The Thrifty Six Focus on Necklines

It was Jodie’s turn to choose our thrifty theme this month and she decided to focus on necklines. This was a fun theme to interpret in unique ways and spotlight the various details of different types of necklines. Interestingly, all six of us featured completely different styles of necklines…cowl neck, crew neck, boat neck, embroidered vee neck, high collared neckline, and a shirred neckline with a collarless coat.

Keep in mind that this is a thrifty style challenge, so we all try to incorporate preloved pieces into our outfits that suit the theme. As you may already know, I have a lot of thrifted wardrobe items to choose from. I would guess that my closet is probably about 40% thrifted or preloved and 60% new retail purchases. I have a feeling that percentage could flip the other way in the upcoming years as my favorite clothing retailer recently closed its brick and mortar store in my area, leaving online shopping as my only option. I am not a huge fan of online shopping so I will likely purchase much less from them than I previously did. Bad for them but good for my bank account!

Currently, my favorite places to shop in person are thrift stores and flea markets. I just love picking through racks of all the lovely unwanted things. There are so many unique and interesting pieces to be found if you have the time and patience to sift through it all.

For my thrifty spotlight on necklines, I styled an old dress that I scored at a thrift shop a few years back. I have never worn this dress before because the silhouette is not so flattering on me and I have struggled to find a way to make it work. I was drawn to it because of the beautiful cobalt blue color and the unique contrasting white embroidered vee neckline. I prefer vee necks to all other styles of necklines because I find them the most comfortable and the most flattering, especially for large busted women like myself. And any interesting detail like embroidery always draws me in.

I had planned to wear this short dress over a pair of wide legged cropped trousers like I did with two similarly silhouetted dresses for a previous Thrifty Six challenge. But I also really wanted to wear a pair of cowgirl boots which don’t work well with cropped wide legged trousers. So I decided instead to wear nude tights and my new white boots.

To solve the problem of the unflattering silhouette, I added this newly thrifted floral kimono robe. The long flowy style of the robe completely hides the big billowy balloon shape of the dress and totally adheres to my personal style aesthetic. The bright floral print on a white background reminds of Pennsylvania Dutch wallpaper and I absolutely love it! I grew up in an area that has a lot of Pennsylvania Dutch influences and the print on this robe just gives me all the nostalgic feels. The brand is 12th Tribe which I had never heard of before but I must say I am a fan now. They have some of the cutest boho and festival styles that really speak to my hippie soul!

In keeping with the thrifty nature this style challenge, I also added an old thrifted scarf featuring the Union Jack (the official Union Flag of Britain). The red, white, and blue color palette coordinated perfectly with this outfit. I have never showcased this scarf before despite owning it for many years so it was nice to have an opportunity to style it. For this thrifty challenge, I have managed to incorporate three preloved pieces (the dress, the kimono robe, and the scarf) never previously shared on my blog!

To complete this winter-to-spring transitional outfit, I layered a long sleeve white tee shirt underneath the dress for an extra layer of warmth and I accessorized with a preloved red wooden necklace found at a flea market, my clay ivory earrings found at a craft market, and my white Panama hat purchased new from my favorite wholesaler.

I had honestly considered ditching this dress but I really liked this outfit combination so I think I’ll hold onto it for now!

Now let’s have a look at the types of neckline details that my thrifty friends have focused on. Click on the links or images below for details about each outfit. 

• 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

The Thrifty Six is 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 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

And Me!

Do you have a preferred style of neckline? Are there any neckline styles that you hate? I personally cannot stand crew necks. I always feel like I am choking and they are not flattering for big boobs. It took me decades to learn this and I only recently stopped purchasing crew necks. Regardless of how much I might love the item, I have to remind myself to put the item back because I’ll never be comfortable wearing a crew neck!

I hope you have enjoyed this edition of The Thrifty Six and our unique interpretations of this neckline theme! If you would like to see more preloved outfits created by this budget- and environmentally-friendly group, please stop back on April 20, 2026, to see how we style my theme…Belt It! Until then, happy thrifting.

Keeping it on the edge, 

Shelbee