The Thrifty Six are All Wrapped Up for Winter

Here we are in coat season again and I don’t think I am quite ready for the cold. With only five weeks of autumn remaining on this year’s calendar, Jane has appropriately chosen jackets and coats as our thrifty theme this month. Coats are one of my very favorite things to shop for in secondhand stores. You really do get the most value for your money when purchasing preloved coats. I have found many beautiful coats in my thrifting adventures and like my wardrobe as a whole, I would guess that about 30% of my coat wardrobe has been acquired secondhand in one way or another.

This is the time of year when I beeline to the coat rack as soon as I walk into a thrift store. Because I have a rather large collection of coats and outerwear, there is nothing I actually need in this area of my wardrobe so I am always scanning the secondhand racks for coats that make a statement. I am drawn to bold prints, fun fabrics, and any other statement making quality that a coat may possess.

This faux fur leopard coat checked all the boxes for me when I spotted it on a mannequin in the Salvation Army Thrift Store a few years back. The leopard print, the heavy plush faux fur fabric, and the interesting cocoon cut caught my attention immediately when the sassy little mannequin greeted me at the entrance to the coat aisle. If I recall correctly, I paid $18 for this coat.

The coat is by Express but all other tags have been removed so I couldn’t find a size or fabric content or any other information about this piece, but I knew that if it fit me, it would be mine. So I wrestled with the sassy little mannequin to get her coat off and try it on for myself. And it fit perfectly like a cozy leopard blanket keeping me all snug and cozy and warm.

The only problem with the coat is that it does not have a way to close the front. There are two big button holes on both sides that land right about at my belly button which I have tried to secure with ribbon and it just looks weird. So I have surrendered to just wearing this coat with the front opened. Well, at least you can see the outfit underneath better with the coat opened.

The outfit underneath is a simple jeans and sweater outfit made more interesting with my twist on the super cropped sweater trend. I am a fan of cropped tops and don’t mind showing off my midriff these days, however, I struggle with this trend in cold weather clothing. It really just doesn’t make much sense to me to have much skin exposed when the chill sets in. Certainly, wearing a cropped sweater with high waisted pants is one way to keep the bare skin covered and protected from the cold…like I did with my faux leather pants and cropped burgundy sweater. Even though the combination of a high waist and cropped top keeps all the skin covered, that drafty air can still sneak up your back and send a chill right through the whole rest of your body.

The way to rectify this problem is to add layers that will prevent the gusts of cold air from finding their way up my shirt. With my faux leather pants outfit, I added a long blazer over the cropped top which kept my back adequately warm but still susceptible to a draft getting in there.

For this outfit, I layered underneath the sweater instead of on top. I found this bright green men’s button down shirt at Thrifty Shopper over the summer. I bought seven different men’s shirts that day because I love them for lounging and layering. I didn’t pay more than $3 for any one of them. I think this green one is my favorite though. I love the color and I love the way it pairs with black and denim.

I wore an old pair of Gap boyfriend jeans and added a new black cropped turtleneck sweater from Charlotte Russe. My black booties with the red and green floral embroidery are also from Charlotte Russe (from a few years ago). I liked the idea of pairing green and red in the details without looking like Christmas so I added a red necklace. I tried on a new bright red beret which looked really cute but I did look like I was heading out to a Christmas parade so I switched to my new crystal studded “Meow” kitten hat. It seemed fitting to wear a little cat hat with a big cat coat.

And then we literally stumbled upon this very serendipitous bale of hay left on the big stone stairway in my local park. It was likely left over from someone else’s photo shoot. This is a very popular location for professional photographers who make a business of doing family photo sessions. In fact, we had some really awesome family photos done back in 2015 during Jeff’s deployment which were taken at the very bottom of these stairs.

This photo is one of my favorites from that shoot. It has been hanging in my dining room for the past 6 years but it may be time to update all the photos in the house. If you click on the image, it will take you to the full photo album for this family shoot on my personal Facebook page. It is a little flashback in time that really tugs on my heart strings! Little their cute little squishy faces!

And since I am once again super far behind and writing this post at a ridiculous hour of the morning, I am going to leave off now. I have posts that need to be written every single day this week so it is time to get motivated and clear my mind so I can hear my muse when she starts delivering me the words I need to be sharing. But until then, I hope you enjoyed this simple thrifty outfit post.

And now let’s check out the beautiful preloved outerwear styled by my lovely thrifty friends. 

The Thrifty Six is a group of international fashion influencers 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 to inspire you to shop second hand! 

The Stylish Thrifters:

• Emma of Style Splash
• Grace of Graceful Rags
• Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
• Lucy of Lucy Bertoldi
• Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
• Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge

Emma of Style Splash

“I love to buy outerwear preloved because it’s such good value for money. The weather has been unseasonably mild for the time of year, which means I can wear this fabulous orange faux suede fringed jacket that I found on eBay. I’ve layered it over a black outfit for maximum impact but I’m already thinking of other ways to wear it!”

Emma

Grace of Graceful Rags

“Do blazers count as outerwear? I think I’m cheating a *little* with this month’s collab, but I don’t own any thrifted coats and didn’t have time to run to the thrift store. This secondhand brown tweed blazer is still a favorite though! I love how my preppy outfit came together and think the colors make it perfectly suited for a Thanksgiving dinner look (assuming, of course, the skirt and blazer have enough stretch).”

Grace

Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade

“Winter coats I’ve known and loved…In my mind, I flick fondly through my winter coat ‘back-catalogue’…cashmere, tweed, Marino wool, faux fur, such beautiful colours, shiny buttons and sometimes matching scarves or hats. Through the years they’ve kept me warm, made me happy and enhanced my fashion statement! All now worn out, sold, lost, out-grown or given to charity…always making space for more…like this dream in cream, the latest addition to my collection…Oooooooh I do love a winter coat!”

Jane

Lucy of Lucy Bertoldi

“What could be better for me than styling a darling vintage coat that belonged to my Mom? The cut is impeccable, as is the luxurious fabric. That’s not why I love it though. Maybe it’s just my imagination but I’m feeling my mom’s scent swirling around me every time I wear it.”

Lucy

Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style

“When Jane mentioned she had chosen coats as our November’s theme I thought, gosh I have to shop for a preloved coat. I do have jackets and blazers, but no coats. I already ordered a leopard print one on a second hand site, but wasn’t really pleased with it. And then it hit me!! I have a Viktor & Rolf for H&M trench coat in my closet! How could I forget about that one. Well, probably because I never wear it. It’s a bit too snug and so heavy. But it’s a gorgeous coat!”

Nancy

And me!

“I found this plush leopard coat a few years ago at my local thrift store and it is one of my favorite, coziest coats that I own. I love wrapping up in it on cold days. I feel kind of like a movie star when I throw it on over jeans.”

Shelbee

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

Outfit Details: Coat (Express) and Button Down Shirt-Thrifted / Jeans-Gap / Sweater and Boots-Charlotte Russe / Hat-Wona Trading / Gloves-Amazon / Earrings-c/o Anjolee / Necklace-Old