The Thrifty Six: European Summer
Welcome to August’s edition of The Thrifty Six! We are a group of international fashion lovers 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 not only to inspire you to shop second hand but to also get creative in your closets.
Emma chose this month’s thrifty theme of European Summer which is a style aesthetic currently trending on TikTok. Since I don’t have an account on that platform and I rarely visit social media at all these days, I had no idea this was an actual fashion trend.
It is similar to past trends like Everyday Luxe and Coastal Chic with an emphasis on elevating easy, comfortable, classic outfits. Key wardrobe pieces in line with this trend include tailored tops, coordinated separates, and feminine dresses in lightweight flowy fabrics. Look for unique details like crochet, embroidery, and a classic vintage appeal.
I approached this challenge with no clue at all what to wear. I don’t have many tailored tops or coordinated separates which seem to be the main components of this style trend. But I do have plenty of lightweight feminine dresses in my closet. So I focused on my collection of preloved summer dresses and came up with one of my best thrift store finds…a Zara slip dress that features a large pink watercolor floral print which looks like tie dye from a distance. I have worn it previously for our Thrifty Six Soul Colors theme as well as two Style Imitating Art challenges, Sweet Dreams by Rus Khasanov and Feeding in the Light by Jerry Garcia.
Next I researched what the weather is like in Europe during the summer. As I expected, the weather depends entirely on your exact location in Europe. It is an entire continent, after all. Since Nancy lives in one part of Europe, I also considered her description of a European summer as wet, gray, and cold.
So I figured if it’s wet, I should wear some rain boots. I used to have a whole collection of rain boots way back when they were super trendy. But I never wore any of them so I eventually disposed of them all except for this pair which were stuffed in the back of my closet. Conveniently, they feature a pink and black print which coordinated perfectly with my pink floral dress.
For my accessories, I looked to France for some inspiration adding my most versatile cloche hat. I tied a pink floral scarf around the black headband to better coordinate with my dress and wore bright pink beaded earrings. Since Paris is known as the city of love, I wore an oversized heart pendant necklace. Finally, I added a world map necklace and my dandelion seed wish necklace…because me ever spending a summer in Europe is really just a wish!
To combat any grayness that the weather may bring and to ensure adequate layers for fluctuating temperatures, I added this fun thrifted jacket in a lightweight synthetic blend. I styled this jacket for a previous Thrifty Six challenge when we created outfits inspired by our zodiac signs. The swirly pattern and unique color palette made this topper irresistible to me despite its less than favorable fabric content. I loved how wonderfully it coordinated with the abstract floral print on my dress. Finally, I carried my rainbow straw bag that I have been using all summer long. It brightens up every outfit!
While my outfit for this challenge might not be entirely aligned with the European Summer aesthetic, it is completely consistent with my own personal style. It is also exactly how I would dress no matter where I traveled!
Before we check out how my thrifty friends interpreted the European Summer trend, I wanted to share the other ways I have styled these two thrifted pieces (mentioned and linked above) so you can see how versatile they are despite their bold prints and budget prices.
The Dress Styled 4 Ways
The Jacket Styled 2 Ways
And now…my thrifty friends!
- Emma of Style Splash
- Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
- Jodie of Jodie’s Touch of Style
- Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
- Sally of Within a World of My Own
- Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
Emma of Style Splash
-Emma
Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
…and also, a little nod to the Paris Olympics…
…but mainly because I want to show off my beautiful red, white and blue vintage maxi skirt.
This 1970’s original is an eclectic mix of patterns, colours and fabrics with the interesting addition of completely see-through crochet sections at each side.
The pretty perforated panels provide perfect ventilation on this, the hottest day of the year!
At 34˚C in the shade, this is a great European Summer day!”
-Jane
Jodie of Jodie’s Touch of Style
-Jodie
Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
-Nancy
Sally of Within a World of My Own
-Sally
And Me!
-Shelbee
Don’t they all look fabulous? What would you wear for a European Summer?
Be sure to check back with us on September 16, 2024, for our next style challenge. We will be welcoming fall with preloved outfits that are Bronzed and Browned.
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
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.
14 Comments
Nancy
How lovely that you used different countries as a inspiration! And wellies are a good idea for our summer. Although I can’t complain at the moment.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Nancy! Rain boots are necessary here right now! It just keeps raining and raining and raining.
xoxo
Shelbee
jodie filogomo
I do love how you paired your rain boots with this. It reminds me I need to pull mine out just because they are cute.
XOOX
Jodie
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jodie! I’m glad I still had some rain boots!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer =
Love the outfit!
Jennifer
https://curatedbyjennifer.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Sally in St Paul
You’re killing it with the accessories in this outfit – ready for anything and everything! Love how you brought so many different countries into the look.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Hehehe, thanks so much, Sally! This was a really fun challenge. I really enjoyed styling it and wearing it!
xoxo
Shelbee
Suzy Turner
I had to giggle when you mentioned Nancy’s summers…wet, gray and cold LOL!! Where I am in Portugal, it’s exactly the opposite! And I hate it….I really do lol. I ought to be living where Nancy is instead lol!
However, I LOVE how you created your outfit. While it’s not quite the look I would wear, I can see how perfectly YOU it is and I love it because of that!!
I’m sorry I haven’t been visiting much lately…there’s so much going on, and a lot of drama along with it lol. The house build and the drain on resources that comes with it, my Dad’s demolition drama, Covid, etc etc. It’s nice just to take a minute and have a little read of your post!
I hope all is well with you. I still haven’t looked at our song for Monday yet! Crikey…I need to get a move on!!
Big hugs
Suzy xxx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh no, Suzy, I am so sorry to hear that you are dealing with all that drama. I do like it better when things are all calm and peaceful. I hope you get to that place soon! I am certain that once the house build is complete and you are all settled in, it will be worth all the nonsense it took to get there! I just emailed you song stuff. I still have to photograph my outfit, too! Sending you hugs and lots of positive energy, my friend!
xox0
Shelbee
Leslie Susan Clingan
Your clothing has such grand movement. Sometimes subtle flutters, sometimes big swaying movement. But it has a personality of its own!! Love that.
I think the slip dress was a perfect choice for this theme. And the cloche hat, a nod to Parisian fashion, the perfect accessory. I also get a Bonnie and Clyde feel from your outfit and even the backdrop. As if a Model T Ford should pull up any minute full of Zoot-suited gangsters and whisk you away.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, Leslie, what an amazing compliment! I love the image you painted in this description and I am supremely flattered by it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
I love how you put this outfit together, your attention to detail is always so good! I don’t think the brains behind this trend had the UK or the Netherlands in mind given the amount of rain we get! And then when it is hot nobody can cope with it! We are so bad at dealing with any type of weather other than cool and drizzly!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Emma! It is a rather confusing trend to me since it references the weather of an entire continent. So I just tried to figure out what I would actually wear were to Europe in the summer rather than focusing too much on the actual trend itself. We have very mild summers where I live but then extreme winters so my wardrobe is built around my climate as I suspect most people’s are! This was a fun challenge though and I love all of the resulting outfits!
xoxo
Shelbee