leopard print faux fur coat, plushy coat, thrifted burgundy floral dress, brown Doc Martens, wooden jewelry, boho winter style, mushroom slouchy hat, thrifted style, preloved fashion, The Thrifty Six, Shelbee on the Edge

The Thrifty Six in Faux Fur

The Thrifty Six are back in 2026 with more budget friendly fashion in preloved styles! Emma chose our January theme of Faux Fur. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with fur whether it is synthetic or real. I appreciate the necessity of wearing animal furs for survival hundreds of thousands years ago. And considering where I live, I appreciate the desire for the warmth offered by an authentic fur coat. But real fur grosses me out. So the next best thing would be synthetic fur. Just slightly less gross but soft and warm and fun to wear sometimes.

Some years ago, I was deep in the love phase of my relationship with faux fur and ended up collecting a vast array of fuzzy, shaggy, plushy coats and vests in all sorts of colors, patterns, and styles, both new and preloved. So when Emma announced our theme, I had lots of options readily available in my closet.

leopard print faux fur coat, plushy coat, thrifted burgundy floral dress, brown Doc Martens, wooden jewelry, boho winter style, mushroom slouchy hat, thrifted style, preloved fashion, The Thrifty Six, Shelbee on the Edge

My first idea was to style a super relaxed and casual outfit, like leggings and sneakers, and then jazz it up with one of my thrifted fake fur coats. But leggings and sneakers aren’t items that I buy preloved. Wanting the outfit under my thrifted furry coat to also be mostly thrifted, I was forced to go in an entirely different direction. But keep in mind that throwing a fancy faux coat over your workout wear can be really shocking in a tremendously fun way. As I get further into my 50s, I am embracing the ability to be as visibly quirky as I want. It brings me joy so I will continue to dress however I like.

Before deciding which faux fur coat I was going to wear, I created the underneath outfit staring with this burgundy floral dress that I thrifted a while back with the intention of cutting open the front and wearing it as a duster style jacket. I haven’t gotten around to making those alterations yet so I decided to wear it in its original form before I permanently change it.

I find the high crew neck and the drop waist style of the dress to be rather unflattering on me but I was able to work around that. I changed the neckline by adding a black turtleneck, a cluster of preloved wooden necklaces, and a recently thrifted scarf, all of which help to minimize the boob shelf that crew necks create on large busted women. I adjusted the awkward drop waist silhouette by adding a wide black belt at my natural waist, which, in turn, also lifted the hemline to a more flattering length.

I completed my accessories with thrifted wooden earrings, tan knit gloves, my “mushroom hat”, heavy black tights, and my very old tall brown Doc Martens. I have had these boots since the late 1990s/early 2000s and I still wear them every winter. They are comfortable as ever. A true testament to quality footwear. While purchased at retail, nearly thirty years of wear is still pretty thrifty.

Finally, I had to choose a coat. I went with an old favorite that I purchased at a consignment shop many years ago. I have worn it so much that the lining is all torn up but I can’t stand to part with it. The mid-thigh length, swingy silhouette, and rich leopard print perfectly complimented all the patterns and colors in the outfit underneath.

I was really quite pleased with the outcome of this style challenge and I might be motivated now to turn this dress into a jacket. I do need to tackle my mending and alterations pile soon as it just keeps growing larger!

Now let’s have a look at how my creatively thrifty friends have styled their faux fur items. Click on the links or images below for details about each outfit. I think it is so cool how we all accidentally coordinated in shades of tan and red. Well done, my friends. Very well done, faux real!

