One of my very favorite things about the Thrifty 6 challenges is seeing how each of us interprets the theme through our own style lens, and this month’s theme, “winter vest,” couldn’t have been more perfect for the layering season.
Quote of the day: “Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.” James Clear
Winter vests are one of those items people overlook in their closet because they assume they’re either too sporty or too bulky. But as you’ll see from our looks, a vest can be anything you want it to be because an outfit is never about only 1 thing.
For this challenge, all three of us wore thrifted winter vests, each styled completely differently to suit our personalities. I hope this inspires you to pull out your own winter vest or start hunting the thrift stores for your perfect match.
I didn’t realize that I had all of us style our winter vests OVER another topper that hung out from the vest, but you can see it works in all different ways.
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I had my mom layer her tan cabled cardigan vest over another cardigan. You can see the blue ruffle cardigan in its entirety when we took a summer outfit and transitioned it for fall.
I just Love how the blue ruffles hang out under the tan vest, adding texture.
The rest of the outfit is very neutral…almost like a column of color of ivory.
Details:
-My mom is print mixing subtly…the snakeskin booties and the print cardigan have almost the same shapes and lines.
-This leather collar necklace and blue accessories are the cherries on top.
Rob’s outfit shows exactly why every person needs a good winter vest in their closet collection. I had Rob layer his vest over another jacket…very similar to my styling my denim vests over other jackets.
Even though the colors are muted, it’s still a stylish approach to winter fashion for men. Along with a great mix of neutrals…greys and browns together, but lightened up with the plaid.
Details:
-He cuffed the jeans to show off the brown sneakers. I like the lighter grey showing at the cuffs because it bookends the lighter grey vest.
-I did pop his plaid jacket collar to stand up against the grey vest collar.
You know I can’t resist a little DIY moment!
For this challenge, I wore a thrifted argyle winter vest, but it didn’t start that way. Originally, it had short sleeves. The moment I saw it, I knew the pattern was too good to pass up, so I bought it, cut off the sleeves, and added a shiny trim along the edges to give it a fabulous finish.
That’s one thing I love about thrifting:
You get to see potential, not just the garment in front of you. If you can tweak it, trim it, or reinvent it, suddenly you have a one-of-a-kind piece no one else owns.
For styling, I went for a playful, layered winter look layering my new winter vest over my long cardigan that I’ve showcased worn 5 ways before.
I wore it with my cargo shorts (worn here), but I think it would have been better over cream colored jeans.
Details:
–This is how the necklace originally hangs, but for today, I twisted it all together to shorten it. See the trick in this video.
–Fleece lined tights for the win. I don’t know why all women aren’t gaga about them.
-And bag charms…a perfectly fun way to add a smile to your look. You can find fabulous ones on Etsy or use things you already have.
Whether you love prints, neutrals, sporty style, or something quirky and DIY’d, a winter vest is one of the most adaptable pieces you can own. Here’s why:
Arms free. Core warm.
You may not think they add much warmth, but when you go to take it off, you realize that it WAS keeping you warm.
You can wear them:
Cable-knit, quilted, fleece, wool…the fabric alone gives your outfit depth.
Thrift stores are always full of vests because people give them away without realizing how useful they are.
Pro tip: Anything that has sleeves could be DIYed into a vest. Cut off the sleeves, and you have saved the item from the purge basket. For instance, I did it with this jacket, now vest.
Cut them. Belt them. Pin brooches on them. Layer them backwards. A vest is one of the easiest garments to personalize.
Vests aren’t new here on my site, so check out some other articles:
–Styling a lime green vest
–Long vest outfit
With the fashion and textile industry being a major contributor to landfills and other environmental pollution, we decided that our mission of this group is to focus on second-hand items.
Thrifty tip: Don’t forget to check out the men’s and kids’ sections of the store because you might be surprised.
Check out the other members of the Thrifty 6 group below for all kinds of winter vest outfits
“I found this denim vest a while back on a thrifting adventure but haven’t had the opportunity to wear it yet. It has double breasted buttons which I thought was so unique on a denim vest and the longer length was really appealing to me. It has kind of an easy boho artsy vibe which suits my style aesthetic so I bought it with no idea how I was going to style it. For this challenge, I just popped it over one of my upcycled Frankenstein dresses crafted from an old tee shirt and skirt. My earrings were also found in a thrift store (in North Carolina) and my coat was a thrifty find as well (you have to stop by my blog to see the coat).”
“When Sally came up with the “vested” theme, I thought, Oh no, after I googled what “vested” was. I’m not really into vests at all. I’ve tried them a few times, but I don’t feel comfortable in them at all. They feel way too masculine for me. And yet I do love wearing a tie. So, years ago, I bought a secondhand vest to try it out. And luckily, I still had the photos. A denim vest with ruffles. I’m sure my fashionable friends here can do this better.”
“I get a bit confused by vests; I think the word is rather ambiguous…
…to me it’s the string thing that men used to wear or what I wore as a child under my jumper to keep me warm.
These days it seems to be the garment I would call a tank-top or sometimes even what I would describe as a waistcoat.
Anyhow, here I am in my ‘vest’ (tank-top) – a funky fine-knit from circa 1975 with gold sparkle trim – ideal for the festive season!”
“I have numerous thrifted vests, but this olive marl sweater knit hoodie vest is one of my favorite ones for a casual winter outfit. I styled it with an olive long-sleeved T to make a modern twin set and topped it with a thrifted plaid scarf for a cheerful pop of color. Originally I was going to wear black jeans, but I don’t have any thrifted ones, so I chose to pull out a pair of thrifted black dress pants instead. My mom recently asked me if I was going to remove office clothes from my closet during my break from work, and I quickly decided that since all my uncomfortable office clothes have already been purged, I could easily continue to wear my remaining work clothes by styling them down for my casual Lifestyle. I really liked the combination of the drapey straight leg trousers with the sneakers.”
“I bought this waistcoat/vest on Vinted a couple of years ago and wore it for a previous Thrifty Six challenge. That was in summer so I wore it as a top then, but it works as a good layering piece too for the colder months. The top I’m wearing underneath was also a Vinted purchase, as were the trainers.”
If you don’t have great secondhand stores near you, then another great option is online thrifting. These are the ones I’ve used more than once (except Swap, but it comes highly recommended by a friend)
thredUp—this link gives you $10 (and me in return).
Poshmark — here is the post about how to shop the site.
Preworn–10% off with code JODIEFILOGOMO
Etsy
ebay
Swap
Uncommon Closet— a nonprofit to help women.
Gild the Lily–a local Michigan store that sells online.
Thank you for visiting my space on the internet. I like to showcase how it’s never too late to look great for women of any age, size, or working with any kind of budget.
I feel I’m here to help move beyond the fashion rules of yesterday and evolve. Style and clothes are made to give you joy. Not cause us Stress because we are worried about what others think.
My hope is that you get ideas and inspiration from my crew and me. It’s not about copying what we wear, but about using what you already have and updating items along the way.
Most of all, it’s getting us to think differently and dare I say, have fun.
Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.
It’s not just about me on this blog, but also my crew. We get to showcase not only different decades of life but also different body shapes and unique personal styles.
The post How to Style a Winter Vest: Thrifty 6 Inspiration for Cold-Weather Chic appeared first on Jodie’s Touch of Style.
