Hi! Today, I would like to present a very special OOTD article with pictures compliments of my dear friend, Markus, who has graced lifewithlilred in two previous posts. With autumn in full swing in good ol’ Ohio, we decided that it was high time to hit up Hinkley Park and have some fall fun by exploring the beautiful grounds and having a photo shoot adventure. Working with Markus is always a blast and he gives me exactly what I’m looking for every time.

With this look, I wanted to create a classic fall outfit that is perfect for wandering around the last few farmer’s markets of the season or taking a stroll downtown with the fallen leaves and branches crunching beneath your feet. This look seen below is quite simple but the bold chartreuse sweater with the stark white contrast creates a statement and an outfit that will be easy for all of you to replicate. Take a look:

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Who? What? Wear?

• Chartreuse sweater: Cynthia Rowley, TJMaxx
• Black Skinny Jeans: Lucky Brand
• Tan Topper Jacket: Lucky Brand
•  Flame Decal Platforms: Forever 21

What I love the most about styling outfits for fall is all of the possibilities that come with it. From creating visual interest through layering as well as all of the cute cold weather accessories, my closet literally runneth over with options to keep myself warm and chic all fall long. To some, layering is a scary feat but practice makes perfect and when done right, it takes a fairly simple look into a head turning ensemble. Now, let Lil Red get you right.

The key to good layering comes with a close evaluation of two things. 1) The heaviness of the piece. And 2) The material that it is made out of. You never want to layer two items of equal thickness with each other, because it makes for a very bulky silhouette. Rather, you take something with contrasting levels of warmth to keep yourself from looking like a marshmallow.

For example, the Cynthia Rowley sweater that I chose is of medium heaviness. It is definitely thicker but I wouldn’t call it a chunky sweater because it still provides some degree of a shape. Knowing this, I opted for a thinner jacket to tie the look together. The tan Lucky Brand topper jacket paired marvelously with the bold hue of my sweater and it was fitted enough that any slouchiness on the bottom layer was camouflaged. It was also an optimal coat to use because, while it was quite chilly the morning of the shoot, it warmed up as the sun came out and it was easy to slip off once it became unnecessary.

Another important thing to remember when layering is the material of the pieces you are going to use. You don’t want to wear the same material for each layering piece because that will also lead to a heavy look that isn’t the most flattering. It is better to create texture with your look so, instead of pairing a coat with a sweatshirt style fabric over my sweater, I opted for the sleek faux fur topper jacket. The slinky material over the sturdier fabric of the sweater gave me a lovely shape, provided visual interest, and kept me warm just through effective layering.

One final word about layering is to not forget about your bottom half to prevent looking too top heavy. I always prefer a skinny jean, anyways, but it is definitely the way to go when layering. You also want to sport a killer pair of shoes (Flaming platforms, perhaps?!) so that your look doesn’t just stop at your top half. You want your entire OOTD to be cohesive and that’s sometimes easy to forget when you’re focused on layering!

I love my Fall Is In The Air OOTD and styling your own Lil Red inspired look will be a snap. Choose your favorite bold sweater, a thinner jacket on top, your skinniest pair of jeans, and an awesome pair of chunky boots and you’re all set!

What are some of your tips and tricks when it comes to layering? How do you rock a statement sweater? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah