The Scarf Diaries Part 7

Dawn bought me this beautiful hand-painted scarf for Mother's Day several years ago and I was convinced that I had loaned it to her this past Fall...but then I found it amongst my other oblong scarves!  I was thrilled to wear it again. There actually is a lot of teal in the scarf that doesn't show in the photo.

Worn with teal J. Crew V-neck cashmere sweater and black Kohl's pants

Whoa, the color of this turtleneck is much brighter in the photo than it is in reality! I wear this green sweater around Christmas and then I pull it out again for St. Patrick's Day. I wore a scarf that Dawn had knit when she was in her Master's degree program. Some water had made the colors run and she was tempted to throw it out, but I gladly took it home with me.

Green cashmere sweater from Macy's several years ago, egg-shaped pendant on necklace that my dad bought in The Museum Shop that used to be in Westfarms, worn with black Kohl's pants

Here's a silk square that we bought in the Smithsonian gift shop--it has a copyright on it dated 1997, which is approximately the year we took a family trip to Washington DC.  I wore it with a red sweater on March 19th, which is St. Joseph's Day. Just as green is associated with St. Patrick, red is associated with St. Joseph. I only know this because I attended St. Joseph Grammar School.

Worn with red cashmere turtleneck from Orvis and cotton plaid flannel skirt from Land's End which is easily 20 years old--I recently hemmed it to knee-length to make it look a little more modern

When Dawn was going to London last summer, I asked her to bring back this scarf from Liberty of London that I had seen online.  I love the design and the colors, and Mark got it for me as a birthday present.

Worn with purple J. Crew V-neck cashmere sweater and black pencil skirt with black tights

I just had to get another wearing of this lovely Missoni scarf before the weather gets too warm!

Worn with tan Van Heusen turtleneck that Adria gave me many years ago (machine washable and never pills!) and black Kohl's pants

Part 6 Scarves Up Close

The jewel tones of this scarf were perfect with the deep teal of the sweater!  Maybe one of the reasons these silk scarves didn't sell was their solid/semisheer striped weave which is also found in very cheap polyester scarves sold at craft stores like A. C. Moore.

Just lovely quality and design in this Italian scarf!

Maybe it was the ambient lighting this morning, but this scarf's colors look much darker than they actually are. I love designs by William Morris!

The Scarf Diaries, Part 6

Just to clarify how I post my scarf diaries: while I try to post 5 photos in the order I've worn these clothes, that doesn't always happen. I am now trying to be more careful about transferring photos from my phone more consistently. Also, when three photos in a row mention I've worn the same color pants, I never wear the same pants two days in a row. There is most likely an outfit (either pants or a skirt) between each photo where I didn't wear a scarf, or the weekend happened.

 

 

Here's one of the silk scarves from the Hill-Stead Museum shop. This collection was made using designs from items in the house, and this scarf is based upon the carpeting in the Parlor Bedroom. Unfortunately for the museum, these were not big sellers. Fortunately for me, they went on half-price sale and I also got my guide's discount.

Worn with teal J. Crew cashmere V-neck sweater and black Kohl's pants

 

 

This is a lightweight voile scarf from H & M in Westfarms that I bought for our Africa trip. A bargain for  $7, I wore it a lot in Africa with several different outfits. Again, I didn't care if this one got lost or stolen--but I'm glad it came back home with me!

 

Worn with black and white marl open cardigan from J. Jill, white Adea layering top, and black Kohl's pants.

 

Another souvenir scarf--this one from the Italian brand Gattinoni that we bought at their store in Milan when we visited Malima with Ross for a vacation in October 2012. It's a beautiful quality silk with a hand-rolled hem. The design and colors are quite sophisticated--very Italian!

Worn with aqua Talbot's merino open cardigan and black Kohl's pants

This scarf was sold by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC in its holiday catalog many years ago. Using a design by William Morris, it came in a few different colorways.  The pinks and greys work well with this jacket. I also have the scarf in tan/olive with a black background, and the museum still sells items with that colorway.

Worn with pink boiled wool jacket from J. C. Penney and gray Kohl's pants

Another wearing of my scarf from Venice, but this time I made sure to accentuate the silver parts.

Worn with light gray J. Crew cashmere V-neck sweater and gray Kohl's pants

 



 

Part 5 Scarves Up Close

Here are the lightweight silk scarves, both from Nordstrom's.

Just look at the beautiful woven designs on these pashminas! 

One thing I've learned from this experiment of documenting the scarves I wear is that I actually have lots of clothes and lots of scarves!  Sometimes I get the feeling that I have nothing to wear and want to buy something new, but this year I am determined to keep wearing what I already own. For the first three months of 2015 I have not bought one new thing...except for...footwear!  I bought one pair of tall black boots from Clarks that were on sale--very plain and very comfortable. Then the short suede Blondo wedge boots that I love because they are also very comfortable became available in my size again so I bought those (the pair I've had for the past 3 years are getting a little worn and bedraggled now but I do wear them most). And then I saw a pair of Fly London shoes on the Nordstrom site that were also in my size so I bought those but I may have to return them--they might be a little too narrow--I'm still deciding!

The Scarf Diaries, Part 5

Here's a scarf I bought specifically because it matched the soft blue of this Talbot's sweater which I found several years ago at an end-of-the-season sale. While the sweater was a real steal, the scarf was full price--I like to think I've since learned my lesson about when a bargain is not really a bargain!

Worn with ivory cotton Kohl's turtleneck and gray Kohl's pants

 

Dawn brought this pashmina back from London for me, from one of her very first trips there while she was still an undergrad. I love the sheen of the silvery threads combined with navy and golden-colored threads.

Worn with my old Nordstrom gray cashmere cardigan and gray Kohl's pants

This scarf was an impulse purchase at Nordstrom's several years ago because I fell in love with its ombre shades of teal and blue along with its unusual pleated texture. I've had it dry cleaned several times and the pleats stay in!

Worn with paisley-print cashmere crewneck on sale from Macy's Charter Club several years ago and gray pants from Kohl's

Another wearing of this scarf from South Africa because it's so soft and warm, and I like the way it looks with this shirt.

Worn with J. Jill washable velvet blouse that is probably 10 years old and washed many times, and dark navy jeans for a dress-down day

Here's a damask blue and black faux pashmina that I found for $5 at Wal-Mart this past Fall!  It drapes nicely and feels soft despite the bargain price.

Worn with old J. Crew cashmere boyfriend cardigan, black Adea layering top, and black Kohl's pants

Part 4 Scarves Up Close

The two hand knits and the Missoni scarf from Part 4 really don't need a closeup, so that leaves the pashmina and the rayon one. The abstract watercolor look of the pashmina has a nice balance of colors, and the rayon scarf has a really mod vibe that I like.

With my scarf-wearing experiment I'm finding that some weeks at work I'll wear a scarf 4 out of 5 days.  Of course with snow days we had a lot of shorter weeks when I would wear something that didn't lend itself to a scarf probably once a week.  Right now I'm behind on posting so I'll have to add another scarf post this week!

The Scarf Diaries, Part 4

My very first pashmina from Nordstrom's--it's soft, lightweight, and surprisingly warm!  It's quite old now and I've gotten a lot of use from this one. With shades of blue, aqua, and purple teamed with black and white, it goes with just about everything I own.

Worn with other wardrobe workhorses, my J. Crew cashmere boyfriend cardigan, and black pants from Kohl's

I found this rayon scarf at Nordstrom Rack for $11--an interesting graphic design and a soft material that drapes well.

Worn with J. Crew cashmere V-neck and black pants from Kohl's

On a bitterly cold day, I wrapped my homemade scarf around my neck. Every winter, usually sometime after the holidays, I get in the mood to make something and this scarf is several years old. I fell in love with the colors in the soft yarn, and it matches the scarf pin that Dawn got me for a gift.

Worn with my old Nordstrom cashmere cardigan, white cotton Kohl's turtleneck, and my black pencil skirt. Wore Clarks black ankle boots.

The colors match perfectly! I also wore these striped tights that are at least 15 years old whose colors blend nicely with the scarf.  I rarely wear them so they have held up very well. Many compliments came my way on this outfit.

 

 

Another one of my favorite souvenirs!  Mark and I were wandering around Florence on our last morning there, and I wanted to retrace our steps back to the hotel so we wouldn't get lost and possibly miss the train to Venice. Mark thought it would be more interesting to try a different route and he was right--we walked right by the Missoni store and stopped in to browse.  This soft scarf with the distinctive Missoni chevron pattern has become another wardrobe workhorse for me.

 

Worn with black and white marl open cardigan from J. Jill, white scoopneck from Adea, and black pants from Kohl's

 

On another bitterly cold day where highs were supposed to be in the teens, I snuggled into this wool cowl that I knit last year. Its casual vibe went well with jeans for another dress-down day. The colors don't really go with the blue sweater, but I was going for comfort, not style.

