6 Scarves 2021: Jan-May Recap, #6 Grey & Navy, Sophia

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

For a description of my method, see this post.

Welcome to the last recap post for May, featuring this lovely palette that feels so right to me for spring and summer. (And this lovely mini rex who feels so right, period. If you've never petted a mini rex, you definitely should give it a try.)

With some colorful additions to the capsule this month, we should be well set up to create outfits for the transition to summer weather. First, I put together a couple of looks featuring the grey skinny pants and pewter loafers. In Outfit #1, May's long-sleeved coral T is jazzed up by a floral scarf. Florals for spring may not be revolutionary--and personally I like a good floral print 365 days per year--but a floral print on a dark background for spring is at least a little less common! (If I haven't mentioned in a few days that I am a complete sucker for a floral print on a navy background, let this be your reminder.) I love everything about this look.

Next we are revisiting this floral blouse that we added in January and giving it a slightly different look by adding this blue square necklace from May. I wear this blouse with scarves quite a lot, but the V neck is also a nice size and shape for wearing a necklace. Does that seem strange to say? But there are so many kinds of V necks! (I am emboldened to belabor this point after reading this post on Fashion Schlub.) I dislike it when a blouse has one that's either so wide or so deep that you have to wear a cami underneath, a scarf over the top, or simply accept that you will be monitoring your bra coverage situation all day. I have another Loft blouse of a similar vintage to this one, also a V neck, and the neckline was so frustrating (which was only my first complaint about its fit, which is a rant for another day).

In Outfit #3, the navy polka dot T, navy striped flats, and slate blue necklace from May are clearly made to go with this slate blue skirt. With this, a Sally can throw on about 5 or 7 bracelets from this group of metallics and white and be ready for a warm day.

Outfit #4 brings these pretty pink pants into the warmer weather with the addition of May's white open weave vest. What do you think of this double down on stripes? Given the visual distance between the scarf and the ballet flats, I like it! But it's easy to go too far repeating a print in an outfit, and it's definitely not clear to me where that line is between "fun and cheeky theme" and "too much." For me, another striped piece in this outfit would have taken it too far, which is why I picked these swirly blue earrings rather than the ones with stripes. (I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in Liz Klebba's beauty bundle series to learn more about Design Bundles, which is perhaps where a group of multiple striped accessories might be categorized.)

So adding the white vest...did that sound like I'm suggesting adding a layer to make an outfit more summery? I guess I kind of am! This vest is so lightweight and cool that I do not experience it as another layer in terms of warmth. And somehow adding white to an outfit just feels cool to me.

Also, depending on your situation, the start of summer can be functionally cooler than late spring. That's the way it is in my extremely well-insulated apartment in Minnesota, where I spend early to mid May waiting for outdoor temperatures to warm up enough to run the air-conditioner, and then late May and early June waiting for warmer overnight temperatures so we can run the A/C 24/7. On a sunny day, it can be a perfectly pleasant 55 F outside but still 75 F in here. Why not just open a window? Oh, I open all the windows, and run multiple fans to circulate the air, and it is still warm in here. (And when the pollen counts are high, not even an air filter in every room keeps the air clean enough to keep my rhinitis in check.) I love the insulation in the 6 months of winter, but it makes the transition to summer challenging! Of course, this week we are experiencing Texas June, so being warm enough to run the A/C is not a concern at all. Careful what you wish for, I guess.

OK, onward to Outfit #5, which features a monochrome palette, a low-key print mix, and a station necklace from May's additions. Confession: this is the third time in the capsule outfits so far I've put this top and skirt together, just changing the topper, footwear, and accessories to carry the combination through the seasons. But how am I supposed to resist it? It is very near perfect.

I'm always happy when I review the garments for this wardrobe. So many beautiful, soft colors and two of my favorite prints, flowers and stripes. But we will be adding more things for summer. What would be helpful? I would like to see the aloe vera green from the color palette enter the wardrobe, and more white is an obvious choice for summer; even a white short-sleeved T would make a big difference. Chambray/denim is another good option here.

This collection of accessories is really top notch. I mean, it lacks any rabbit items (always a negative) but otherwise, it's doing very well. Perhaps when aloe vera garments arrive in the wardrobe, some aloe vera accessories will come along too?

Taking that navy/blue cross skirt from Outfit #5, let's see a couple ways I've styled it in every day life. It might surprise you, given my color mix and print mix proclivities, but one thing I am kind of crazy about is the look of a non-traditional twin set including a t-shirt knit top and a sweater knit cardigan plus a scarf, all in about the same color. And voila, this July outfit has it in this soft blue color from CJ Banks that they called "blue earth" (pieces purchased last summer). It's a subtle look, but I'm a big fan of it...and it lets a hero accessory like this bib statement necklace I bought for Robot's mom's wedding really stand out. (Surely this twin set will be coming to this capsule eventually, right? Right?? The scarf is already here.)

In this August outfit, the inspiration scarf for the Sophia wardrobe is featured against an open weave linen sweater. The scarf ring of the day was an elastic band and a white plastic flower button (to tie in and tie on the floral scarf). And though I am happy that as a society we have progressed to the point of recognizing that the color "nude" should not be unthinkingly used to describe the pale beige of a stereotypical white person, and that what qualifies as "nude" depends on the individual, I'm not yet prepared to admit how close to my skin color these blush pink flats are. I basically pretend that I have the skin color of a stereotypical white person (and call my light beige shoes "nude") and not this pink skin.

To wrap things up, let's review the capsule's rabbit menagerie and its varied wonders. What are Maggie the Magpie Harlequin and Holly the Holland Lop on the right side looking at with such interest? Is it the impending arrival of new bunnies for June??

Are there any garments or accessories that you consider essential for June or for summer in general? If I had to pick only one, it would probably be a pair of ballet flats. I don't wear sandals, and I'm not prepared to wear sneakers with everything.

In my next capsule post, we will get started adding summer clothing with the June additions to the #1 Black & Grey, Gina wardrobe.

I link up with:

Shelbee at Shelbee on the Edge (Mondays; 3rd Thursday)

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)

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)

Suzy at The Grey Brunette (Fridays)

Nancy at Nancy's Fashion Style (Fridays)

Michelle at My Bijou Life (Fridays)

Erika at A Little Bit of Everything (Fridays)

Rena at Fine Whatever (Saturdays)