The Thrifty Six in “Double Trouble” Denim

double denim, thrifted style, long denim vest, denim shorts, sheer wrap shirt, orange Panama hat, moccasins, boho style, preloved fashion, Shelbee on the Edge

Denim is not my favorite fabric. I find it harsh against my skin and rather confining and uncomfortable. While I do have a large pile of jeans that I don’t wear, only a few pairs are preloved and they all looked terrible on me. Other than that, I don’t have much thrifted or preloved denim. It is just not something I seek out in thrift stores or retail stores. So when Nancy proposed “double trouble” denim as our April thrifty theme, I was wholly unsure what I was going to do. I was in double trouble.

So the first thing I did was visit my local thrift store in search of some preloved denim. I came home with a really cute denim button down shirt that was dyed white to gray using an ombre technique. When I paired it with some thrifted jeans, it just wasn’t me so I ditched that idea. I will definitely wear the shirt but probably over leggings not jeans.

But that thrifting adventure was not a total loss because I also scored this gorgeous sheer wrap blouse and awesome long scarf. My mother-in-law spotted the blouse and showed it to me, knowing that I would fall in love at first sight. And I did. Then I spotted the scarf while wearing this beautiful dress from Daenel and it was a perfect match. For just one dollar, I couldn’t pass it up. I love that it is super long and that it already coordinates with multiple items in my closet. But these two pieces didn’t really help me with the denim theme at all.

Then I remembered this long denim duster vest that I thrifted about 5 years ago.

I believe it is actually a sleeveless denim shirt dress but it is a tad too small across the chest for me to button it. But that’s okay because I prefer it as an open duster style garment anyway. If you follow my fashion at all, you probably know that I love turning all sorts of dresses into open front dusters.

The next challenge was which denim piece I should wear to make this a double denim outfit. First, I tried a pair of my secondhand jeans but they just looked stupid. Then I decided jean shorts would be best.

But none of my denim shorts are preloved. I had considered turning a pair of my thrifted jeans into shorts with a quick chop of the scissors but since none of the jeans even fit me properly in the waist and tummy area, I figured the shorts version would look just as unflattering. So I opted instead to wear a pair of old denim shorts that I purchased at retail a really long time ago. Honestly, I think it has been close to a decade since I last purchased shorts of any kind. I think really old clothes that we keep forever are just as environmentally friendly as buying secondhand clothes to keep it out of landfills. That logic leaves me satisfied with my decision to choose this particular pair of jean shorts.

I really like the contrast of the super long duster over extra short shorts. Since it is too cold for bare legs, I wore nude tights with a fishnet pattern and my cozy thrifted moccasins.

The wrap blouse ties in the back which would be really cute if I was not such a flat bottomed girl. This is one of the many reasons that I love my long robes, kimonos, and dusters so much. They disguise my lack of desirably plump buttocks. You know, I probably would have a very different style aesthetic if I had an awesome ass! But I choose to embrace my body, flat butt and all, and have developed a personal style that allows me to creatively and effectively disguise what I would like to disguise…my rear end and my cleavage…hence my massive collection of long robes and scarves.

I accessorized with a newly thrifted butterfly necklace that I bought with the blouse and scarf, a very old embossed belt, one of the butterfly brooches that belonged to my husband’s grandmother, handmade earrings from a local craft market, and my orange Panama hat.

Although I was initially stumped by Nancy’s double denim challenge, I am really pleased with the outcome. If you are feeling stumped by or just bored with your closet, why not try one of these style challenges just for fun. We share monthly style prompts in this Thrifty Six group which focuses on secondhand purchases. Also, every other week, I co-host Style Imitating Art where we chose artwork to inspire our outfits. Once a month, I co-host Songful Style where we choose a song to inspire our outfits. It is a lot of fun and really helps to get me out of my joggers and hoodies. You don’t even have to tell anyone you’re doing it. You can do it just for yourself in secret. I won’t tell anyone. Because I won’t even know.

But I do know this. I have five brilliantly thrifty friends who have created five wonderfully unique double denim outfits to inspire you.

Check them out.

The Thrifty Six is a group of international fashion lovers who meet once a month in our little space on the internet to share our thrifty outfits. On the third Monday of every month, we will all share an outfit based on a theme that features preloved wardrobe pieces. Shopping and reselling preloved clothing is so much better for the environment and you can find some of the best fashions in thrift or charity shops. The Thrifty Six are here not only to inspire you to shop second hand but to also get creative in your closets.

Emma of Style Splash

Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade

Jodie of Jodie’s Touch of Style

Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style

Sally of Within a World of My Own

And Me!

Were you inspired by these thrifty double denim looks? If you would like to see what we style next month for Jane’s choice of theme, you can join us on May 19, 2025. Until then, happy styling!

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

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