Thursday, February 26, 2015

Thrift Style Thursday: Time Machine

A light dusting of snow on Wednesday (which melted as soon as it hit the ground), combined with the near-constant rain and sleet of the past several days, made outdoor photography just a little too slushy for my liking this week. The good news is, the sun came out just long enough to make indoor photography doable, once I found the right spot in my house. And what better way to spend a cold, wet afternoon than to throw a little fashion show in your living room, right?

When Beth, aka Bethie the Boo, offered us a ride in her time machine, I knew just which decade I wanted to visit. I will always look back fondly on the fads of my youth (well, some of them), and as a 90s teen, that means floral dresses, denim, chunky boots, plaid. And as luck would have it, all these things are making a comeback recently. I've always heard that fashion is cyclical, but as I age, I'm learning this lesson first-hand. On the one hand, seeing more and more trends for the second time makes me feel old. And yet, sometimes nostalgia gets the better of me.

So in the spirit of nostalgia, I threw together a few outfits inspired by 90s fashion, though perhaps tempered by my adult sensibilities.

For the first look, I paired a refashioned floral dress with my $5 thrifted denim jacket and $16 thrifted leather boots. Nothing that screams 90s, but it certainly casts a nod in that direction.

Thrift Style Thursday: Time MachineThrift Style Thursday: Time Machine

Thrift Style Thursday: Time MachineThrift Style Thursday: Time Machine

Outfit #2 was quite similar, but with a slightly stronger 90s slant. The free denim vest, left over from someone's garage sale, is definitely a little more... vintage, shall we say? Also, the pastel dress (refashioned) and the black leather boots ($30 clearance at Target, originally $60) are in such high contrast to one another, a less subtle call-out to the genuine combat boots (army surplus!) I wore back in the day.

Thrift Style Thursday: Time MachineThrift Style Thursday: Time Machine

Thrift Style Thursday: Time MachineThrift Style Thursday: Time Machine

Lastly, in an even more obvious homage to the 90s, I tried the grunge look on for size. I started with a base of black skinny jeans (refashioned) and a used-to-be black Foreigner tee from my husband's closet. I also snagged his black high-top Chucks while I was in there (let's pretend they aren't two sizes too big for me), and added in one of my dad's plaid flannel shirts, borrowed at least 15 years ago and never returned (sorry, Dad!). That shirt spent many an afternoon tied around my waist in junior high school.

Thrift Style Thursday: Time MachineThrift Style Thursday: Time Machine

I topped it all off with my recently completed, hand-knit Howlcat. It's basically a big tube, half one color and half another, that can be folded with either color toward the outside, making it reversible. Then you can wear it in tube form as a cowl or put a twist in it before folding in half and it becomes a hat. That's four different ways to wear it! I used the yarn I brought back from my trip to Hawaii a couple years ago. The grey is sourced from alpacas local to the Big Island, and the green is a luscious cashmere, hand-dyed in Hawaii.

Thrift Style Thursday: Time MachineThrift Style Thursday: Time Machine

Sadly, this last outfit had the opposite effect as desired, accentuating the "old" in my mind, rather than the Good Old Days. I'm not sure I could get away with wearing this combination out in public anymore. But hey, it was fun to reminisce!

How about we go see where (when?) the other TSTers took this time-travelling challenge? Just click their pics below, or click the TST icon to visit and like our Facebook page.




12 comments:

  1. It is true that fashions come, go and return - some good and some that should have kept going. I enjoyed your return to your youth of the 90s. - Carissa, You made grunge attractive ! And, the denim jacket with the sleeves turned back is a great look. As a teen of the later 60s, I can attest that you will see this cycle happen many times.

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    1. Hehe... my mom kept saying "I wished I'd kept all my bell bottoms" whenever I went through my flower child phase in high school. Too bad she didn't!

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  2. I love these looks! If I hadn't done 60's today I would have done 90s! I remember wearing lots of little dresses and denim vest type looks back then, that might be my favorite look you did - but I have a sweet spot for the grunge look too! Fun choices overall!

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    1. I was actually a little surprised how much 90s-inspired stuff I had in my closet when I started thinking about this theme. I remember vowing never to wear those things ever again. So much for that! Thanks for choosing an awesome theme this week. I had tons of fun with my little snow day fashion show for one!

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  3. Omg I love allll of these looks, but that last one seriously takes me back!! I love, love, love the plaid shirt even more because it is one you actually wore "back in the day," borrowed from your dad and never returned! I "borrowed" many an item from my older sisters that they never saw again haha! AWESOME (or do I mean totally rad??) post this week!!! :)

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    1. Ya know, I'm trying to remember how long my dad had this shirt before I stole it. It's entirely possible it is older than I am!

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  4. I adore every single one of these outfits! You did a great job calling back to the decade without letting it overtake you. :) I love the first look, especially. It reminds me of being a kid and playing outside and wearing floral dresses just like that! Great post, Carissa!

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    1. Me too! The first outfit is definitely my favorite!

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  5. I too borrowed my dad's shirts all the time...and also kept one of them. :o) I have a growing fear that the last time I did a deep closet clean, it didn't make it!!! I have too many coats and jackets and as we both know our Central Texas weather really doesn't necessitate such a collection! :o)

    That top dress, with the buttons down the front...yep, had several. :o)

    One of my friends walked in a store last Spring and said, "I can't believe denim vests are back...yuck!" She ended up trying it on and BUYING it! :o) Yep, everything comes back around.

    JJ
    www.dressupnotdown.blogspot.com

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    1. Oh no, I hope you still have it! Maybe it's just hiding in the back of your closet, waiting to be rediscovered...

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  6. Haha, the grunge look does get harder to pull off as you get older (but I still love it so, and I do think you can still pull it off btw), It's actually my favorite of these looks (although the floral dress and denim vest is a close second)

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    1. Thanks, Miche! I did actually wear a grunge-inspired outfit out and about Thursday night, but I toned it down a bit, swapping out the all black for my ripped blue jeans, a fitted tee, and the plaid flannel and hat above. My friend still called me out for it as soon as she saw me though - "Oh man, you are *so* 90s right now!"

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