I recently purchased a red leather jacket online. Initially, it looked like a salmon color and I thought that it would be the perfect pop of color to add to my wardrobe. Turns out that it arrived as red as can be. I wasn't completely disappointed, but it is a departure from something I would normally purchase.

Have you ever purchased a piece of clothing that became the item you centered the rest of your outfit around? This happened to me over the weekend with the jacket (I tend to do this with shoes as well). At the risk of looking like Michael Jackson - you have to concoct the perfect combo to balance out the red + the leather. I decided to draw some styling tips from the best and see how I can apply them to my own outfit with the badass-ness that is my new jacket!

1. Keep it Simple. This look cannot fail with some simple black skinnies and a comfy white tee.


2.  "Dress" it up. Pair it with a dress that is mostly one color. A little pop of design or color doesn't hurt. Not sure I would recommend with a totally patterned dress unless it was subtle.


3. Black on Bottom. Whether it is a skirt, shorts, jeans - you name it, keep em solid and a dark(er) color. Black is a go-to for me, but dark jeans are also a winner.


Have you decided you want to take the red leather jacket plunge? If so, you should check out this one, this one and this one!