Fall Outfit Formulas and Color Combos with 30 Wears: Hunter Green Blouse

In my last 30 wears post about the dark green rabbit blouse, I mentioned that I had another Loft blouse that had just hit 29 wears. Well now it's hit 30 wears so it's time for another Loft blouse outfit round-up! As always, a thank you to Mica for inspiring me with her 30 Ways to Wear series.

This polyester blouse is a very simple cut with a gathered neckline and smocking on the cuffs of the sleeves in a lovely dark blue-tinged green that I call "hunter green" in my wardrobe. This color seems a bit more muted than the usual dark green, perhaps with a slight grey undertone. It's a versatile piece in a semi-neutral color that I typically wear in the spring and fall, which are my peak blouse seasons.

Hunter green smocked cuff blouse - Loft - XXL - $26.70 - 9/2017

Total wears: 30

Cost per wear: $0.89

Additional wears to reach $1 CPW: n/a

Additional wears to reach $0.65 CPW: 12

Last week for my 30th wear of this blouse, I paired it with a grey boyfriend cardigan and grey/black herringbone trousers and accessorized with a grey necklace and grey leopard wedges. This made for a perfectly acceptable but rather flat base outfit (left) that I jazzed up with the addition of a brightly colored large scale print scarf (right). I wore it draped simply around the neck to maximize the impact of the vivid scarf. Later in the day, I wrapped it closer around the neck for additional warmth.

OOTD 11/11/22

This scarf has an amazing array of colors so it works with quite a lot of different outfits (even when they don't quite match anything in the scarf). For my daily bracelet stack, I wore my DIY aloe/silver set including aloe tube paper beads (made from the image of a velvet jacket in a catalog), dark hematite beads, aloe glass beads, grey glass pearls in two shades, and aloe/grey bicone paper beads (I don't remember where the paper is from). I'm increasingly realizing how nicely various dark greens coordinate with light mint/aloe colors as both families of colors tend to share a muted quality.

I have actually done a pretty good job documenting my OOTD with this hunter green blouse. Here are 22 other ways I've worn it. As you'll see, there are certain combinations with this blouse that I wear repeatedly.

With Grey Boyfriend Cardigan

As in the recent OOTD above, this blouse is a frequent partner to the grey boyfriend cardigan (purchased from Loft at the same time as the blouse). The cardigan is lightweight so it works very well in the same spring/fall weather as the blouse does, and the slight grey undertone in the blouse makes it an obvious choice with grey. I have worn these pieces...

In a print mix with a rabbit scarf, geometric print skirt, and leopard wedges (which I liked despite this skeptical expression!)...

With grey skirt + tall boots (column of color) plus an infinity scarf tied around the neck with a square knot (a nice way to wear an infinity scarf as a "normal" scarf) and an owl pendant...

And with black pants (low contrast colorblocking), striped trouser socks + grey/black flats, and a very simple silver feather pendant that shows up beautifully against the dark background.

With Grey + Vests

Vests make great layering pieces because even with a long scarf down the front, the underlayer top still shows with the sleeves. I have worn this blouse in a grey-based outfit with...

A black velvet vest + grey skinny pants (low contrast colorblocking), grey leopard wedges, an interesting necklace + scarf duo, and a DIY bracelet stack...

The same grey skinnies and leopard wedges topped by a dark grey sweater vest (outer column of color) and lighter grey scarf with glass + pearl drop earrings (made by a friend) and a bracelet stack...

And a denim skirt + cream sweater vest (high contrast colorblocking), grey tights + tall boots, and a grey floral infinity scarf worn around the neck and knotted once toward the bottom (another infinity scarf tie option).

With Grey Print Mix

In my final grey outfit with this blouse, I skipped the topper layer but kept things interesting with a scarf + skirt print mix including a floral print scarf and polka dot skirt. You saw this above in the rabbit scarf + geometric skirt outfit as well. I think the scarf + skirt (or pants) print mix is a really fun option, and it's relatively easy to do because the top helps separate the two prints visually. And for those of us with a good number of print scarves and print skirts, it helps us get good use out of those print pieces and expands our outfit possibilities. Experimenting with neutral prints that share a color story like the grey/black/white here is a good way to get started with print mixing.

With Black Plaid Moto Vest & Black Pants

I have worn this dark green blouse with black more than any other color, and my #1 pairing piece for it is black pants and this black plaid moto vest I've worn with it 5 times for an easy outfit formula, including...

With my tooth/claw necklace, a silky scarf, and a bracelet stack last month...

OOTD 10/24/22

In simple outfits accessorized with long silver pendant necklaces...

And as the wild card outfit of the round-up, in a striking print mix with a bright orange tropical print scarf and warm brown leopard smoking slippers. If the print scarf is too much for your taste (and it's just about too much for mine!), substituting a solid brightly colored scarf would be a terrific alternative. I really do like the orange here because of the shoes, but many colors would work.

With Black Polka Dot Pants & Black Vest

My polka dot pants have a small red flower/green leaf motif, so they are a natural pairing for the dark green blouse, which I have worn...

A few days before Christmas in an outfit that leans into the festive feeling with a velvet vest and a red + green color combination in the plaid scarf, gold articulated owl earrings, and a Christmas-themed DIY bracelet stack with dark green tube paper beads, red/dark green plaid tube paper beads, an Amazon gold spacer bracelet, green jade chip beads, red/green striped bicone paper beads, and red with white snowflakes tube paper beads...

And in a print mix with the black and white rabbit scarf.

With Black Jacket

I am less likely to wear jackets than cardigans and vests with this blouse, but I have done it in outfits like...

This slightly edgy look with a black moto vest, black skirt, and black ankle boots, topped by that grey floral scarf we saw above...

And in simple looks with black pants, gold jewelry, and a polka dot blazer (right) or no blazer and leopard flats (left).

With Navy Plaid Moto Vest & Navy Pants

After black and grey, navy is my next most common color combination with the hunter green blouse. Not very daring color combos, are they? But especially for work outfits, being able to create low-drama outfits based on traditional dark neutrals that nonetheless have a bit of interest and personality is often a necessity. And I make use of the "hunter green blouse + plaid moto vest + matching neutral pants" outfit formula in both black (as seen above) and in navy, including...

This busy outfit with a faux white pearl + green/blue crystal statement necklace, bird/foliage print scarf worn under the lapels and knotted at the ends to rein in the volume, clear crystal floral earrings, and a DIY bracelet stack...

And this more sedate outfit with a green/navy paisley silk scarf tied in a square knot.

With Navy Cardigan

Here is another astonishingly simple conservative work outfit with the green blouse, a navy outer column of trousers and the navy version of the boyfriend cardigan, navy trouser socks + flats, and a gold tassel necklace.

With Navy Blazer

Still simple but a little more colorful, this outfit incorporates a navy ponte knit blazer and navy floral pleated skirt.

With Navy + Vest

And now we're back to a more over-the-top outfit with giant statement necklace, white quilted vest, navy and white bird scarf, and DIY bracelet stack with four paper bead bracelets.

With Pink

And to wrap up this round-up, my only OOTD photo that pairs the hunter green blouse with a colorful garment - a pink floral skirt that has a dark green in the print - and tall cognac boots.

I would like to get out of the grey, black, navy, and/or white habit with this blouse to experiment with some different color combinations. Here are some that I have in mind as I move into the second 30 wears with my hunter green blouse! (I didn't include mustard or camel because I don't really wear those colors in clothes, but I think they would be promising options.)

Do you like this shade of hunter green? What colors would you be most likely to pair with it? Do you have a suggestion for an adventurous color combination to try with it?

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