The Thrifty Six: “Check” Out Our Preloved Styles in Heritage Prints
My thrifty fashionista friends and I are back at it again with the second installment of our monthly collaboration sharing our preloved styles with you.
We are a group of six international fashion and lifestyle bloggers and influencers called The Thrifty Six! We come from all over the world and span at least three different decades of life. We each have our own unique and individual style but share a passion for preloved clothing and second hand shopping. Our goal is to share a variety of ways to be stylish while doing a little something good for the environment.
With the fashion and textile industry being a major contributor to landfills and other environmental pollution, we decided to make it the mission of this little group to focus on second hand items. Every month we will choose a theme and share our styles with you to hopefully inspire you to shop more second hand and less fast fashion.
Each month we choose a theme and create our outfits using mostly preloved items. Our only requirement, however, is that at least one component of the outfit must have been acquired second hand. This month’s checkered theme was chosen by Emma because heritage prints such as checks, tartans and plaids, and houndstooth are super popular in the fall and winter.
While I did have a few preloved plaid items already in my closet, I was feeling a little bored and needed an excuse to get out of the house for a while. So a few weekends ago, I spent the best part of a Saturday afternoon picking through the racks at a local thrift shop.
Not wanting to dig aimlessly though, I did keep checks in mind as I was browsing. In particular, I was hoping to find a checkered or plaid dress. I was about to give up because I was getting tired and sweaty and needed a mask break when I spotted this adorable black and white gingham dress. The brand is Popsugar (a Kohl’s brand) and it was new with tags for only $5.99.
I tossed it into my cart and as it cascaded down on top of the camouflage joggers that I had thrown in there earlier, I witnessed a bit of that sartorial magic that usually only happens by accident. The gingham against the dark camouflage print created such a magnificent contrast that I knew immediately I was going to pair these two pieces together. The joggers are Fashion Nova (another Kohl’s brand) and were also new with tags for $7.99.
When I got home and tried it on together, it was even better than I imagined. But the dress is sleeveless and it is getting pretty darn cold in these parts, so I needed something to cover my arms. I had no idea which direction to go.
What I usually do in that situation is stand mindlessly amidst the piles of clothing in my closet room and attempt to channel the sartorial gods. They usually answer with some brilliant solution…like this green velvet off the shoulder sweatshirt that I bought at my local consignment shop nearly two years ago and have never worn. The brand is OQC which I cannot find anywhere and I paid $5.99 for it.
The three main components of my outfit cost less than $20 so that makes me super happy. I added my black glittery sock boots because camo and gingham can certainly use a little sparkle. I turned the belt from my dress into a headband and carried my black furry clutch which I bought second hand from Poshmark a few years ago. The only elements of this outfit that I purchased new are my boots and my earrings and both are at least a few years old by now.
What do you think of gingham and camouflage together?
Now let’s check out the wonderful preloved checkered styles of these other amazing ladies…
The Thrifters:
- Emma of Style Splash
- Grace of Graceful Rags
- Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
- Lucy of Confessions of a Montreal Styling Diva
- Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
- Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
Emma of Style Splash
“I found this dress in a charity shop recently for less than £5. Blue and brown is a very on trend colour combination for this season, although that isn’t why I bought it. I love to wear all types of check patterns in Autumn and Winter, and this dress is great for layering over a thin roll neck sweater and tights. It has pockets too…happy days!”
Emma
Grace of Graceful Rags
“If I were home right now, I would’ve had plenty of thrifted plaid/check/houndstooth pieces to choose from. But unfortunately, I’m away at college with only 17% of my wardrobe (gasp!), which meant I had to get creative for this month’s collaboration. I made a quick stop by a local thrift store and was largely unsuccessful, so I decided to try out a thrifted man’s flannel instead for the sake of this blog post. I decided it would be fun to turn it into a lil’ style challenge to see if I could make a huge male shirt flattering… How did I do??”
Grace
Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
“The traditional to the avant-guard…The Thrifty Six are showcasing Heritage prints this month and here I bring you Royal Stuart Tartan – Highland Heritage in its purest form! It can be traditional or somewhat avant-garde. I go both ways, buttoned-up Victoriana to raw Punk Rock; reminiscent of Vivienne Westwood back in the anarchic 1970’s…I bought the skirt and waistcoat separately (on eBay), they’re from two different brands but the fabric is identical in every way so they make a perfect suit. They’re both vintage and the waistcoat has a very interesting brand label. It says… ‘Susan Barry – the clothes that men admire’ I’m really not kidding – HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED!!!!”
