Along the lines of “comes in like a lion, out like a lamb”, I’m ramping up on my posts in March and today I’m sharing a look back at thrift store finds and OOTDs from February. And in concert with that saying, March will see a ramp-up in my social media postings as well.
In Be Still My Heart I had shared about a recent day trip The Husband and I had taken that included stops at a few thrift stores. Along with that trip, we spent a few hours on a Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks browsing through a few of the thrifts in Downtown Ventura where I picked up a few new-to-me items. And then there was an impromptu stop at a new nearby Goodwill location that proved fruitful.
One of the fruits from that stop is this dress. I think it was the colors that first caught my eye and from the feel of the fabric, I could tell it was linen. It still had its original tags attached but most of the information on them is in Chinese except for a logo, YESNO. Based on that and the general design of the dress, I did a little online sleuthing and I found one very similar. After a lot of scrolling (it was on page 23 on the listing of dresses), this dress is a really close match, Art V-Neck Linen Patchwork Plaid Dress.
To be funny, I had started to call it my “sack of $#!@” dress once I got it home. Only because of the muted colors and the bagginess of it. Not because it made me feel bad. But truly, I’d say it has more of a cocoon vibe. Coincidently, I came across two articles yesterday (one on Real Simple and the other on Buzzfeed) both describing a current trend of cozy-core looser swathes of fabric are the key aesthetic. Despite the high level of comfort, this kind of silhouette isn’t the most flattering one on a curvy, height-challenged gal. I’m not opposed to wearing it loose but for these photos, I added a belt.
My first try with my choice of footwear was a pair of studded black ankle booties but they didn’t look right with the hemline of the dress. I was considering which of my calf to knee height boots to pick when I remembered these bronzy ones. I like that they’re a softer color and a near match for the taupe color in the dress. The pin was one of the treasures I found on that day trip I reference above and the necklace was one of several I bought on Poshmark in a “3 for $15” special the seller offered.
As for the other “new-to-me” finds from those recent thrift store visits, I picked up several tops (3 of them in the photos below) as well as a skirt and a purse. Click on the photos for more information on each piece. I’ve shared before that I usually hit the jacket/blazer and the skirt racks first. Typically, I will give the tops/blouses and dress racks only cursory going over. However, I’ve got a lot of jackets and skirts so I trying to spend more time exploring other options. In addition to the five items below and the dress featured in this post, there were a few other items that’ll be popping up in the blog and/or Instagram in the next few weeks.
I’ve been working on taking OOTD photos. My struggle had been finding a location for a consistent background but I’m kind of likely how my IG feed looks if they are varied. Two of the OOTDs below were shared on Instagram. Do you know which one wasn’t? Can you tell me which of them I wore to Costco?
Besides this dress and the other items shared, I also found a few pieces to sell. Did you catch my last post about Poshmark, 5 Valuable Tips For Online Resell Buyers? I’m working on a similar post with tips for sellers. What have you found recently while thrift store shopping? What trends/aesthetics are you currently keen on?
Be well and let’s stay in touch! Subscribe, tweet, follow, friend, pin … all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Note: This is an unsponsored post; however, some or all of the links to clothing items are associated with an affiliate program where I earned a few cents for each click.
17 Comments
Loving the floral shirt!!! Soo many good finds. I’ve been enjoying oversized items that are belted. Such a comfy and cute look
Isn’t that skirt pretty? I’m looking forward to wearing it once the weather starts to warm up.
Don’t you just love good thrift store finds. I just ordered a few pre loved tops online. Your dress looks great!
Thank you, Nancy. Half the fun of shopping in thrift stores is the thrill of a good find.
I like that dress – the whole “hygge” thing has become huge! I get the feeling that it’s swamping you a bit, though. I love a good thrift store hunt – yours looks like it was a blast!
You are the queen of thrift store hunts but I have had some great finds. My dress fits quite well … there’s just a lot of fabric in the middle.
Rena, this dress is super cool and totally something that I would gravitate to as well. And while that silhouette can be difficult to style in a flattering way, I think you did an amazing job with it. I would wear it all baggy as well not for pictures but because it is comfortable. The mix of patterns and the criss cross front are really cool! And those boots work perfectly with it. Such a fun look!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
I really like the dress so the fact that it’s a little baggy in the middle I can live with. I’m glad you like how I styled it although it may not get worn again until Fall now that Spring is almost here.
This is a really neat dress and I think the belt does the trick. I have been looking for unusual pieces when thrifting, things that look different than what I have. I actually will be looking for short sleeve tops next go around. Now to figure out why all my pictures are getting chopped up when posting! Grr! Just noticed it.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
I, also, look for unique pieces when I’m thrifting because who wants to look like everyone else? Switching up on which sections I look at first helps me avoid “shoppers fatigue”, if you know what I mean.
Rena, I love this dress and I think it has a lot of possibilities. As far as thrift shop finds, on some day after March 26th, I am going to celebrate and go to my favorite thrift. I haven’t been to one since a year ago December. March 26th is two weeks after our second vaccine and I can’t wait. When I was blogging consistently (before September ’19), I regularly visited thrifts and cleaned up. This pass year, I’ve settled for a few things on Poshmark and The RealReal. I guess I’ll have to check out IG and see what that last shirt looks like on because I really like it.
How wonderful for you to be so close to feeling freer to be out and about. My husband and I have appointments for our 1st shots this week so soon, we too, will know that relief.
I really like your varied OOTD photos that you shared in this post! I always take mine in my mirror, and they are so ugly (the lighting is horrible in my room). I think the one of you sitting with your leg up amid the palms is so stinking cute!
Miles of smiles,
Grace
gracefulrags.com
Grace, you’re photos are just fine. Have you tried using a tripod and a remote? The three OOTD photos were taken that way.
That is a great dress, what a wonderful find with the colours and print and it looks so nice on you! 🙂 Most of the time my outfit photos are in the same place – my back yard! I do try ask the kids to take a pic when I’m out but they often just want to play or explore instead of taking a photo, or they cut my head off or give me a blurry pic, haha! I’ve always got my outfit photos in the backyard before we head out though to use 🙂
Thanks so much for joining the #WeekdayWearLinkup! Hope you are having a good weekend 🙂
There’s nothing wrong with having consistency in your photos. Several bloggers take their own photos and have a standard set-up for doing so.
HI Rena
I like your dress and the pattern.The belt is a nice touch! Looks like you found some great pieces thrifting. I have been buying mainly on Poshmark this year, and added some cute tops. I enjoy the hunt!
I like the varied backgrounds too, I am trying that.
thanks for linking!
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com