Tag Archives: coats

Oct17

Must Have Fall Wardrobe Staples

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Must Have Fall Wardrobe Staples

For many, myself included, fall is the most beloved season of all. The weather, holidays, activities, and changing leaves make for a beautiful and fun time of the year. And, oh yeah, the fashion isn’t bad either! Fall fashion is a blast and provides an opportunity for a killer OOTD every time you walk out the door. Layering pieces and cold weather accessories are all must haves in a solid fall wardrobe arsenal. Here are a few that will keep you OOTD ready all season long:

Statement Jacket:

When it comes to fall clothing, priority number one should be a fantastic statement jacket. A good coat or jacket can turn the most basic outfit into something blog worthy by simply slipping it on. There is a coat for every style and occasion and it is one of my favorite pieces to indulge in when shopping. Feeling edgy? Try a moto jacket! Classically cute? A topper jacket or trench coat is your new best friend. Comfy cozy? A soft cardigan jacket will be perfect for wrapping yourself in.

For layering purposes, remember to follow this golden rule: You never want to layer two bulky or tight articles of clothing on top of each other. If you have a looser fitting coat, a thick sweater underneath is fine. On the other hand, a tight fitting moto jacket should be paired with a thinner top or sweater underneath to keep the proportions of the outfit in check.

Boots, Baby:

Put your summer sandals and wedges away because boot season is in full swing! Like a good jacket, a bold pair of shoes can instantly transform an outfit. Look for heeled boots to wear during an outing and some cool combat boots to sport during a fall hike. To add some extra visual interest, you can try patterns like snakeskin, cheetah print, or floral. Hardware embellished boots with chains or studs are also sure to be a hit!

Cold Weather Accessories:

There are three must have cold weather accessories to not only keep you nice and warm but oh so fashionable: Scarves, hats, and gloves. These pieces will help tie your fall OOTDs together and are a great way to spice up your wardrobe without breaking the bank. When it comes to these accessories, the possibilities are endless! Do you want mittens or fingerless gloves? An infinity scarf or a pashmina? How about a floppy or cloche hat? Regardless of what you choose, you will be toasty and always ready for a photo op.

Cardigans/Sweaters:

For maximum comfort, warmth, and style, a gorgeous cardigan or sweater is the way to go! You can keep things simple with a plain one in fall hues like burnt orange, mustard yellow, and forest green. Or you can take things to the next level with patterns like polka dots, Halloween themes, or thick stripes. For many a fall OOTD, comfy cozy is the name of the game. Snap a pic in your fall sweater or cardi with a Pumpkin Spice Latte in hand and you just broke Instagram!

It doesn’t take much to revamp your fall wardrobe – just a few of the pieces above will suffice. Now, go werk those fall fits and hit the apple orchard!

What is your favorite piece of fall clothing? How do you upgrade your wardrobe as the seasons change? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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Sep7

A New Day, A New Jacket

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A New Day, A New Jacket

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! Boy, does it feel great to be back on lifewithlilred after my vacation in Asheville, North Carolina. Thanks again to all of my fabulous Falling For Fall guest bloggers for holding it down while I was away! ❤

The fall is a very dark time for me. With all of the gorgeous cool weather clothing, shoes, and accessories that the stores have to offer, I turn into a woman possessed. I forget my name, where I am, and the fact that I don’t need any more clothes and go credit card crazy. I JUST CAN’T HELP MYSELF. If you guys pay an ounce of attention to my page, you’ll know that cool weather clothing makes up a solid ninety percent of my wardrobe. I love it all. Ahem:

  • Peacoats
  • Flannels
  • Sweaters
  • Skinny jeans
  • Thick tights
  • Moto jackets
  • Trench coats
  • Knee high boots
  • Thigh high boots
  • Ankle booties
  • Combat boots
  • Hats
  • Gloves
  • Scarves
  • Layering ALL THE THINGS
  • Sadly, the list goes on.

With this list in mind, it’s easy to see how I lose my bearings literally EVERY TIME I step foot in a store that sells clothing. It’s my cross to bear, I suppose, but hey – it could be worse!

The splendor of fall clothing, aside from the gorgeous jewel tone hues, is that if you style it properly, you can get away with wearing some of the pieces year round. Fall clothing gives you options. To me, there is nothing better than buying something that I can get away with wearing during most weather conditions (with the exception of heavier coats and sweaters). I always consider the Cost Per Wear (CPW) with everything that I buy, and year round appropriate clothing dwindles the CPW down significantly. You guys know by now that I try to get the most bang for my buck, which is why my wardrobe gravitates so heavily towards all autumn everything.

Blah, blah, blah – Just get to what you bought already, right? Sigh. Okay. Enough trying to justify my spending. I dug my grave and now I must lie in it, but first, let me show you my new jacket from Target’s brand, A New Day:

anewdayanewday1

Have you ever had a spiritual connection with a piece of clothing? You know, that feeling of “I could buy this right now and not even bother trying it on”?  I had that feeling when my eyes landed on this magnificent knee length A New Day coat. And, I have to tell you guys, I was nervous. To me, this jacket looks expensive as far as Target goes. Come winter, their coats can reach up to eighty dollars. And, despite my love for this beauty, I would not be comfortable spending that much for it. So, imagine my relief when I took a peek at the price tag and saw that it was half of that – forty bucks. Yeah, I can swing that.

The jewel tones, the length, the possibility for layering, and the warmth level between light and medium, ON TOP of a forty dollar price tag made this jacket such a steal. Frankly, I couldn’t believe it, because it really just seemed too good to be true. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and that purchase price sealed the deal. I ripped my moto jacket off, set my purse on the ground, and got the coat on all in under five seconds. It then took a literal glance of myself in the mirror to verify that this jacket was mine.

I absolutely LOVE the colors of this coat. The deep navy, violet, and mustard yellow are all shades that look stunning against my red hair and pasty pale skin. It makes everything that makes me, me pop. But what really got me about this A New Day piece is the shape of it. It has that shabby chic college professor vibe to it and I just love that. It’s just the smallest pinch oversized which gives the coat such gorgeous movement as well as the option to layer a thick sweater underneath it during the winter.

And, finally, this jacket will last me from the beginning of fall until it warms up in the spring because of its relative lightness. This piece is perfect. It’s the epitome of what fall clothing is all about and why I love dressing for the season so much. And also why I basically wrote a love letter to my new jacket in this post.

A New Day provided me with A New Jacket and I can’t thank the brand enough for it! I never knew what true love was until now and whatever. What do you love about fall clothing? How would you style this coat? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May10

Thrift Shop Fun At Blue!

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Thrift Shop Fun At Blue!

Helloooo everyone and Happy Mother’s Day to all of the beautiful mamacitas out there!! In one of the local newspapers that gets delivered to my house there was an article recently about Blue, a Goodwill “boutique” in downtown Kent, Ohio. The article mentioned that Blue only carried new and next to new name brand clothing such as Banana Republic, Nine West, Doc Martin, and Guess to name a few. Naturally after reading the article about the Goodwill company’s attempt at a more high end thrifting experience, my mom and I decided that we would love to go on a shopping trip and look around. Yesterday evening we got into the mom-mobile and made our way to Kent to pop some tags at the thrift shop. It took a stop at the gas station for directions to find Blue, because we were driving around aimlessly with no luck for about ten minutes but thankfully we found it after some much needed help from the sweet employee – and let me tell you, I’m so glad we did! Blue Boutique was tucked away in the heart of downtown Kent, and walking into it seriously felt like walking into any other store in the area. It felt clean and crisp, it was well decorated, and most importantly there was an amazing selection of clothes and accessories to look through. When I read the newspaper article about Blue, I felt pretty ambivalent about the shop being described as a boutique, but after taking a quick scan of the store, that’s truly what it was. It had amazing full wall murals of The Beatles, comfy ottomans, vintage-esque mirrors placed strategically throughout the store, cute little knickknacks showcased on table displays, and fun music playing on the speakers. While exploring the boutique and searching through the clothing racks, I was amazed at how “un-Goodwill” the store felt. Blue was so spacious, unlike a normal Goodwill where all of the clothes are jam packed together in endless aisles and clothing racks. But most importantly, the clothing at Blue really didn’t feel like it was second hand. You know how when you go thrifting you can almost always tell that the clothing you’re shopping through has been really worn, is stained, or has an unpleasant odor? Blue was nothing like that. The clothing felt brand new (some of them still had the original tags on it), there were no visible stains, and none of the clothes had a distinctive smell to it. Don’t get me wrong, I love thrifting as much as the next hipster, but it was nice to be in a Goodwill environment that felt like I was in a high end boutique. While chatting with one of the employees, she told me that Blue is very picky about the clothing that they take into their store, and I have the purchases to prove it! Take a look at my fabulous new finds:

IMG_3291[1]IMG_3295[1]

Here’s the usual breakdown of my “new” second hand jackets from Blue:

  • Lace blazer: Esley, purchased for $15
  • Emerald green peacoat: Nine West, purchased for $15

Love, love, love! My Esley blazer actually still has the original tags on it, and I’m seriously so thrilled about finding this little beauty! I’ve been in need of a sharp new blazer for ages now, and I finally found one. This little lace number fits like a glove and is a fresh, edgy take on a staple piece. I plan on wearing it to my brother’s graduation this upcoming weekend. And please don’t even get me started on my Nine West peacoat! I’m seriously so obsessed with this coat it isn’t even funny. For one, emerald green is my absolute favorite color to wear. For two, minus the too long sleeves that my mom is hemming, the coat fits perfectly. For three, a Nine West number for fifteen dollars?! Yes, please! And most importantly, for four, this beautiful peacoat reminds me and my family of my beloved late grandma. Every thing about this coat from the color to the classic shape just screams “Grandma Rita” – the most gorgeous, classic Hollywood woman in the entire world. When an item invokes that type of emotion on you, you just have to bite the bullet and make the purchase, and I’m beyond excited to welcome such a timeless piece into my wardrobe.

hey girl

Thanks, Ryan. ^^^

I’LL WEAR YOUR GRANDDAD’S CLOTHES. I LOOK INCREDIBLE….Oh…you’re back already?…Uhmm…Hey. 😉

I hope all of you guys have a lovely Sunday and a terrific Mother’s Day! What was one of your best thrift store finds? Is there a Blue-like boutique in your neck of the woods that you shop at? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah