Tag Archives: solitaire

Florals For Spring OOTD

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Florals For Spring OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new flowery OOTD here on lifewithlilred! In the eternal words of the great Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada “Florals for spring? … Groundbreaking”. But, hey, it wouldn’t be spring without beautiful flowers blooming outside and on clothing too! I wouldn’t say I’m a huge floral pattern girl, however, I fell immediately in love with the statement trench coat you are about to see and that love has only strengthened since bringing it home lol. Check it out:

Floral Trench Coat: Solitaire, TJMaxx

Black Sweater: Shrinking Violet, TJMaxx

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Platform Boots: Olivia Miller, TJMaxx

Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

OOTDs that revolve around a statement piece essentially build themselves. When I think of “statement” clothing, I think of something so bold and eye catching that it really doesn’t need anything else. With clothes like that, the goal isn’t so much building an outfit but simply enhancing your established focal point. In my OOTD’s case, the trench coat by Solitaire was the star and I wanted it to shine fully.

As you can see, there were several colors that I could have pulled from in the trench coat BUT I didn’t want to go the matching route. There were so many pretty shades and I wanted the focus to be on all of them rather than one specific hue. So, I gave the trench coat a fully neutral backdrop with an All Black Everything ensemble underneath. That way, the coat did the talking and the outfit would still make sense if I took the trench off. I definitely don’t think this outfit would have had such a sleek end result if multiple different colors were fighting for attention.

With the base of the OOTD good to go, it was time for shoes and accessories. For shoes, I chose my favorite pair of platform boots by Olivia Miller. I loved that the chains added a blingy surprise as the faux suede coat is quite muted in terms of color and texture. To play into that pop of silver, I added on a long necklace with a thin silver chain. Then, I pulled from the sage green in the trench coat and popped on a pair of dark green hoops by Argentino Vivo and was on my way with a spring in my step!

Florals For Spring might not be groundbreaking but they are a beloved staple and I love my take on it!

What is your favorite piece of statement clothing in your closet? What is a pattern that you like for spring that isn’t floral? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Terrific Trench Coat OOTD

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Terrific Trench Coat OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! Thanks to a recent TJMaxx Haul, I got several gorgeous new pieces to freshen up my spring wardrobe. It’s amazing how just a few things can completely breathe new life into what you already have and I have been most inspired by my new goodies. You already saw an adorable V-Day button down featured in a look, but what I was most looking forward to was rocking my new trench coat by Solitaire. Check it out:

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Who? What? Wear?

Floral Trench Coat: Solitaire, TJMaxx

White Button Down: H&M

Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Army Green Heeled Boots: BCBG, TJMaxx

*** The bumblebee earrings are from Target!

When I style outfits, I am normally building around one specific piece and that was the case with this OOTD. I find it is so much easier to create a look to compliment a staple item because it narrows down your options significantly. For this outfit, I had my new trench coat in mind and all that was left to do was build the remainder of the look. To start, I put on a stark white button down by H&M. I wasn’t too concerned about what I had on underneath because it was freaking freezing out so the coat was staying on. However, I wanted the top to pop despite this and the crisp white against the muted florals worked perfectly.

For jeans, I kept things simple with a pair of plain black skinnies. The coat already offered texture from the faux suede material and a pattern (Obvi!) so anything more on the bottom would look muddled. This is a good rule to follow to keep from a cluttered appearance. Although, let’s say that the coat was just the dusty pink with no pattern at all and the same material. Then, a patterned pant would be just right!

Next, it was onto shoes and accessories. I went with a pair of army green heeled combat boots by BCBG for this look. It gave me some much needed height since the coat was pretty lengthy in itself. And, of course, the color was similar enough to the patterns in the coat to give top to bottom cohesion. Jewelry was all that was left and I decided on a pair of bumblebee stud earrings. I tried on a dangly pair, but they took away from my neck and that was a no no since not a lot of skin was showing in this look. The bumblebees also matched with the flower garden vibe of the trench coat, which I thought was a cute touch!

I had been so eager to wear my new little number by Solitaire and it felt fantastic in my Terrific Trench Coat OOTD. I have a feeling I will be living in it this spring! 😀

What is your favorite season to dress for? Which season do you have difficulty dressing for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Solitaire Trench Coat

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New Solitaire Trench Coat

Hi!! To me, there is nothing better than refreshing my wardrobe with the change of seasons and TJMaxx delivered during my last shopping trip. Despite the crappy weather, spring was in the air at TJs and it was infectious! Today, we will be discussing the last item from my clothing haul and, in this case, I really did save the best for last. This trench coat by Solitaire made me clutch my pearls and it has skyrocketed to one of my new favorite things in my wardrobe boutique. Check it out:

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The trench coat is, hands down, my all time favorite classic wardrobe staple. They are just so incredibly chic, universally flattering, and I love the versatility that a signature tan trench offers. I have had the same trench coat from PacSun since I was fifteen and it still looks as good as the day I bought it. Because of this, trench coats are never really on my radar as something I need. Why mess with perfection, amiright? Of course, I ate those words as soon as I saw this pretty little number by Solitaire. Hey, I have the classic trench already and now I have the 2.0 version too!

I consider myself to be a highly seasoned shopper, but never have I ever seen anything like my new coat before. The pattern is simply stunning with huge blooms and butterflies and the soft faux suede just makes you want to wrap yourself in it. I also can’t get enough of how the colors in the patterns pop against the dusty pink base. From top to bottom, this coat was everything I could possibly want and it’s amazing that I almost didn’t get it! Wait *record stops*… What?

Lol, yes. This coat almost didn’t come home with me! I tried it on in a medium and it was a bit too big. However, I couldn’t find a small on the racks to save my own life. That is, until my mom stepped in! At the beginning of our shopping trip, I explained my golden rule to my mom of always checking the sizes of each item in case it’s on the wrong size hanger. I broke this rule with the coat, but my mom remembered! She ended up finding a small on a size large hanger and it was nothing short of miraculous. I’m glad someone remembered my words of wisdom because I sure as hell didn’t haha.

Thanks to an astonishing assist from my mom, my dream trench coat was as good as mine. I cannot wait to show it off in a new OOTD soon. Peep the rest of my TJs haul tomorrow because my home decor got a refresh too in the best way possible! 😀

Do you have any golden rules when you shop? What is one of your spring wardrobe staples? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Date Day (Ish) OOTD

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Date Day (Ish) OOTD

Hello!! This past Saturday, Johnny and I had plans for a date day that went sour because he had a lil belly ache. We were supposed to go out to lunch (Which we did), take OOTD pics (Which we sort of did), and have drinks at our favorite bar (Which we didn’t). For lunch, we went to a brewery down the street called R. Shea’s and it was SO yummy but when a wave of nausea hit Johnny it was pretty much game over from there lol. Peep this glorious grilled cheese, though!

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^^^ Cilantro jalapeño hummus for an appetizer and a beer cheese grilled cheese for the main dish. Still daydreaming about it!

After lunch, we headed home and Johnny rallied enough to take some quick pics in the apartment because I loved the outfit I had on:

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^^^ Lol, I honestly forget what Johnny said to warrant that face in the last picture but it is such a mood!

Who? What? Wear?

  • Persimmon top: Solitaire, TJMaxx
  • Skort: Almost Famous, TJMaxx
  • Heels: Reaction By Kenneth Cole, TJMaxx
  • The belt is from some store in the mall that doesn’t exist anymore
  • The cuff bracelet is from Aerie, which I also got forever ago

Although I didn’t get a full photo series of this Date Day (Ish) OOTD, I still love it all the same. This look is a really good example of a color blocked outfit and is exactly what I pictured when I purchased the Solitaire top during my last TJMaxx haul. There are a few rules of thumb to follow for a successful color blocked OOTD so let’s discuss:

Colors That Compliment:

The best and most obvious rule for optimum success is to choose colors that compliment. As you can see, aside from my black skort that acted as a neutral, I went with a warmer palette for everything else. You want the colors that you use to interact with each other in the most positive way for a cohesive look.

Try looking at the rainbow for inspiration. For example, if I had a yellow skort, it would have worked just as well as the black since red, orange, and yellow work together in tandem. For a more jewel toned look, the base of this OOTD in green, blue, and violet would be ideal. If you want to do some advanced color blocking, take a look at a color wheel to use true complimentary colors like blue and orange or red and green.

Choose Clothing Styles Wisely:

A color blocked outfit is a huge accessory in itself and we all know that too much of a good thing can take away from the overall look. I kept things sleek in my OOTD and used the top as the main piece and then incorporated matching accessories. But maybe you want to do something more bold and we’ll use ruffles and complementary colors as an example…

Let’s say you have a magenta top with ruffled tank sleeves and you want to pair it with a bright green skirt. This alone would be a great choice but you could take it a step further. What if your green skirt has ruffle accents too? Then, it would be a home run because you’re using complimenting colors AND styles.

Different types of styling all demand cohesion and some options, like mixing and matching, allow you to be really creative. Of course, you are being creative with color blocking but it’s also a logical way of styling too. By observing not only colors that complement but styles too, you are going to have a cohesive look no matter what you choose. That’s just brain power, baby!

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^^^ Lil buddy was all tuckered out after his big day!

Despite not having many pictures of this Date Day (Ish) OOTD, I hope you learned a thing or two about color blocking. This is one of the easier styling methods so don’t be afraid to break out the color wheel and have some fun!

Do you prefer to wear warm or cool colors? What is your favorite styling technique? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

 

 

TJMaxx Haul: Solitaire Top Edition

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TJMaxx Haul: Solitaire Top Edition

Hello!! After a simply awful week and change, your girl needed some retail therapy so, naturally, I went to TJMaxx to ease the pain lol. It was just what I needed and I FINALLY found some new tops, which I am thrilled about because I was having no luck in that regard for a while. Today, we are going to start off my latest haul by checking out a gorgeous new top by Solitaire in a perfectly persimmon hue. Let’s get to it:

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As I was making my rounds at TJs, I spotted this top on one of the display racks and knew instantly that it was going to be a winner. I was in love with the unique color and I have nothing even close to it in my wardrobe, which made it even better. The shape of this top is what really sold me, though. The exaggerated puff sleeves paired with the bold collar and tighter fitting middle is divine. And don’t even get me started on the sweet buttons and floral embroidery! This top is *chef’s kiss* perfection.

When I first saw this top, it instantly made me think of Halloween since I am an elder emo and I’m always thinking about it. I cannot wait to style it with the happiest season of all in mind and already have lots of ideas. In fact, it will be featured soon in a new OOTD so keep it posted for that. But *spoiler alert* I’m thinking my black Almost Famous skort, Adora hat, and Kenneth Cole heels for a super fun color blocked look. I’m swooning just thinking about it!

There is nothing like a good shopping trip to put some pep back in my step. Tune in all of this week for more from this amazing haul!

Has anyone else had some retail therapy recently? What did you find? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah