It’s Raining Cats and Dogs

The third Monday of the month means Thrifty Six time! If you’re new, the Thrifty Six is a collaboration of six bloggers who share a love of secondhand fashion. Once a month, one of us picks a theme and we all create outfits around that prompt, with a thrifted item being the centerpiece of the look. March’s theme was “It’s Raining Cats and Dogs”—very fun and unique, but also challenging!

I don’t own any secondhand rain jackets or rain boots… nor do I own any clothing (thrifted or not) with cats or dogs on it. So what was the next best thing? I thought of this faux fur jacket that I bought during my first week studying abroad in Scotland. Whenever I wear it, I think of my time in Glasgow, and reminiscing on Glasgow conjures memories of overcast skies and damp frizzy hair. I remember thinking after living there for a month that the rain and dreariness is different than that of the Pacific Northwest. I lived in the Seattle area for eight years and the rain was incessant—the day started gloomy and ended the same way. In Scotland, however, there could be a torrential downpour one minute and sunshine the next, followed by more rain. I never knew what to wear!

One time while abroad, I wore this teal jacket to an ABBA-themed party at the student union building, and I had to walk half hour in the rain. The faux fur, unsurprisingly not suited for that sort of weather, smelled like a wet dog afterwards. So maybe the jacket fits the theme more than I thought? I may not be wearing cats or dogs or rain gear, but dang nabbit, I smelled like a dog.

I like this outfit because it’s a little more casual. The faux fur is a statement piece fit for going out, but paired with sneakers and a t-shirt, it becomes much more day-time appropriate. I paired it with my black and white striped sunglasses and this polka dot tea kettle purse. The purse is another piece that feels dressy, but I actually quite liked how it looked with this relaxed outfit. Just a little touch of whimsy.

Be sure to check out how my thrifty friends interpreted this month’s theme at the links below. It’s my turn to choose the prompt for April, and I decided to go with “On Screen Style Icons”—I’m very excited to see what everyone puts together!

Jodie of Jodie’s Touch of Style:

“Considering we only get 7 inches of rain a year, it seems silly to pay full price for rain boots. That’s why I always look for them at secondhand stores and can find the best ones! The jacket may not be a raincoat per se, but it’s the kind of material that rain would run off, and I just love the colors.”

Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style:

“I buy preloved clothes from the brand I used to work for. It does not exist anymore and sometimes I spot some items that I already loved back then but never bought (which is really weird because I was the manager and got a 50% discount on clothes, so you can imagine that I bought a lot!). This top is so cute as I adore cats. And I love the relaxed look of the sneakers with the satin skirt and the basic top underneath the cat top. Somehow sneakers like that and a long sleeved tee under a short sleeved one fits together.” 

Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade:

“Raining Cats & Dogs… That’s the T6 theme this month and I’ve taken it very literally… My glossy red tote bag with a big black cat… My vintage Ted Baker jumper with a cute French Bulldog… and my transparent raincoat to keep me nice and dry. I’m also having lots of fun with the current transparent trend.”

Emma of Style Splash:

“One thing we have no shortage of in the UK is rain. In fact, I had to do these photos in between torrential downpours. As a cat person (I do love dogs too though) I have plenty of feline-themed clothes and accessories. The cheetah print bomber jacket and velvet cat bag are both eBay purchases from a few years ago. I never really found a way to style the jacket in a way I liked until preparing for this post, when a frantic rummage in the clothes pile resulted in this outfit. The black and white cat shirt is a previously gifted item from Salamander Shirt from a couple of years ago.”

Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge:

“This theme gave me the idea to pair my thrifted satin blouse all covered in leopards with my preloved red raincoat. And then just as I expected, my secondhand black sequined leggings very much resemble raindrops when photographed. I added all sorts of cat things as well as some other thrifted pieces. I guess it only rains cats around here. Not so much dogs!” 

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Hope your week is off to a great start, and thanks for stopping by the blog today.

Miles of smiles,

Grace

White Tee: JCPenney, $9 ($0.60 per wear), last worn here | Teal Faux Fur Jacket: Thrifted, $18 ($4.50 per wear), last worn here | Black Skinny Jeans: Express, $42 ($1.05 per wear), last worn here | Sneakers: UIN Footwear, gifted by brand, last worn here | Striped Sunglasses: Charming Charlie, $10 ($0.56 per wear), last worn here | Teacup Purse: Kate Spade New York, gift, last worn here