Winter Blues

It’s time for another Thrifty Six collaboration! The theme for February is “Wearing Summer Colors in Winter” and I have to admit that I struggled with this one… I don’t have a particularly colorful wardrobe to begin with, and most of the brighter pieces I own aren’t secondhand. I stood in my closet for several minutes and contemplated the possibilities before remembering I have this cobalt blue dress…

I bought this dress for $35 from the same cute consignment shop where I purchased my mauve prom gown. The price is a little steep for something secondhand, but when a piece fits you perfectly, what else can you do?! I’ve only worn this dress twice so far, once to a wedding in Rhode Island last summer and again to work with a white cardigan tied over top. The bright color and crocheted texture make it such a summery dress, perfect for something like a bridal shower or brunch. As much as I’m drawn to pastel shades, bolder colors like this cobalt look much better on me.

I played around with a few options for layering to see how I could winterize this dress, but I ended up wearing my black leather jacket for an edgy date night look. I added a secondhand silver chain belt, a leather fringe purse, and black booties to match. I also threw on a plain chain necklace (my attempt at being trendy) and these hand-me-down silver earrings that I recently converted to clip-ons. (Fun fact about me: I don’t have my ears pierced.)

After seeing my blogger friends styling their summer colors for winter, I realize how much I missed the mark with this month’s theme! Sure, my cobalt blue dress is very BRIGHT, but I think all the black makes the outfit too typical for winter—it’s still very dark. Maybe an oversized white sweater and white knee boots would make the dress a little more appropriate for the theme. Ah well… at least this outfit is something I wouldn’t have thought to put together without the prompt!

I wasn’t really sure how I felt about this outfit at first—and I might still be a little on the fence—but my boyfriend said this is one of his top 10 favorite outfits of mine, which really surprised me. He loved the bright color mixed with the edginess of the leather. What do you think of this outfit? A winner, or does it look like I’m trying too hard to wear a summer clothing item off-season? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Be sure to check out how my thrifty friends are styling summer colors this month, and please welcome Jodie of J’s Touch of Style to the Thrifty Six! She is filling Lucy’s spot, who left the group a few months ago. As always, everyone’s outfits are super cute. I especially love Jane’s and Emma’s—they really nailed the trendy winter pastel look.

Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style:

“I had to check my closets to see what I could come up with. I have a few summer colours, but they are summer clothes and not pre-loved. And I didn’t feel like buying something as I just don’t wear colours that often. But a colour combination that always reminds me of summer is blue and white. It feels nautical, I can almost hear the sea, the seagulls, the warmth of the sun. And this lovely King Louie jacket with sailing boats on it is then perfect to wear. With a pre-loved navy white striped jumper with pearls
and a red detail at the sleeves.”

Jodie of Jodie’s Touch of Style:

“It always seems so sad to only wear dark, muted colors for the winter months, so I grabbed my thrifted lilac jeans and winterized them with a thrifted Cabi navy sweater and combat boots along with some faux fur details. Just wait until you see how Lesley styled her outfit!”

Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade:

“February’s T6 theme is ‘Summer Colours in Winter’… when I think Summer colours, I always think pastels! These pure wool trousers give me the best of both worlds… cosy and warm, yet alive with pretty pastel colours! An original pair of 1970s flares, re-tailored by me for the modern aesthetic… I think they’re rather cool! Powder blue leather jacket, pashmina and bag make the look complete.”

Emma of Style Splash:

“I wear bright colours all year round, but I tend not to wear pale shades in winter because of mud and rain. So when Jodie suggested ‘Summer Colours in Winter’ as our theme this month I immediately thought of pastel shades. I found this pale blue Hobbs trench coat in a charity shop for less than £10. It’s fantastic quality and perfect for spring and summer. I’ve teamed it with lilac trousers and bag, white boots and a floral print top. I’m ready for summer now!”

Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge:

“When Jodie suggested the theme Summer Colors in Winter, I took it a step further and styled Summer Clothes in Summer Colors in Winter. It required lots of layering to make my thrifted white sundress and preloved kimono top (both are by Zara) work for a warm and colorful winter style. I felt like a giant happy Easter egg in the snow!”

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As always, thanks for stopping by the blog today, and have a great Monday.

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Cobalt Blue Dress: Thrifted, $35 ($17.50 per wear) | Black Leather Jacket: Blank NYC via local boutique, $25 ($0.49 per wear), last worn here | Black Booties: Vivaia, gifted by brand, last worn here | Chain Belt: Hand-me-down | Black Fringe Purse: Macy’s, $50 ($2.94 per wear), last worn here