The Thrifty Six in Maxis

There seems to be a trend in the air as autumn is quickly approaching…Maxis. You get full coverage for fall temperatures while maintaining a bit of easy flowy summer flintiness for a little while longer. I recently featured Maxi Dresses for the August Good Buy/Good-Bye Book, Dusters (maxi length toppers) for the September edition, and Maxi Skirts are the upcoming theme for the October edition. Maxi length pieces are the perfect transitional clothing for the end of summer so I wasn’t disappointed when Jodie announced Maxis as our September theme. Since she only specified a length and not a particular style of garment, it was open to interpretation. I’m very glad that Jodie and Sally styled maxi length skirts while Emma, Jane, Nancy, and myself styled maxi length dresses.

This Maxi theme also gave me the opportunity to restyle this recently thrifted dress that I previously wore for a Style Imitating Art challenge featuring a vintage Vogue cover illustration.

The brand label in the dress is KLOZ Plus which was a popular mid level boutique clothing brand from the 1980s through the early 2000s. The brand focused on plus sizes 1X to 3X with a bohemian artsy vibe and their designs featured lightweight rayons, sheer chiffons, and crinkle fabrics in a variety of garments from floral dusters and floaty kimonos to sheer tunics and whimsical maxi dresses. The silhouette and big daisy print date this vintage dress to the early 2000s. Dresses similar to mine would have sold in boutiques for around $90-$120 in 2000 ($175-$230 in 2026). These vintage styles currently fetch around $25-$60 on the resale market. I paid $9 at the thrift store. 

When I spotted the dress in the thrift shop, I was immediately drawn to it by a sense of teenage nostalgia. An oversized drapey dress made from a crinkly rayon fabric in dark (almost black) navy blue with a moody yet whimsical floral daisy print is exactly the thing I would have bought for myself in the late 1990s. By the early 2000s, as grunge music solidified its place in pop culture, a new fashion aesthetic emerged…grunge-boho. Except young Shelbee was already wearing it in 1989! By 1992, I definitely owned a few dresses just like this one and I very likely wore them with my knee high Doc Martens. Grunge-boho. Who knew?

But I didn’t add any grunge elements to this styling of the dress. I wanted to keep it a simple late summer boho outfit to combat the humidity that’s still lingering in the air. The dress is oversized, extra roomy, and probably a size too big so it sort of hangs like a loose sack. It’s not a terrible look but I noticed two little tears in the side seams that lined up, allowing me to cinch the waist with a black ribbon belt looped through the holes and tied in a bow on my back.

My accessories are all pretty simple…an old straw hat trimmed in green and adorned with an even older green crystal brooch, old crystal beaded earrings, a newly thrifted green bib necklace, a newly thrifted glass bead necklace (which sadly has broken since these photos were taken), a brass heart necklace, and my black Salt Water Sandals.

I’m looking forward to styling this dress in the fall/winter with a more grunge-heavy boho vibe. I’m thinking black combat boots and a chunky sweater or black cowgirl boots and a denim jacket or a black turtleneck and leggings underneath with motorcycle boots.

Now let’s check out how my thrifty friends are wearing their Maxi styles. Just 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!

Are you embracing the maxi trend? I hope you have enjoyed all of this maxi style inspiration. If you would like to see more preloved outfits created by this budget- and environmentally-friendly group, please stop back on October 19, 2026, to see how we style my next prompt…Geometry! Since we are now right in the heart of the school year and my eldest is taking Geometry this year, I thought it was a fun theme to get sartorially creative with. Keep playing dress up, my friends. It keeps your soul youthful!

Keeping it on the edge, 

Shelbee