Jane
Lucy of Confessions of a Montreal Styling Diva
“This vintage plaid dress has been hanging quietly for too long. I mean just look at her personality- I just had to take her out for a spin! She’s also super versatile, in that I love styling her up as a coat too! Everything about this (except the reversible Gucci belt) has either been thrifted or bought ages ago (some even decades)!”
Lucy
Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
“When I heard that the theme for this month’s collaboration would be check, I thought: ‘Oh boy, have to search for something checked online!’ But instead I searched my closet and there came out my old checked tweed skirt. The funny story about the skirt is that I had bought this one years and years ago in the shop where I used to work. I gave it away at one point and discovered it two years ago on the preloved online shop. And bought it again! Just love the tweed and Chanel-esque feel. Especially with all the pearls!”
Nancy
Which style is your favorite? Are you a fan of checks and plaids and other heritage style prints?
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Linking up with these Link Parties.
Shop my look…
Outfit Details: Dress (and belt as a headband), Pants, Velvet Sweatshirt, Clutch-Thrifted / Boots and Earrings-Shopped my closet
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.
32 Comments
Tamar A Strauss-Benjamin
Such a cute look!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Tamar! Have a fabulous week!
xoxo
Shelbee
Celyn
Loving the plaid! You look great!
Life is a Shoe
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Celyn! This was a fun style prompt. Have a great week!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
I am such a huge fan of heritage prints!! Love your outfit!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jennifer! I am not even sure if gingham is a heritage print? I suppose it is. I tried to research heritage prints and I couldn’t find any information at all listing what prints would be considered heritage. Have a fabulous Monday, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
mireille
I love it! I wouldn’t have thought of putting that outfit together but it is fun, interesting and warm!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Mireille! I would have never thought of it either if not for the dress and the pants falling next to each other in my cart! Haha. Have a great week, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Ellibelle
You’re so good at mixing and matching prints! This looks fabulous on you! I recently purchased a couple of masks from etsy that are pretty loose on me (I know that’s being frowned upon) but I can finally manage some in-store shopping again without feeling like a complete mask-less outlaw or like I need to gasp for air.
Ellibelle’s Corner
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Ellie! Ever since I started blogging, I have been loving print mixing. I wish I could get really bold and pair some crazy obnoxious prints and colors together. Maybe I will build up to that someday! I am so glad that you have found masks that you can tolerate enough to go shopping. I have still be keeping in store shopping to a minimum myself because of that. I bought a few fun masks thinking that would help me along, but I can’t breathe in them! The ugly disposable medical ones are the only masks I can tolerate, but they have a terrible chemical warehouse odor to them. I don’t how that can be good for me to breathe in, but I will continue to do what I’m told! Happy shopping!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
What a fabulous job you did! Or your fashion gods!! What a great idea and it looks amazingly good! What a fun theme!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Nancy! I was completely giddy with joy when these pieces worked together the way they did! This was a super fun theme and I am so loving this group of fabulously stylish and thrifty ladies! Y’all are so much fun!
xoxo
Shelbee
Suzanne Bell
Oh my gosh, that moment when it cines together in a thrift store and you are giddy with excitement about what treasures you’ve unearthed- I know that feeling all to well! What a creative combination you’ve put together here. The camo joggers with the gingham, and velvet! You’ve made my creative heart so happy today.
Such a fun collaboration of fabulous ladies, everyone looks amazing.
On a side note, I’m so jealous of your fall landscape. This weekend we were in the high 90’s, no fall color, just brown dry grass 😂
Beautiful photos Shelbee 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Have a great week!
xx
Suzanne
http://www.AskSuzanneBell.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Suzanne, thank you so very much! It really makes my day when an outfit comes together like this as well. I always thought I was a little silly for getting so excited over things like that so it makes my creative heart so happy to know that I am not alone in my sartorial excitement. Haha. Fall really is quite beautiful in the very northern reaches of New York State, but where I live, it will be gone long before Thanksgiving. We will be buried in snow and masked in gray for the next 8-10 months! Have a fantastic week, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
I absolutely love this mix of prints Shelbee! Layering the velvet top over the dress is such a brilliant idea too!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Emma! I love when outfits come together by accident the way this one did! Everyone looks so amazing for this theme! How fun.
