For an introduction to the 6 Scarves 2021 project, see this post.
For a description of my method, see this post.
Sorry for the unexpected week without posting...I took some time off work and basically didn't even come into the little room where my work and personal computers are set up because I was so enthralled with a new DIY project all week. More about that later...now it's time to revisit the wardrobe based on this very fall-to-winter-looking scarf and color palette.
Our new garments are pushing the blue from the color palette heavily for October with four pieces in "peacock blue" from CJ Banks. The CJ Banks mint cardigan coordinates well with these pieces due to the peacock blue in the floral print. This is an advantage to shopping a retail collection that includes a variety of garments in a given color scheme...it's very easy to mix and match the pieces. (One downside is that if you miss an item in the collection, it's hard to ever get it because the retailer's colors will change with the new season. And in my limited experience, it's not easy to find things in the specific color second-hand because people rarely know/mention the retailer's name for the color, e.g., "peacock blue," when listing items online.) Finally, a plain white long-sleeved T is a wardrobe workhorse in the fall/winter season that will wear easily with any of these items.
Peacock blue tank - CJ Banks - 3X - $7.21 - 12/2020
Peacock blue/white striped top - CJ Banks - 3X - $11.46 - 12/2020
Mint floral cardigan - CJ Banks - 2X - $13.73 - 12/2020
Peacock blue corduroy jacket - CJ Banks - 3X - $14.01 - 12/2020
White crewneck long-sleeved T - Croft & Barrow/Kohls - 3X - $5.00 - 1/2020
Peacock blue pants - CJ Banks - 24W - $21.25 - 12/2020
The peacock blue theme continues with the October accessories: a scarf, necklace, and earrings from the same CJ Banks collection. The other two scarves pick up on the aqua/teal color in the palette with one solid option and one paisley print option. Of course the black and gold cat earrings are on point for October, and I doubled down on the "cat" print with the leopard smoking slippers. The gold paperclip chain necklace is a DIY piece with a hinged clasp that allows various pendants to be switched out (I am using an enamel Alice in Wonderland in a deep blue dress as the default for this wardrobe.)
Medium teal striped scarf - thrifted, ThredUp - $5.10 - 8/2020
Peacock blue faux pashmina - CJ Banks - $10.20 - 12/2020
Aqua/maroon/orange paisley scarf - thrifted, ThredUp - $3.59 - 5/2020
Gold paperclip chain necklace - made by me - summer 2021
Peacock blue long mixed metal chain necklace - CJ Banks - $6.89 - 2/2021
Leopard smoking slippers - Clarks/Zappos - $50.00 - 12/2013
Peacock blue circular earrings - CJ Banks - ?
Black cat earrings - CJ Banks - ?
As with the other wardrobes, the November additions for the Nelly capsule are very casual options. The base pieces are black, supplemented with a fun woodland critter top in autumnal shades and two bright blue tops.
Black/brown woodland critters T - CJ Banks - 3X - $12.28 - 12/2020
Black fleece top - ?
Black ribbed cardigan - Liz Claiborne/JCP - 2X - $13.20 - 2/2018
Cobalt blue long-sleeved T - Lands End - 2X - $7.66 - 5/2019
Black zipper hoodie - gift
Black knit pants - Walmart - ?
Bright blue exercise T - JCP - ?
To fit the casual theme, I added a pair of black hiking shoes. It's not the easiest thing in the world right now to find any kind of black athletic shoes with black soles instead of white, but I much prefer the plain black-on-black look. A variety of scarves and necklaces can be used to take the garments up a notch from loungewear to casual wear. Simple gold earrings go with everything here, and the DIY wood bead bracelets are ones I made specifically to coordinate with the woodland critter print T/scarf.
Brown horse scarf - Target - $12.00 - 12/2013
Black/magenta/olive paisley scarf - thrifted - $0.99 - 3/2019
Black woodland critters scarf - CJ Banks - $10.20 - 12/2020
White/brown wood necklace - made by a friend
Dark bronze bird and flower charm necklace - Fire Mountain Gems - $6.00 - 7/2021
Tortoise/gold medallion necklace - Style & Co/Macy's - $8.32 - 12/2014
Blue/black/purple geometric scarf - thrifted, ThredUp - $3.59 - 5/2020
Black hiking shoes - Salomon/REI - ?
Brown/tan/gold small wood bead bracelets - made by me - summer 2021
Gold double ring earrings - Macy's - ?
Let's start building outfits with the peacock blue pants and other pieces from that collection. Outfit #1 is a column of color with a coordinating print cardigan over it, a simple outfit formula. I kept things matchy with the earrings and necklace, but the leopard calf hair smoking slippers add some welcome texture and print mix to the look.
I decided I may as well show you an OOTD version of this tank + pants + cardigan combination now in this WFH outfit from last June. In this instance, it was accessorized with grey flats and a layered necklace of white pearls, mixed metal rings, and a gold tassel pendant.
