Six Scarves 12 Months Archives

March 2021 – Six Scarves, 12 Months, 12 Outfits

March 1, 2021

Hurray! February is OVER....

Let's check back with our 6 heroines who are assembling wardrobes loosely along the guidelines of Start From Scratch, and trying to stick to color palettes suggested by 6 scarves.

The guidelines in Start From Scratch suggest finding a core outfit in the 2nd neutral in our wardrobes, as well as an accent top and scarf...

Starting here!

This heroine has neither grey pants, nor a black cardigan! And a tee shirt that almost matches her pink oxford will give her a chance to layer the 2 together. Filling in those gaps gives us something that's not really an outfit, but more a group of useful wardrobe additions:

It makes more sense when you see the 8 garments, plus ... View the Post

February 2021 – Six Scarves, 12 Months, 12 Outfits

February 1, 2021

Ah, I'm so happy! I love these scarf-based wardrobes...

If you want to catch up on where we left off last month, click on this sentence to jump back there!

Since we are (for now) loosely following the Starting From Scratch wardrobe guidelines, this month brings us to a 2nd pair of pants and a shirt.

For most wardrobes, these pants will be chosen so that our heroines will each have a pair of jeans and another pair of pants that are somewhat dressier. The new shirt will be neutral if that's what they need, and accent if that's what's missing. A few more accessories, and any of us would be in good shape for an overnight trip with what's included so far.

This is our first scarf, and palette. The only possible ... View the Post

January 2021 – Six Scarves, 12 Months, 12 Outfits

January 1, 2021

Amen and Hallelujah!

This year, I'm going to try to be a little bit more deliberate (from time to time) about how these wardrobes come together. There were years in which I just found the 6 most fun outfits every month, and watched the wardrobes either work or struggle. So maybe being just a tiny bit more practical is an interesting change...

First up, let's refresh our collective memories of the 6 scarves and the color palettes from them:

In choosing these first outfits, I referred back to the "Starting from Scratch" wardrobe building series that I wrote years ago. While the idea of starting with a nice pair of pants doesn't make a lot of sense for many of us right this ... View the Post

Merry Christmas! A Sneak Preview of Next Year’s Six Scarves!

December 25, 2020

First, and most important of all, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas! Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, may your day be peaceful and full of love, and may your holiday of choice be delightful!

SO... I've worked quite a bit this year choosing scarves. I started with my tally of the color palettes that have been most requested, and then the scarves that have been mentioned to me the most often.

First up, these were the "neutral combinations" which you asked for most frequently in the last year:

So after choosing these six "palette cores," I went back to the list of the most popular scarves and made everything work together. I think...

First up was black and grey - and many of you wrote to me asking ... View the Post

November 2020 Six Scarves, Twelve Months, Twelve Outfits

November 2, 2020

Oh my, THIS is massive...

Our heroines collectively looked over their growing wardrobes and realized that, if they continued to accumulate clothing 1 outfit at a time, their wardrobes would become more and more unbalanced.

So they went sweater shopping! And for some other tops too...

And some fun socks, because as cold weather sets in in the Northern Hemisphere, we will all be wearing socks frequently. Some of us see our toes only while in the shower for months on end...

This heroine went for 3 well-planned neutral choices, and then a wild-card floral shirt! Heavens yes...

It all fits in well:

And she already has new outfits planned:

This heroine has all kinds of choices right now! I ... View the Post

October 2020 Six Scarves, Twelve Months, Twelve Outfits

October 2, 2020

This month, I'm concentrating again on more casual, warm clothes. This year, we need to stay home much of the time, and if we're smart we're going to try to avoid running the heat 24/7... With computers running all day, and people around our home, we should be able to stay warm without consuming tons and tons of fuel, right?

Another year, we're going to be REALLY REALLY dressy...

I have to say this: if you're in love with that really plush, fluffy, poodle-fabric that's so common now in jackets and tops, please don't launder these garments very often, and when you do, use a fiber-catcher of some sort. Those garments feel like wearing a cloud, but that fabric sheds tiny micro-fibers that pollute water, gather in ... View the Post

September 2020 Six Scarves, Twelve Months, Twelve Outfits

August 31, 2020

Yes, these are indeed a day early - I'm going to try this Monday, Wednesday and Friday posting schedule for a while to see if I can regain my strength and energy. If anything is going to be energizing AND exhausting at the same time, it's these posts!

