June 17, 2020
Maybe it’s not really a forgotten accessory – since you just got it. But when a new scarf arrives at your home, it can be sort of overwhelming to figure out what to do with it!
For me, in warm weather, with a rectangular scarf, I would first off try to see if I could wear it in my hair! And then I’d play around with how I would tie it to a handbag. Then I would think about actually wearing it around my neck. The more ways you can find to wear a scarf, the more often you’ll be able to incorporate it into an outfit….
Let’s ponder how you might wear (or be inspired by) this scarf for the next 4 months…
First month, it’s smart to make certain that you’ve got the necessary solid-colored tee shirts and pants (or shorts, or capris, or skirts….). The striped cardigan and the floral espadrilles add a little bit of interest to otherwise simple, timeless outfits:
Navy Blackthorn scarf – PJ Studio Accessories; navy and white tee shirts – Lands’ End; pearl earrings – Coco Mango Jewellery; navy cropped pants – L.L.Bean; striped cardigan – L.L.Bean; embroidered espadrilles – Soludos; white cropped pants – Lands’ End
Having a couple of good dresses for hot weather is never a bad thing! Just remember to get your long-legged undergarment to protect your thighs….
Navy Blackthorn scarf – PJ Studio Accessories; white cardigan – L.L.Bean; striped dress – Gap; pearl bracelet – Kendra Scott; navy knit sleeveless dress – Lands’ End; sandals – Walking Cradles
Accent colors! And more timeless prints…
Navy Blackthorn scarf – PJ Studio Accessories; striped tee – J.Crew; dotted tee – J.Crew; neon peony cashmere cardigan – J.Crew; pleated poplin skirt – Banana Republic; navy bag – Longchamp; sandals – Free People
The weather doesn’t necessarily cool down all that much in September (summer doesn’t end until the 3rd week, of course!), but it’s fun to get ready to wear your new favorite scarf into the autumn and winter:
Navy Blackthorn scarf – PJ Studio Accessories; light mint sweater – L.L.Bean; light mint cashmere cardigan – L.L.Bean; dark wash jeans – Lands’ End; tee shirt – Instant Message; loafers – Amalfi; socks – River Island
Next summer, when it’s time to pack for a nice long vacation, you’ll have your wardrobe all set:
There’s not much you can’t do with this wardrobe! Your version of this might vary slightly – your skirt might be navy, and your cropped pants could be shorts! But any way you tweak this, it’s still quite versatile:
A wardrobe inspired by a scarf doesn’t have to mean that EVERY outfit includes the scarf! The scarf unifies your colors, and perhaps your wardrobe mood or sensibility. It’s a subtle thing…
And I’m loving working with scarves right now – any specific requests?
love,
Janice
p.s. 2 years ago we talked about accessories for a wardrobe in brown, turquoise and white…
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I love this capsule, the items and the colors
Earlier this year, I bought a blouse from Marks and Spencer with a similar floral pattern in these colours on a navy background. Although the pink is a more muted Cameo Rose. I wear it from late summer to spring – navy core and ivory as a light neutral with jade/teal and cameo rose for tops and jumpers. If I could afford it, this scarf would be a perfect compliment.
By the way the link to the gorgeous pink cardigan is broken.
You’ve inspired me to wear scarves more often. Thank you so much. There is a bijoux little accessories brand in Australia called Erstwilder (they do vintage inspired resin brooches) and they have some truly cute inexpensive scarves. I own two of their scarves and have my eye on another two. They might be a fun inspiration for a wardrobe.
Great combinations of clothes! Beautiful pastel colours <3
https://markoweobuwie.com.pl/blog
There are a couple of scarves on KelbyOriginals.com you might enjoy for inspiration.
Not a scarf, but my muse has currently been caught by Salvador Dali’s 1946 Christmas painting for Vogue magazine. I’d love to see what you would do with that as I adore orange and this picture has lots of that.
Whether I wear a scarf or carry it, I always have one with me. Have always used them to open doors, press elevator buttons or do anything involving touching surfaces where other hands have been–or to cope with too much A/C. Helped me avoid colds for years. In these days of Covid, more important than ever to have a extra barrier.
