Tag Archives: goodwill

Dec11

Unsung Wardrobe Heroes: Hollister Flannel Edition

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Unsung Wardrobe Heroes: Hollister Flannel Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! Today in Unsung Wardrobe Heroes, we are going to discuss a Goodwill find that has been giving and giving for well over FIVE YEARS now. My favorite flannel is said Goodwill find and I got it for a whole four dolla holla. It is Hollister brand, which I normally never wear, but at four dollars and a new but used condition – how can you not? Take a look and let’s discuss:

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What I love the most about this button down is its versatility. I can wear it unbuttoned over a crop top, buttoned up with a blazer over top of it for work, or buttoned with a moto jacket for play. And can we talk about its ability to create the perfect pinup girl look simply by tying it in a cropped knot? So flirty and fun! This top looks great with virtually anything and the checked pattern is classic, which creates a timeless look with every wear.

My favorite way to wear this top currently is buttoned down under a blazer. I love wearing it like this for work, because it creates a really true business casual look. My oversized boyfriend blazer looks cool and chic over this more closely fitted top and it takes it from a top for play to a top for work in an instant. At twenty-three, I never want to look stuffy when I’m with my clients, and this look keeps me feeling youthful and fresh, while still professional.

I normally don’t shop Goodwill or Plato’s Closet for the simple reason that I’m a pretty intense germophobe, so I don’t get a lot of pleasure in going. However, I faced my fear and I wound up with one of my go to tops in my wardrobe so maybe I should do it more often!

So there you have it, this week’s issue of Unsung Wardrobe Heroes: Hollister Flannel Edition! How do you fight germophobia while thrifting? What is your favorite thrift store find? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan21

Pinup Girl Style Swap

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Pinup Girl Style Swap

Hi everyone and happy weekend!! My dear friend, Carlie, and I decided that it would be super fun to do a style swap themed blog post – and of course we were right! During our communications via email we each assigned each other a style that we might not dress in on a regular day. If you’ve seen Carlie’s blog before, you’ll know that she is the epitome of pinup girl rocker chic and that is something that I am so not! Knowing this, I thought that it would be a friendly challenge to give Carlie the task of creating a preppy look while she assigned me with styling a pinup girl OOTD.

Quite honestly, I know nothing about pinup girl and rockabilly style so I had to turn to good ol’ Google Images to assist me with my challenge. After scouring the pics for a while, I noticed a common theme of cute curls and sassy updos, tied at the waist plaids, flirty dresses, and bustier tops. Unfortunately, I don’t really have any dresses or tops in my wardrobe that give a super accentuated cleavage while providing a tiny waist line because I’m just not comfortable with that, so I had to think outside of the box. Here’s what I came up with:

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What I Wore:

  • Checkered Top: Hollister, GoodWill – $4
  • Black Shorts: So…, Kohl’s – $12
  • Color Blocked Kitten Heels: Calico, GoodWill – $6
  • Daisy Earrings: Forever 21 – $4

I’m going to keep it real with you guys –  some of the pieces in this outfit are like six years old haha I’ve had my GoodWill Hollister top and Calico heels for ages. But it felt good to be able to style such a cute and sassy look for under thirty dollars with some oldie but goodie wardrobe essentials.

However, I knew that just an adorbs outfit wasn’t going to be enough because in pinup girl fashion, there seemed to be a huge emphasis on hair. I rarely ever make an effort at curling my hair because it’s simply a matter of preference – I love when my hair is pin straight. I knew my curls wouldn’t be perfect because I have no practice doing it, but I gave it a go anyways with my flat iron and surprisingly loved the way it turned out. I felt like my effort looked like an ode to pinup girl style without being super obvious and I even felt encouraged to wear my hair like that again in the future. And, of course, pinup girls wouldn’t be pinup girls without a cherry red lip so I broke out my tried and true NYX True Red matte lippie to complete the look.

Finally, it was picture time! In all of the pictures that I studied to give me some pinup girl inspiration, I noticed that there were a lot of specific poses that seemed to be used constantly. Popped legs, bent knees with your hands on your thighs, and a booty tooch with an arched back for starters. So, I practiced in the mirror and then had my dad who is super handy with a camera snap away.

After three or so minutes, I took a look at the pics and was SO happy with the results. After seeing the look come together in the photos, I felt like it was easy to recognize what style I was emulating while stilling giving it a fun Lil Red twist. I was going for a more modern pinup girl look and I hate to toot my own horn – but I think I nailed it!

So now, the question is: Would I wear a pinup girl style look again? I can’t say that this would be an every day look for me but it was fun to change things up. I can see myself wearing an outfit like this during the summertime while going to the pool or browsing around my favorite outdoor shopping mall. However, I think that I would try to tone the look down depending on where I was by throwing on a pair of combat boots or an edgier heel so the look wasn’t so cutesy because I am a punk girl at heart!

So there you have it, my Pinup Girl Style Swap! Make sure to check out Carlie’s preppy look transformation, too! How would you describe your style? What type of style or clothing do you rarely find yourself wearing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May11

Monday Update: Online Shopping, Lil Red Style!

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Monday Update: Online Shopping, Lil Red Style!

Hello, hello everyone and Happy Monday!! I hope all of you had a terrific weekend and a lovely Mother’s Day! I did some cleaning out of my vast closet this weekend and hit up Plato’s Closet this morning to get rid of some of my clutter. Before I drop off the items that they didn’t want to purchase at the Goodwill, I wanted to give all of you gorgeous readers the opportunity to get to them first! (And speaking of Goodwill, make sure you take a look at my article “Thrift Shop Fun At Blue” to read all about my amazing thrifting experience this past weekend!) So pull up a chair, get comfy, and check out this cute dress and jewelry that I have up for grabs. And while you’re at it, make sure you check out my articles “Look Like Lil Red” and “Just So You Know” for some other fabulous finds! Here we go, some online shopping Lil Red style!

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And as usual, here’s the breakdown of each item and where they’re from!

  • Sheer dress: Lux, size Small (Forgive me for forgetting where I purchased this bad boy!)
  • Beaded pendant choker: I got this beauty in a fair trade store in Chicago. If memory serves me correctly it was made in Africa.
  • Beaded floral choker: This fun little piece was purchased from The Market Path in Akron, which is another fair trade store. Once again, if memory serves me correctly, this necklace was made in India.
  • Knick knack necklace: American Eagle

The Lux sheer dress is seriously so cute. It looks darling under a black slip and paired with some funky wedges. The gap backed detailing is especially fun and the eyelet button on the back neckline is another sweet little add on. I love fair trade shopping too much, particularly fair trade jewelry shopping as you can see! Nothing is better than buying some great pieces that go to an even better cause. While cleaning my closet this weekend, I went through my jewelry collection so I could try to dwindle it down because it was getting out of control. Despite how cute all three of the necklaces I have up for grabs are, I rarely wear them and they’re just taking up space. All of these pieces are in great condition, and if you’re interested in any or all of them, you can email me at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com so we can discuss prices and I can send you more detailed pictures! For more exclusive peaks into my wardrobe, make sure you check out “Look Like Lil Red”, “Just So You Know”, and all of my other fashion articles! Happy shopping!

Once again, if you’re interested in any of these pieces, make sure you email me at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com! And as always, keep it tuned in at http://www.lifewithlilred.com for all of the latest and greatest! Where’s all of my fans of The Following at? Are you super hyped for the two hour long episode tonight?! I wanna 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:

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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

Oct1

OOTD – Hump Day!

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OOTD – Hump Day!

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My outfit of the day today was fairly simple. But I felt insanely confident in it, which is the most important thing when it comes to dressing yourself. As usual, here’s the breakdown of each article of clothing:

  • Challis pants: H&M (these are brand new, and they ran at roughly $35 for anyone interested in buying them)
  • Flannel: Hollister, but I got it from the Goodwill #bargain
  • Crop top: PacSun, LA Hearts
  • Heels: TJMaxx, Guess

I’m legit so in love with my army green pants it’s ridiculous. They’re so chic, flattering, and SO comfortable. I felt like I was in sweatpants all day, but of course was way more stylish ;). The flannel I wore today was such a good find from the Goodwill. It was the first flannel I ever bought and it remains my favorite one to this day. I thought the little “he loves me he loves me not” crop was so sweet, and it’s the perfect ‘wear under a flannel’ top. And of course, my Guess shoes are my babies! It was such an awesome TJ’s find, and I really liked the two similar but different shades of green in the heels and my pants together – it made for a really cool color block. The colors in my OOTD are some of my favorites, and they all complimented each other so well in each piece of clothing. I’m very fond of black and hunter green together, and the flannel over the crop top really tied the whole look together. I felt amazing strutting my stuff around the mall today when I went with my sister and mom!

So there you have it! My OOTD. What was everyone rockin today? What are some of your favorite color combos for fall? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah