Tag Archives: forever 21

May10

Summer Elder Emo OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
Summer Elder Emo OOTD

Hello!! Although Johnny and I have countless clothes between the two of us in a rainbow of colors, we both definitely feel at our most comfortable in all black everything. My husband and I are what the kids would call “elder emos” and, honestly, that sounds about right considering that at almost 29 and 34 we haven’t outgrown it yet. Told you it wasn’t just a phase, mom and dad! 😀 While black might not be the coolest color to wear during warm spring days and summer, I still felt cool AF in this OOTD:

image_50400257(5)image_50427393(3)image_50411009(4)image_50403329(4)image_50445057(6)image_50405633(1)

Who? What? Wear?

I am actually not sure what to call the top I have on lol, but it is from Forever 21!

Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Snakeskin Heeled Mules: Dolce Vita, TJMaxx

Cross Earrings: Target

Necklace: I bought this from a craft fair in Atlanta and it was made by John Deveer

All of the bracelets are from American Eagle Outfitters except for the turquoise one, which is from New Mexico

For the past week and change, it has been rainy and cold in Akron and I was SO over it. I felt like I was asleep all week with the constantly grey skies! There were a few days when the nonstop rain halted for a bit with moderate temps and seeing that sliver of sun felt like a heat wave. Is 28 too young to be having hot flashes? Haha, with a break in the BS weather, I wanted to feel like summer so I put together a look that I like to break out when it heats up. I’m surprised I haven’t shot this OOTD before but, hey, better late than never!

To begin my Summer Elder Emo OOTD, I went with my black top/dress thing from Forever 21. This top is almost eight years old and it remains one of my favorites to this day. I have never seen a top even remotely similar to this in close to a decade of being a shopaholic. It is so unique and a great top for summer because of how light and breezy it is. I love the solid crop top that begins going gauzy at just the right spot. When I bought this top, I wrote that I felt like a supermodel in it and I felt that way when I was taking pictures. This is why I try to take really good care of my clothes because I want to hold onto that runway ready feel for forever!

While this top is very cute with skinny jeans, I think it shines the most when paired with shorts. I chose my pair from American Eagle Outfitters and, as always, shout out to them for having the absolute BEST shorts and jeans selection. I am very partial to a midrise short and those are so hard to find in this day and age so it pleases me greatly that AEO still offers this option. Does anyone remember that award show when Angelina Jolie had that really high slit in her dress and she kept popping her leg out? Lol, that’s how I felt in this top and shorts combo and it was awesome! It was also a bonus to see a majority of my tattoos and letting all of the colors pop against the neutral palette.

When I think of an all black everything look, the first words that come to mind are sleek and sexy. Coincidentally, those words also come to mind when I think of snakeskin patterns so my Dolce Vita heeled mules were the obvious choice for shoes. I have a lot of snakeskin patterned shoes in a variety of palettes, but these will always be my A1s. I love the pointed toe, the heel length is just right, and grey snakeskin is my favorite. These heels created gorgeous length and I felt it from the top of my head to the tip of my pointed toes. 😀

With the base of the outfit settled, all that was left to do was accessorize. I didn’t want to go overboard with jewelry even though I could have with the palette that I had created. I wanted sleek and a hodgepodge of accessories would overcrowd the vibe I was going for. I added a pair of dangly gold cross earrings from Target for some movement and went very simple with the necklace. I adore the hand carved necklace I got at a craft fair and it enhanced the outfit without taking away from it. To wrap things up, I put on a few statement bracelets, including a beautiful turquoise one for a color pop and my OOTD was ready to go!

My Summer Elder Emo OOTD is a staple in my warm weather look book and I felt amazing in it. This is angsty girl summer to the T and I am so there for it!

Who is your favorite emo band? What is your go to summer color? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Advertisement
Mar23

Oh So Cozy OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
Oh So Cozy OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! Although the weather has warmed up significantly this week, spring was still nowhere to be found over the weekend. It was SO cold with lots of snow flurries so I knew that I would have to dress warmly, despite shorts weather being on my mind heavily. For hopefully one of the last times until fall, I went shopping in the cold weather department of my wardrobe and this is what I came up with:

image_50429697(4)image_50421249(8)image_50380801(1)image_50438913(4)image_50380801(2)image_50444545(2)image_50385665(2)

Who? What? Wear?

Knit Poncho: Loft

Chartreuse Sweater: For The Republic, TJMaxx

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Platform Boots: Forever 21

Pendant Necklace: Urban Outfitters

Creating weekly OOTDs for lifewithlilred was my goal for 2023 and I have been crushing it so far. At first, selecting outfits was a simple feat because I have so many clothes that haven’t been featured on OOTD posts before. However, it definitely got more challenging as time went on and new to all of you pieces dwindled. This meant that I had to begin getting even more creative with my choices to breathe new life into older clothes and things that you have seen before. Thankfully, Lil Red never shies away from a challenge and I have been having a blast with it. I love what I came up with this past weekend!

Due to the weather, I was limited to fall and winter clothes and that really narrowed down the outfit building process. I played around with different sweaters, wraps, and button downs but was left feeling bored. So, I decided to clear my tunnel vision and explore options that I might have vetoed in the past for OOTD posts by deeming them “too old”. Afterwards, the inspiration came and I knew I was on the right track as soon as my eyes landed on my knit poncho from Loft.

This poncho is an oldie but goodie and is about seven years old. I got it on a family vacation while outlet shopping with my mom, but never wore it as much as I originally thought. Now, I am kicking myself in the butt for it because it’s so great! The shape is, honestly, perfect and is more form fitting than any poncho I have ever seen in stores since. I like this because something cozy doesn’t always have to mean oversized and the thick cable knit still left me plenty warm.

Because the Loft poncho fits more snugly, I had to be careful about what I chose to wear underneath it. Anything too bulky would make me look like a marshmallow and I really didn’t want to lose the poncho’s close to my body shape. My solution was to pair it with one of my favorite sweaters by For The Republic. It is super light with not too much wiggle room in the torso and bell sleeves. It was an ideal combination because the poncho laid so nicely over top of it but the flowy sleeves were exposed and added lots of movement. Also, I can’t get enough of the striking chartreuse shade – one of my favorite colors to wear.

For the jeans, I went with my pair by Seven Jeans to add some variety in the texture department. With cozy knitwear featured on top, I wanted the coated snakeskin patterned skinnies to liven things up. I loved the way that the sheen in the pants played against the more matte hues on top and it added much more visual interest than a regular old pair of jeans. One of my goals when styling outfits is to create looks that makes the eyes dance; incorporating different textures is one of the best ways to do this.

With the base of my outfit settled, it was time for shoes and accessories. For shoes, I wore my Forever 21 platforms to create a long leg line with the skinny jeans. The flame detailing on the back of the heel also added a fun pop of color to a minimal palette. For accessories, I didn’t want to wear dangly earrings as I wanted my neck exposed since almost all of me was covered up. The blank canvas of the poncho, however, was begging for a necklace! To complete the look, I put on a long gold pendant by Urban Outfitters and I was out the door!

My Oh So Cozy OOTD kept me snug as a bug and totally feeling myself all day. It was also a fantastic reminder to explore every single option in my wardrobe because, apparently, that’s where the magic happens. Keep it posted for the blooper reel tomorrow!

How old is the oldest thing in your closet? At what temperature do you start wearing spring clothes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar9

Husband’s Shirt Alert OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
Husband’s Shirt Alert OOTD

Hello! One of the best things about being married to Johnny other than EVERYTHING is his wardrobe! Even before we started dating, I had admired Johnny’s personal style from afar on Facebook. He is, easily, one of the most well dressed men that I have ever met and it’s fun to be married to someone who feels equally as strongly about fashion as I do. Whenever I am feeling uninspired by my closet for OOTDs, I turn to Johnny’s and play dress up. Which is exactly how I came up with this look:

image_50449409(7)image_50438657(1)image_50744321(2)image_50434817(5)image_50434817(4)image_50415617(6)

Who? What? Wear?

