How to Look Cute and Stay Warm This Winter the Thrifty Way

Last Updated on February 20, 2024 by Stacy Averette

Need outfit ideas for winter in the South? Me, too! This post is all about how to look cute and stay warm this winter the thrifty way. The average winter low temperature where I live (Alabama) is 40 degrees. However, this past week the temps have dipped into the teens and have not gotten much warmer throughout the day. I dress in layers year-round but this week has forced me to be even more creative since I don’t own many “freezing cold weather” clothes. I’ll share the details and hopefully inspire you to wear what you love no matter the weather!

Getting Dressed Every Day: Rewearing My Closet Challenge

I get dressed every day. Every. Single. Day. I’m not a “stay in my pajamas all day” kind of girl. You won’t find me out and about in leggings and a t-shirt unless I’ve been out for a run. I’m not being critical or judgmental. If that’s what you love to wear then wear it. I just know that I feel better when I put together a cute outfit, fix my hair, and put on some makeup.

Even on days when I stay home most of the day or run a few errands, I still get dressed first thing. I’ve found that it sets my mood for the day. Getting dressed in an outfit that’s cute and comfortable sends a signal to my brain that says, “You’re ready for whatever this day might bring.” I feel happy and confident which totally affects how I show up in the world.

I started the #rewearingmycloset challenge on January 1 in addition to our commitment as a couple to #nospendjanuary. I have lots of clothes and most of them are thrifted. However, my love of thrifting has resulted in an overflowing closet. My brain needed a big rest and reset so I decided not to do any thrifting for 28 days and to only spend money on necessities. (I can tell you it’s been more challenging than I thought and I’ll probably write a post about what I’ve learned during the challenge.)

The challenge has allowed me to get creative with what I already own. After I wear an outfit I move it out of my bedroom closet and into another closet (guest bedroom) because even with all the clothes I have, I tend to wear some of the same pieces over and over again. This challenge is forcing me to wear everything in my closet and to get creative without repeating too much! Since I started this challenge three weeks ago, some items have been removed permanently from my closet. I realized I didn’t like them or the way they fit. It’s a great way to declutter! (Cold Winter Weather in the South

We’re not used to freezing cold weather in the South. Of course, we usually have a few days in January when it gets really cold and there’s the occasional snowfall, freezing rain, and paralyzing ice storm events but I can only recall a handful of those in my lifetime. Bottom line, when the temps get lower than my age, (57 currently), I start praying for spring weather. Honestly, I just don’t like getting all bundled up in the winter only to break out in a sweat when you go inside because you’re wearing too many clothes! When we lived in Nashville, I had more winter weather clothes—sweaters, turtlenecks, fleece-lined pants, etc. Today I own 5 sweaters, 1 turtleneck, and no fleece-lined anything.

The extremely cold temps of the last week have forced me to get creative to stay warm while outdoors and not sweat while indoors. Layering is the key, right?

My Outfit Inspiration

Pinterest is still my go-to for inspiration, especially outfits! Click here to follow MY STYLE board and you’ll get a good idea of what I love and where I find a lot of inspiration.

I never copy an outfit exactly. Instead, I find inspiration for combining pieces I already own. Some of my “aha” moments when browsing Pinterest look like:

• “I never thought about wearing those pieces together!”
• “I never thought about putting those colors together!”
• “A sweater over a sundress? Genius!”

Listen, I don’t consider myself a fashion blogger or a style guru and that’s not my goal. My goal is to inspire you to wear what YOU LOVE (whether it’s thrifted or cute boutique clothing) and hopefully, you’ll have some “aha” moments that help you get creative with what you already own. So here’s what I wore this week.

Rewearing My Closet: Week 3

Day 1: Saturday Road Trip

The weather was beautiful and we felt inspired to take a short road trip in the ’65 Chevy.

We suspended #nospendjanuary for a few hours and drove to Guntersville. City Harbor is a new development on Lake Guntersville with good food and great views. It’s one of our favorite places to go.

The road trip to Guntersville requires us to pass by several of my favorite thrift stores:

• Goodwill Boaz
• Shepherd’s Cove—Albertville
• Downtown Rescue Mission Thrift–Albertville
• Home Place Thrift Store–Guntersville
• Goodwill–Guntersville

On this trip, I didn’t stop at a single thrift store! Eric tested my resolve a few times but I stuck to my commitment not to thrift for at least 28 days. This day was really about us spending time together talking and resting.

