Category: Fashion

August Thrift Haul

Once again, I’m mixing both thrift finds and consignment finds in this monthly update. I only get the opportunity to do some consignment scrounging a few times a year, so I wanted to be sure to share some of my HOLY WOW finds.

Let’s start by checking out some home goods!

MCM Bamboo bowl, $12

You all know how much I love me some mid-century modern, so this bowl was an instant YES from me. It’s a MCM bamboo fruit bowl, but I have it sitting next to my reading spot as an adorable catch-all for my reading glasses, bookmark and chapstick.

Pink Gooseberry Pyrex bowl, $8

Pink Pyrex for less than a tenner?! That’s a ‘start the car’ moment for me. This was happily added to my Pyrex collection!

Rifle Paper Co x Corkcicle travel mugs, $18 each

Sigh. It was like these were just waiting for me to find them. I looooove Corkcicle mugs (they keep your cold stuff cold and your hot stuff hot) and I also looooove Rifle Paper Co’s floral designs. So, when I saw these two ‘new with tags’ travel mugs for $18 each (retail $40 each), I immediately added them to my arm full of stuff I was juggling. And I have used one of these pretty much every single day since I bought them (and washed them) for sipping my cold ice water all day long.

Nemadji Pottery wedding vase, $16 and Southwestern Sand pottery vase, $18

Did I need these? No. Did I immediately love them and want to add them to my desk where I could stare dreamily at them while thinking about all our Arizona and Utah adventures? Yes.

Okay, now on to the clothing purchases!

Torrid dress, $15

Once again, a ‘new with tags’ item, this time it was a $60 dress from Torrid. It’s such a happy orange color and even has pretty embroidered detailing on the bust, so I figured I’d give it a try. I already wore it to my niece’s birthday and plan to get in a couple more wears before summer disappears.

Gingham Skirt, $10

I liked the tiered gingham of this skirt and the fabric is a great weight too. However, I knew immediately that I hated the runched waistline and I planned to chop it off and add in some new elastic. It was a quick and easy project and now I have a super cute gingham skirt for all my twirling needs.

Sorel sandals, $20

This was the ‘I didn’t know my closet needed these’ item, because these were ‘new with tags’ and a great deal, so I bought them on a whim. However, I had no idea how much I needed a pair of comfortable metallic sandals… because I’ve worn these probably a half-dozen times since buying them this month.

Swedish Hasbeen Huarache Debutant sandals, $6.79

YOU GUYS! These are an insane find at Goodwill and I can’t believe they are in my size and in perfect condition. Swedish Hasbeen’s are so timeless and so freaking expensive. I tracked down this particular style and it was released as part of their Spring/Summer 2016 collection and they retailed for around $300. It looks like someone bought them and just let them hang out in their closet unworn for 8 years… because they are absolutely perfect. I’m imagining how cute they will look paired with tights and skirts this fall!

My Style: Style Remix with a ‘Fancy’ Tulle Skirt

Last month, I started a new series based on some feedback on my PocketfulofJoules Instagram account. A very sweet Instagram friend sent me a DM saying how much they enjoy seeing different ways to style the same items over and over again as inspiration for their own looks. (Psst…you can find a bunch of these saved under the “OOTD Breakdown” highlight on Instagram). So, I thought it would be fun to start highlighting some remixes here on the blog.

You can find my previous post here:

For today’s highlight, I’m going to focus on remixing a ‘fancy’ tulle skirt.

Rather than wearing an extravagant skirt once for an event and then shoving it into the back of the closet as something that is too festive for daily life, I like to wear them year-round!

Let’s take a closer look at how I have styled three ‘fancy’ tulle skirts.

This first skirt is a blue tulle + moon and stars skirt I purchased secondhand, but was originally from Anthropologie. The top left look is how I styled the skirt for a day in the office, followed by a work holiday party (December 2022). The top right is my sisters, mom and me at the Taylor Swift Eras tour (May 2023) and I paired the tulle skirt with a thrifted sequin tank top for the perfect “Midnight’s Era” outfit.

Both the bottom looks were for chilly outdoor events — it’s nice to feel a little extra sassy when you’re freezing your butt off! The outfit on the left is from an outdoor holiday event in December 2023. And the outfit on the right is an extra bundled up version from when Jack and I went exploring in NYC for his birthday trip (February 2024).

While this is a fancy tulle and sequin skirt, I was able to take it down a notch for work by pairing it with a denim jacket. It was also great for outdoor events, because I could easily layer it over a pair of fleece-lined tights and boots.

Here are two other tulle skirts I own and wear regularly:

Once again, an easy way to neutralize the dressiness of a more formal skirt is to add denim — whether it be an embroidered jacket, denim blouse or a classic denim jacket, it helps the skirt easily sneak into everyday life.

Adding a solid top and a cardigan is also a simple way to dress-down a skirt. You can play with the colors on whatever you have in your closet and you’ll be surprised at how many combos you can find. Last, for the weekend (or a trip to Universal Studios), just add a graphic t-shirt!

I hope you like this new series and please let me know if you have a particular item you want me to highlight for you!

My Style: July 2024

We are enjoying full-on summer here in Maryland, which means ALL of the summery skirts and dresses are getting worn out of my closet.

Let’s take a look at my July looks:

Three easy work looks with the same formula — skirt + blouse + cardigan. It’s simple and it never steers me wrong. For outfit 1 (left), I paired my vintage Laura Ashley skirt with a black v-neck t-shirt, cardigan and some sassy wedges. For the middle look, I mixed mustard yellow and orange for a little fun and topped it with a classic white and navy combo. As for the last look, we had “Hawaiian Shirt Day” at work and this skirt totally fit the theme!

For these three casual looks, I’m very much a human rainbow! The left look was what I wore for Independence Day — we had plans to have family over for a potluck, followed by friends over for a bonfire, s’mores and fireworks. And we got completely rained out. Literally, my skirt was dripping wet.

The rainbow dress is one of my favorites, so I topped it with a chambray shirt, red vintage Coach crossbody bag and it was perfect for checking out all the antiques, thrift and consignment shops with my friend. The happy orange dress was a ‘new with tags’ find at one of those consignment shops for just $15, so of course I had to rip the tags off, steam it and wear it for my niece’s birthday the next day!

Finishing up with three more work looks. Both the blouse and the blue skirt from the outfit on the left were on the chopping block. However, I really liked this outfit so they’re staying for now. The middle tulle and embroidered skirt was a crazy Poshmark steal for just $30 and I’m kind of obsessed with it. I wore it to work with a pale yellow linen blouse and blue cardigan, which just happen to be the colors that my sister’s chose for our upcoming family photos. So, I may be re-wearing this exact outfit soon.

As for the last look, I bought this dress secondhand about 4 years ago and it’s just one of those easy, flowy wrap dresses that always look polished and don’t wrinkle. I typically make sure to pack it when I travel for work conferences, so for the office I just kept it easy-peasy with a cardigan and sandals.

New vs. Secondhand Tally

This month, I count 7 items that I purchased retail and 24 items I purchased secondhand!