The Thrifty Six in Lace Skirts

If you have been following my blog for some time, you know that I regularly participate in different style challenges. As much as I love to get dressed without any stipulations, a style theme or challenge just makes getting dressed a little bit more fun. These challenges force me to pay closer attention to the details and encourage me to create unlikely combinations that I may not have otherwise thought to create. Some challenges are easier than others. Some outfits are better than others. But all of it adds a little extra joy to my life. And I know that we can all use a little extra joy these days…even it comes from something as simple and trivial as putting on a creative outfit for the day!

Nancy chose this month’s thrifty style challenge. It was an apparently simple theme of lace skirts. Until it wasn’t simple. It seems that I do not own any preloved lace skirts. In fact, the only preloved lace pieces that I do own are a lace body con dress, a lacy floral kimono, a tan lace duster vest, and a teal lace duster vest. At first, I had considered wearing tights and a cozy sweater on top of the lace body con dress so just the skirt part was visible. But honestly, I wasn’t feeling it for a few reasons. First, it is still a bit too warm for tights and a cozy sweater. Second, my current style aesthetic is much more flowy and relaxed than a short, form fitting dress. Third, I just wasn’t feeling it.

So I decided to go on a thrifting adventure to see if I could find a preloved lace skirt. I visited my favorite thrift stores twice and there was not a lace skirt in sight. I also dug through the dresses to find a lace one that I could style as a skirt. Still no luck. Next I checked out the scarves for a lacy one that could be worn as a skirt. Nothing. My last attempt was to check the random household linens sections in the hopes of finding a lace curtain or a lace table cloth that I could fashion into a skirt. Again, I came up empty handed. Nancy’s easy challenge of preloved lace skirts suddenly became exponentially more difficult without a preloved lace skirt to wear.

I needed a new plan of action so I settled on the idea of styling a white lace skirt that I purchased at retail nearly a decade ago. I figure if I am still wearing it after ten years, the skirt has definitely earned budget friendly status without being preloved. I have also placed this skirt in my donation pile multiple times over the years only to pull it back out again. So maybe that qualifies it as thrifted even though I donated it to myself!

Since the skirt was a retail purchase, I wanted the rest of the outfit to be heavy on preloved pieces. Once I had made this decision, the challenge became rather simple again. First I added a gray and white floral shirt dress that I found a while back for $2 at a local thrift shop. I actually have been struggling with how to style this dress. I have tried to wear it open like a jacket over leggings and jeans. I have also tried to wear it closed with tights and boots. No matter what I did, it never looked quite right. Until I tried it over this long lace skirt. Much to my pleasure, it worked really well!

I was going to leave it at that, but I also had this recently thrifted gray and white ruana that was hanging next to the dress. I was drawn to the print mix of these two items in similar color palettes so I threw the ruana on top and I really loved the combination.

For accessories, I piled on four different long necklaces that were all purchased at thrift stores or flea markets and I finished the outfit with non-thrifted tassel earrings, my black cowgirl boots, and a newly purchased gray chenille fedora.

The end result was a combination of wardrobe pieces that I never ever would have thought to put together if not for this style challenge. And it is an outfit that I absolutely love. It suits me in every way from my personality to my style aesthetic.

For real, you should really try some of these style challenges for yourself, especially if you are getting bored and disenchanted with your wardrobe. If you look at it all from a slightly different perspective, you may find endless possibilities in your closet!

Now let’s check out how my thrifty friends have dealt with this lace skirt challenge. 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!

I hope you have enjoyed this lace skirt style challenge. If you would like to see more preloved outfits created by this budget- and environmentally-friendly group, please stop back on November 17, 2025, to see how we style Jane’s next thrifty theme!

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee