ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge

The Thrifty Six are Ballerina Inspired

May 16, 2022 / 24 Comments
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge

It was Nancy’s turn to choose our thrifty style theme for May and she really threw me for a loop with Ballerinas. Although I do love a good tulle skirt, I have never really been a ballerina type of girl. In fact, I have only allowed myself to start dancing where other people can see me in the last few years. Before that, just the idea of dancing any dance was completely out of my comfort zone. Maybe I would bounce around my house a little here and there, but in public places I would merely sit and watch all the other people having a great time moving their bodies to the music. As much as I enjoy watching other people have a wonderful time, I got tired of being the wallflower…just because I was too concerned that I might look foolish.

But as I watched other people dancing with wild abandon, I realized that no one is criticizing the way anyone is dancing. In fact, no one dancing is even paying attention to how others are dancing, they are all just caught up in the mood and allowing it to flow through them. So I decided to be more like that. Life is much too short not to dance just because you think you might look silly. Silly is where all the good stuff lives anyway. So I’ll just go ahead and dance whenever I feel like it, silly or not.

But I doubt I will be doing ballet any time soon. I am definitely not that graceful and any attempt at a pirouette would likely land me on my ass with some kind of bodily injury. So I’ll just stick to bouncing and bopping and grooving to my favorite jam bands and bluegrass sounds while I leave ballet to the trained dancers.

ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge

So now let’s talk about ballerina styles. What first comes to my mind is tutus, tulle skirts, body suits, ballet shoes, and buns in the hair. I have a few tutus and tulle skirts and numerous pairs of ballet shoes in various colors, but not one single thing was thrifted or preloved. I haven’t been to the thrift store in a few months so I wasn’t all that upset that I Nancy “forced” me to go shopping! I was even less upset about it when I scored some really amazing pieces that I will be sharing in the coming weeks.

I approached my thrift shopping trip with tutus, tulle skirts, and ballerina style dresses as my focus. I don’t like body suits and I have enough ballet shoes that I already don’t wear so I ditched those ideas. But the first thing I do on every trip to the thrift store is check out their long rack of Zara items. This is where I score big every time and this time was no different. However, none of the Zara items that I ended up buying worked for a ballerina theme.

And then I found this pretty peachy pink pleated chiffon maxi skirt. It was the most ballerina of all the things I could find in my size that day. It is White House Black Market, size Medium, and was new with tags. I paid $7.99 for it. And then I built the outfit from there.

ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
caged heels, ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
caged heels, ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge

Since the goal of this group is to focus on preloved style, I want to highlight the other thrifted items in my outfit. My sparkly black sweater tank is Ralph Lauren which I purchased in my local consignment shop a few years back. There were three in different colors and I bought them all, but the black one is my favorite and gets lots of wear. The pink floral scarf that I have wrapped around the bun in my hair is also thrifted but I can’t remember where or when I got it. Everything else was either gifted or purchased at retail.

When I left the house to take these photos, I felt really out of my comfort zone. Then I saw the photos and realized that I actually do like this very feminine fancy ballerina style on me…proving to myself once again that great things happen when you step outside of your comfort zone. You all should give it a try!

ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge

Now let’s see how my beautiful thrifty friends were inspired by ballerinas. 

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:

Photo Montage by Jane
Emma of Style Splash
Style Splash
“Nancy’s ballerina theme really had me stumped! I don’t own a tulle skirt, which would have been my preference, so instead I chose this pink flared satin midi skirt that cost £5 in a charity shop. I teamed it with my one shoulder corsage top and feathery bag that I bought on eBay ages ago. I won’t be doing any pirouettes or jetés, but I do feel elegant!”
Grace of Graceful Rags
Graceful Rags
“I really wasn’t sure how to interpret the ‘ballerina’ theme, but I figured this $1 BCBG yellow dress, which retailed for over $200, had the sweet and flowy vibes of a ballet dancer. I paired it with the nude heels I purchased for my brother’s wedding last weekend and threw on my favorite spring purse from Kate Spade New York. I’m date night ready!”
Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
Preloved-Vintage-Handmade

“Being a ballerina for mummy…When I was five my mum took me to ballet class so I could learn poise and elegance like a little girl should…but she soon realised I was the kind of girl who wanted to jump in muddy puddles and climb trees with the boys! This month the Thrifty Six styling theme is ‘Ballerina’ so here I am, all these years later, being a ballerina for mummy…I think it’s about as close as I will ever get – lol”
Lucy of Lucy Bertoldi
Lucy Bertoldi
“From ballet in my past, to a world of fashion today. I can totally see and understand the link. We are exactly where we are supposed to be. And today it’s ballet for this collab! These days I may not own much that’s ballet related…except for ballerina shoes, which we all own a pair, I’m sure. But then I remembered this sweatshirt that I found in Florida! Just a top with a splashed-on sketch of a lanky girl in tulle, just trudging along…kinda reminds me of someone who journeyed through dance, fell in love with art, to then totally embrace fashion of course!”
Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
Nancy’s Fashion Style
“I was looking for ballerina shoes actually when I thought, hey I have the cutest ballerina dress! That’s a lovely idea for The Thrifty Six. And I didn’t buy ballerina shoes by the way. This lovely dress is so cute. It’s a lovely shade of green printed all over with ballerinas. Bought it at Vinted and is from the brand I used to work for. So quality and sizing guaranteed good. Now I interpret the theme with a dress. Let’s take a look at my lovely friends to see how they did with the theme!”
And me!
ballerina skirt, thrifted style, maxi skirt, Shelbee on the Edge

“Nancy really pushed me on this one! I have never considered myself anything close to a ballerina type girl! So I went thrift shopping and found this beautiful new with tags White House Black Market pleated chiffon maxi skirt in the most ballerina color ever for just $6.99. I paired it with a preloved Ralph Lauren sparkly tank top that I have had for a few years. Everything else I am wearing was purchased at retail but none of it is new. It turns out I am more of a ballerina type girl than I ever imagined!”

When was the last time you have stepped outside of your comfort zone and danced with wild abandon?

Dancing on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

Outfit Details: Tank Top-Ralph Lauren (Thrifted) / Skirt-White House Black Market-Thrifted / Sheer Top-Charlotte Russe / Shoes-Caparros (DSW) / Scarf Belt-Target / Hair Scarf-Thrifted/ Necklace-c/o Happiness Boutique / Earrings-Old

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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