For an introduction to the 6 Scarves 2021 project, see this post.
For a description of my method, see this post.
Ah, yes, doesn't this color palette seem made for the summer/fall transition season?
Olive is perhaps the most stereotypical autumn neutral, and here we have a three-piece "trio" of top, skirt, and cardigan in similar but not exactly-matching shades of olive. (The tank and skirt are almost the same color; the cardigan has a bit more yellow in it.) And since we are continuing with our extremely casual summer additions, we have a tank and capri pants in black as well.
Olive tank - CJ Banks - 3X - $8.32 - 7/2020
Olive open weave cardigan - thrifted, Catherines/Goodwill - 2X - $4.49 - 10/2018
Olive crinkly skirt - CJ Banks - 2X - $9.99 - 8/2020
Black crossover exercise tank - JCP - summer 2021
Black knit exercise capris - Walmart - ?
To lighten and brighten our dark neutrals, these cheerful colored pieces will come in handy. I know many people are hesitant to wear a bright accent color on their bottom half, but my pear-shaped plus-sized bod is happy to wear something like this salmon pink pencil skirt made from a forgiving and comfortable thick knit fabric. A white/ivory short-sleeved cardigan is a versatile piece. The light coral/peach T and 100% salmon check shirt are summer items that can transfer easily to autumn.
Salmon pink skirt - Bissou Bissou/JCP - 1X - $16.79 - 6/2017
Salmon/white check shirt - thrifted, Kohls - 2X - $4.20 - 12/2019
White short-sleeved cardigan - Loft - XXL - $20.00 - 2/2017
Light coral T - Croft & Barrow/Kohls - 3X - $5.00 - 5/2020
Given the number of olive garment additions this month, this seems like a great time to add some green accessories to the capsule as well. Most of these pieces are in the earthy/muted green family, even if they aren't all exactly olive. (The light green tiger-eye/cream bracelet is the exception.) The earrings, olive bracelet, and light green/cream bracelets are DIY projects I made this summer. The bracelets in the center were made from beads I purchased specifically to make bracelets to work with my olive neutrals. They are a new-to-me stone called chrysoprase (from the Greek words for "gold" and "green"), which is the gemstone variety of chalcedony.
Olive-yellow open weave scarf - thrifted, ThredUp - $1.50 - 12/2019
Green pearl/gold hoops - made by me - summer 2021
Olive 6x4mm chrysoprase bead bracelets - made by me - summer 2021
Olive-yellow bulky bead and ribbon necklace - Fire Mountain Beads - $3.89 - 7/2021
Olive ballet flats - Amazon - $11.99 - 9/2020
Green tiger-eye/cream bead bracelet - made by me - summer 2021
Our second set of accessories spans the "light and warm" salmon, orange, cream, and gold colors. It's funny how seeing that brown leopard print scarf puts me immediately in mind of fall. It's like the pumpkin spice latte of my sartorial world!
Salmon/black elephant scarf - thrifted, ThredUp - $1.50 - 12/2019
Brown/red/pink leopard scarf - thrifted, Goodwill - $2.99 - 7/2016
Sandstone/cream seed bead strands - made by me - summer 2020
Sandstone coral seed bead bracelets - made by me - summer 2021
Camel-gold pearl/gold bead strand - made by me - summer 2021
Cream/beige multi-strand shell necklace - CJ Banks - $6.59 - 2/2021
Golden/sandstone 4mm glass pearl bracelets - made by me - summer 2021
Long gold tassel necklace - Kohls - $20.00 - 12/2014
I'm going to start our outfit building with a couple of uncharacteristically all-neutral ensembles. This isn't a way I dress very often (in part because I have a low contrast but rather "colorful" appearance that can get washed out easily), but if I were picking a neutral to build such an outfit around, olive would be right up there on the list. Compared to neutrals like black, grey, white, and brown, olive and navy seem like relatively color-like neutral options...do you know what I mean? Olive is like a neutral form of green, and navy is like a neutral form of blue. Actually I love olive and navy together, but that's not in any of our 6 Scarves color palettes, so let's explore a couple of olive/white/black options today with the August additions.
In Outfit #1, the tank and skirt in closely blending olive colors ("Athens Olive" and "Olive Fields" from CJ Banks' summer 2020 collection) create a column of color that can just about function like a dress. The white/ivory cardigan adds coverage (without much heat). The light neutral necklace will stand out nicely against the olive tank. I'm visualizing the lightweight open weave olive-yellow scarf worn around the back of the neck with the ends left long and flowing in the front.
In Outfit #2, the same skirt, cardigan, and shoes from the previous outfit are combined with a black tank for a more complex look of 3 different neutrals. Simple olive accessories finish the look. You know, the way I photographed the black tank makes it look a bit odd, but it's actually quite a cute top when worn. The two layers that cross over each other in the front gives it a bit of extra interest and is a surprisingly flattering cut. Even though this is an exercise top made from moisture-wicking fabric, it could pass as a regular casual knit tank very easily.
In Outfit #3, let's give our olive skirt and cardigan "suit" a go with this lovely peach accent color. I think this color combination is quite beautiful and really captures that summer-to-fall transition feel. I decided to try a layered necklace made from the glass pearl and seed bead strands up high and the long tassel necklace for that vertical aspect. Because the necklaces are of a similar tone/value to the top, it results in a subtle look, which might appeal to someone who is newly experimenting with the layered necklace look or just prefers (or is in the mood for) a less conspicuous take on this idea.