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
Style Splash
“I love faux fur coats and have around ten (yes, I’m addicted!). But I can always be tempted by another one, like this burgundy jacket by Jayley that I found on Vinted. It has three quarter length sleeves, which I think looks good with a contrasting top underneath. I’ve teamed it with burgundy trousers and a gold blouse by Monsoon. I finished off the look with my well-used gold bag and trainers, and a flower ring from a charity shop.”
-Emma
Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
“This is a vintage faux mink coat from the 1960’s or possibly even the 50’s; it’s made in the traditional furrier style with all the internal trims and ties. I had to check really carefully before I bought it in case it was real (it’s definitely not).
It’s just like the opulent blond minks that film stars wore back in the day– so glamorous!
There aren’t many occasions to wear a coat like this, it’s either far too ostentatious or the weather’s just not cold enough.
So, when Emma picked ‘Faux Fur’ as the T6 theme for January, I couldn’t wait to be a little minx in my faux mink!”
-Jane
Jodie of Jodie’s Touch of Style
Jodie's touch of Style
“My crew is concentrating on faux fur accessories, and even my hubby joined in.
I found this belt thrifting and couldn’t pass it up. I added a floral barrette to the front of it just to give it extra. I’m also sporting a faux fur purse, which is peeking out behind my pants. While the blazer isn’t thrifted, I’ve had it for more than 12 years because I used to wear it while I was working.”
-Jodie
Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
Nancy's Fashion Style
“I hate the feeling of faux fur on my skin. The prickling, the irritation, the caressing. And the idea of ​​having to wear something pre-loved made of faux fur? No, sorry, not for me. And I really did try. Because a few years ago I bought a vest, of all things, pre-loved. But I don’t even have a photo of it. I think it went straight in the trash. So what to do? And yes, these days, so much is possible with AI! Because I simply asked ChatGPT to complete my pre-loved outfit with a pre-loved faux fur coat. So I’m kind of skipping school, but then again, not! The trousers and blouse are pre-loved.”
-Nancy
Sally of Within a World of My Own
Within a World of My Own
“I am not a faux fur (let alone real fur) person, though I don’t mind it at all on other people. So this was a challenging prompt for me this month! But I was able to dig out my one thing with faux fur: a pair of cozy red slippers with brown faux fur trim (bought new from Lands End). Inspired by seeing a work-from-home pandemic era photo of myself in a normal pencil skirt with these slippers, I decided to style another staying-home-warm-and-cozy winter outfit with them, matching the red color with an old pair of thrifted jeans and the brown in a brown top + cardigan. The giraffe print scarf and gold pendant necklace are also thrift purchases.”
-Sally
Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
leopard print faux fur coat, plushy coat, thrifted burgundy floral dress, brown Doc Martens, wooden jewelry, boho winter style, mushroom slouchy hat, thrifted style, preloved fashion, The Thrifty Six, Shelbee on the Edge
“I bought this preloved plushy faux fur leopard coat about 7 years ago and I still wear it every winter. There is something perfectly timeless about a furry leopard coat, don’t you think? I layered it over a newly thrifted burgundy floral print dress paired with an even newer thrifted scarf in coordinating colors. My necklaces and earrings were also purchased at second hand markets. My tall brown Doc Martens were purchased new but they are still thrifty considering I have been wearing them for nearly 30 years!”
-Shelbee

I hope you have enjoyed this edition of The Thrifty Six! If you would like to see more preloved outfits created by this budget- and environmentally-friendly group, please stop back on February 16, 2026, to see how we style Jane’s theme…Romance. Until then, happy thrifting! 

Keeping it on the edge, 

Shelbee

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.

12 Comments

  • jodie filogomo

    I have an alterations pile like that and I’ve been trying to work on it…too bad we don’t live close to each other.
    Love how you put the look together
    Xoox
    Jodie

  • Marsha Banks

    Oh, I love, love, love this outfit! And, that faux fur coat is amazing! For the last few years, I have been wanting one. Now, that I won’t resemble a big ole bear, I think I may invest in one this fall. Unfortunately, that means I’ll have to visit a mall that I’d prefer not to go. What we do for fashion! I would never have believed those boots are that old. You have taken good care of them as well as the quality being so high!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      Marsha, thanks so much, my friend. You should definitely find yourself a nice furry coat for winter! I hate going to the mall and anywhere else for that matter! It’s a wonder I buy anything anymore since I don’t really like online shopping either. But somehow I manage to keep adding things to my closet!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Leslie Susan Clingan

    Interesting to read all the gals’ takes on faux (and real) fur. I wore a blue faux fur coat very similar to Nancy’s AI version for about a year, day in and day out, inside and outside. Not sure what that was all about. My mom said it was because my body was developing (this was 7th grade) and I was shy and embarrassed. Anyway, I miss that coat!! And this post has me missing it even more.

    What a winter wonderland you had for your photo shoot. So jealous of all that snow.

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      Aw, Leslie, now I miss that blue furry coat for you! I definitely had some clothing around that age that acted as my armor against the world. I also attach emotions to a lot of my clothing. Our clothing holds memories! As for the snow, we haven’t had a terrible winter but my daily exercise almost always includes shoveling. The snow banks in my yard are taller than me now and it starts to become a challenge when you run out of places to move the new snow. Also I could really do without the -40 degree wind chills! LOL Have a lovely weekend, my friend.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

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