There’s an old motto that I heard when I was in school. “Dress well, test well.” It basically asserts that if you are dressed for success, you will achieve it. I believe that this strategy spans far beyond the realms of one isolated event. Meaning that if you constantly dress well and thusly feel good about yourself, your whole outlook on life will be altered positively. So how does that apply to New Year’s Eve? Well, if you are dressed to the nines to start your year, who’s stopping you from continuing that throughout the year and thus having the best year of your life! That’s why I think it’s so important to feel stylish and beautiful, on the inside and out, when the ball drops.
Recently, I went to Kohl’s on a mission. My mission was to find an outfit that could appropriately resemble a fabulous new year for under $100 (one of my revolving resolutions is always to save money. Girl’s got to pay rent!) Like any good journalist, I did some research before heading out to my local Kohl’s. I read some articles online about how great Kohl’s coupons were, so I decided to follow suit and look for some great deals. I found an amazing coupon taking 15% off of any total less than $100, and 20% off of any total over $100 (use code HAPPY2016 online at kohls.com). I filed those savings in my mind bank and made my way to the store.
Shown above: LC Lauren Conrad Skirt ($24 down from $60), Jennifer Lopez Sweater ($34.80 down from $58) , Simply Vera Vera Wang Boots ($24.99 down from $79.99)
Upon arriving, I did a lap of the store to see my options for creating a NYE outfit masterpiece. I frequently gravitate towards Lauren Conrad because she is everything (and probably my spirit animal). Funny enough, when I was in the Lauren Conrad section of Kohl’s, I overheard two other ladies say, “I love this woman’s clothes. She is so perfect.” I did some very preliminary scoping of the styles that LC’s brand was featuring. Following the very typical aesthetic of her brand, there were a lot pastels and florals (which aren’t ideal for NYE). However, nestled among the chiffon blouses was an A-line blue velvet pleated skater skirt. Perfection!
I prefer jewel-toned velvet as a NYE trend over sequins. While NYE is the perfect platform for pulling out the sparkly ensembles, I find sequins to be tacky and cheap-looking (unless it really is well-made i.e. expensive). Sequins are also uncomfortable to wear and always leave me with cat-like scratches up and down my arms. Why start your year out uncomfortable? There are certainly other ways to get a fun, sparkly look without resorting to sequins. For example, gemstones and metallics are a really great compromise. This velvet also looks expensive and lush. The skirt is thick and quite heavy, which is so amazing for a NYE because you will probably be fluctuating between temperatures as the night goes on. Another great thing about velvet is that it is coming back as a huge trend, resurrected with all of the “gone, but not dead” nineties trends (chokers, anyone?). This resurgence means that you will get more wear out of a velvet skirt than you would out of a sequins one.
After finding the champion of champions NYE outfit essential, I hustled over to Jennifer Lopez because girl knows how to make going out clothes. Passing over a couple “been there, done that” style shirts, I found a really cool looking short sleeve sweater –with chains. Chains are such an inventive way to include some sparkle to your outfit, without going overboard. The really cool part about this top in addition, is that you don’t have to wear a necklace or any crazy jewelry. I have a tendency to lose most jewelry I wear, especially during a night out.
After finding such a cool shirt, I went over to the shoe department. When you think “party scene,” most would probably assume some sort of heel would be appropriate. I think heels are great, don’t get me wrong, but nothing is hotter right now than a really sleek boot. Your outfit could look a little tired and overdone if you pair your ensemble with the wrong shoe. Instead, I found the most amazing Simply Vera Vera Wang black booties (actually, I didn’t so much find them as Kohl’s had them featured at the end of the aisle). They weren’t marked as on sale or anything so I was a little concerned about staying under $100, but they were perfect. They made the outfit “cool girl NYE”, with a whisper of Carrie Bradshaw.
With skirt, top, and perfect boots in tow, I headed over to one of my favorite spots in Kohl’s: the price scanner. It’s where dreams really do come true. I scanned each of the items and was so AMAZINGLY SURPRISED. Each of the pieces was WAY less than I thought it was. I’m not sure if it was due to the conclusion of the Christmas season or what, but I was so thrilled. I could buy a clutch too! I picked out a glorious metallic silver clutch to tie the whole look together.
When I checked out, I found that all my pieces were combined a little over $100. I whipped out my 20% coupon and BAM, just like that I rolled in around $80. Four high-quality pieces for under $100. I was so happy, I think I could have waltzed out of the store.
So, if my NYE shopping experience is any indication of my upcoming year, I’m in really, really good shape.
Happy New Year, budget babes!
Thanks to Kohl's for providing me with a giftcard to kick off my New Year's celebrations in style!
I prefer jewel-toned velvet as a NYE trend over sequins. While NYE is the perfect platform for pulling out the sparkly ensembles, I find sequins to be tacky and cheap-looking (unless it really is well-made i.e. expensive). Sequins are also uncomfortable to wear and always leave me with cat-like scratches up and down my arms. Why start your year out uncomfortable? There are certainly other ways to get a fun, sparkly look without resorting to sequins. For example, gemstones and metallics are a really great compromise. This velvet also looks expensive and lush. The skirt is thick and quite heavy, which is so amazing for a NYE because you will probably be fluctuating between temperatures as the night goes on. Another great thing about velvet is that it is coming back as a huge trend, resurrected with all of the “gone, but not dead” nineties trends (chokers, anyone?). This resurgence means that you will get more wear out of a velvet skirt than you would out of a sequins one.
After finding the champion of champions NYE outfit essential, I hustled over to Jennifer Lopez because girl knows how to make going out clothes. Passing over a couple “been there, done that” style shirts, I found a really cool looking short sleeve sweater –with chains. Chains are such an inventive way to include some sparkle to your outfit, without going overboard. The really cool part about this top in addition, is that you don’t have to wear a necklace or any crazy jewelry. I have a tendency to lose most jewelry I wear, especially during a night out.
After finding such a cool shirt, I went over to the shoe department. When you think “party scene,” most would probably assume some sort of heel would be appropriate. I think heels are great, don’t get me wrong, but nothing is hotter right now than a really sleek boot. Your outfit could look a little tired and overdone if you pair your ensemble with the wrong shoe. Instead, I found the most amazing Simply Vera Vera Wang black booties (actually, I didn’t so much find them as Kohl’s had them featured at the end of the aisle). They weren’t marked as on sale or anything so I was a little concerned about staying under $100, but they were perfect. They made the outfit “cool girl NYE”, with a whisper of Carrie Bradshaw.
With skirt, top, and perfect boots in tow, I headed over to one of my favorite spots in Kohl’s: the price scanner. It’s where dreams really do come true. I scanned each of the items and was so AMAZINGLY SURPRISED. Each of the pieces was WAY less than I thought it was. I’m not sure if it was due to the conclusion of the Christmas season or what, but I was so thrilled. I could buy a clutch too! I picked out a glorious metallic silver clutch to tie the whole look together.
When I checked out, I found that all my pieces were combined a little over $100. I whipped out my 20% coupon and BAM, just like that I rolled in around $80. Four high-quality pieces for under $100. I was so happy, I think I could have waltzed out of the store.
So, if my NYE shopping experience is any indication of my upcoming year, I’m in really, really good shape.
Happy New Year, budget babes!
Thanks to Kohl's for providing me with a giftcard to kick off my New Year's celebrations in style!
Liv
www.livforstyle.net
Wishes & Reality