Button Down Shirt: This is Johnny’s and it’s from Straight To Hell

Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Hardware Loafers: Chase + Chloe, Forever 21

Heart Earrings: SugarFix by BaubleBar, Target

Snake Cuffs: The blue one is from the Akron Zoo and the pink one is by Betsey Johnson

Cross Bracelet Ring: This is as old as the hills and it’s from Claire’s

On Saturday, Johnny and I had a pretty busy day with lots of errands and driving. Normally, I don’t dress for comfort and would wear anything in the name of fashion. However, I wasn’t too keen on driving to our destinations, getting in and out of the car, and walking around in a super busy outfit. And, if we’re all being honest with each other, I just didn’t feel like putting in the effort lol so I wanted to go for a simple and stylish look.

My goal for the new year has been creating as many OOTDs as I can and Johnny and I have been almost one hundred percent faithful to our Saturday photo shoots. After close to ten weeks of shopping exclusively in my closet, I was bored with literally everything! I vetoed so many outfit ideas and just when I was about to throw my hands up and grab a hoodie, I remembered that I had another wardrobe to browse through and headed to Johnny’s Closet; my favorite boutique!

For our outing, I knew that we would be experiencing a nice, warm day and headed straight to the short sleeve button down department. While Johnny is partial to the long sleeved button downs from Phix, he loves the short sleeve ones from Straight To Hell the best. He has several in a variety of different patterns and I have always wanted to wear the skull and sexy lady shirt. So I did!

With a shirt finally figured out, building the rest of the look was so easy from there and I returned to my own belongings to finish up. Although we have had teases of spring temperatures, it is still not warm enough for anything but jeans so that was an out of my hands decision. I am SO looking forward to shorts, skirts, and dresses weather! Now, it was time to accessorize.

For shoes, I chose my Chase + Chloe mini heeled loafers that are decked out in spikes and studs. I love how they popped against the minimal palette and the white on bottom seemed to make the pattern of the top even more striking. In the jewelry department, I was able to be a bit more carefree about it because anything would have worked against the neutral outfit base. I selected dangly heart earrings for some movement and it was a welcome burst of color around my face.

When it comes to other pieces of jewelry and several of my tattoos are visible, I tend to go either way. Sometimes, I let my tattoos do the talking and keep other accessories to a minimum. However, this OOTD needed a little something more so I put on three bracelets to spice things up. Even though the cross ring bracelet is old as dirt, it is one of my favorites because it is so unique and I wish that I could find more like it. Then, I added my two bedazzled snake cuffs on my upper arms for some bling and a touch of sweetness to the edgy pattern of the top.

After dragging my feet for something to wear, this Husband’s Shirt Alert OOTD came together in under ten minutes. It was cool, comfy and a perfect look for an errand filled afternoon. This outfit can be very easily recreated so try it out for yourself and keep it posted for the blooper reel tomorrow!

Do you wear your partner’s clothes? Whose personal style do you admire? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan6

Mad For Plaid OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
Mad For Plaid OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Today, we’re going to take a look at what I was hoping to style when I shot my It’s Not Just A Phase OOTD. At that time, the Anne Klein blazer I’m wearing below was not yet in my wardrobe and the other red plaid blazer I have was way too big. I vowed to one day shoot the plaid tuxedo look I had in mind but I had no idea that that day would come so soon. A few short weeks later, I found the perfect blazer during a TJMaxx shopping trip! Take a look and let’s discuss:

image_50395137(3)image_50425857(6)image_50382849(1)image_50417153(2)image_50416129(3)image_50369793image_50382849(2)

Who? What? Wear?

As I mentioned, I have had the idea for this Mad For Plaid look since November and I was so happy to see it come into fruition this past weekend. This is actually the first time in lifewithlilred history that I used the same piece of clothing in two OOTDs so close together but it needed to happen and I love the end result! Like my It’s Not Just A Phase OOTD, I began with the Wild Fable yellow plaid skinnies and began to build the outfit from there…

For this OOTD, the most important thing was to avoid looking cluttered because the plaid on plaid combo is so bold. I have featured my mittoshop cami in many an OOTD and return to it often when I need a neutral top. This cami looks just as cute tucked in as it does worn normally and I chose to tuck it in for this look. I wouldn’t call it flowy but it does have some movement to it and that wouldn’t do for the sleek silhouette I had envisioned. Also, peep that peek a boo lace detailing from underneath the blazer – the sweetest way to show some skin in an almost fully covered look!

