Styling 6 thrifted spring and summer outfits

As promised, here’s a lineup of some of my favorite thrifted spring and summer outfits that I’ve put together — I’m all about style on a budget, and I try to reuse key pieces from my wardrobe, although I can’t resist the occasional flea market or Goodwill haul. Everything is either from Goodwill or a discount shop (such as Ross or Target)! I spent a lot of my early 20s actively avoiding colors and prints (hello austere navy and gray palette), and now it looks like I’m trying to overcompensate all at once! 

This orange creamsicle look is one of my favorites! The funky retro blouse is from a Goodwill in Modesto, and it beautifully complements my glossy Fire & Ice lipstick from Revlon and orange nails (from Sally’s, by the way). The bumblebee earrings also add a light, whimsical touch — they’re $5 ones from JoAnn Fabrics! 

Hello from this flowery outfit and my monstera deliciosa! I usually like to layer a turtleneck or tee with this thrifted Victoria Beckham x Target floral dress from Livermore’s Goodwill (sadly, now closed), but we’re going sleeveless in 100 degree weather! The E.L.F. green eyeshadow adds a nice touch, I think. I usually go for sparkly browns, but this shade complemented the whole botanical theme.

My Donna from Mamma Mia fit! Here’s another Goodwill ensemble that was supposed to be breezy, but ended up chafing a little bit because of the triple-digit heat in the Central Valley. That said, I quite enjoy the structured look that the denim dress brings to the look, and the tassels and pleated detailing on the sheer blouse make the outfit feel more summery. The white Reeboks are also my go-to shoes for this walking around — my love for a heeled boot is boundless, but I can’t walk around in anything with a heel, no matter how short it is! 

Here’s my tiered cotton baby doll dress from Target’s clearance rack that makes me, an ancient 26-year-old, look 10. My mom says that shrimp orange is my color, and I can’t disagree? This picture doesn’t do this orange dress justice at all. It has beautiful floral embroidered detailing and a fun square neckline in addition to the puff sleeves. The fabric really is beautiful, although it does give me window curtain vibes, kind of like in the Sound of Music when Maria made the Von Trapp children outfits from a window curtain material and ticked off the Captain. I didn’t put too much thought into this look (hence, no ironing) — just paired it with vintage brown sunnies, a floral mask, and a rainbow scrunchie. 

This might be my favorite look! I call it my Lorde “Solar Power” look because it’s sunny and cute. The dress is a Goodwill Milpitas find that I wore five years ago to my college graduation. I could never let go of it, so I’m glad I found a use for it now. I matched the dress with a sheer yellow floral embroidered shirt from the clearance rack at Ross. Florals aren’t really typically my thing, but this outfit brings me lots of joy. I finished the look with $5 ankle boots and black tights. How do you feel about sheer tights? I feel like they look better with dresses, but they disintegrate much too fast under my care. 

I don’t think this picture does this look justice! The day I walked out with this outfit, a handful of zillennials left me flustered with all of the compliments they gave me. This ensemble is what I call my K-pop ensemble, inspired by all of the BLACKPINK videos I watched during a rather stressful and sad moment in my life. This textured puff sleeve shirt from Ross is a hit, and it pairs really well with silver and black accessories for an edgy but girly vibe.