 

Worn with J. Crew cashmere boyfriend cardigan, cotton off-white Kohl's turtleneck, and dark blue jeans

 



Part 3 Scarves Up Close

This scarf I wore under the pink jacket is a large square with 4 of these orchids, one on each quarter.

I love the bold design of this scarf from India on the left but as you can see, it really holds wrinkles. I do wear the red and black faux pashmina but it's probably not something I would have chosen. It's good to get out of one's comfort zone and try different colors with a gifted item!

This large-scale design is just so striking and quite different from anything else I own.

My favorite colors in a modern paisley design!

The Scarf Diaries, Part 3

I fell in love with this print scarf at Nordstrom's several years ago. The colors and bold design caught my eye and I bought it even though it's polyester (with a silk price if I remember correctly!).

Worn with Talbot's open cardigan bought several years ago and black pants from Kohl's

I always have a hard time choosing an accessory to go with this boiled wool jacket as the large button seems so noticeable. I wore a scoop-neck layering top underneath the jacket but needed something to keep the slightly scratchy wool off my neck. I went with this silk scarf featuring orchids because of its subtle colors. Dawn and Mark brought it back from one of the orchid conferences for me, probably Singapore (they don't remember for sure and neither do I!) This is the only pink clothing item I own and many people at work complimented me on it, saying the color looks great with my silver hair. Who knew?

Pink jacket from J. C. Penney, several years old, and gray pants from Kohl's

 

Bought this scarf from India a couple of years ago in a bead shop in West Hartford center. It looks handprinted and I fell in love with the bold design and colors. I wear it quite often, especially in summer and fall months. It's 100% viscose and I think it cost $30--I seem to remember wondering if I should pay that much for it but I'm glad I did.

 

Worn with green utility jacket on sale for $29 at Old Navy last September and dark denim jeans for a dress-down day

 

  

The second scarf I bought as part of the twofer special in Venice. It's full of my favorite colors: teal and purple.

 

Worn with old Chico's turtleneck and black pants from Kohl's

 



This faux pashmina was a Christmas gift from a member of book group several years ago--we each received one in different colors and mine was this red/black combination. I've also worn it with light gray sweaters. Notice the great scarf pin that Malima gave me for Christmas upon return from her year in Milan.

Worn with red cashmere turtleneck on sale at Orvis several years ago and black pants from Kohl's

I feel I'm making very good progress wearing different scarves from my collection. The lighter ones I'm saving to wear in warmer weather, which hopefully will arrive later this month. Since I started working in January, there's been many a day I've been happy to have a cuddly scarf around my neck when the office gets cool!

Part 2 Scarves Up Close

The shawls that Dawn handknit for me are so pretty!  One is a rich plum color (that washed out in the photo), the other has subtle color gradations of my favorite blues and purples.  I love their intricate patterns!

Each one of these designs is so different--aren't they fun? Hard to believe that this is just a small part of my scarf collection in my first 2 postings of The Scarf Diaries.

The Scarf Diaries, Part 2

This J. Crew scarf was a 60th birthday present from Lisa and her family. There are golden threads which make up 3 narrow stripes in the off-white areas between the camel-colored stripes. The label says "92% wool 8% metallic" which might be why it feels a little scratchy. It's very versatile with these neutral colors and I really liked this combination.

Worn with Macy's Charter Club open-front cashmere cardigan, on sale several years ago, and black pants from Kohl's

A beautiful shawl hand-knit by Dawn for me possibly 2 years ago (already!). I like to wear it with this Danish silver pin.

Worn with Macy's Charter Club cashmere turtleneck, on sale several years ago, and gray pants from Kohl's

 

This infinity scarf was an impulse purchase from H & M in Westfarms just before our trip to Africa. I was looking for something stylish yet inexpensive to bring on vacation just in case I lost or damaged it. Fortunately the scarf made it home in great condition and I have worn it a lot. I think it cost $11. Here's another photo that shows why hangers work best for me!    ;-)

 

Worn with J. Jill knit black open-front cardigan bought for Africa trip, black underlayer, and gray pants from Kohl's

This is the second African scarf I fell in love with--the leopard print and the coral/pink feathers (which I thought looked like protea flowers) make a very striking design.

Worn with J. Crew cashmere V-neck boyfriend sweater, this color on super-sale last year, and dark denim jeans for a dress-down day

Another beautiful shawl hand-knit by Dawn for me, my 2014 Christmas present! The yarn is very soft and it drapes beautifully. I like the way the pin by Cathleen McLain adds a little something extra to the overall look. Cathleen is a local Hartford artist who makes the most original jewelry by hand that is also reasonably priced--not real gold/silver or with expensive gemstones--but her pieces are unique.