Yes, more sweatshirts. I'm determined that I'm going to write about how many of us are dressing. Everybody that I talk to regularly agrees that they're NOT going back to their office this fall - almost certainly not until Spring of 2021. So we're working from home, and we're staying warm in the cooler weather, and trying to keep our utility bills down...

And a nice sweatshirt is a wonderful thing!

Also, I'm smitten with corduroy pants - so everybody's getting cords ... View the Post

August 2020 Six Scarves, Twelve Months, Twelve Outfits

August 3, 2020

Grab your beverage of choice and make yourself comfortable; this is a BIG post! From here on, every "first of the month" post will have 42 images... My computer whimpers at the very sight of this file...

Normally, August has been a month in which we started preparing to get back to work, and savor the beauty of fall clothing. Many years, this has meant a blouse, cardigan and skirt, with appropriate accessories.

But this year, I'm going to be realistic, and address the life that most of us are living, and will be living probably until next Spring. This, to me, means jeans, a sweatshirt, and something to wear under the sweatshirt! And a mask...

If you question your ability to wear a sweatshirt with a scarf, or with ... View the Post

July 2020 Six Scarves, Twelve Months, Twelve Outfits

July 1, 2020

After yesterday's birthday festivities (I'm writing this on June 30th) I don't have a ton of energy to write much! Happily, we all sort of know what these post are about...

Since so many of us are still either stuck indoors at home, working, or we're without work and stuck at home being leisurely, I thought that some shorts and tee shirts would be useful this month!

And a sunhat - you are still trying to go out for a walk from time to time, aren't you?

I think leather athletic shoes look nicer than canvas or nylon ones. I know they're not great for running, but for normal leisure wear, I feel like leather elevates the look a bit. What do you think?

As always, if you can't find at LEAST 2 ways (should ... View the Post

June 2020 Six Scarves, Twelve Months, Twelve Outfits

June 2, 2020

I think we could all use some peace, quiet, and timeless classic simplicity... Calm seems wise right now...

And now that the weather (at least in Chicago) has become legitimately summery, it's time to break out another skirt!

I firmly believe in the merits of skirts for warm weather - they're cool, they cover as much or as little as you want, and they are appropriate for a ton more places than any pair of pants or shorts! If you have that "thigh thing" that keeps your from wearing skirts, indulge in 1 or 2 pairs of these and you will find you might actually enjoy a skirt! ... View the Post

May 2020 Six Scarves, Twelve Months, Twelve Outfits

May 4, 2020

Holy handbags of Buddha, it feels like a MONTH since I've done a post like this! Give that it rained about 72 days in April, I'm ready to start thinking about the possibilities of warmer weather...

So today (and tomorrow!) I'm going to look at tank tops, which I think might be unsung heroes in some wardrobes. They add a dash of color, and a bit of coverage, when it's often needed...

Let's go!

Remember this timeless scarf, and palette?

For May, this heroine needs shorts! And the turquoise tank top and bracelet are perfect accents for an overall "navy suit-like" outfit. (yes, linen cardigans are insanely useful in warm weather - I have one at my mother's home, and one here!)

The turquoise is a new accent ... View the Post

April 2020 Six Scarves, Twelve Months, Twelve Outfits

Oh MY this is quite the load of images!

I think that it's time for a short-sleeved tee shirt, some cropped pants, and a pretty cardigan...

When these new pieces are put into the existing "closet," you can see how nicely they blend in:

And as you should always find when you buy something new, there are easy ways to wear the new garments right away. If you can't integrate a purchase into your wardrobe without buying a bunch of OTHER things, you should reconsider!

Let's bask in the sheer prettiness of this scarf, and these colors, for just a second:

Don't shy away from an accent necklace, if it calls your name loudly enough!

Imagine, if you could travel, and if this was your springtime travel capsule ... View the Post