tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge

Thrifty Finds & Your Own Twist Link Up #47

August 18, 2022 / 34 Comments
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge

I know I talk frequently about the benefits of thrift shopping. But I can’t help myself. It has been a lifelong passion of mine and I seem to grow even more devoted to my focus on a preloved wardrobe with each passing year. I do still buy new clothing at retail prices because I have an addiction and I struggle to resist all the cute new things that are released into the fashion market every season. At this point in my life, I certainly have enough clothing in my wardrobe to never need to buy anything new ever again. So recently I have been only indulging my shopping whims if I spot something that is really unique and makes a bold statement and secondhand shops have some of the best unique pieces you could hope for.

So this month, Monica and I have chosen Thrifty Finds for Your Own Twist to bring more awareness to the benefits of preloved clothing.

About Your Own Twist

Your Own Twist is a monthly link party hosted by Monica of Jersey Girl, Texan Heart and me on the third Thursday of every month with the goal of inspiring some of our friends to get creative with personal style. 

The idea behind this collaboration is to take one common piece or theme and style it our own way with our own twist…Monica and I have both taken a lot of fashion inspiration from one another over the past few years even though we have totally different styles. It is always fun to see how we can interpret similar items in unique ways or what kind of twist we will each bring to the chosen theme.

We will let you know the themes well in advance in the event that you would like to use the theme for your own post and add it to the link party. However, any fashion posts are welcome regardless of whether you used the theme or not. Check out the graphic below which has some of our upcoming style prompts.

tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge

So what are some benefits of shopping second hand?

  • Buying preloved clothing keeps that clothing from ending up in a landfill.
  • In addition to reducing waste, it preserves water. It is estimated to take 400 gallons of water to produce enough cotton for one tee shirt.
  • It reduces chemical pollution. It is estimated that 20% of global water pollution is caused by the dyeing of textiles.
  • When you stop buying new items and start buying second hand items, you lower your carbon footprint. We can no longer deny the damage we have done to our planet with our excessive indulgences, so it is time we all found ways to lessen the damage. Any small change in our habits and behaviors is better than no change at all.
  • Many thrift shops contribute their proceeds to charities so you are making a charitable donation when you shop at those stores.
  • Many resale and consignment shops are independently owned small business operations. When you purchase from those stores, you are supporting a small business in a world where big businesses like to devour the little ones. Let’s save our planet and help small businesses thrive.
  • Preloved clothing is better for your budget. It is cheaper (in general) than new retail purchases and you can find designer brands at a fraction of the retail prices.
  • Thrift shops have a constantly changing selection of items so there is always something new to find.
  • Thrift stores are the best place to find hidden treasures and unique additions for your wardrobe. Since most items donated to thrift shops are from previous fashion seasons, it is easier to find one of a kind pieces. If you are into authentic vintage clothing, second shops are where to go.
  • Thrifted clothing is wonderful if you want to experiment with a new style or trend without spending a lot of money.
  • Thrift shops are the best places to find things for creative projects from DIY Halloween costumes to home furnishing makeovers.
  • You meet some of the coolest people in thrift shops! Every time I go thrifting, I always end up in a conversation with another shopper and they always turn out to be the most interesting and creative people!
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
platform sandals, Shelbee on the edge
platform sandals, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge

Now let me tell you about my thrifty find. I found this adorable yellow tie dye dress on a thrifting adventure a few months ago. I was drawn to the flowing boho style, the pretty embroidery on the bodice, and of course, the tie dye. However, yellow is a difficult color for me to wear which almost deterred me from buying this dress. But it was only $8 and I figured I could make it work somehow.

I first styled this dress over a pair of flared light wash jeans and under a fringed and embroidered poncho to limit the visibility of so much yellow. But the dress is so pretty that it deserves a chance to shine more abundantly than under and over piles of other clothing.

So I threw out my concern over whether the color was flattering on me or not and I wore the dress. But since I am always catching a chill, I had to add a kimono. The kimono is white with a floral print in pink, green, and the perfect shade of yellow to coordinate with my dress. I really liked the mixture of floral and tie dye for a flower child kind of vibe. I added my new necklace that I bought at April Cornell when we visited Burlington, Vermont, a few weeks ago.

I took the kids to our local farm market after shooting these photos and I ended up purchasing the other two necklaces in the close up photo above. The green wire wrapped sea glass necklace was made by a lovely lady named Loretta (Loretta’s Custom Made Jewelry). She doesn’t have a website but she had so many pretty things on her table that it was difficult to choose just one. I settled on this green one because green is my favorite color and it matched the outfit I was wearing.

The wire wrapped crystal moon necklace was made by Enlightened Lotus. This is Ralph’s favorite stand at the farm market. He is an avid collector of crystals and stones and we can’t leave without adding a new one to his collection. While buying new things at the farm market is not thrifting, it is supporting small businesses so that’s a win, too.

My earrings are from Big Earrings which is an online resale site for preloved and upcycled earrings. The ones I am wearing are made from recycled fabric cut into tiny strips and tied to a wire hoop. The multicolored fabric bits make these earrings super versatile and they are incredibly lightweight and comfortable, too. A purchase from Big Earrings is environmentally conscious while also supporting a female owned small business. I love when my fashion purchases have more benefits than just creating a cute outfit!

tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
tie dye dress, floral kimono, print mixing, thrifted fashion, Shelbee on the Edge
Jersey Girl, Texan Heart

Be sure to check out Monica’s cute thrifted outfit today as well. And if you are into thrifting, I would love to hear about some of your favorite thrifty finds! We can chat in the comments or you can link a post below.

Featured Favorite from Watermelon Days
Michelle of My Bijou Life
My Bijou Life
Watermelon Days for Your Own Twist
Cheryl of Cheryl Shops
Cheryl Shops
How to wear a cutout dress

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.

Outfit Details: Dress-Thrifted / Kimono-Torrid / Sandals-JustFab / Fabric Beaded Necklace-April Cornell / Earrings-Big Earrings / Moon Necklace-Enlightened Lotus / Sea Glass Necklace-Loretta’s Custom Made Jewelry

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.

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34 Comments

  • Nancy

    August 18, 2022 at 7:59 am Reply

    Because of blogging I started to buy pre loved clothing. I have to say that I don’t like to buy shoes and accessories second hand. I am fussy. Love your shoes btw and the necklace! And the earrings are fabulous I have to say!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      August 18, 2022 at 9:14 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Nancy! I love that blogging opened you up to preloved clothing. I will buy preloved shoes and accessories but I do get a little squeamish about it. I clean everything thoroughly as soon as I get home. Usually when I buy preloved shoes or purses, if they can’t be washed, I spray them with cleaning sprays and hang them on my backyard fence for a few days to air out.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      August 19, 2022 at 7:17 am Reply

      Thanks, Jodie! It is so true! I always end up in a conversation with someone when I am sifting through the thrift racks. People who go thrifting are generally creative, environmentally conscious, down to earth, interesting people. I have met artists, bloggers, photographers, and all sorts of other creatives deep in the rows of preloved clothes!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Joanne

    August 18, 2022 at 4:23 pm Reply

    That is so funny that we have nearly the same theme for our fashion link ups this month! I used to second hand shop a lot when I worked in a consignment shop during college; sadly all the small locally owned ones near us closed down years ago.

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      August 19, 2022 at 7:07 am Reply

      Joanne, I was so excited to see the Ageless Style theme this month! I love sharing my thrifty finds and I love that it is also a more sustainable and budget friendly way to shop. I have always envied those women who have their entire wardrobes curated from only preloved things. I wish I had that kind of determination! We have some really great thrift shops around me and I am grateful for that. My sister loves to go thrifting when she visits me. I buy the clothes, she goes for the home goods. She is very talented at upcycling furniture and things like that. I also enjoy seeking out thrift and consignment shops when I travel!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Marsha Banks

    August 18, 2022 at 11:19 pm Reply

    Shopping is such a vicious cycle, isn’t it? I buy things; I wear them; I decide I’m done with them. Then, what? I’m reading more and more that even thrift stores are overloaded with inventory and are sending stuff overseas where it ends up in landfills. So, I think, “Don’t buy anything new.” But, what happens to the clothing that isn’t bought? I like your idea of shopping small and local. I am really curbing my shopping right now and hoping to keep that up!

    I love your outfit, Shelbee! Maybe it’s the kimono, but you look gorgeous in this dress, yellow and all! Thanks for the link party!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      August 19, 2022 at 7:03 am Reply

      Marsha, thanks so much! This outfit made me super happy. I felt very cheerfully bohemian all day long! Even though I don’t love yellow on me, it still makes me feel a little brighter. So all those issues you just mentioned have also occurred to me. I know thrift stores are completely overwhelmed with stuff. And then you have retailers who send them damaged or ou of season goods in bulk. I get so much brand new Zara stuff at my local Salvation Army. They have about 8 racks dedicated to just Zara and most of it still has tags on it. You also hear of retailers burning clothing when they have too much of it which is equally terrible for the environment. I know that if I stop shopping retail altogether it will not have much impact at all on lessening the damage. Manufacturers will still make the clothes as long as the masses keep buying them! But on the flip side, global fashion industries provide 75 million jobs worldwide so if we somehow managed to really limit clothing production for the sake of the environment we would still need to find jobs for the tens of millions of people who would end up unemployed. It’s all a big catch-22. I guess we should keep doing our little part to minimize our own carbon footprints, then cross our fingers and hope for the best?

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      August 19, 2022 at 6:52 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Pamela! What is it about yellow that can make it so unappealing sometimes? It is so close to green and every shade of green appeals to me! This necklace really does go with almost everything I own. I love it! I wish they had a shorter version because I think double layers of these beads would be incredibly fun!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      August 19, 2022 at 6:50 am Reply

      Thanks so much! I wish I was good at furniture makeovers because I would be scooping up all that stuff in thrift shops, too! Instead, I will stick to clothing…I guess that’s my strong point! There are so many amazing treasures to be found though!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Mica - Away From The Blue

    August 19, 2022 at 6:32 am Reply

    That’s such a lovely dress and I think this shade of yellow is a beautiful colour on you! I agree, there are so many benefits to thrifting, it’s something I’ve been trying to do more often over the years!

    Thank you for the link up! Hope you are having a good week 🙂

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      August 19, 2022 at 6:48 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Mica! Yeah, I don’t mind this color yellow on me all that much! I have been writing a lot about thrifting lately it seems and now I have a hankering to go thrift shopping. But I am not going to because I have enough stuff and I need to get started on my room renovations and house painting projects! I hope you are having a lovely week, my friend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Michelle

    August 19, 2022 at 9:26 am Reply

    Thanks so much for the shout out, Shelbee! It was a lovely surprise. And OMG, I love this dress! I am so glad you didn’t pass it up. While yellow may not be your best color, it’s certainly not bad either. I love how it looks with your dark hair. And the floral kimono is the perfect addition. A super pretty outfit. Fabulous necklaces too!

    Also? Great list about the benefits of buying second hand. Well done!

    Michelle
    https://mybijoulifeonline.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      August 20, 2022 at 6:44 am Reply

      Thanks so much, my friend! I think my coloring is definitely changing with age because I am noticing that certain colors that used to be absolutely awful on me are not so bad these days! I am happy to embrace some new color options in my wardrobe. As I have been cutting back on adding new clothes, I keep adding new jewelry instead!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

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