After the pants and top were sorted, all that was left to do was throw the blazer on and accessorize. At first, you might think that a plaid on plaid in two different color palettes could never work together. So, I wanted to discuss the reasons why this Anne Klein blazer was a thumbs up instead of a faux pas. The main key to the pants and blazer creating fashion magic is the pattern itself. Notice that the plaid pattern is almost identical in both pieces. This made the pants feel like an extension of the jacket and you can see where the plaid almost matches up perfectly in each piece.

The other component to these two statement items being cohesive was the color palette. Other than the red base, the blazer uses all of the colors found in the pants. The red and yellow are also found close together on the color wheel so they worked in unity rather than against each other. The black and white in both plaids were no matter, either, because they are both neutrals. And, finally, both of these pieces have a straight but fitted shape which kept the look flowing rather than breaking it up with two completely different fits.

Once the plaid tuxedo was on, shoes and jewelry were next and I went with my favorite pair of Forever 21 platforms. Like my cami, these babies appear in a lot of my looks but not for practicality’s sake – they just look awesome lol. The platform shape helped add to the punk vibe but the primary reason for choosing them was the pop of color on the back. These boots have red and gold flames, which further tied the jacket and pants together.

For jewelry, I kept things minimal because the plaid was an accessory in itself. When a look is this loud, too much jewelry can literally destroy the outfit through unnecessary distractions. I decided to go for my huge gold hoops by Argentino Vivo for one final touch of fun. I liked how it almost mimicked the outfit’s color palette with my red hair and the gold earrings. They also provided a bit of movement, which I didn’t want in the clothing but wanted to incorporate elsewhere. I think it worked!

This Mad For Plaid OOTD turned out exactly how I hoped it would and I am so proud of it. Tune in tomorrow for bloopers from this look!

What is your favorite pattern? Are you doing any post holiday shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec7

It’s Not Just A Phase OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
It’s Not Just A Phase OOTD

Hello everyone!! This weekend, Johnny and I were finally able to have a little date day and snap some pictures and I am ecstatic with the OOTD that I came up with. Johnny and I are your friendly neighborhood emo kids (28 and 33 is still young, right?!) and I wanted to pay homage to that with what I considered a “grown up” emo ensemble. This look was so much fun to style and shoot and Lil Red Fun Fact for ya: The brick wall that you see below is actually the building for the bathrooms at a local park lol. Hey, whatever works! Check it out:

image_50439937(5)image_50401281(4)image_50402305(4)image_50441217(5)image_50435585(4)image_50414081(3)image_50421249(5)

Who? What? Wear?

^^^ SHOOK that there are no pieces from TJMaxx in this look!!

Normally, when I am planning an OOTD shoot, I do so with one specific piece in mind and build the outfit from there. In this case, it was my yellow plaid skinnies by Wild Fable. I love these pants so damn much and I was amazed when I realized that I have never featured them in an outfit post before. These pants are the cutest and they add an awesome grungy touch to any look. They are also insanely comfortable and fit just a tad looser than traditional skinny jeans. Long story short, they are A+ pants.

Of course, with such a bold pattern on the bottom, choosing a top was a bit difficult. I vetoed several options because they had already been featured in past OOTDs and poo pooed others because they just looked bad lol. Finally, I threw my hands up and decided on the Zoe + Liv hoodie from Target with a rock on skeleton hand. At first, I wasn’t particularly thrilled about this because it seemed like such a safe bet and we all know that Lil Red never plays it safe. Then, I had a brain blast!

It is freaking freezing in Ohio and there was no way I would be warm enough in just the hoodie alone. I knew that when I chose it and figured I would just make do with my stud embellished Zara moto jacket. I wasn’t particularly thrilled about this, either, because it also seemed like too safe of a bet. Then, I began shopping through my jackets and an epiphany dawned on me: If I was trying to do a grown up spin on emo kid classics, why not add a blazer?

With that idea in mind, I went with my Express blazer that I got at the Goodwill. This was such an amazing find and it oozes chic. It was also what got me back on board with the hoodie that I had chosen. I have never really seen a hoodie and blazer combination before and that was really exciting to me. It was even more exciting when it looked awesome lol! I loved being able to see the casual hoodie’s hood over such a signature business staple. The blazer also took away from the slouchiness of wearing the hoodie on its own, providing me with a nice, lean silhouette.

After the base of my outfit was complete, it was time to move onto shoes and accessories. My stark white lace up boots from Forever 21 were an obvious choice. The inspiration was giving an update to an emo staple of black combat boots with a similar structure but totally different color. I also really liked how they popped against the rest of the outfit and brought out the white in the plaid pants.

For accessories, I wanted to keep things minimal because the outfit as a whole was so sleek and I didn’t want anything to distract from that. So, I kept things simple and put on my favorite pair of pink glitter lightening bolt earrings. These were a sneaky way of adding a bit of color without being super obvious about it. Every outfit needs a little glitter, amiright?

Minus the crippling depression I had in my angsty teenage years/early twenties, I am still an emo kid at heart and always will be. It might not be apparent in all of my OOTDs but it’s true! I think my younger self would have been obsessed with this look. ❤

Where are my elder emo kids at? Who is your favorite emo band? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct21

A Night At The Theater OOTD Pt. 4

Posted on by
Standard
A Night At The Theater OOTD Pt. 4

Hello! This past weekend, Johnny and I went on a date night to The Haunted House Restaurant and Playhouse Square for a showing of Les Miserables. We had a great time despite Les Mis being a total snooze fest lol. No matter what the occasion, I love to step out in a great outfit but it feels even more important to do so for A Night At The Theater. Going to a play or a musical is an event where everyone wants to look their best and I felt my best in this look:

image_50420225(5)image_50365185image_50399489(2)image_50434049(1)image_50429697(1)image_50413313(1)image_50440961(4)

Who? What? Wear?

When I am styling an OOTD for a theater production, I want it to be both chic and unique. Of course, I want to look sophisticated but I also don’t want to wear what everyone else has on. I think that this outfit was very successful because I felt classy AF and was sporting pieces that all had cool details to them to make the look pop. If you notice, each key component in this fit has a lovely sheen to it that only enhanced the “look at me vibes” and made me feel like a star without being on stage.

I started styling this outfit with Johnny’s blouse by Notations in mind because I am obsessed with it and never had an occasion to wear it to. As you all know, I love me some mustard yellow and jewel tones like that and the emerald green in the coat just hit different in the fall! This blouse reminds me of a sexy bowling shirt in the best way possible and I love that I can borrow my husband’s clothes! 😀

To keep going with the sheen in the top, the logical next step was a coated pair of snakeskin patterned skinnies. These jeans by Seven are one of my absolute favorites and it created such a nice, lean silhouette when paired with the blouse. When you’re creating outfits, it is so important for each piece to flow together to form a cohesive look. The shine in both the pants and top blended seamlessly and made me feel ten feet tall rather than barely 5’1. You just wouldn’t get that same effect with a plain black pair of skinnies.

A coat was a must because it has been freaking freezing in my neck of the woods. While the Nine West one is, admittedly, not the warmest, it served its purpose well in this look. I thought that the emerald green looked beautiful over top of the mustard yellow and it was fun to wear two of my favorite colors at once. This coat is such a classic piece but the striking color makes it really special. It also had some sheen to it to keep the likeness that I was working with in tact.

With the base of the outfit sorted, it was time to accessorize. You can all call me out on featuring my Forever 21 platforms in yet another OOTD but I just can’t help myself – they are the best! I love a platform boot because they offer an incredible boost in height and a fabulous touch of retro. I have several pairs in different colors but I didn’t want to introduce anything too crazy against the palette that was already created. These platforms were the way to go and the peek-a-boo of gold and red further complimented the jewel tones in the outfit.

For earrings, I chose my red heart dangly pair to tie the look together from head to toe thanks to the red in the platforms. With neck tattoos, colorful hair, and five nose piercings, I have began to shy away from dangly earrings because it can be a bit much. However, I had my hair pulled back and it gave me the perfect canvas for a longer pair of earrings since my neck was so exposed. Not to mention how freaking cute they are!

Finally, I decided to swap my Union Jack studded purse with my white Foley + Corinna one. I tend to change my purse every month or two and this was the right time for a new one. This bag is one of my favorites and the black spikes pop so well against the stark white base. I also liked how it added another color to this outfit’s palette without interference since it is a neutral. The only dislike is that it’s a bit small so I’ll constantly be having to empty out my Taco Bell receipts lol.

I had an absolute blast styling this date night at the theater look and it made me feel like a billion bucks. This OOTD also featured two pieces found at secondhand stores, which is a true testament to the power of thrifting!

What is the best thing that you have found at a thrift shop? Which events do you deem worthy to dress up for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Keep it posted for bloopers from this OOTD tomorrow!

Oct2

A Day At The Zoo OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
A Day At The Zoo OOTD

Hello!! Last weekend, I was surprised with a text from my sister asking if I’d like to join her and my nieces at the Akron Zoo. Spending time with Kristen, Val Gal, and Raya is the absolute best so I jumped at the opportunity. It was also free admission for Community Day and you can’t beat that! We had a wonderful afternoon exploring the zoo and I had a blast spoiling my best girls with lots of treats. Of course, I couldn’t step out without showing out so I put together this little OOTD:

image_50417409(2)image_50404353(1)image_50435585(1)image_50453505(2)image_50426369(2)image_50443265(3)

Who? What? Wear?

My sister and nieces always look darling so ol’ TT had to match their energy! I purchased the Sincerely Jules vest during my last TJMaxx haul and had been dying to break it out. I think that it is such a fun and unique piece and is perfect for some fall outings. When I am building outfits, I tend to select one focal point item and continue on from there. Once you have a staple picked out, it is much easier to style a look around it, which was definitely the case with my vest.

For this OOTD, I chose to keep the color palette minimal with surprise pops of color, which I thought added a cool retro touch to the vest. Originally, I had my New Moon, Who Dis? T-shirt dress on under the vest but I was afraid that it might be too cold for bare arms. To rectify this, I simply added my Shrinking Violet sweater on underneath the dress and I am glad that I did – it was a beautiful but very brisk day!

As a side note, remember that when you are layering items, you have to be careful with the fit of the clothes. For example, the T-shirt dress was loose while the sweater was tighter fitting and that made it an ideal layering combination. Two form fitting pieces or two looser ones just doesn’t have the same effect so go for opposites in fit and you will be a layering master.

ANYWHO, with the base of my outfit settled, it was time to accessorize. My vest has a menswear fit and the dress didn’t offer a distinct shape so the obvious choice was to add a belt. Surprisingly, I only have one belt in my clothing collection and it worked just fine. The quirky apple clasp is so cheeky and cute while, most importantly, accentuating my waistline.

Tights were also a must and I went with my favorite Urban Outfitters fishnets. These gemstone tights are simply the best and I get compliments on them whenever I wear them. I also liked that they showed a bit of skin since the rest of my body was covered up. To continue with the embellished theme, I chose my Chase + Chloe loafers. The jewels on the tights flowed seamlessly into the studs and spikes on the shoes while also enhancing a more color blocked look.

I haven’t received so many compliments on an outfit in a while and your girl was feeling her damn self. As a whole, this OOTD is bold and screams “look at me”. But that’s not all there is to it. The closer you look, the more you see all of the unique touches that are essential to my personal style. From the corset style laces at the bottom of the dress to being able to see my tattoos through the fishnets, there was visual interest everywhere. Remember, you always want to make the eyes of whomever is looking at you dance and this OOTD achieved that to the T.

