Last month I proposed a fun idea to my sister: let’s shoot a ‘fall essentials / outfitting after baby’ post — but with all vintage or thrifted clothes! To be clear, this idea was fun for me :) my sister had her first baby in December, and while she was on board with styling some new looks for fall, she doesn’t have my patience and interest in sifting through racks of clothes looking for that one gem. Luckily I was able to convince her, so we set a date to find the finds and shoot the shots.
Day 1
We did all of our shopping near the small town where we grew up. I had no specific pieces in mind for this shoot because I was unsure of what we might find out in the wild; I wanted to remain open to styling whatever was at our fingertips in the moment. Our first stop was a church thrift shop where we accidentally arrived 5 minutes before they were going to close, creating a vibe that can best be described by the 90’s gameshow, Supermarket Sweep. I flipped through racks with speed and focus, grabbing the standout pieces and throwing them over my arm before racing to the next spot. We had just enough time to test out the size of a shoe and the fit of a jacket — the other items we bought on faith. It turned out to be a major haul though, spending a total of $7 for a denim field jacket, divine garden clogs, a woven leather belt, and cotton drawstring cargo pants.
We weren’t as rushed at the second location, and we ended up having the best luck in the men’s section, where we scored a vintage Abercrombie & Fitch wool sweater and a perfectly worn-in athletic tee.
Day 2
The next day we checked out our favorite antique shop with hopes of finding some jewelry to pair with the look. I tried everything from sterling silver necklaces to short beaded strands, and fell in love with a locket pin that was beautiful but not quite right for the look — eventually landing on a fabulous two-tone bolo tie. The shop is mainly furniture and homewares but also has a small selection of vintage linens and clothes. I took a spin through the clothing before we left and found a vintage wool vest, sized so perfectly that it felt tailored.
At that point we had enough pieces to kick off our photo shoot, so we went on to styling everything and had so much fun constructing fall looks from the weekend finds.
So here’s what we shot with:
Denim field jacket, like new [$3]. Size XL which is not a size I would normally choose, but it worked as oversized outerwear and the larger size will be ideal for layering. Don’t sleep on “wrong sizes” — I shop pretty much every size because there is so much variance in the fit/feel of a piece depending on the decade it was made, the style, the brand, the material etc etc.
Garden clogs, olive green [$2]. These too are in like-new condition. This is a major score! I have a very finite criteria for shoes that I will wear secondhand, and these passed the test. Not to mention they are extremely similar to the Gardenheir clogs I have been eyeing for months! [The clogs didn’t make it into this post with my sister, but I will be styling them in ‘Georgia’s Version’, my style remix of all the pieces we found for this shoot!]
Drawstring cargo pants, cream colored, 100% cotton [$1]. The understated cargo effect of these pants is what caught my eye, but the drawstring waist was also perfect for wearing looks both tucked or untucked.
Old man athletic tee, cotton/poly blend, size XL [$2]. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand time: I love an old man tee. They are usually soft, oversized, and have great colorways, logos, or phrases for added visual appeal. When I passed by it I could see exactly how slouchy it was on the hanger — and it was a go. I rate a t-shirt by its slouchiness I guess, and this one was 100% approved.
Black woven belt, size 36, leather [$1]. I have been in the market for a black leather belt for a while now, but have been waiting for just the right thing. I already have a beautiful black belt but it’s on the smaller side and therefore I wear it primarily with high waisted pants or to belt a jacket. I’ve been looking for something longer that would be suitable for wearing with low-rise jeans and that would do this belted-hanging vibe from the shots below, so the oversized belt was exactly what I needed!
Brown wool sweater, menswear, v-neck [$4]. I’m often shopping the menswear section of thrift shops and vintage stores because I struggle with the tiny waists and short arms of true vintage womenswear. Being 100% wool, this sweater is transitional material for cooler/damp weather that we get in Maine, and due to the menswear cut, can easily layer over other clothes.
