This year for our family Christmas pictures I really wanted to go for a Ralph Lauren type of look. So, naturally, I go to Pinterest to draw inspiration, hahaha! I knew I wanted to do a Red, White, and Blue Americana theme. Anything patriotic, and I’m all in. Those who know me well, know that I’m a sucker for anything red, white, and blue, so this year’s theme was fitting! I love how Ralph Lauren embodies nostalgia for America’s past time, classy and preppy, with a warm touch of sport and athleisure.

For my look, I of course had to incorporate a classic Ralph Lauren Cable Cord sweater. This is the exact one that I wore in our pictures (the Julianna Classic Cable Knit Sweater), but mine is a few years old! This is a classic staple in your closet, as you can easily style year round. Wear it and tie it around your neck over a white blouse with some denim shorts, and white sneakers.

I also knew this year I really wanted to layer my outfit in some sort of capacity, to make it posher. Last summer I thrifted a brand new with tag Fashionova long sleeve red sequins cocktail dress. I was able to find the dress online still, and it’s gorgeous! The Tall Center Stage Dress Sequin Mini Dress (Red) is as pretty in person as it is online. It’s also on sale for $35.99 (40% off the entire site right now)! It definitely was more revealing in the cleavage area than I liked, so I figured I would wear this sweater over it! I won’t be wearing it by itself due to that, but it’s great for a good layering moment! Plus, it had a cute little tassel that stuck out underneath the sweater, giving the outfit more depth. I absolutely the red and navy blue color combo, and it met my vision for our Americana theme.

For heels I wore my classic Christian Louboutin black heels (Kate Pointed Toe Patent Leather Pump). Y’all would not believe… but I THRIFTED these bad boys. They’re truly in near me mint condition, like who just so graciously donates these?! But, I am so glad she did! I’m a regular at this thrift, and as soon as I laid my eyes on them, they were mine. One of the workers even told me, she’d hope I would come in and buy them because they looked like “me” (my heart!). They finish off the outfit so perfectly, and the heel height is perfect. The heel height is 3.25 inches, so they are comfy to wear for a while!

Now it’s time to accessorize! I love some good pearls & diamonds. I wore my favorite freshwater pearl bracelet, with a faux pearl necklace (that looks so real, lol!), and these amazing super glitzy faux diamond earrings from H&M. These earrings are super close to what I was wearing! I was gifted my pearl bracelet, and this bracelet is similair to mine (my pearls are more elongated). I’ve heard along the way that if your wrist is showing, to not leave it “naked”, and it’s stuck with me ever since, haha! I couldn’t agree more. It’s elegant and finishes an outfit so effortlessly.

All in all, I’m so pleased with how our pictures turned out! Everyone’s outfits paired so well together. The red’s and blue’s and some of the different tones all balanced out well too! I would definitely recommend an Americana themed portrait/shoot any day. Give me all the nostalgic patriot vibes all day.