Abstract Absurdity

Today is National Absurdity Day (there’s a day for everything), so the theme for November’s Thrifty Six collaboration is absurd outfits. My initial thought went to a huge, teal, tulle Betsy Johnson dress that I thrifted for $1 and have never worn (because it’s so out there), but then I remembered it’s still at my parents’ house in Boise. So I had to go with Plan B instead. Since I don’t have any one thrifted item that’s particularly absurd, my goal was to put together a few of my funkier thrifted pieces for an overall absurd outfit. I can tell you one thing… I definitely felt absurd (yet fabulous) walking around and taking these pics!

My jacket, jumpsuit, belt, and necklace are all secondhand, making this my thriftiest outfit to date. When I first went to peruse my closet, I knew I wanted to start with this teal faux fur jacket that I thrifted for $18 while studying abroad in Scotland. I wasn’t sure about it at first, since the faux fur isn’t my usual style, but I love thrifting pieces out of my comfort zone—the cheaper prices make the stakes lower if I don’t end up liking the item. This jacket, though, I do love. I don’t wear it very often, but it makes for a fun statement piece on a night out.

I thought about layering the jacket over this thrifted geometric dress, which would make a cute date night outfit. But then I wondered if the teal jacket would go with my teal velour jumpsuit… which I also thrifted in Scotland to wear to an ABBA disco party. This isn’t the first time I’ve thought to pair the pieces together for a monochromatic look, but just like every other time, once I held the jacket and jumpsuit next to each other on hangers, I realized they clashed. The jacket is ever-so-slightly greener and the jumpsuit is a much richer shade. Far apart, I would say the items are the same color, but next to each other, it becomes clear they are not.

I was ready to give up on the pairing (my boyfriend also thought they clashed) but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to actually try the pieces on. And what do you know?! They looked so much better together on than they did on the hanger! I don’t really think they clash now, even though they didn’t seem to go together at all before. Just a reminder that you never really know how something’s going to look until you try it on.

I added a silver chain belt that belonged to my grandma, silver heels (not thrifted), and a silver purse (also not thrifted, but I did get it on extreme discount for only $5). The showstopper of the outfit, though, is the green heart necklace. My parents thrifted it for me from a vintage bazaar as a birthday present. It’s absolutely gorgeous, though certainly a piece I wouldn’t wear every day. While I think it would probably work better with a v-neckline, I like how the fur jacket frames it on my chest. The way the green pops and sparkles next to the teal is so pretty!

I finished the look with a jewel toned matte liquid lipstick, which I just rediscovered in my things and absolutely love. It came in a huge makeup kit, mostly filled with colorful eyeshadows, so I forget about the lip products in there. I love this shade, though, and the sharpness of the matte finish. I’ll have to remember to wear it more often!

What do you think about this monochrome outfit? It’s all about the textures, from the faux fur, to the velour, to the chainmail purse. Maybe the outfit isn’t that absurd, but the fact that I’m not sure where I would actually wear this makes it a little crazy in my book. It could be cute for a fancy dinner, a holiday party if you wanted to break out of the typical red and green, or even for New Year’s Eve! I always love making a statement with a jumpsuit/pants instead of a dress.

Be sure to check out my thrifty friends’ absurd outfits at the links below:

Jodie of Jodie’s Touch of Style:

“I concentrated on unusual items, and this chartreuse-colored trench dress that I found off of Poshmark is one that I struggled with when I first received it. It didn’t hang right and was totally wonky. I almost gave up and purged it, but after a bunch of changes to it, I wore it as a duster in the past and this time as a dress. I customized the boots too by using some shoe polish to make the darker blocks and then I added a dress extender to the look. Plus, I handknit the purse!!”

Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style:

“I don’t like absurdities in fashion. Just like I don’t like funny clothes. Like funny socks etc. Terrible. (although I do buy them for Gerben, lol) So I interpret this theme in my own way. Namely with this absurdly cheap and perfect coat. From Vinted. I love this coat! When I bought it, it was as good as new. And for an absurd bargain price. The size is perfect, it doesn’t wrinkle at all and I think it’s totally cool! Everything about this coat is perfect. The pockets close with a button, it has shoulder pockets, the belt has a buckle, it’s double breasted. Everything I want from a coat! It’s totally absurd!”

Jane of Preloved Vintage Handmade:

“Absurdity Day is November’s T6 theme and what’s more absurd than pink and green faux fur! There’s a trend this season for brightly coloured fluffy coats so when I saw this one, I thought I’d grab myself a piece of the action… Not only are the colours totally outrageous, it’s got massive hearts all over it; definitely not for the fainthearted! It goes with nothing, denim is the only thing I can bear it with apart from this Kelly green pashmina which also goes with nothing! It’s a strong look, not sure it’s my look, I’m calling it ‘fashion through the prism of absurdity’…”

Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge:

“For Absurdity Day, I have finally styled this strange sweater turtleneck with sleeves. I am not sure what this thing is even called. I guess it’s kind of like a dickey but not in any traditional sense of a dickey. It is just a turtleneck with sleeves. No bodice. A dickey is just the bodice, I think. So it’s the opposite of a dickey. A yekcid? Whatever it is, I find it rather absurd. It is by Zara and I found it for a few dollars at my local thrift shop last year. I thought it was so weird that I just had to have it. But then I never took the time to figure out how the heck you wear it. I layered it over another thrifted Zara piece, not a very absurd dress, but the print is a little bit out there. My wooden zebra necklace and cowgirl boots were also preloved. And I was absurdly pleased with how this outfit turned out!”

Emma of  Style Splash:

“There’s a lot in my wardrobe that could be considered absurd, so when Shelbee chose Absurdity Day as our theme this month, it was a case of choosing a main focal point so as not to look completely ridiculous! (Some may think I do anyway!) As the weather is atrocious here I decided to start with these boots by Irregular Choice which I bought on eBay. I teamed them with pink skinny jeans and a vintage shirt. I added a green coat and vintage hat (both from eBay) and finished with a pink bag.”

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As always, thanks for stopping by the blog today.

Miles of smiles,
Grace

Teal Velour Jumpsuit: Thrifted, $11 ($5.50 per wear), last worn here | Teal Faux Fur Jacket: Thrifted, $18 ($4.50 per wear), last worn here | Silver Heels: DSW, $40 ($1.74 per wear), last worn here | Silver Purse: DSW, $5 ($2.50 per wear)