A Garden Party with The Thrifty Six

It’s time for another Thrifty Six collaboration, where five other bloggers and I put together outfits using pre-loved items. This month’s theme was ‘garden party’, so of course I opted for this beautifully muted floral dress that I thrifted while studying abroad in Scotland!

During my semester abroad, my friend and I decided to join the Scottish Country Dancing Society to learn some traditional Scottish dancing. It was a great way to meet people, but the method of teaching and lack of patience from the instructors was rather frustrating. Not to mention, the cold, dark walk to the gym where we practiced wasn’t particularly enjoyable late on a Thursday night. We would be lying if we didn’t admit that what kept us committed to the society was the promise of a Scottish country dancing ball near the end of the semester. A ball!

It wasn’t quite as fancy as the movies. In fact, the setting of the ball was a little lackluster, as it was just a school gym sadly decorated with a few paper flowers.  Yet, a few women did wear full-length gowns (which I could only imagine made the footwork more difficult), and my friend and I looked forward to the occasion and dressing up for months. She bought a gorgeous t-length, emerald green dress online. Of course, I had a million dresses at home that would have worked, but I didn’t bring any pretty spring dresses with me to Scotland, considering the average temperature for the four months I was there was about 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Naturally, it was the perfect excuse to browse the plethora of nearby thrift stores. I wanted something bright and springy (and preferably t-length, to feel a little more escalated for the ball), but you know how it is… Thrifting is a blast and super successful when you don’t need anything, but those few times where you’re hunting for one specific item, you can’t find it. I found this muted floral dress and tried it on but didn’t instantly love it. In fact, I stood in front of the mirror and went back and forth for several minutes. Sure, it was plenty cute and fit well, but it wasn’t really what I wanted for the occasion. I bought it as a backup dress and stopped by a few other stores, to no avail.

Thank goodness I bought it, though, because after going home and trying the dress on again, I realized I really loved it! The fit-and-flare shape is so flattering, and the green/brown muted color scheme is really unique. I knew it would be perfect for the ball and could even be transitioned into the fall (rhyme intended). On the day of the big event, my friend came to my flat, we did our hair and makeup together, took the train to the venue, and then danced the night away! I didn’t have such cute accessories with me then and actually had to layer black tights underneath the dress for a little extra warmth. But now that I’m back in Denver and it’s summertime, this blush clutch and nude heels were the perfect pieces to complete this outfit!

I’m not exactly sure what a garden party is or who would host one, but I sure as heck hope I score an invite. The only thing this outfit is missing is the beige fascinator I also thrifted while abroad. How cute would that be for a garden or tea party?!

Be sure to check out my friends’ thrifted garden outfits at the links below.

Lucy of Lucy Bertoldi:
“My look started out with my go-to LV scarf I got in St-Germain-des-Pres, Paris, ten years ago. Decided to style it up with this lovely sheer Desigual dress I found in the coverup section of my favourite charity shop. And if there was ever a match made in heaven, I also found earrings there, that made it look like a complete set! A very old, but much loved LV purse accompanied the look—and I was ready for a garden party!”

Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge:
“I love when the Paddock Mansion gardens at the Jefferson County Historical Society are in full bloom. It is such a peaceful oasis in the middle of a busy life and the perfect location for a garden party. So I donned a newly thrifted dress in a bold floral print and added lots of gorgeous green, including the preloved scarf that accessorized my new summer straw hat, and off I went for a garden party that included me and my husband and my cell phone camera!”

Emma of Style Splash:
“July is my birthday month so it’s the perfect excuse to have a garden party! A breezy dress and sun hat is my perfect outfit for the occasion. I found this Fabienne Chapot dress on Vinted—I love the peach print so much that I have bought the midi length version, as well as a preloved top, skirt, and blouse!”

Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style:
“Hey, you know me! I love to wear black! But to be honest I had something else in mind for a garden party, which I actually had but it rained all day so had to wear something warm and arms and legs covered. And then I watched a video of Carla Rockmore and she wore a similar dress as inspiration for a garden party. So if Carla Rockmore says it’s okay to wear black, who am I not to listen! I added golden sandals like she did, a golden fun bag like she did, statement light earrings like she did… but no golden necklace! I had to add something pre loved of course! The necklace is.”

Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade:
“Sipping Champagne in suburbia… Sundays in high summer, bubbles from a crystal flute, a fleeting air of sophistication… that’s what ‘Garden Party’ means to me. It’s The Thrifty Six theme for July so I’m glamming it up in candyfloss coloured silk! This ‘pretty-as-a-picture’ vintage outfit, embellished with a flurry of pink accessories is perfect for any alfresco soirée!”

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As always, thanks for stopping by the blog today! Have a great rest of your Monday.

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Dress: Thrifted, $10 ($10 per wear) | Nude Heels: Amazon, $46 ($9.20 per wear), last worn here | Blush Purse: Target, $30 ($5.00 per wear), last worn here