Take Two: Upcycled Spring Style Inspiration with Goodwill Finds

The days when it stays light out later make my heart happy, as spring slowly but surely begins to sneak into the cold winter weeks. Spring, is most certainly on its way, and with it a range of new fashion trends to get excited about.

There’s another reason I love this slow transition of seasons – and that’s because it’s the time when most people will start to clean out their closets and think about donating to stores like Goodwill. I find that I have the best Goodwill shopping hauls during these transition times and whether or not the style of clothing is still en vogue, the fabric can be impeccable and perfect for repurposing. (Want proof? After my shopping trip at Goodwill last week I came home with an awesome See by Chloe denim skirt, a new with tags Lululemon wrap and a Lacoste blouse… each item costing me less than $10! The beauty of spring thrifting has sprung at Goodwill!)

But back to fabrics – there are so many reasons to shop second hand and give clothes new life. Whether you’ve decided to shop more sustainably, reduce your environmental footprint, or know that shopping at stores like Goodwill can actually benefit your community by providing funding for essential jobs and training, shopping second hand can truly be a win-win. At the same time, it’s also a great way to bring out your creative and crafty side – whether you’ve used your extra time at home during the pandemic to hone your sewing skills, or are just now feeling inspired to pick up a pair of scissors, a needle and thread and see what happens. Not only will you give great clothes a new life by upcycling them to align with today’s top trends, but you’ll be able to tout the fact that you’re wearing a one-of-a-kind garment that was made for you, by you. And how cool is that?!

Below, we’re sharing some of our favorite upcycled spring trend inspiration. As you upcycle your own Goodwill hauls, share the results on Instagram and be sure to tag us to possibly be featured in a future blog!

Photo: @butterfly_and_sparrow

1. Boho Beautiful
The tides have turned and it’s out with form fitting skinny jeans and in with loose and flowy styles like in this gorgeous bohemian look. This Goodwill shopper repurposed the fabric of this skirt which she purchased as a two-piece set, and altered it to better fit her shape. I love the button detailing down the front of the skirt and the slit at the bottom, giving her the power to show off her legs and her shoes while still looking and feeling comfy.

Photo: @calioclothing

2. Double Take: Pretty Prints
Take-two! This mother-daughter duo will be turning heads in this popping, pretty floral print. This budding designer shops for all of her fabrics second hand at stores like Goodwill, and repurposes them into stunning, on-trend styles like these. Her outfit with the loose fitting pants and bandeau top looks like a spring staple, alongside her chunky and square-shaped sandals that we’ll be seeing a lot more of this season.

Photo: Refashionista.net

3. Time Travel: Square Neck
This thrifty upcycling queen found herself a $1 Goodwill bin steal when she came across the original dress in the picture on the left. She turned it from a well-made 80’s creation to a 50’s style frock, keeping the square neck detail consistent as she transformed the original material into her new dress. The square neck is something we’ve seen a lot of this past year, and will continue to see into the spring. As you think about neckline trends, another big one will be corset-style tops – so as bottoms get looser, tops may get tighter!