Outfit #2 takes the peacock blue pants into colder weather with the long-sleeved top, corduroy jacket, and faux pashmina. This is a lot of peacock blue, but the variety in textures keeps the monochromatic look interesting.
I wore this base outfit just last month with different accessories, though I did keep to the animal print theme with the leopard print Oxfords.
Outfit #3 veers away from the column of color idea toward a simple "suit" with white T combination. It's accessorized with gold and brown pieces, including a layered necklace that will stand out nicely against the white background.
I don't have an OOTD version of #3 to show you, but you can see the peacock blue + white/ivory idea in this WFH outfit from this past February. It's astonishing to see myself in canvas sneakers in the depths of winter, but staying in my apartment where there is neither snow nor slush made this possible!
Next I will build some outfits with November's black knit pants. These pants are very casual, but they could be switched out for a more polished pair of black ponte pants or black jeans if that suits you. The black knit pants here can be a placeholder for whatever black pants make sense for you and the situation. The pants here look a bit baggy and sloppy, though on me, they wear like straight legs! They also look somewhat faded, and that's legit.
In Outfits #4 and #5, I could see substituting a more refined pair of black pants for in-office work look (though I would wear these outfits as-is to run errands). In Outfit #4, the very simple black "suit" and white T combo is jazzed up a bit with a colorful scarf...and I think any accent color would work here!
Outfit #5 creates a base from the same black "suit" as before plus a coordinating print top. I don't wear a black and brown combination very often, but it can look quite nice. To compensate for the lack of color, I used extra accessories, including the matching scarf which I envision being worn as a headband.
Outfits #6 and #7 are quite cozy casual options based on knit pants, a fleece top, and a big scarf. The top and tail styling of the black cats and the leopard print amuses me.
The final two outfits take us all the way down to the most casual wear or loungewear options, including a black knit pants + zip up hoodie "suit" + bright blue top + blue print scarf. Even when wearing a hoodie, I like to have a scarf handy when it's cold...it's easy to adjust the warmth around your neck by tying it closely (e.g., in a European loop) or more loosely.
I'm going to show two more OOTD, this time based on November additions. First is the woodland critters top + scarf-as-headband combo from Outfit #5 above in a work outfit from this past October. I like how the light-colored animals (including the rabbits!) pop against the dark background when worn with the camel-gold skirt.
Apparently I have tended to wear the cobalt blue long-sleeved T in weekend outfits that I didn't photograph, but I did scare up this casual Friday outfit from January 2020. I'm not sure what possessed me to combine the non-obvious colors of cobalt blue, wine, and taupe-brown, but the print scarf that coordinates with but doesn't match any of those colors makes it work, I think. With a different color of pants, it might have been more chaotic-looking, but dark blue denim is the absolute ultimate neutral, and that kept things grounded. (And it doesn't hurt that the navy in the scarf is a very direct color link to the dark blue denim.)
Now it's time to meet the newest members of the Nelly menagerie! Our October addition is Rowan, a brown broken Polish rabbit: two and a half compact pounds of cuteness! The exact origins of the Polish rabbit are unclear, but the breed definitely goes back to before the 19th century (possibly the 17th century). The Polish was accepted as a recognized breed in the US in 1938, but it wasn't until 1998 that the "broken" color variant displayed by Rowan was approved.
November's addition is Dotty, an elegant tortoise Dutch rabbit! Although "tortoise rabbit" sounds like a search term for the fable of The Tortoise & The Hare, in this case it's a reference to the orange coat color that shades into a smoky-blue around the edges. Dotty's orange tends toward the dark and brown-ish, so she's a good fit for this capsule.
On hoodies: do you vote Yea or Nay? I have only been wearing hoodies the last couple of years, and only for lounging, exercising, or (and this is the most common) sleeping...but I vote a very qualified Yea.
In my next capsule post, we will look at the last of our October/November additions: the #6 Grey & Navy, Sophia wardrobe.
Blogs I link up with are listed here.
Hi, Sally - I love how the gold circles necklace looks over a striped top. They overlap the stripes and create a striking juxtaposition! - Angie, www.yourtrueselfblog.com
I've never thought about the advantages of the coordination when buying multiple pieces of a collection from a retailer - that's a great point! There's one retailer here that used to be my go-to before they went into administration and there's new owners trying to change the brand. They'd have beautiful collections all based around different colours and whenever they picked blue for the season it was hard not to buy it all, haha! It's easy to avoid it now though when the basics like tees are on "sale" for $39 and their ethical rating has gone way down as they try cut corners and change things. It's sad to see how it's ended up!
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Beautiful color palette! I’m a big fan of peacock blue. Rowan and Dotty are so cute! And hoodies are mostly a casual item for me.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
I am wearing blue today and I often forget to pull the color out even though it's a great color. I guess the one I am wearing would be called peacock blue.
www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
I've become a huge fan of hoodies myself lately. I always like something underneath a crew neck sweater but I don't always want a collared shirt. So I find a hoodie perfect for that!! XOOX Jodie
www.jtouchofstyle.com