Bolo tie, two-tone silver and gold, bronco charm [$12]. I was looking for something stand-out to style with this shoot and I found it. I’ve never seen a bolo tie with a metal cord, they are typically a woven leather or cord material. And the charm is just so…charming. It added a dose of panache to our lineup.
Tailored vest, wool, navy blue [$8]. This is the final piece that I picked up for the shoot. I had seen some old shots of Kate Moss in tailored vests, along with a Vogue piece about tailored femininity being in the air this fall. Call it influence, but I was struck with the need to get this.
Before showing all the looks, I want to share this little excerpt from a New Yorker article, Chloe’s Scene. Written in 1994, it chronicles the fashion factors that created Chloe Sevigne’s ‘it-girl’ aura in the 90’s. I love this article because Chloe shuns traditional vintage and high fashion / designer clothes as snobbish, overpriced, and rip offs. While admittedly that may be an angsty 90’s perspective on vintage and fashion as a whole, I couldn’t help but identify with her love of thrifting. Finding the gem is the joy — and when you start to build your wardrobe this way, you end up with a look that is so completely you.
I just love this paragraph because it fully embodies how to successfully thrift your way to an eclectic wardrobe: stopping off and doing it randomly. Different towns, different shops, different days of the week — switching it up to yield the best results. Don’t go with too much intentionality because chances are it will be a downer when you don’t find exactly what you are looking for. You are better off to show up with an open mind, and let whatever inspires you inspire you.
Alright, enough text, here are the looks!
We kicked off with the menswear sweater, bolo tie, and cotton cargos. My sister had a great idea to layer a Hawaiian shirt underneath the sweater, thus creating a peekaboo pattern that not only added visual interest to an otherwise modestly neutral outfit, but added a collar for the bolo tie to cinch into.
She also picked some amazing vamp-forward heels to incorporate femininity without having to feel too dressed up. For an outfit that skews boxy, adding heels can have an elongating effect by making the pants and legs extend further — in essence, shapeshifting the overall look to be more streamlined.
The cargo pants are a through line in all the outfits, and their versatility cannot be overstated. In the second look we went for a more tailored vibe, with the wool vest, cropped babydoll tee, and necktie.
With the fitted vest we needed a fitted tee, so we picked out a simple ribbed, cropped top with stripes and ruffled hems — it had undershirt vibes which was a perfect foil to the tailored vest.
Here is a good note about sizing — the vest didn’t fit my sister perfectly but it looks amazing with this outfit. Nursing is part of the deal now, so tops fit differently. Wearing an unbuttoned jacket, vest or collared shirt is a great way to add a layer of interest without having to feel constricted. To dial in the tailored look we added a neckerchief, knotted with one tie down. It’s a souvenir from Nola’s days working in the Conservation Corps — the deep navy blue matches the navy wool vest, and the yellow emblem is a note of contrast in an otherwise color-copacetic ensemble.
For the last look we incorporated the denim field jacket, the bolo tie, and the woven belt. This jacket is really a cornerstone to the pieces we picked up. It has so much presence in an outfit, and it could be styled endlessly. For our shoot we paired it with — you guessed it! — the cargos. Instead of buttoning it all the way up we left the bottom half of the jacket open so that it felt more easily moved in, and also to let the belt peep out from her waistline.
Textural interest is livening to an outfit, and the woven leather plays really well against the smooth denim and crispy cotton. The coup here is the bolo tie over the outwear. A blast of rockabilly may not be the expected choice over this otherwise workwear-chic look, yet it works. The silver charm plays off the silver donut buttons, the bolo ties hang with the same nonchalance as the belt, and the bucking bronco collar captivates to the backdrop of a closed jacket collar.
Not that pricing is everything, but I have to say it’s really fun to test the bounds of your creativity by capping where you’re shopping and what you’re willing to spend. It’s proof that Chloe’s philosophy might be the best way to truly develop your own personal style. This was an extremely fun challenge and I can’t wait to revise it all again for my version in a couple of weeks.
Until next time!
xo, Georgia
That field jacket!!!!
Some amazing scores! And so cheap! Love the photos of Nola and Dela ❤️