6 Scarves 2021: December Additions, #1 Black & Grey, Gina

For an introduction to the 6 Scarves 2021 project, see this post.

For a description of my method, see this post.

This past year has gone by so fast, it's hard to believe it's the final month of additions for the 6 Scarves 2021 wardrobes!

At The Vivienne Files, Janice used December to evaluate her capsules and add pieces that felt useful on the basis of that analysis. I'm not yet to the point of analyzing these wardrobes as we still have one more month of planned additions. Let's get to it.

First, a check in with our the inspiration scarf, color palette, and rabbit mascot for the Gina wardrobe.

December's additions are in a quite typical winter black and more black color scheme. While I do not adhere to a "winter = dark clothing" rule, these pieces will nevertheless be quite useful and versatile. (The pants photographed a bit wonky but they are just a simple pair of basic full-length wear-to-the-office trousers.)

Black/white bird blouse - Loft - XXL - $29.75 - 11/2017

Black/white polka dot T - Croft & Barrow/Kohls - 3X - $4.24 - 11/2020

Black quilted vest - Croft & Barrow/Kohls - 2X - $16.74 - 12/2019

Black work trousers - thrifted, Goodwill/Lane Bryant - 22 - $4.49 - 9/2018

Black/white striped tie-waist sweater - Loft - 20/22 - $8.00 - 5/2020

Two of the new scarves bring in a bit more color, though black continues to predominate December's additions.

Black/bright pink floral scarf - thrifted, ThredUp - $5.99 - 3/2019

Black/white houndstooth infinity scarf - Target - $9.50 - 5/2015

Grey/black/pink birds scarf - gift - 12/2016

Silver heart earrings - CJ Banks - ?

Burgundy garnet 5mm bead bracelets - made by me - summer 2021

Black suede Oxfords - thrifted, Munro American/Goodwill - $5.00 - 12/2013

Black/jewel tone dot scarf - thrifted, ThredUp - $2.99 - 5/2020

It is very easy to create outfits from December's pieces, though they do skew a bit somber! Outfit #1 is an achromatic look that uses print mixing and a variety of textures for interest. I need color in my outfits, but some people feel quite comfortable and chic dressed head-to-toe in black and white.

Outfit #2 introduces a bit of subtle color in the bird print scarf and the (very dark) burgundy garnet bracelets. A polka dot T is about as easy to print mix with as a striped one, and I think the black border on the scarf makes it a terrific option here.

Outfit #3 is based on another easy black and white column, but the bright pink wash in the scarf brings color and energy to the look.

The print mix theme continues in Outfit #4 with bold stripes and polka dots. The impact of the print mix will be lessened due to the addition of the quilted vest, which obscures much of the sweater. I personally love the "print sleeves, solid torso, print scarf" look that comes with wearing this kind of top + vest + scarf combo.

Today's garment focus will serve both as a "how did I wear it" profile and a fond farewell to the bird blouse, a doughty member of my wardrobe for four years that I recently retired. Black and white tops are not really a great choice for my coloring, and when I do want to wear black and white, I generally gravitate toward a striped or polka dot T because they are more comfortable and easier to mix with other prints. In the end, the color scheme, the bottom of the blouse being a bit tighter than I'd prefer (with zero stretch), and the ridiculous V neck back with a bow that doesn't want to stay tied and can feel strange when layered over...it was enough for me to bid this blouse adieu with a cost per wear of $1.86.

In this January outfit of the day, I wore the blouse with black pants and flats to create a basic dark column but added a bright pink velvet blazer (retired due to size) to bring a wonderful pop of color and texture to a winter work day. The "dark neutral column + colorful topper" is a classic work formula that is very easy to do in the winter. Gina's Sally could recreate a version of this outfit using the bright watermelon pink blazer added to this capsule way back in January.

This March outfit embodies another easy formula, switching out a colorful skirt (or pants) for the blazer in the previous outfit. In this case, the dark purple skirt doesn't have the same bold and bright quality of the pink blazer, but it still adds some oomph while letting the bird print stand out.

Finally, this March outfit was a really fun one to wear! It's got a print mix (animal + zoological for the win) and an interesting, bold color combination (coral + burgundy). It's an atypical use of color for me...I tend to wear blended or bridged colors rather than color blocking, but I did enjoy the result. Well, perhaps there is a just a hint of bridging in this outfit because the leopard print smoking slippers are a warm brown with pumpkin-y rust in the print...and that pumpkin-y rust color feels like it stands between the coral and burgundy...maybe?? I don't know. I would like to see myself experiment more with this kind of "seems random but the colors work well together" combination.

Today the last rabbit joins the Gina menagerie, and that lucky bunny is Billie the black Satin! We have seen Mini Satins in our rabbit collections this year, but Billie is the first Satin. The Satins and Mini Satins together are known as "Team Sheen" due to their unique fur structure. This fur structure (mutation) first appeared in a litter of Havana rabbits in 1934, and scientists at Harvard determined that the glassy appearance was the result of a simple recessive gene that narrows the diameter of the hair shaft, creating translucent fur. Black satin is a favorite for holiday fancy dress, but Billie rocks the look every single day!

Do you like to wear a dark neutral column? Do you wear a lot of dark colors in winter compared to other seasons?

In my next capsule wardrobe post, we will take a look at the December additions for #2 Navy & Beige, Darcy.

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