Shelbee
https://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Lucy Bertoldi
Shelbee you took this ‘check’ to a whole other level with that gorgeous green top and blingy booties! That’s the way to do it- how fun is this creative thrifted look?!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Lucy, thanks so much! I had a feeling you might appreciate this fun little combination! I was so happy with the outcome of this outfit! Everyone really nailed this theme. Such a fun and fabulously stylish group! I love it.
xoxo
Shelbee
Kathrine Eldridge
These camouflage pants are fabulous! I love how you layered with them. Great mix of prints too.
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Kathrine, thanks so much! I was really pleased with this outfit. Now to find somewhere to go so I can wear it!
xoxo
Shelbee
Ada Furxhi
WOW WOW WOW!! This is edgy, different, layered, cool, modern and thrifted?! Even better! Love that you got so creative with this, using the belt sash as a headband bow too. Love those fun camo pants which match the velvet top. BTW now I have added camo joggers, a camo scarf, a camo beanie, monochrome camo leggings and a camo jacket to my camouflage collection, besides the camo sweatshirt. I got Vivian a light but warm adorable puffer coat, too. =)
Let me know if I can ever “guest star” in this thrifted series with you ladies. I’d love to. Looking forward to our Snake outfits next Monday. I have a great one in mind.
Welcome by and join my special Pink Week Linkup this week and a brand-new Thursday Moda linkup every Thursday. =)
https://eleganceandmommyhood.blogspot.com/2020/10/pink-week-for-breast-cancer-millennial.html
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Ada, thank so much! I am really happy with the way this outfit came out. And you have aded tons of camo to your wardrobe! Yay! I feel like the print has become a classic and will always be in style in one way or another. I bet Vivian looks adorable in her puffer coat! I’ll keep you posted if we are going to invite guest bloggers to join this group! Have a fabulous week, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Looking so very cute and creative.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Patrick! I suppose it is a rather creative outfit. Hehe Have a great day, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Lovely
This look is so damn cool. I would have never thought to style a shoulder top like this, but now I have to.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Lovely, thank you so much! This all came together so completely by accident that I never would have thought to pair any of these pieces together. I really like the way the sleeveless dress with a collar looks under the of the shoulder top, too. It’s got a bit sass, doesn’t it?! I am so glad that you like this outfit! Have a wonderful day!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Interesting! If you had just written that you’d paired camo and gingham together with no pictures, I would have assumed it was hideous. (Although knowing that it was you that created it, I would have made myself pause on that assumption and taken a wait and see approach.) I’m surprised how much I do like the gingham and camo together. LOL! A fun outfit!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my gosh, Michelle, I love that and I just giggled out loud! If you had said to me to try gingham with camo, I would have cringed and thought you were crazy! Haha. Seriously, it only happened when I looked down and saw the pieces lying together. It was truly a match made in sartorial heaven. I am glad that you like it! Have a fabulous day, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jacqui Berry
You all look completely cool! Love the plaid Shelbee. Thanks for sharing today. Jacqui x
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Jacqui, thank you so much! This was such a fun theme. I am loving what everyone did with it, too!
xoxo
Shelbee
Grace
These were such great finds, Shelbee! And I love when you accidentally stumble across an amazing combination… That usually happens to me as I’m doing laundry and I see random pieces next to each other in the clothing hamper. Your writing is very enjoyable to read, and I absolutely love how these photos turned out! The park you’re in is very pretty with all the fall leaves and colors.
Hope your week is off to a great start!
Miles of smiles,
Grace
gracefulrags.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Grace, thank you so much! I am loving this group so much! I went out thrifting yesterday and scored a few cool things that will work for November’s theme. This park is about a mile from my house and there are so many beautiful spots for photos. Unfortunately, the leaves are almost fallen now and it has been just wet and dreary for weeks here. I will be probably be sharing snowy photos soon!
xoxo
Shelbee