Worn with Chico's turtleneck and Coldwater Creek knit skirt, both several years old

Part 1 Scarves Up Close

Following Malima's excellent suggestion, here's a photo showing all five scarves from my previous post. You can see that the African scarf on the left has such an interesting design and unusual colors. I've flipped back the African scarf on the far right so we can see the greens and teals that are in the center part against the darker blue and black at the ends. I'll have to work on the composition of the scarves I group together so they each show well. In this photo I feel that the scarf from India that I bought in Paris (third from the left) practically blends into the scarves on either side but I'm too lazy to try again!

The Scarf Diaries, Part 1

I don't usually make New Year resolutions, but this year I decided to try to wear each of my many lovely scarves at least once since my 6-month job was starting January 2. I love my scarves but tend to wear the same ones over and over, so this challenge gives me an opportunity to be more creative in planning my work outfits using things I already own. 

Here's a scarf from a street peddler in Venice, Italy when Mark, Ross, Malima and I vacationed there in October 2012. I had my eye on this one for a couple of days and just before we left for home  prices were marked down, 2 scarves for 15 Euros instead of 10 Euros each.  I loved its large floral design and the purple combined with shiny silver threads the very first time I saw it. Even though it was made in China, I'll always remember we bought it in Italy from a cart near our Venetian apartment.

Worn with gray cashmere cardigan from Nordstrom (10-15 years old) and plain black pants from Kohl's

Here's a jewel-tone faux pashmina I bought in A. C. Moore's in November 2014 for $4.99. I ran in there to buy some craft supplies and its paisley design caught my eye as I rushed past the display. Again, made in China of some unknown material but it is soft and drapes well.

Worn with black open cardigan from J. Jill ( bought for our Africa trip) and plain gray pants from Kohl's

This scarf came from a Diwali store in Paris, located on Rue Mouffetard in the Latin Quarter that I bought when Mark and I visited Dawn in July 2010. Diwali sells scarves of all sizes that are made in India. This one is very lightweight and silky with a paisley design.

I've tried taking selfies or having Mark photograph me, but it's much easier for me to take photos of my outfits on a hangar. Since I tend to change into comfy clothes as soon as I get home, I can quickly hang up my clothes and snap a photo with my phone.

Worn with boucle jacket from Coldwater Creek (possibly 5 years old), turquoise turtleneck from Chico's (same age as jacket), plain black pants from Kohl's, and necklace/earring set that was a gift from Lisa and family, Christmas 2014

A good example of why I don't like my selfies! The scarf is from a large African craft store next to the Victoria and Albert Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa. They sold scarves that were printed in South Africa although the original plain scarves were imported from elsewhere (probably China).  The store had a special deal, 3 scarves for 600 Rand, the equivalent of $20 each--otherwise they were 300 Rand each. I found 2 scarves I wanted immediately but had such a hard time picking the third! This one was my first choice as I had seen a lovely South African woman wearing the exact design when we were eating at a restaurant in the mall near our hotel.  I liked it so much I even asked her where she bought it, and she was nice enough to tell me--although as a tourist I had no idea how to find the store. She even explained that it was printed in South Africa which made me want it more. And then here it was, far from the downtown business area where the girl had found hers! Unfortunately, as you can see from the color of the sweater, it didn't photograph well.

Worn with J. Crew cashmere V-neck boyfriend sweater and dark navy jeans for a dress-down day

This was the third scarf I bought for the 600 Rand deal.  I had such a hard time finding that last scarf and yet I have worn this one the most of the 3 I ended up buying!  Because it is so colorful, it goes with many different things.  The weave is pretty loose on this one so it ends up getting pulled threads which usually can be pulled back into the weave. It's very soft, surprisingly warm, and drapes well.

Worn with J. Crew cashmere V-neck boyfriend cardigan and plain black pants from Kohl's

Over the years I have accumulated a small collection of J. Crew cashmere sweaters. I try to buy them on sale and during Connecticut's annual tax-free week in August. I like the quality and there can be good deals, especially on some of the more colorful ones. I feel the styles are pretty classic so I can keep wearing them for years. I wash them by hand to cut down on dry cleaning expenses. To cut down on hand washing, I wear a machine washable layer under them, often an Italian microfiber top by Adea. These are pricey, but I wait for sales, and they hold up really well. Now I have one in white, one in off-white, and one in black. I buy them to fit closely so I wouldn't use them without something over them, but they are perfect for layering. That way I don't have to wash my sweaters every time I wear one, I just wash the underlayer!