• Turtleneck sweater (thrifted) —This sweater is so warm I can only wear it when it’s freezing cold outside. I added a camisole like this one underneath for an extra layer of warmth. Here’s a similar turtleneck.
• The jeans (thrifted) — these are a repeat item from last week. Here’s a link to a similar pair.
• The leather hat (thrifted) — I love hats and they’re a perfect layer to add warmth and style! Here’s a similar style.
• Vintage furry coat (thrifted) —- This coat has been in my closet for a while. It’s rarely cold enough in Alabama to wear it but I knew we’d be spending some time sitting outside enjoying the lake views. The sun was warm, the wind was chilly, but I was toasty warm! Here’s a link to a similar coat: Vintage style furry coat.
• Dr. Martens Brown Mary Jane— I splurge on shoes. I got it from my mama who loved shoes! Dr. Martens are hands down the most comfortable shoes in my closet. They’re my go-to if comfort is a priority.

Day 2: Sunday Church

My initial thoughts about this outfit after I saw the photo: TOO MUCH BROWN! Brown from head to toe is not a good look for me. I realized that last year in this Instagram video of my thrifted brown jumpsuit. (I promptly returned it to the thrift store!) I didn’t learn my lesson about brown but by the time I took the photo, I didn’t have time to change. I don’t like to be late for church, especially for an outfit change!

• Faux fur-lined sweater (thrifted) —- this is a cute layering piece that’s quite comfortable.
• Turtleneck sweater — repeat from Saturday because it was very cold and it’s the warmest top I own!
• Brown lace-overlay skirt (thrifted) —- Elastic waist for the win! These days all my skirts have elastic waists! Need I say more?
• Brown boots (thrifted) —- These very distressed brown leather ankle boots are one of my favorites. I found them in the men’s shoes at a local thrift store. They fit like they were made for me.
• Fleece lined tights (Walmart) —- I lied about not owning fleece-lined anything. Did I mention it was cold? Get the tights here.

Day 3: Monday

I don’t love the photo of this outfit but I loved the outfit itself. It could be that I take one or two photos and move on. Or that I don’t know how to pose for photos? Or that the angle of the photo isn’t the most flattering? Here’s the thing: I don’t care about any of that! I love, love, love wearing dresses and I felt really cute and feminine and happy.

• Floral dress (thrifted) — This is a spaghetti strap cotton sundress. It’s not really the thing you wear on a frigid winter day in Alabama but I wanted to wear this dress so I had to get creative with layers.
• Black long-sleeved t-shirt (source unknown)
• Vintage Wrangler Denim vest (thrifted) — extra layer for warmth and interest
• Cardigan (thrifted) — I don’t love this cardigan with this outfit. Maybe it’s the color but something’s off? However, I had places to be and things to do so I went with it.
• Black tights (Walmart) — these fleece-lined footless tights are perfect for wearing under skirts and dresses in cold weather!
• Dr. Martens —- warm and comfortable

Day 4: Tuesday Office Day

• Scarf (thrifted) — This scarf was the inspiration for the whole outfit. I knew a scarf would be a warm layer for work so I used the colors in the scarf as my inspiration.
• Dusty rose V-neck sweater (thrifted) —- this cotton sweater is not too warm due to the weave of the fabric so I added a camisole underneath for an extra layer of warmth.
• Army green corduroy pants —- I’ve had these pants for years. I think I bought them at TJMaxx. They’re a super comfortable, boot cut style and warm on cold, winter days.
• Dr. Marten Brown Mary Janes

Day 5: Wednesday Office Day

I love the top half of this outfit but not the bottom. Not sure why. It just didn’t feel right. I think it’s the skinny jeans. I don’t love them.

• Vintage army fatigue jacket (thrifted) —- I love this jacket!
• Black floral top (thrifted) — I love this top and wear it a lot in the warmer months. It’s a spaghetti strap “summer” top.
• Mustard long-sleeved V-neck (thrifted) — I wear this top often and it was the perfect piece for layering.
• Black skinny jeans (Old Navy) — I have 2 pairs of these jeans. I bought them on clearance several years ago at an Old Navy Outlet Store. They were way too long so I cut them and let them fray.
• Black boots (Target) — These boots are not comfortable! I call them my “Barbie shoes”. They made the bottom half of this outfit wearable but I was so ready for my favorite house slippers when I got home. (You have to get a pair of these!)

Day 6: Thursday Office Day

I loved this outfit! I probably wouldn’t have worn this outfit years ago because I would’ve said “It makes me look frumpy” (not skinny). If you missed last week’s post