Secondhand Favorites with The Thrifty Six

Taking a break from my regularly scheduled Scotland programming to share some of my cutest secondhand outfits from over the years! This month’s theme for the Thrifty Six collaboration was favorites, but since I didn’t get around to shooting new content, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to share some old thrifted outfits that I would still wear in a heartbeat.

I had a lot of fun taking a stroll down blogging memory lane, sifting through past posts I’ve shared. It gave me one of those rare moments of pride where I realized just how much time and effort I’ve invested into Graceful Rags over the years. Furthermore, it made me miss my clothes! I have surprisingly not gotten sick of the few clothing items I brought with me to Scotland (yet), but looking at old photos reminded me of clothes I completely forgot I even had. It got me really excited to go home and look in my closet, like a treasure trove of new goodies!! Anyway, here are just a few of some of my favorite thrifted looks.

Stepping Back in Time with The Thrifty Six

I love the bold magenta color of this thrifted dress, and I think it would make the perfect Easter outfit! My off-white handbag is vintage and belonged to my grandmother—felt like the perfect accessory for the “back in time” Thrifty Six collaboration. I also wore this dress to my friend’s graduation last year.

Inspired by a Magazine Cover

I haven’t had the chance to wear this thrifted bandage dress out yet, but I felt like an absolute supermodel while taking these photos. I think the cut is so classic and I love the fun of the fringe at the bottom.

Kickin’ Off the Thrifty Six in Pre-Loved Shoes

These pics were from the first Thrifty Six collab way back in 2020—hard to believe it’s already been two years. The only thrifted item in this outfit is my brown lattice wedges, but my chiffon top is so old (I think I’ve had it since the fourth grade?) that I basically consider it secondhand. I think this is the cutest summer evening outfit for getting a casual dinner or drinks with friends.

Preppy Layers with The Thrifty Six

I lovvve this thrifted brown blazer and always feel so chic in it. I think I will get a lot of use out of it in the coming months when I start interviewing for jobs (or is too fall-like? I have a hot pink blazer too but that is obviously not the move for most traditional job interviews). Either way, this piece always gives me the confidence boost I need.

Velvet with The Thrifty Six

This is another outfit that made me feel like a supermodel. And to think—I almost passed by this blue bodycon in the thrift store! It was hanging on the end of an aisle, and the mix of velour, sequins, and leopard print seemed too crazy to me. Thank goodness I tried it on because it is now one of my favorite pieces in my closet (if only I had the right occasion to wear it).

Secondhand Suits with The Thrifty Six

Another work-appropriate find, this two-piece suit was my first purchase from Poshmark. I absolutely love this outfit, although I don’t like how low the skirt hits on my hips. Makes me look short and squatty! Either way, sometimes I think I need an important corporate job just so I can wear fabulous blazers and matching suit sets all day.

Mauve

I think this beautiful mauve gown was the second item I ever purchased secondhand. Per usual, I waited last minute to find a dress for my senior year prom and didn’t want to spend a fortune on a tacky dress from the mall (that every other girl would also be wearing, by the way). I was so excited to find this gem in a fancy consignment boutique in Las Vegas for only $50. The neckline is convertible and I have been dying to find an excuse to wear it again! My brother’s wedding in May has a purple color scheme, but they decided to go with a darker purple than this pretty pastel shade. Until next time.

Let’s Brighten Up January with The Thrifty Six

This teal faux fur coat is one of my more recent finds and my first purchase from a British charity shop while in Glasgow (little did I know back then that I would go a little crazy with the charity shops here). I’ve noticed that everyone in Glasgow seems to own a fur coat, so I was excited to find this funky piece in the store.

Simply Stripes with The Thrifty Six

Pretty in pink! This thrifted stripe dress would make another cute Easter, graduation, or wedding guest look. I haven’t worn it much yet but it really is quite versatile (you may recall that this is the dress a bird decided to shit all over—big bummer).

Fool’s Gold with The Thrifty Six

This is one of my more extravagant outfits, but it was the first look I put together with this secondhand gold mock-neck top. I love the unusual mix of browns and golds in this look and felt like it was an outfit you could find in a magazine. My only complaint is that the look seems to be so obviously missing a necklace—not sure how I didn’t see it before.

Thrifty in Leather

Aside from the accessories, I wear this exact outfit in Scotland basically every other week, as this Nordstrom Rack dress is one of my all-time favorites. The only thrifted items in this look, however, are the vintage bracelet and this beautiful green clutch that belonged to my grandma. I love how it matches the railings!

Thrifty Trail-Blazers

Since I don’t love the fit of the matching skirt, I decided to style this blazer on its own with a bright red top and cropped flared jeans. I’m still a little on the fence about the shoe choice but otherwise love how this springy outfit came together.

Florals with The Thrifty Six

These are some of my all-time favorite blog photos. I bought this romper from a Denver consignment shop for $32, which is pretty steep for something secondhand. But I purchased it specifically for a Thrifty Six collab and was crunched to get my submission in on time. I’m so glad I splurged on this romper, though, because it is the perfect summer piece. I’ve worn it out to grab drinks with girlfriends on multiple occasions and also wore it on a summer date. It’s just so flirty and feminine, especially with the subtle cutout on the chest.

Ringing in the New Year with The Thrifty Six

I had to style this fabulous blue bodycon again, this time with a thrifted feathery purse and sparkly fishnets for New Year’s Eve. I also love that this dress has long sleeves, which I think is somewhat unusual for party dresses but perfect for winter.

Red-y for the Holidays

Would you believe I thrifted this BCBG dress for only $1? Amazing! I styled it for Christmas in this post with a $3 thrifted purse and vintage sparkly necklace, but I also styled the dress once for Valentine’s Day. I’m not usually a bow person but think the bubble style and big bow on this dress is perfect for special occasions.

Raiding My Mom’s Closet

My mom handed down this white blouse to me, and while the outfit is great, I also just love this blog post—I talk all about my mom and how she inspires me.

Binge Worthy Fashion: Midge Maisel from “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

This post was my interpretation of Midge Maisel from “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” during my Bingeworthy Fashion series! While this blue gingham dress is not secondhand, the navy belt, green gloves, green clutch, and green shoes are all vintage pieces from my grandma (oh, so are my clip-on earrings, and the hair scarf was a hand-me-down from my mom). This outfit feels a *little* costume-y to me, but I think if I took away the headband it would be perfect for brunch or afternoon tea.

Transitioning My Favorite Summer Romper to Fall

Here’s another way to style that floral romper. This time I wore it more casually with flat raffia sandals and a denim jacket layered over top.

Can you tell I love secondhand occasion dresses? I always head straight to the dress section whenever I go thrifting… This black gown belonged to my cousin, and I had it altered so that I could wear it to my then-boyfriend’s prom during my senior year of high school. Two proms in one season and two secondhand dresses, woo-hoo!

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And now, be sure to check out my blogging friends’ favorite thrifted outfits, too. All of the links below redirect you to their own blogs so you can see more of these fabulous looks.

Emma of Style Splash:

“I found this jumpsuit in a charity shop for £6… it still had the original tag on it! I had no idea what it would look like on but I knew I had to buy it anyway. When I got it home and tried it on, I was so glad I’d bought it! I’ve styled it with my favourite velvet cat bag that I bought on eBay years ago.”

Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge:

“Here are my favorite thrifted things all combined into one! Actually this Zara dress is one of my husband’s favorites. I had purchased the Zara velvet blazer on the same thrifting trip as the dress with every intention of wearing them together. So I finally did that! Also my favorite combat boots and cigar box purse were fabulous preloved purchases as well. And my new turquoise necklace was gifted to me from Michelle of My Bijou Life!”

Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade:

“Favourite things… I’ve worn this dramatic micro-mini at several glamorous events and often been asked if it’s a designer piece. It’s actually one of my own very simple creations… A basic sequin dress, with masses of faux-jet beads added to adorn the bodice. The beads came in the form of a cheap necklace which I’ve stitched into each shoulder so it drapes across the front. The movement, theatre and animation elevates a basic LBD into something quite sensational… I have hundreds of dresses but I think this one is my absolute favourite!”

Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style:

“My favorite outfit. Now that is a difficult one. I had to think about that one. Of course it has to be black, I thought… Because I really have changed in the past years, and I do wear color now, black still is my favorite. There is something dramatic, cool, punky, sexy, mysterious about a black outfit. Well, in my eyes it is. You might think it’s very boring.  And then I thought of the photo I use a lot. A simple black dress, biker boots with golden studs and some golden jewelry! And then it hit me!! It wasn’t pre loved!! And it’s all about pre loved with The Thrifty Six of course! So then I had to choose between a Diane von Fustenberg dress and this King Louie one. But as the DvF dress is more a winter dress I chose this one. I just love the fact that it is a wrap dress and the print is so lovely. Also the fabric feels great to my skin. I feel very feminine in this one!”

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As always, thanks for stopping by today! I only recently got into thrifting over the last few years, but now it’s basically the only way I shop, aside from purchasing a few basics brand new (such as denim). Of course secondhand shopping is better for the environment, but I also just love the treasure hunt of it! You never know what you’re going to find, and it’s always so exciting to stumble upon that perfect piece. Let me know which of these thrifted outfits is your favorite, and I hope you’re having a great start to your week.

 

Miles of smiles,

Grace