Hello, hello! After such a relaxing weekend away with my boyfriend’s family, I’m back to the grind today and hitting the ground running with homework, blog work, midterms, etc. Today’s post is the second installment of the Thrifty Six collaboration of which I’m apart, where six other bloggers and I showcase our pre-loved fashion. Today’s theme? You may have guessed it—check, plaid, houndstooth, and the like!
I have to admit I was a little stumped to pull something together for today’s collaboration. If you’ve been following for a while, you know that I packed a very small (at least, small for me) capsule wardrobe when I moved back to school in September. Had I been home for this blog post, with my full closet to choose from, I would’ve opted either for the thrifted dark grey plaid trousers in this OOTD post or for this gorgeous second-hand tweed blazer. But alas, I realized I had nothing thrifted here at school that fit this month’s theme, so I made a stop by the local thrift store.
It was a very disappointing trip… as I couldn’t find anything cute or in my size. But since I was very tight on time, I just decided to buy this $3 men’s flannel for the sake of today’s post to see if I could turn it into something cute—a fun little style challenge. Well, what do you think? Did I succeed?
To combat the oversized-ness of the shirt, I knew I had to wear tight bottoms and layer on some girly accessories. I opted for my favorite skinny jeans, neutral booties, and a layered necklace. Belting the shirt turned it into more of a tunic and gave my waist some necessary definition, although I fear it might make me look shorter than I really am. I popped on some mascara and lipstick and voila—a fun fall outfit. I’m still not totally sure if I love it (it’s very out of my comfort zone, after all), but I think it could be cute to wear to a pumpkin patch or a similar fall activity.
I took these photos in a nearby neighborhood, and as I was searching for a spot with decent lighting, I noticed a woman with a huge camera also taking pictures. We crossed paths a couple of times before she finally approached me, saying, “I have to know, what are you taking photos for?” She was the cutest lady, and we ended up chatting for a few minutes. I told her about my fashion blog, which she thought was very cool, and she told me that she was taking pics of the gorgeous fall leaves to make brochures to convince the homeowners in the neighborhood not to cut down their trees upon moving in. Hopefully she’s successful because these trees really are beautiful!
I felt so awkward and embarrassed telling her about my fashion blog, and I don’t know why… I always feel that way when I bring up Graceful Rags to someone. So if any of you have ever felt something similar and have any tips, I’d love to hear them. After all, my blog is such a silly thing to feel sheepish about!
Be sure to check out all the awesome ladies below to see how they styled their plaid/checked preloved fashion this month:
Emma of Style Splash
“I found this dress in a charity shop recently for less than £5. Blue and brown is a very on-trend colour combination for this season, although that isn’t why I bought it. I love to wear all types of check patterns in Autumn and Winter, and this dress is great for layering over a thin roll neck sweater and tights. It has pockets too…happy days!”
Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
“The traditional to the avant-guard…The Thrifty Six are showcasing Heritage prints this month and here I bring you Royal Stuart Tartan – Highland Heritage in its purest form! It can be traditional or somewhat avant-garde. I go both ways, buttoned-up Victoriana to raw Punk Rock; reminiscent of Vivienne Westwood back in the anarchic 1970’s…I bought the skirt and waistcoat separately (on eBay), they’re from two different brands but the fabric is identical in every way so they make a perfect suit. They’re both vintage and the waistcoat has a very interesting brand label. It says… ‘Susan Barry – the clothes that men admire’ I’m really not kidding – HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED!!!!”
Lucy of Confessions of a Montreal Styling Diva
“This vintage plaid dress has been hanging quietly for too long. I mean just look at her personality- I just had to take her out for a spin! She’s also super versatile, in that I love styling her up as a coat too! Everything about this (except the reversible Gucci belt) has either been thrifted or bought ages ago (some even decades)!”
Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
“When I heard that the theme for this month’s collaboration would be check, I thought: ‘Oh boy, have to search for something checked online!’ But instead I searched my closet and there came out my old checked tweed skirt. The funny story about the skirt is that I had bought this one years and years ago in the shop where I used to work. I gave it away at one point and discovered it two years ago on the preloved online shop. And bought it again! Just love the tweed and Chanel-esque feel. Especially with all the pearls!”
Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
“When Emma announced the checkered theme for this month, I used it as an excuse to go thrift shopping. I definitely have plaid and checked preloved items in my wardrobe, but I don’t venture out much these days so it was the perfect excuse. I found this adorable black and white gingham dress (NWT) and these camouflage joggers (NWT) during that trip. I had no intention of wearing them together until I saw them lying in my cart next to each other. It was a match made in print mixing heaven! I added this preloved velvet off the shoulder sweatshirt because the dress is sleeveless and it’s getting cold around here. My furry clutch is also preloved (Poshmark). And the tie in my hair is the belt from the dress. We headed off to the park to capture some of the beautiful fall foliage in my photos.”
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What do you think of this month’s checkered collaboration? And what do you think about my outfit—yay or nay? Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I hope you had a great weekend!
Miles of smiles,
Grace
Plaid Flannel: Thrift Store, $3 | Skinny Jeans: Francesca’s, $20, last worn here | Beige Fringe Booties: Sam Edelman via DSW, $90, last worn here | Black Elephant Purse: Francesca’s, $20, last worn here | Brown Belt: Cabi, $76, last worn here