How a Colorful Wardrobe Matches Our Thrifty Soul
The prompt for our Thrifty 6 group was “the color of our soul”, and the three of us certainly have a colorful wardrobe. I can give you all the reasons that you should incorporate more color into your look, but photos are worth a thousand words AND you have to feel it.
Quote of the day: “I only achieve simplicity with enormous effort.” Clarice Lispector
I know many women talk about feeling invisible as they get older, and in my humble opinion, part of that is the fact that many women wear more neutrals and play it safe with color pairings.
What you may not know about me is how the color palette of my closet has changed dramatically with the changes in my life. Over 35 years ago, I had mostly dark clothing which is what I thought was appropriate for my dental career. The other big factor was that my home life was very negative.
I’ve always thought that our mental attitude shows through with what we wear whether we purposely plan that or not. The inverse of that can be powerful also in that if you wear happy colors, it can give your mood a boost.
Just as with the advice for what to wear for chemo, color can play a powerful role in our attitude.
So let’s explore how the three of us showcased our colorful wardrobe by thinking of it as related to our favorite color.
And for those of you interested in trying to wear more color, I would suggest buying preloved items to see which colors resonate with you.
This isn’t the first time we have discussed incorporating color into our looks. We took baby steps and broke it down so it wouldn’t be overwhelming.
Charlotte: A Blue But Happy Colorful Wardrobe
Charlotte has always claimed that blue is her favorite color. The funny thing is that if you ever google it, blue is the favorite color of a majority of people.
Maybe that’s because blue is well known to be soothing and it is the color of the sea and sky.
What I appreciate about my mom is that she is open to wearing many different colors and has (mostly) taken the color black out of her wardrobe (at least the black things near her face)
My mom tells the story that even in high school, her clothes were predominantly blue. She remembers looking into her closet and seeing a sea of blue clothes. Which prompted her to make a conscious effort to buy other colors.
She remarked that yellow is her next favorite color and she especially likes blue and yellow together. What I applaud my mom for with this look is how there is no yellow in the skirt, yet she added it in anyways. And it looks fabulous.
Details
Let me point out a couple of details about my mom’s colorful wardrobe selection. I found this skirt for her while thrifting (it’s a Chico brand and was in the wrong size section). I was so glad that she opted to purchase it because skirts are such a wonderful option for staying cool in the summer heat.
Did you notice that
1-The scarf is the same print as the skirt. My mom shortened the skirt and didn’t want to waste the leftover material. So she created a skinny scarf out of it. Skinny scarves can be used more than just around your neck. I created a video of 4 options.
2-Charlotte is using a “belt buckle” as a scarf clip. You can find these on Amazon in all kinds of styles and colors. It makes the question of how to tie your scarf easier to figure out.
3- Her vest is actually a tank top. But why not layer it over (or under) another top?
Lesley: Blue and Yellow for the Win
Just like Charlotte, Lesley is enamored with the color blue. Not just for her colorful wardrobe, but if you remember seeing the inside of her place, it was predominantly blue there too.
What impressed me the most with Lesley’s outfit was her openness to print mix. If you really think about it, most of us decorate with different prints in a room or area, yet many of us are shy about trying it with our outfits.
Lesley shows you a perfect example of how to do this. If you have a favorite color, then I bet you have a couple of prints incorporating that color. And many times those prints will shine next to each other.
Details
Definitely check out the purse strap on Lesley’s yellow purse. It’s not the one that came with the purse, but one of those fun ones that you can switch out. At first, I didn’t think I would want to do that with my purses, but once I bought one and tried it, I was hooked.
If you are looking for fun and colorful straps that you can change out, there are a ton of options on Amazon.
I really love how there is no yellow in the dress or kimono, yet it’s a wonderful contrast color that Lesley has scattered throughout her accessories and shoes.
In fact, yellow is such a great color for a pair of summer shoes as we have shown in the past.
Jodie: An Equal Opportunity Color Lover
Of course, I have a couple of favorite colors. Yellow is what I would normally say; however, lime green is making a run for it too.
Yet when we think about the color of our soul, I wanted to incorporate more than just one color. Because they all tickle my fancy, and I believe in a colorful wardrobe. Besides I will tell people that I’m an equal opportunity color lover, so why not wear them all?
I’ve heard many people tell me that I can wear any color, but I have curated my closet only to include warm colors that I know will make me glow. Gone are the days when black was predominant on my racks.
If you don’t know the colors that look best with your complexion, there are many companies that will analyze that for you.
Related post: Pros and Cons of Color Analysis
All of these pieces have been thrifted in the last couple of years. The print, ruffle blouse is probably the oldest and I’ve even worn it over a jacket in the past (remember, you can layer very creatively if you put your mind to it).
The lime skirt was a thrifted find at Savers, and the neon orange jacket was found at a local secondhand shop. Even the lime green purse was thrifted while exploring a different town.
You might be surprised at the labels of some of these thrifted items, but that’s not why I purchased what I purchase. I may look at the tags, but I don’t only buy them for their designer’s name. Heck, no one else knows the designer many times.
Details
The only items not secondhand are my sneakers and my earrings.
White sneakers have become my go-to when I want to make sure an outfit looks modern and I need comfy footwear.
This pair is from Cariuma which is a brand that believes in sustainability as well as function. They have arch support in their insoles and even come in a multitude of colors and prints.
Related post: Boatload of ways to style white sneakers
The earrings are made by Lil Shop of Ours who are two sisters I met on Instagram. They hand-make their earrings and will customize the color for you, all for under $25. In fact, for this pair of earrings, I requested to be two stars long and then I asked for lime green.
Make sure to check out their page, and they would appreciate any support.
You should definitely sign up for the emails below. Besides the free eBook, my email family gets personal tidbits of what’s going on in my life along with other happenings, sales, information, giveaways, extra photos, and interesting articles.
Thrifty 6
With the fashion and textile industry being a major contributor to landfills and other environmental pollution, we decided to make it the mission of this little group to focus on second-hand items. Every month we will choose a theme and share our styles with you to hopefully inspire you to shop more preloved and less fast fashion.
Insider tip: If there aren’t many wonderful secondhand shops near you, then I included a list of online shops that I love at the end of this post.
- Emma of Style Splash
- Grace of Graceful Rags
- Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
- Jodie (and crew) of Jodie’s Touch of Style
- Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
- Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
So check out the other members of the Thrifty 6 and how they interpreted “The color of your soul.”
Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
“I love Jane’s theme this month because I am all about wearing bright colors and expressing the joy within my soul lately. So I wore a preloved pastel tie dye slip dress and converted one of my favorite brightly colored thrifted scarves into a long vest. My patchworked parasol was purchased on Etsy a few years back and while it was not preloved, it is made from recycled saris so I think that counts! Then I added black accessories because my soul, bright as it may be, is always anchored in black. But you will notice that all of my black accessories are also splattered with bits of color. And there you have the colors of my soul…pastels and brights anchored in black with a big old mix of prints and patterns from tie dye to florals to patchwork.” Â
Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
“I had to think about this topic for quite some time. Because you have to know yourself well for it. And right now I’m seeing a medical psychologist for a few sessions, and she’s sort of mixing me up, so to speak.
But what I do know is that I am faithful, honest and reliable. The color blue stands for that. So that’s why I am wearing my pleated dress from Vinted. I am also a positive person and open to innovation. That’s what green stands for. I couldn’t leave out black of course, which stands for strength and a touch of rebellion! There you have it! Me in the colors of my soul.“
Emma of Style Splash
“I love all bright colours but the three I wear the most are orange, green and yellow. For me, orange embodies energy and optimism while green is balancing and calming. I find it very difficult to resist buying more orange clothes and when I found this Zara waistcoat on Vinted I had to have it! It was my intention to wear it over a blouse or T-shirt but it’s been so hot lately that I tried it on without a layer underneath and rather liked it. I added the lemon bag because yellow is such a cheerful colour that always boosts my mood.”
Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
“Not long ago, purple whispered in my ear and told me that we should be friends…
Since then, our relationship has blossomed, and I believe we are in love.
Purple has many faces, self-indulgent richness, deep, moody, serious and regal, or soft like the petals of a flower…
…sometimes playful and full of fun yet always the unexpected choice.
Purple is definitely the colour of my soul…“
Grace of Graceful Rags
“The weather has been so uncharacteristically rainy in Denver lately, so much so that I haven’t been able to get outside to take photos! This is an old pic from a few years ago, featuring this super cute geometric dress that my parents thrifted for me. It’s from the Goodwill boutique Deja Blue (I’ve also been to the one in Las Vegas). I immediately knew I wanted to style this dress for the “colors that speak to your soul” theme since the pattern has so many fun and bold shades perfect for summer or a vacation.”
Online Thrift Stores
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.
Etsy
ebay
Swap
Uncommon Closet— nonprofit to help women.
Gild the Lily–a local Michigan store that sells online.
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My Goal
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 Charlotte, Lesley, and myself. 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 mother and friend. We get to showcase not only different decades of life but also different body shapes and unique personal styles.
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