My Day At The Zoo was just what I needed to lift my spirits and how could it not? It’s a wonder what good company and good fashion can do for the soul! ❤

How would you describe your personal style? Whose style do you admire? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep16

New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD compliments of my brand new hair! I am loving my new look so much and couldn’t wait to take pictures this past weekend to show it off. Johnny and I visited a covered bridge in the Cuyahoga Valley to take these pics and, it’s safe to say that we got a ton of weird looks when walking the short trail to the bridge lol. I don’t know why, considering I was in my walking shoes! Check it out:

image_50373889(2)image_50404097(5)image_50412033(1)image_50417665image_50412289(2)image_50410753image_50388225(1)image_50387713(3)

Who? What? Wear?

After my most recent haul from TJMaxx, I knew that I wanted my DKNY sweater featured in my next OOTD. I love it so very much and sheer sleeve sweaters are, easily, my favorite new trend. It is the perfect compromise to not seeing my tattoos pretty much all fall and winter long and it’s unique too. I have never seen anything like it before until late July and I wish I had five hundred more sweaters with the sheer sleeve style!

With the top already pre-selected, putting together the rest of the outfit was a no brainer. For this OOTD, I wanted to play with different textures to add some spice to an almost All Black Everything look. The Seven Jeans were an obvious choice because they are coated and provided some extra shine. It played off so nicely with the knit base of the sweater and the billowy pinstriped sleeves.

Can we also just talk about how amazing Seven Jeans are in general? There is a reason why Fergie mentions them in the timeless classic, “My Humps” by the Black Eyed Peas. These jeans fit just right and hug my curves without being too tight. You also know how much I love anything snakeskin patterned so this was a fabulous TJMaxx find!

Moving on lol, it was time for shoes and accessories. To continue on with the almost all black palette and keeping texture in mind, I went with my Forever 21 platforms. These are one of my favorite pairs of shoes that I have ever owned! After several years of wearing them, they are not as shiny as they were originally. This is fine, though, and the matte base added another texture twist against the coated jeans.

Finally, it was time for some bling, baby! I have a huge collection of chunky gold jewelry and wanted to stay in that realm because it was going to look awesome against my new hair. To play it up even more, I wanted a chain that was shorter in length to make it really pop. After a few no-gos, I tried the cheetah Natasha necklace and knew that it was the one. It also tied together the flames in the shoes to the rest of the outfit.

This OOTD is a great example of a monochrome look done right. When you are working with just one color, it is so important to use texture to your advantage to add visual interest. You are not going to get it, otherwise, with say a green jacket and dress set. You should also try to incorporate some additional detail to the outfit through cleverly placed accessories with a pop of color. This way, the eyes of whomever you see will still be dancing despite a look with a minimal color palette.

Be sure to tune in this week for bonus pics and bloopers from my New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD! We will also be celebrating my eight year blogiversary a few days late so keep it posted for that! ❤

How do you rock a monochrome look? What is your new favorite trend? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

 

May24

Double Dose Of OOTDs

Posted on by
Standard
Double Dose Of OOTDs

Hello! The last time that mine and Johnny’s darling friend, Shannon, came to visit, he took some amazing JCPenney style portraits of us. Johnny and I love them so much and can’t wait to get them printed and framed! Shannon also took some gorgeous glamour shots of yours truly that I am very excited to share with all of you:

135A6256135A6257135A6290135A6288 (1)135A6283 (2)135A6282135A6281135A6314135A6305

Who? What? Wear?

Shannon is one of our dearest friends and is so talented at his craft. He has taken pictures at so many shows that Johnny has played and he always makes time to take some shots of me too! Shannon, unfortunately, lives in Marietta and that is just not close enough for mine and Johnny’s liking so it is always a treat when he comes to stay with us. And, when he did, he essentially brought an entire photo studio in a duffel bag.

Shannon had a plethora of different backgrounds, equipment, and ingenious hacks for us to play with. For example, the foil like back drop that he shot my pictures with is just a table cloth that he got from The Dollar Store! Like I said, ingenious and they are, easily, some of my favorite pictures of me.