And now for something very different with an outfit based on accent color garments and neutral accessories! This is the opposite of the way many people build their outfits, but I am a fan of this approach. The quintessential autumnal brown leopard scarf feels a bit more summery when worn with a bright accent color, does it? As for the shoes, I would never choose a random olive pair of ballet flats to complete this look (my brown flats from the Black & Brown Nelly capsule would be my #1 choice). But I'm working within the confines of my capsule-building process here, and it doesn't hurt at all to at least consider something that's very different from our personal norm.
Finally, can we make our exercise tank + capris combo look a little bit more like normal streetwear? I think so! A lightweight shirt worn like a jacket (sleeves rolled up, definitely), a scarf that pulls the black and salmon together and adds some print mix interest, and a couple simple bead bracelets are easily to throw on and make this lounge-about column look like an outfit. If you're wondering about these capri pants, and envisioning a super-baggy pair that look kind of terrible because they sag all around my body, they are not as baggy as they appear once they are put onto my robustly-sized bottom half! (If I had skinny legs, it would be a different story.) Also, the patch pockets and drawstring waist aren't really visible when I wear them either. I think it's worth considering whether some items like this can do double-duty for exercise and casual outings like grocery shopping, sandwich shop lunch, etc.
Our garment spotlight today is the white/ivory short-sleeved cardigan that I purchased at Loft, pre-plus-size offerings, in XXL in 2017. (Of course, Loft is now post-plus-size, so...I guess they just don't want any of my money ever again.) Such a light colored cardigan doesn't necessarily seem like it would be very versatile because a lot of people don't like the look of a dark top with a light cardigan over it. I have historically been a bit iffy on that combination myself, though it has grown on me over time. I've actually found this cardigan quite useful and easy to wear, as you'll see in the following three outfits featuring the darker top + light cardigan combo...
First, this May outfit is a good representation of simple outfits I put together around my sleeveless rabbit blouse, in which some combination of navy, white, and sometimes olive/aloe support pieces allow the bunny print to stand out. And I really like wearing this rabbit blouse with these striped flats for a low-key but fun print mix.
This August outfit is an example of my dark neutral + light neutral + accent color + print color formula that I wear in a multitude of variations. If you like orange/coral but are hesitant to wear it with black outside of the Halloween holiday, white/ivory and/or navy are good choices (as is the olive we saw above). The striped flats, which combine the colors of the top and cardigan, make this outfit for me. Do I appreciate that both the necklace and the shoes have brown cording as part of their construction? Yes. Yes, I do.
This September outfit is a nice summer/fall transition option for when it feels warm but you are ready to start adding in some touches of autumnal color but not a 100% ready-to-visit-the-pumpkin-patch look. With accessories in a bright color like hot pink, green, even red, this would be a very summery combination, but the maroon/burgundy feels like a nod to the upcoming season.
Now it's time to introduce August's new rabbit, and she is a marvel to behold. Meet Trina the tricolor Holland Lop! Is her hair (hare) looking a little bit wild on top? The Holland Lop breed is known for their distinctive thick puff of fur atop their heads on the area known as the "crown"...although I will say that I think Trina's human has groomed her fur to bush up and out in a total rock and roll do.
Do you keep your exercise/lounge and out-and-about clothing completely separate? Do you ever combine items from the two categories?
In my next capsule post, we will look at the August additions for our fifth wardrobe: #5 Brown & Black, Nelly.
I link up with:
Nike at Life as a LEO Wife (Sundays)
Shelbee at Shelbee on the Edge (Mondays; 3rd Thursday)
Michelle at My Bijou Life (Mondays, Fridays)
Mica at Away from the Blue (Mondays)
Debbie at My Random Musings (Mondays)
Leelo at Beauty by Miss L (Mondays)
Roxanne at Glass of Glam (Mondays)
Claire at Claire Justine (Mon, Wed, Fri)
Laura at I Do deClaire (Tuesdays)
Emma at Style Splash (Tuesdays)
Jess at Elegantly Dressed & Stylish (Tuesdays)
Gail at Is This Mutton? (Wednesdays)
Shelly at The Queen in Between (Wednesdays)
Jodie at Jodie's Touch of Style (3rd Thursday)
Carrie at Curly Crafty Mom (Thursdays)
Ada at Elegance and Mommyhood (Thursdays)
Jacqui at Mummabstylish (Thursdays)
Nicole at High Latitude Style (Thursdays)
Suzy at The Grey Brunette (Fridays)
Nancy at Nancy's Fashion Style (Fridays)
Erika at A Little Bit of Everything (Fridays)
Lucy at Lucy Bertoldi (Fridays)
Kimberly at Being a Wordsmith (Fridays)
Rena at Fine Whatever (Saturdays)
I really like the olive/peach outfit. It’s a winner!
Funny because I think I have that exact same white cardigan. I haven't worn it in awhile, but it's so classic.
I loved your words: "it doesn't hurt at all to at least consider something that's very different from our personal norm." It's absolutely true. Like for me to work on more neutral outfits. I should because then I will really have more variety.
XOXO Jodie
www.jtouchofstyle.com