Okay, so I really love thrifting, and I really love fall, so this is me attempting to make that go well. As the title states, I am not a fashion major, however; I am a decent knock-off version and have loved *trying* to style clothes after the tragedy that was my middle school “look.” I also recently stole a ton of my parents’ old clothes, so if you see some of those scattered throughout, I’m sorry if that’s considered cheating. They fit really well with some stuff that I thrifted and I thought it would be easy for you guys to recreate if you so wish, so I wanted to include them! Also, these are all clothes that I’ve just thrifted over the years, but seriously, they’re so easy to recreate, so ’tis the season of layering and recreating!
- Stranger Things in 2019–With my Dad’s Old T-Shirt
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I actually have never seen Stranger Things (I’m sorry! I have to wait to watch it with the person I started it with!) but I love the ’80s and feel vaguely cursed that I wasn’t born then, but I guess this is second best! The jacket alone is so iconically ’80s that I felt like it was my obligation to mention Netflix’s most successful creation.
The jeans are actually thrifted though, and my god, do I love them! These bad boys are my “I feel like a powerful female and want to take over the world” jeans. When I first found them, I thought they looked very fifth-grade science fair, but once I rolled them up, it was like an 80s revival, and that I can work with!
The shirt and Converse are probably the other two things you already have in your closet; I just twisted the shirt (which I stole from my dad! Thanks Dad!) into a knot and folded the Converse down to really bring out the rest of the aesthetic. This is definitely one of the easier ones to recreate, especially because of the versatility of it! It’s so simple but effective, and I love it for the transition days from summer to fall!
- Lazy with a Hint of Denim and Handmade Scrunchies
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This may be my personal favorite, and 99.9 percent of that is because it’s one of the laziest and easiest outfits on here! I would also marry denim if I could, but I have yet to reach the level of confidence to wear denim on denim, so for now, this will have to suffice!
The jacket in here is something I’ve seen at almost every thrift store I’ve ever been to, and even though it’s been a trend for a while, it’s still kicking! Speaking of kicks, these shoes are the same converse from the last outfit, but I felt the boots (they’re in the next few looks!) just didn’t go as well, but if that’s your vibe, go for it! The shirt is my newest strange obsession! It’s one of the things I stole from my dad, but it was meant to be worn by a lazy 19-year-old! It’s had it’s fair share of wear and tear, but that’s what I love so much about it. It doesn’t have that artificial shirt feel that you get with new basic tees, plus, it’s from my dad, so I get a homey feel from it too!
I also have leggings in here, which are kind of buried beneath the massive denim jacket, but that’s kind of how it will feel when you wear them anyway, so it works! These specific leggings aren’t from a thrift store, but if you’re adamant about it, I’ve found some in the past, I just didn’t have them with me on campus!
Last but not least, to complete this wonderfully lazy look, I thought it would be cute to include my glasses (because who needs contacts when you’re too exhausted to put them in?) and two scrunchies! I actually made the spooky Halloween one, but the other one is a simple black one from my mom! I love the idea of two, especially if you have long hair! Right now my hair isn’t long enough, but if yours is, maybe try two for a better grip! Overall, it’s my go-to fall look because I get super cold easily, and I think it looks pretty cute!
- Stripes for Days
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This is an outfit for the days when it’s far too cold for you to think too hard about what you’re wearing but still look cute!
I thrifted this entire outfit, and I will be the first to say that it wasn’t hard at all! Like most things I’ve found, the jeans I found in the men’s section! I know it can be kind of awkward, especially if you’re the only girl in that area, but the men’s section will save your life. When I was younger, I went to quite a few thrift stores, and I didn’t know it was strange to go in the men’s section until I got older and became far too self-conscious, and that is such a dumb societal thing. Like, who decided that clothes were a gender thing? If a guy looks bomb in a dress and a girl wants to wear “boy” pants, let them go off!
