This month’s Thrifty Six theme turns our focus on hemlines. I have to admit that I was completely stumped as to how to approach this prompt; my immediate thought was asymmetric hemlines, but I couldn’t think of anything preloved that fit that criteria. Sure, I have several skirts with high-low, trumpet and frilled hemlines, but none of those are preloved. Then I remembered this Iris Apfel x H&M skirt that I bought on Vinted a few years ago. It’s a heavy, layered maxi that looks and feels like two skirts…two hemlines in one!
A while after I bought the skirt, I managed to find the blouse in the same print too…you know I love a matching set! When I previously featured this skirt on the blog I paired it with a bright pink top, but teaming it with the matching blouse makes it look like a dress, which I prefer. The skirt is so weighty, I could never take it on holiday. In fact, it’s so heavy that I struggle to hold it up while I do the zip. I’ve realised that the best way to put it on is to only undo the zip halfway, otherwise it falls to the floor! As it’s so long, I do need a bit of a heel with it. I’m wearing my Vivaia black boots here.
The green bag blends into the print, rather than stand out, which I think is better. The print can take the spotlight, along with the frills and bow. I also kept my jewellery simple for this reason. I know when to rein it in sometimes!
Iris Apfel x H&M skirt and blouse (Vinted) | River Island bag (Vinted) | Aldo sunglasses | Vivaia boots
“I cut 2 of the tiers off this skirt to make it a hi-low version. The skirt under it is thrifted and so is the sequin tube top under the vest. I figured DIYing my clothing is a great sustainable option, and that vest is over 12 years old. The brooches on the vest are all thrifted also.!
“I had no idea how to approach this hemline theme so I decided to see how many different hemlines I could combine into one outfit. From the bottom up: Layer 1 is a yellow lace super maxi dress. Layer 2 is the maxi dress I wore for last month’s Belt It theme. Layer 3 is the patchwork midi skirt I wore for our Crochet Revival theme. And layer 4 is a Kantha Bae apron/smock/tunic/dress thingie. I topped those 4 layers with a yellow paisley kimono tied at the waist, a hip length patchwork print coat, and a floral scarf. Other than my hat, everything was preloved including my jewelry and moccasins. I was really pleased with this look but there are A LOT of layers to contend with!”
“I totally fell for this Japanese inspired dress, adorned with golden flowers – shame it was too tight and too short, but I don’t let stuff like that bother me…
I’ve replaced the back zip with a fantastically chunky and oversized statement zipper that runs the entire length of the dress. Now the zip’s a feature to be exposed allowing for two extra inches of width – enough to fit me perfectly plus a bit of shimmy space.
To add length, I’ve attached a pleated trim to the hemline – it’s giving Issey Miyake Pleats Please vibes so totally in-keeping with the Japanese aesthetic – I loved it so much I added some to the cuffs too…
With these simple alterations, this dress is party-perfect and I’m doing a little hemline shimmy for Sally from T6 – Sally chose ‘Hemlines’ as our theme for May – such a fun theme!”
“I bought this skirt twice. The first time was when I had just started working in the fashion store, in 2007. We sold a lot of skirts like this. With ruffles and petticoats. All just a little bit different from the norm. And super feminine. The second time was sometime in 2019 via Vinted. Because I thought the skirt was amazing back then. The second time wasn’t. The length didn’t suit me anymore and this style didn’t fit me anymore. But it was beautiful, and tweed! Which is a plus!”
“I celebrated an unusual hemline by styling a black-and-white outfit around this thrifted knit skirt: it has a hi-low hemline that I don’t care for so I always wear it sideways to create a diagonal hemline instead. I topped off a black column with a thrifted check shirt and thrifted polka dot scarf for some easy print mixing. I’ve finished my look with handmade beaded bracelets and necklace for a simple, fun, and comfortable summer outfit. I’m a real color lover, but I thought the mix of geometric prints and multiple textures with the asymmetric hemline kept this achromatic look interesting.”
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