For that ultra glam background, we wanted a more mod style look and I thought that my Victoria Beckham dress was the perfect solution. It is so classic and it wouldn’t be competing with the shining lights back drop, which was ideal. I got this dress SO long ago and have only worn it a handful of times and I have no idea why it isn’t in my regular outfit rotation. I love the Alice In Wonderland inspo with the White Rabbit on the collar and it adds such a sweet quirky touch to a basic Little Black Dress.

The next background we tried was a sheath of red suede and we decided to go for a more laid back look to compliment it. For that outfit, I wanted to invoke the vibes that I’d like to look like when I’m blogging away. Although, in all reality, I am definitely always just writing in my pajamas but that’s neither here nor there lol.

Like my Victoria Beckham dress, I wanted to go with a classic outfit along with some cozy touches because these pictures were taken way back in January. I went with my skull sweater by 360 Cashmere that I adore paired with my favorite distressed pair of skinnies. The sweater is oversized and baggy, so it needed the form fitting jeans on bottom to balance things out. Then, I chose my Chase + Chloe loafers, which I thought looked charming against the deep red back drop. Also, peep the hardware on those babies!

These pictures boast two very different looks and I am absolutely loving them. Many thanks again to Shannon for always making me look good and for being the best friend that Johnny and I could have! We love you! ❤

How would you describe your personal style? What is your favorite classic piece of clothing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

May12

A Night At The Theater OOTD Pt. 3

Posted on by
Standard
A Night At The Theater OOTD Pt. 3

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to be taking a look at my look for an evening at Playhouse Square this past weekend. My mom and I had a night on the town for Mother’s Day and it was so much fun! We stepped out in our Saturday night’s best for a delicious meal at Pepper’s and seeing To Kill A Mockingbird at Playhouse Square. Here’s what I wore:

image_50444801(1)image_50427905(3)image_50407425(3)image_50428673image_50446593(1)image_50428929(1)

Who? What? Wear?

I’m not going to lie, I struggled a bit with creating this OOTD and it was thrown together about fifteen minutes before I left to pick up my mom. The original dress I had on just wasn’t doing anything for me and while it was pretty, it didn’t blow me away. I had toyed around with the idea of wearing Johnny’s blinged out button down the night before and am so happy that I went for it. The end result is definitely an outfit that I would wear again!

Playhouse Square is, honestly, one of the fanciest locations that I have ever been to and it’s fun to go there and see everyone dressed to the nines. This is actually why I vetoed this look at first because I wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of wearing jeans. With a little styling magic, I ended up with what I thought was a very chic look and apparently everyone else thought so too – I was getting compliments all night. 😀

With Johnny’s shirt in mind that I had been coveting since he got it, I went from there. The button down from Phix felt like an accessory in itself with shining glittery stars so I wanted that to be the main statement of my look. To achieve that, I kept things simple and put on one of my favorite cami tops from French Rooster. Note that I didn’t add a necklace to keep from going overboard with the accessories and it was just right. The button down really didn’t need much!

The Seven Jeans that I wore were an obvious choice because they are coated and provided sheen to help compliment the glitter. And, in just the right lighting, you could see the snakeskin pattern really well and that made my Nine West purse pop even if its an all neutral color palette. The higher rise on the jeans gave a nice long leg line which helped make the look even more sleek.

My Forever 21 platforms were also a no brainer for my OOTD and they are one of my most treasured pairs of shoes. I love them SO. Freaking. Much. The red and gold flames on the heels gave an actual pop of color and the boot platform base blended seamlessly with the rest of the look. This enhanced the leg line and I felt six feet tall instead of barely over five foot one.

I am the queen of overthinking and that is exactly what I was doing before putting this outfit together. When, really, I should have just worn it from the start. This OOTD is very much inspired by my husband’s style with my own personal twist to it and I felt like a rock star all evening. I think that I’ll be raiding Johnny’s wardrobe a lot more often! ❤

What do you like to wear to dress up? Whose style inspires you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah