Adventures in Thrifting Part 22: Green Gingham Shirt Dress & Spread The Kindness Link Up On the Edge #795
In the month since my last Adventures in Thrifting post, I have acquired a few really lovely preloved pieces that have been begging to be shared. But the weather has been less than cooperative for showcasing my thrifty outfit creations.
I took advantage of the milder weather we had this past weekend and was able to photograph five new outfits. Three of them are for upcoming style challenges and two are just for some extra content. This one falls into the latter category. I have enough clothing in my closet room to create endless combinations and probably never repeat the same exact one twice, yet I tend to spend day after winter day in the same sweatpants and hoodies. I am so ready for spring and my warm weather wardrobe!
In the meantime, I have to work with the weather that Mother Nature delivers. And so layers are my friend. After more than a decade living in one of the snowiest places in the United States, I have become a master at creative and functional layering. Even in winter time, thin layers work best to prevent too much bulk while still keeping my body insulated and warm.
So let me break down this thrifty outfit for you. I recently found this adorable green gingham shirt dress in a local thrift store. I love all shades of green and gingham has been jam for a really long time, so I simply could not resist the green gingham print on this button down dress. There is no label in the garment and it appears as if it might be homemade. Homemade likely means one of a kind. And I do love when a one of a kind preloved item fits me perfectly!
As many dresses as I have in my wardrobe, dresses with long sleeves are the fewest. It surprises me that long sleeve dresses seem so difficult to find especially living in this wintery hellscape, so I tend to gravitate toward them when thrifting for winter clothes.
As much as I love green and gingham, I also love the versatility of a button down shirt dress. They aren’t just dresses when the front completely opens. They can also be worn as jackets or dusters. And if you know me at all, then you probably know that dramatic duster style toppers are my biggest love… even above green and gingham!
One of my favorite DIY upcycled projects is transforming long dresses into open front dusters and robes. Of course, the transformation is easiest when the dress has buttons all the way down the front. But with some basic sewing skills, it isn’t all that difficult to cut open a regular dress and quickly turn it into a duster.
For my green gingham outfit, I decided to create a monochromatic color palette in various shades of olive. I built my base layer with olive green leggings and an olive green short sleeved tunic. Next I added my green gingham shirt dress and closed only one button so the green under layer is visible. I added a thrifted scarf in the same color and topped the whole outfit with my light tan thrifted ruana that has been a winter wardrobe staple for a few years. The neutral color and oversized fit work so well for cold weather layering.
The monochromatic green combination was perfect to showcase my new green eel skin cowgirl boots once again. To coordinate with the brown part of my boots, I added my rust Panama hat for a bookending effect. I continued with some more bits of brown with my tan fingerless mitts, thrifted wooden earrings, and a preloved wooden necklace that my mother-in-law recently sent to me.
As much as I love to style great big bursts of contrasting prints and colors, I also really like the subtlety of a one print monochromatic outfit. Since this outfit combines so many of my favorite things, I suppose it is obvious that I really loved how this thrifty look came together.
What are some of your favorite winter outfit formulas? How does the weather impact your wardrobe choices? Are you hankering for the arrival of spring like I am?
Featured Favorites
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
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.
16 Comments
Stephanie
Shelbee, I love how you layered your outfit. 💚 The green goes so well, and the leggings really do complement the dress. As always, thank you for hosting this lovely linkup. Have a wonderful weekend. ☀️😊
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Stephanie! I really appreciate that. I hope you have a lovely weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Amy Johnson
I love that color green! Thanks for the party!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Amy! It’s one of my favorite shades of green, too! Have a wonderful weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
I love gingham and love green. So a perfect dress it is. But those boots are dropping my jaw, or something like that lol. Fabulous!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Hahaha, thanks so much, Nancy! I am so glad I bought these boots. I was really hesitant because of the price. Even on sale they were quite expensive. But I do believe I am going to wear them a lot! I keep getting them wet in the snow and I don’t want them to get all water stained so this snow can melt any time now, please!
xoxo
Shelbee
Di
Shelbee, your layered up outfit is so approppriate for the winter weather. The monochrome color scheme came together beautifully, and your gingham shirt dress was such a great thrift find! You look so harmonious in your environment, your backgrounds add so much of a sense of place to your photos. Glad you are enjoying a little bit of mild weather! Hope you have a good weekend, and thanks so much as always for hosting the link up.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Di, thank you so much, my friend! I enjoy taking my photos outdoors even in the blustery winter weather. The biggest struggle is finding accessible places for outdoor photos. Many of my favorite spots aren’t cleared in the winter so they are completely off limits. But my husband and I enjoy our weekend drives around town for photoshoot locations! I hope you have a lovely weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
I can not wait to break out my spring wardrobe. I tend to wear just one color at a time most of the time too paired with some neutrals.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh, I am so ready for this snow business to be over! My spring wardrobe is calling to me as well.
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
Gorgeous outfit, Shelbee! I love how you mix and match all the layers! I honestly don’t know how you do it with all that cold and snow, even though I love snow. Your boots are absolutely fabulous! And your hats. Well, they are amazing! Your mother-in-law must love you a lot. I think the most mine ever gave me was a pair of socks. Thanks so much for the link up!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, Marsha, thanks so much, my friend! I feel each outfit is its own individual work of art. Each accessory is like a very specific and intentional brush stroke. I keep getting my new boots wet which is probably not great for them, but I just want to wear them all the time. I am ready for the snow go away now. My mother-in-law has given me lots of socks over the years as well. But I love socks so I get excited for them, too! So perhaps your mil loved you more than you knew with her gift of socks!
xoxo
Shelbee
nicole orriens
I love how you’re wearing the gingham dress! Normally I associate gingham dressed a bit with Little house on the prairy but this way it’s quite modern and versatile!
And thank you so much for featuring my green skirt. You made my day!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you so much, Nicole! This dress definitely has some Little House vibes if I wore it the traditional way! I initially intended to wear it closed with a belt but that didn’t work with the under layers. Maybe when it gets warmer, I will wear it that way and see if I can still keep it modern. Oooh, I do love a good challenge!
xoxo
Shelbee
Barbara
Gingham in Winter is new to me, how fun! I’m in love with your green boots. I think everyone on the northern hemisphere is hankering for Spring!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Barbara! Gingham definitely has much more of a summer appeal but I am loving it for winter now, too!
xoxo
Shelbee