Adventures in Thrifting Part 18: Bohemian Ruana & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #744

thrifted style, wide legged jeans, preloved ruana, orange and blue, boho style, fall fashion, suede boots, knit beret, Shelbee on the Edge

I am sharing some fall photos for today’s Adventures in Thrifting post because we are really quite buried in snow right now. And it just keeps coming. With a vengeance, it seems. The snow banks in my front yard are higher than my porch and taller than me. I have lost half of my driveway to the giant frozen glacier that formed from all the snow and icicles falling off of my roof.

Now I am just patiently waiting for a warm spell to magically melt it all. I would love to see some green grass and feel the warmth of a blazing sun on my face. Despite the 5000 units of Vitamin D that I ingest each day, these long, cold days of winter are really starting to take a toll on my mood. I have a million DIY, crafting, and upcycling ideas running amok in my brain and absolutely no motivation to begin any projects. I think once I can open the windows and let the warm spring breeze float through my house, it will definitely get me motivated! Until then, I will bask in the memory of beautiful fall days, warm spring days, sunny summer days, and fruitful adventures in thrifting.

I found this gorgeous ruana on a thrifting adventure back in November before the snow arrived and blanketed all the beautiful fall foliage that fell to the ground. I always look for statement pieces on my thrifting adventures because I really do not need anything new. Ever again. Seriously, I probably have enough clothing to last the rest of my life.

But I still cannot resist a good thrifting adventure. As soon as I saw this wrap hanging on the rail, I was so very drawn to the orange, navy, and white color palette and the patchwork paisley floral print that I had to have it. So for $6 of my husband’s hard earned money, I bought it and I am very glad I did. It is a wardrobe piece that fits wonderfully into my personal fashion aesthetic.

I styled my pretty wrap with a combination of preloved and newly purchased pieces for a mostly thrifted outfit. Coordinating with the colors of the ruana, I layered it over wide legged light washed blue jeans paired with a fitted orange turtleneck. Along with my brown embossed belt, these are the only elements of my outfit which were not preloved.

The rest of this look is a combination of thrifted, gifted, and inherited pieces. My tan knit beret belonged to my grandmother. I think she made it herself but I could be wrong. I have no idea how old this hat is either. It could be from the 1950s or the 1980s or any decade between. I simply do not know anything about my beret other than it belonged to my grandmother and at some point it came into my possession. And I love it and I wear it often.

My patterned scarf was gifted to me by a fellow Army wife nearly a decade ago. I have a lot of favorite scarves and this is definitely one of them! The print and colors coordinate with this ruana so perfectly that they look like a set.

The rest of my outfit elements were purchased at secondhand shops. I acquired my tan suede ankle boots from Postmark, my earrings and seed bead necklace were purchased at a flea market, and I found my woolen ruana coat at the Salvation Army thrift shop. I think it all came together beautifully and I am very much looking forward to wearing this wrap during the spring and summer months. I have lots of warm weather styling ideas for this pretty little garment. Now I just need some warm weather to manifest itself in my presence!