Contra Collection look like on the same neckline.

And since it’s the holiday season, I thought I’d start with one of my favorite festive looks: the flannel button down shirt. Adding a one of a kind necklace to a classic flannel shirt is a great way to add a special touch to a more casual holiday look. (Or you can up the ante and pair your flannel shirt with a bold midi skirt.)

All of these necklaces are available in my online store, so click the links below to shop or keep scrolling to see each of the necklaces in more detail!

1/ Contra pendant // 2/ large Contra pendant // 3/ Audrey Contra Necklace
4/ Contra necklace // 5/ bold Contra necklace // 6/ bold Contra necklace
7/ oval Contra necklace // 8/ Contra Composition necklace // 9/ Contra Composition necklace

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bold black and white style: midi skirt and flannel button down shirt

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black and white style: midi skirt, plaid shirt, statement necklace

Last week, I went to Lancaster to hang with my friend Amber, and she found the most perfect grey wall in her neighborhood to take pictures in front of! (It’s basically my favorite shade of grey.) Fortunately, I was wearing this black and white look that popped perfectly against the wall.

I’ve had this midi skirt for years, but it was only after watching White Christmas for the 500th time (and thinking about classic 50s holiday style), did it occur to me to pair it with this black and white flannel plaid shirt. The result is a bold yet classic look that I’m totally obsessed with. (And that I’ll definitely be wearing again!)

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let it snow, part 2

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winter style: snowy winter portrait with black and white statement necklace

Woke up to a fresh dusting of snow this morning! But since I’m still in my pajamas, I figured I’d share the second look from Saturday’s snowy photo shoot. Because what’s a winter photography session without a little wardrobe change?

I picked up the massive stone for this oval Contra necklace when I was in India back in March, and it’s so funny to think about a stone that came from such a warm place being the perfect accessory for a snowy winter scene. But that’s one of the reasons I named the collection Contra. It’s full of contradictions like that!

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let it snow!

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winter style: snowy winter portrait
It snowed here on Saturday, and I think this might be the most excited I’ve been about snow in my adult life. Because, hello, pictures in the snow!!

Of course, it’s so much easier to get excited about snow since most of the stones in the Contra Collection look like little winter landscapes. (Or big winter landscapes, in the case of this serious statement necklace!) It suddenly makes winter feel totally on brand. (And I can get excited about that!)

Sadly, the snow has already melted (and it’s back to looking like fall) but I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for more snow, since I’ve got lots more winter photography ideas to play with!

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