Author: Joules

I thought I’d continue along with my exercise of looking at items thrifted throughout the years that are still in rotation. If you missed my previous post, you can find it here.

For this post, we will be looking at items I thrifted between 2021 – 2024 that are still in my closet:

BeachLunchLounge Blouse, $4.99 – July 2021

This was one of my items on my ‘thrift list’ that I was looking for at the time, as I was in a phase of tying tops over dresses. This shirt has stood the test of time, and I love the blue and white stripes and the crinkly texture.

Here it is in July 2024:

J.Crew Chambray Shirt with Pearl Snaps, $6.99 – July 2021

Here’s another blouse from my ‘tie a shirt over a dress’ phase I was having in 2021. This classic chambray button down with pearl snaps is one that will probably stay in my closet for another decade. While I don’t pull it out often, it is one of those things that never goes out of style.

Here it is in an outfit from December 2021:

Halogen Cardigan, $4 – May 2022

I’m basically never going to say no to a classic new-with-tags cardigan from Nordstrom… especially for $4. I picked this one up in May 2022 and it’s still going strong as a topper for work blouses and dresses.

Here it is from Fall 2025:

Pearl button cardigan, $4 – May 2022

This simple little black short sleeved cardigan with pearl buttons is also still in my closet, because it’s great for work tattoo coverage, without being too hot.

Here it is when I wore it to work in June 2025:

Rag & Bone Linen Knit Top, $5.29 – April 2023

I still love this lightweight linen sweater/top so much and I pull it out to wear each summer — typically with a skirt. The little cap sleeves and the peachy/red/pinkish stripes is just a fun combo with so many different skirt colors.

Here it is in September 2025:

Sparkly Tank Top, $2 – May 2023

I bought this tank top specifically to wear to the Taylor Swift Eras tour and didn’t really think I’d wear it much afterwards. For $2 that was fine. However, I did end up keeping it in my closet and it’s kind of perfect when I want to throw on a little extra sparkle.

Here is how I styled it for work in December 2025:

L.L. Bean Cotton Cardigan, $3 – February 2024

I think this was the start of my heavy 100% cotton/natural fibers phase. I was thrilled to find this chunky knit cardigan at the thrift store for only $3… even though the arms are a little more fitted than I prefer. I like everything else about it though, so it has stuck around in my closet for the past couple years.

Here it is on a comfy day in January 2025:

Laura Ashley Skirt, $7 – February 2024

This vintage Laura Ashley skirt is one of my FAVORITE thrifted finds… I mean, look at it! I love the beautiful cotton fabric, the floral motif and the swingy drape of it. I did tailor it to fit my body and I’m so happy I did, because I wear it pretty regularly when the weather is warm.

Here it is styled for work in July 2024:

Old Navy fern top, $12 – April 2024

I thrifted this oversized top when I was on vacation, because I really like how it is super lightweight and flowy. It was a bit *too* flowy though, so last summer I stitched down the sides to make it a bit slimmer and cropped the bottom. Now that it fits me better, it’s the perfect summer throw-on shirt.

Here it is in Summer 2025:

Don’t be a Salty Heifer tee, $6 – April 2024

Here’s another vacation thrift haul find and this shirt makes me giggle whenever I see it. Love this top and it’s been a part of my summer tee rotation since I brought it home.

Here’s it styled in September 2025 for dinner out with a friend:

Vintage skirt, $8 – April 2024

I thrifted this at the same time as the Heifer t-shirt and this is one of my absolute favorite summer skirts. I love the pattern, the super light cotton and how twirly it is. It even has a drawstring waist, so I can adjust it based on how my stomach is feeling that day. I wear this skirt all summer long and it will be in my closet for a long, long time!

Here’s an outfit from August 2025:

Jones New York Silk Skirt, $2.50 – October 2024

I had been on the hunt for a flowy silk skirt and this one fit the criteria perfectly. I scooped it up for just $2.50 in October 2024 and love it styled for work. With that being said, the waist is too big on me and I really need to tailor it with either some elastic or a drawstring.

Here it is styled for work in May 2025:

I hope you enjoyed this 2-part look back at some of my older thrift hauls and how I’m still using the items in today’s wardrobe. With thrifting, it can be quite easy to over-consume because items are so inexpensive compared to retail.

I’m constantly learning what works best for my closet and my body, but even now I make the occasional thrifting mistake. By looking back at items that I thrifted that are still going strong, it helps me focus on what I actually wear time and time again.

When I was putting together my last thrift post, I realized that it was the 7^th January Thrift Haul post I’ve done in my 15 years of blogging, with my oldest thrifting post from way back in 2016. Considering that was a decade ago, I started wondering if any items from those early thrift posts were still in my closet. I mean, there have been A LOT of purges over the past 10 years…

Before we get into it though, I do want to point out that when I was going through my old posts I saw a bunch of items thrifted that were fantastic, got worn a ton, wore out, and were purged. In my book, they are absolutely thrifting wins, even though they are no longer in my closet in 2026.

For this exercise though, let’s look at items thrifted between 2017 – 2020 and are still in rotation:

Grey Cable & Gauge Cardigan, $5.99 – August 2017

That’s right. I thrifted this grey cardigan NINE years ago and it’s still being worn. Now, I don’t reach for it super often because I tend to favor my beaded options or black… but it’s still looking pretty darn good for a $6 buy.

Here it is with an outfit from October 2025:

Loft Snow Leopard Print Car Coat, $17 – March 2018

I thrifted this coat back in March 2018 and it is STILL one of my favorite coats in my closet. It has held up so well over the years and makes an outfit look much more fun just by throwing it on top whatever I’m wearing.

Here it is in action on a girls trip to NYC in February 2022:

Calvin Klein Faux Wrap Dress, $4 – August 2018

There is just something about this simple faux wrap dress that makes it fit perfectly. I thrifted this for just $4 and I have worn this to so many work events. It just looks so nice with a cardigan or a blazer and this still hangs out in my closet in case I need to step it up a notch at work.

Here it is being worn at a work conference in September 2023:

Eileen Fisher Skirt, $7 – September 2019

Who can resist a $7 Eileen Fisher skirt?! Not me. I found this one in September 2019 and it has been worn in all sorts of ways — to work, paired with a graphic tee on weekends, and even over a swimsuit for a Universal Studios vacation in February 2022.

Blondo knee-high boots, $13 – January 2020

I manifested these boots and was thrilled when I thrifted them in January 2020. I needed a new pair of knee-high black boots and these were perfect. Soon after thrifting them, I wore them to NYC in the snow (actually, the trip posted above!), jumped over (and in) mounds of slush and they kept my feet warm AND dry. Years later, they are still exactly what I need when I’m looking for a pair of knee-high boots to finish off an outfit.

Here they are being worn to work in January 2025:

NYDJ black straight leg jeans, $7 – February 2020

I do miss the days when thrift stores had dressing rooms. It was so much easier to commit to a pair of pants when you could try them on. I ended up buying these super stretchy NYDJ black jeans for just $7 in February 2020 because they fit so well. While I don’t wear them a ton, I actually did just wear them to work a couple weeks ago!

Here’s from January 2025:

Anthropologie Beaded Cardigan, $6 – June 2020

I was so thrilled to find this Anthropologie beaded cardigan in June 2020 and even now it is one of my favorite embellished options. It’s the perfect shade of mustard, the beads are all still attached nicely and I’ve worn it to work a bunch of times.

Here it is from May 2025:

I’ve actually enjoyed this little look back at past thrift scores and I’ll do a second post covering 2021 – 2024 later this week!