Maybe it’s time to bring back the art of wearing elegant gloves in a post-Covid world!
Wouldn’t that be delightful?
hugs,
Janice
Just ordered this exact scarf. It arrives tomorrow. Perfect timing. Thank you for the inspiration. I’m going to have so much fun putting together outfits.
I love everything in this capsule!! I just ordered the scarf – its so beautiful. So true about needing an extra barrier these days. Thanks so much for all your inspiration – very much appreciated!
I love this scarf! The colors and pattern are beautiful!
I equally adore both black and navy. There are a lot of scarfs with both colors in it, but I found it’s difficult to use those scarfs with other colors. Since I actually LOVE all bright, cold colors such as rubin, emerald, torqouise, tale, purpur and bright pink, can I dare you to help me to be stilish wearing both navy and black? And one extra color at a time. Every time I see someone wearing black and navy it’s either very sofisticated or like misplaced. What is the secret to do it the right way??
Dear Benedetta,
I don’t KNOW the secret either! I’m going to have to do some serious research to learn this, so that I can share it with you, and everyone else!
hugs,
Janice
Looking så forward to it! You are a guru, so you will figure it out. No doubt
Oh, this is a gorgeous realization of the color palette I thought of when I saw this scarf! And of course I love the inclusion of classic navy/white prints. The floral espadrilles are summer perfection and would make even the most basic outfit from this wardrobe special. (I’m keeping my eyes on them.)
I have been very tempted by that scarf, but thought I’d review what my own closet has to offer…and I found a navy bird/floral print scarf with white, pink, and mint (plus aqua, olive, and brown). I tried building my own version of this wardrobe and struggled with the mint, but when I substituted aqua in its place, voila, it all came together. I have difficulty finding dresses that fit well, so I don’t own any right now. I wondered for a moment how to handle that, but quickly realized I could substitute a navy pencil skirt and sleeveless blouse that go well together for the navy dress and a navy/white striped knit skirt and white tank for the striped dress. Seeing my navy/white striped ballet flats in this wardrobe also gave me the patience to not buy those lovely espadrilles right away.
I have bookmarked this page and saved my notes to my computer, so I am ready for a summer vacation or summer capsule (it turns out that I could easily expand this wardrobe to have at least 2 weeks of tops, i.e. 14 of them).
A side benefit of this exercise was I found a possible solution to a problem that has vexed me of late: I have a pair of lovely brown Frye flats that I don’t want to part with but that don’t incorporate easily into my mostly-devoid-of-brown wardrobe and that don’t automatically match my own coloring (fair/green/golden blonde). Seeing my navy bird scarf with the brown branches in it, I realized that if I wear the brown flats with a scarf with brown in it, that bookending of the brown color would probably be enough for the flats to look right in an outfit to my eye. Since I don’t wear very much brown, I sort of disregard it in prints, but I found that I have a number of scarves with brown that would help me incorporate the beloved flats into more outfits. I’m now thinking that a simple, inexpensive pair of brown leather (or faux leather) “leaf” earrings would really seal the deal and help me get more use out of an under-used wardrobe item. So based on today’s inspirational post I have resurrected two forgotten/neglected accessories in my wardrobe! I’m sorry that this does not help pay the bills at Chez Janice as much as if I had ordered the Blackthorn scarf and the floral espadrilles, but my wallet and the environment appreciate it. 🙂
I love this capsule. The only thing I’m having trouble with is *how* to wear this scarf with the summer items, the white skirt and the sleeveless dress (that’s really all seasons, I realize). Any tips? That’s a big scarf to tie to a handbag.
The scarf is 1.8m or just under 6 feet long! That’s more than long enough to fold length ways and wear as a waist sash tied on the side so it drapes down the side of a skirt or dress or worn as a sash with a bow at the back.
By the way, Mary, look closely at the central panel of flowers. That’s cow parsley which has soft ivory or off-white flowers which is a year-round light neutral.