6 Scarves 2021: Jan-Feb Recap, #5 Brown & Black, Nelly

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

For a description of my method, see this post.

The matrix indicates that black and burgundy/maroon are the dominant colors of the wardrobe so far.

x = solid piece

T = tonal piece (i.e., tonally works with this color though it is a different color)

O = ombré piece

P = print piece (not ombré)

That's quite apparent from the images also, of course, but what jumps out at me here is the impact the print pieces. We have some bold, attention-grabbing garments here.

Our accessories group is a little sparse compared to some of the other wardrobes, but we do have two solid scarves and two necklaces that can pair easily with prints.

We clearly have only just gotten started with the color palette. Four of the six colors haven't really joined the wardrobe yet. It'll be interesting to see whether March brings more of the same or branches out into some of these other color options.

For outfit building, let's start with the burgundy skinny pants and skirt that entered the wardrobe in January. In Outfit #1, the versatile paisley-textured knit tunic top makes an easy backdrop for our colorful inspiration scarf, and the tall black boots bring these skinny pants into frigid weather quite well. (Are tall riding boots over skinny pants or jeans still fashionable? I couldn't tell you. But it's just so practical that I can't give it up, so I guess you could call it consistent with my style regardless of its current fashionability. That said, I won't be adding a blanket scarf the size of a New England state and a pumpkin spice latte to the mix.)

I had to double-check Outfit #2 a couple of times, but, yep, this one consists of pieces that were all added in January. It's nice to be reminded that the outfits I put together each month are only a fraction of the possible outfits available with those additions! And who can resist the combination of a striped top and a polka dot scarf? It's such a classic, and the easiest thing in the world to do when the colors of one piece are a subset of the colors of the other piece.

In Outfit #3, January items are also dominant, with only the wine scarf as a February addition. The rich depth of color in the scarf is lovely with the dark mulberry in the plaid, and I like that it brings another dimension to the more-or-less matching vest and skirt combo. (I would probably wear black tights with this, even though that breaks the "rule" of matching tights to the skirt and/or shoes. I think that much burgundy could veer into overkill for my style, whereas the black would tone the look down a bit. Now if you don't want to be toned down, you do you!)

Moving on to the floral skirts, I really like Outfit #4. That skirt coordinates so beautifully with so many different shades from a pale pink through a very deep, almost black cherry and any shade of wine; an item that blends across such a range of a color makes putting outfits together a breeze. I enjoy pairing this skirt with the so-small-it's-almost-a-solid geometric print scarf. Adding the black velvet vest brings a hint of luxury to the whole look (it's a very handy dress up or down kind of garment).

Does the light floral print skirt hint at shades of teal to come? For now we can pair it with all black, so the skirt is the stand-out component of the outfit.

We can also try it with shades of burgundy and maroon, as in Outfit #7. What do you think? I think the burgundy T works just fine, but is the maroon poncho a step too far from the more purply tones of the skirt?

And finally one last print mix with a striped T and floral skirt, another classic combination. I would readily wear those items alone (weather permitting), but with a topper like this very warm wool motorcycle jacket, the impact of the striped T is reduced, if you want to keep things a bit more low-key.

And now for the star of the hour, our new rabbit! This long, lean girl is an English Spot that we'll call Angie. You'll notice that she has a "broken" pattern like we have seen before, including the dark patches on the ears, around the eyes, and on the nose (the butterfly). The English Spot (which truly was developed in England) is related to the Checkered Giant, the breed of Gina, the mascot for capsule #1. Over at least 150 years of selective breeding, the English Spot has developed a very specific set of markings, including the distinctive array of small black spots down the sides of the body. For the English Spot, not just any pattern of black and white will do!

The English Spot is only a moderate sized rabbit at 5-8 pounds, but looks like a giant next to the Netherland Dwarf at 1-1.5 pounds!

Is there anything that you like to keep wearing, regardless of whether it is considered currently "in fashion" or not?

In my next post, we will look at the last of our Jan-Feb recaps and new rabbits: the #6 Grey & Navy, Sophia wardrobe.