white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge

Adventures in Thrifting Part 15: White Floral Dress with a Raggy Scarf & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up On the Edge #718

August 16, 2024 / 22 Comments
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge

Way back in the fall of 2020, I started a little blog series called Adventures in Thrifting which focused on my preloved clothing finds. The series was inspired by The Thrifty Six which was launched at the same time. While The Thrifty Six has continued to thrive for the past four years, creating preloved outfits every month with a shared theme, my Adventures in Thrifting seemed to die out after the fourteenth post in December 2021.

Today I decided to resurrect my Adventures series. The driving force behind this last minute decision was based solely on the fact that I didn’t have any content planned for today’s link party post. But I did have unshared photos from last spring featuring a really great thrift store find which happens to be very convenient for bringing this series back to life.

white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge

I found this adorable floral smocked mini dress on a birthday shopping excursion last year. Our local Thrifty Shopper sends birthday coupons for 25% off your entire purchase which is all the incentive I need to go on a thrifting adventure. The dress was priced at $7.99, making it just $6 after my birthday savings were applied.

I almost didn’t even try on the dress because I generally do not like smocked dresses. I find that smocking enhances my already large bust and often just doesn’t fit me properly. If you search for smocked dresses online, you will find many of them also have high crew necks or square necklines, both of which “unflatter” me.

But there was something different about this smocked dress that did work for me. I think it’s the long sleeves and vee neck that create a much more flattering fit on my body than the traditional sleeveless or spaghetti strap smocked dresses.

Lately, I have been opting for maxi dresses and skirts over short skirts and mini dresses, but sometimes I do like to show off my legs. And the length of this dress, hitting a few inches above my knee, does just that.

white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge

Certainly this dress could stand alone without adding too many other elements to the outfit. Of course, one does need shoes if venturing out of the house. The floral print and style of this flirty little dress screamed cowgirl energy to me, making my white cowgirl boots the obvious choice of footwear.

I kept my jewelry fairly simple with dark navy blue leather feather earrings and a bluish-purple pendant necklace that was a gift from my mother nearly 20 years ago. She bought it for me in Las Vegas in April 2006, just three months before she died, and it has been a very special piece of my sentimental jewelry collection ever since.

At the time that I styled this dress for these photos, I was in the process of my bohemian bedroom makeover. I had made a raggy garland from the fabric scraps leftover from my bedroom curtains which I have hung along the top of my walls to use as a hat display. Before I hung the garland, however, I thought it made a really cute raggy scarf so I wrapped it around my neck and temporarily called it a scarf.

white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge

Finally, because early June (when these photos were taken) is still fairly chilly in my region, I added an old lightweight cardigan. I love the way the gray and white stripes play against the white and blue floral. My raggy scarf is in shades of blue, white, and gray which really tied the contrasting striped and floral prints together in a beautiful way.

This was another successful adventure in thrifting. However, I do have just one complaint about the dress. It is fairly limited to transitional seasons. Being 100% rayon, it is not very cool in the humidity of summer but the super short length makes it not very practical for the chilliness that begins here in early October. I am sure adding some tights would carry the dress a bit further into the fall, but our autumn season is incredibly short, still limiting me to a few weeks of comfortable wear for such a dress.

white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge
white floral mini dress, striped long cardigan, white cowgirl boots, rag scarf, raggery, Shelbee on the Edge

Although I won’t wear this dress often, I will still keep it in my closet because it is wicked cute and I felt amazing wearing it! Do you have any clothing that you keep knowing you will only wear it a few times?

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Shelbee

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I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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22 Comments

  • Di

    August 16, 2024 at 11:15 am Reply

    Great outfit you made from your thrifted dress Shelbee, it was a great find! Also, I love your pictures with the enchanted forest in the background. Hope you have a great weekend and thanks for sharing and the link up party!

  • Sally in St Paul

    August 16, 2024 at 11:28 am Reply

    I know what you mean about smocked dresses, but this one with the V neck (and your legs!) looks terrific. The ragged scarf was a brilliant improvisation. I love sentimental jewelry, and it’s good to see someone wearing theirs instead of just keeping it tucked away.

    PS Thanks for the feature!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      August 17, 2024 at 9:28 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Sally! I think my legs are my best feature but I tend to always cover them because that’s how I am most comfortable. I wear almost all of my sentimental jewelry except for a few rings which don’t fit. But I don’t wear rings anyway because they make me feel claustrophobic. I hope you have a lovely weekend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Joanne

    August 16, 2024 at 1:42 pm Reply

    I would not have guessed that this was a smocked dress! I typically don’t like smocked dresses or shirts on my either but I think both the style (as you pointed out) and the pattern are quite flattering on you. I do have a few items I just can’t seem to part with despite not wearing them very often at all.

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      August 17, 2024 at 7:10 am Reply

      Thanks, Joanne! The smocking is definitely camouflaged by the floral print which works in my favor! I definitely need to style this dress for fall and see how it works. When I have beloved items in my closet that don’t get much wear, I sometimes try to find ways to alter them to better incorporate them into my lifestyle whether it’s turning them into something new or just a fresh dye job!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Nancy

    August 17, 2024 at 3:59 am Reply

    I think you can wear any lenght. It’s a lovely dress, a pity you can’t wear it in summer. I have a grey jacket that I hardly wear, it’s so old that there are staines I can’t get out anymore. But I can’t throw it away, it’s such a cute one!

  • Melody Jacob

    August 18, 2024 at 5:27 pm Reply

    Your white floral mini dress is such a gem! The way you’ve styled it with the striped cardigan and cowgirl boots is fantastic. It’s great how you’ve embraced the smocked dress despite initial reservations. The way you’ve paired it with a raggy scarf and thoughtful accessories shows off your creativity and personal style.

    I completely get keeping clothing items even if they’re only worn a few times—sometimes it’s all about how special or unique they are. The transitional season issue with this dress is something many of us deal with, but it sounds like you’ve made it work beautifully.

    I’d love to see more of your Adventures in Thrifting series make a comeback. Your finds and styling are always inspiring!

    Happy thrifting!

    http://www.melodyjacob.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      August 19, 2024 at 6:22 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Melody! I definitely hold onto way too many articles of clothing, but I love having lots of choices when I get dressed. It is one of my best creative outlets! I think I will definitely make more of an effort to share more of my adventures in thrifting! I hope you had an amazing weekend and even better better week ahead!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

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Shelbee on the Edge