Anyway, sorry for that rant! The jeans are made for men though, so they’re a bit baggy on me, so I chose to roll them up, but if you wear boots with heels, you can probably get away with not rolling them up then, I’m just incredibly clumsy!
The boots in this, as I mentioned before are thrifted! I found them for $6, and they are so precious and perfect for Fall! You may be able to faintly see, but they have a plaid pattern on the inside and lowkey remind me of the boots from 1920s.
I also put in this bralette that I found at a thrift store for $1. It didn’t seem worn when I bought it, which is what I advise if you are thinking of buying thrifted undergarments. If you have another bralette already though, feel free to use that as well, I just love the little detail peeking through by the shirt.
Speaking of, this shirt is basically something everyone already has. I am addicted to stripes, so it felt wrong to not include them in some way in this list! Last, but not least, the socks I put in are somewhat trendy right now, but they’re see-through, which is perfect if you don’t like feeling a lot of weight in your shoes!
- Aggressively Fall–In the Best Way!
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This outfit absolutely screams fall, and I absolutely love that! This one is also completely thifted! I got the sweater a while ago, but it has become my favorite fall piece! If you’re going to buy a gigantic, oversized sweater to make you feel like you’re buried in a blanket while in class (or anywhere, for that matter!) I highly recommend thrifting!
In case you haven’t gotten the idea by now, I’m a huge fan, but a large part of that is because not only does it help your bank account, it will massively help the environment! And sweaters cost so much anyway, why not get a unique piece for a fraction of the price? Also, this doesn’t get said a lot, but a quick tip, Sundays are the best deal days! I think because the stores aren’t normally open as long, but I know at Goodwill, that’s when they have certain tags for $1! I also know that Goodwill and Salvation Army both have certain tags half off every day!
Speaking of deals, I always look in the coat section as well! I got this cute plaid one that again makes me feel like I’m in a chic 1920s jacket for $3! It’s from Charlotte Russe too, so that was super lucky! These jeans are another favorite of mine because they’re just simple skinny jeans, but they feel like leggings! Last, but not least, I have the same boots on, but rightfully so for the outfit that aggressively screams fall!
- Flannel (kinda!) Look for All Lumberjacks!
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Okay, I kind of feel like I cheated because although I do have thrifted flannels, I don’t have any here on campus, and I wanted to include a flannel for this festive article, so I took the next best thing–a reversible jacket that looks like a flannel!
Allow me to explain, I found this strange jacket in the men’s section (a.k.a. the best section) and it’s reversible, so as you can hopefully see, one side is all black with a red stripe going across, and the other is a very prominent flannel pattern and is super soft as well! It’s perfect for the days when you’re not sure if it’s too cold out or not!
To break up the bagginess, I paired it with a tight v-neck and some black skinny jeans that I cuffed at the bottom (because I’m short like that) and then I finished it off with some rolled down high-top Converse to make my legs look a bit longer!
- The Wacky Sweater Look to Feel Like Halloween Threw Up On You (in a good way!)
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This is by far the most out-there one on this list, but I wanted to show off the weirdest, most-beloved thrifted item I own! For my final look, I wanted it to be the most festive as it possibly could, so I present to you, the sweater to end all Octobers! This sweater screams Halloween, and it honestly just makes me so freaking happy!
There are probably much cuter shoulder sweaters that you have, but I dare you to wear the weird one in the back because she’s secretly the coolest and will get you a cute little compliment from the adorable check out person at Goodwill (I speak from experience!)
In all sincerity though, branch the heck out of your comfort zone! I paired this with a simple tank top, but you could wear any plain tee or tank (or a wacky color if you’re feeling yourself!) Then I paired up my boots once again and some leggings for yet another comfy look!
Hopefully, you liked these and are maybe even inspired to go thrifting! It’s honestly such a fun activity and will truly help you save money and the environment! I’ve gotten more clothes from thrift stores than I have regular stores at this point, and it feels so good! I hope this article was helpful and maybe even inspirational! So go out there and feel like the powerful, festive human being you are!