Katie Style: Green Around the Edges

• Trench – Old Navy
• Dress – eloquii
• Scarves – thrifted
• Shoes – Softwalk

Three ways in which I’m a rebel today:

1. Wearing a sleeveless dress and open-toe shoes in March
2. Wearing three silk scarves
3. Wearing my “Friday” underpants on a Tuesday

One of the above can’t be explained by global warming. But which one?

I also had a Cadbury Egg for breakfast. But that’s not rebellion, that’s just delicious.

P.S. Remember way back when I wore multiple shades of green and got all nerdy about it?

Katie Style – Fancy Sweats

• Sweatshirt – Gap
• Pants – Loft
• Scarf – thrifted
• Rhinestone scarf clip – thrifted
• Necklace – vintage, via Millie, via France!
• Shoes – Softwalk

How does you dress up a grey sweatshirt? With silk, rhinestones, and a vintage French necklace. Of course.

I feel brie-on-a-corn-dog fancy.

Katie Style – Knock, Knock

• Dress – thrifted
• Vintage Echo scarf – thrifted
• Vintage Frimmel scarf complete with comic underpants – thrifted
• Earrings – World Market
• Sandals – Target

Orange you glad I wore two grey and orange silk scarves today?

Also, what do you get when you throw a grenade into a French bathroom?

Linoleum blown-apart.

Yep, thought the camera was off, there.

Leave all painfully bad jokes in the comments.

Katie Style – Silk Scarves and Grasshoppers

• Dress – thrifted
• Scarves – thrifted
• Belt – thrifted
• Shoes – Soft Walk

I could only love this outfit more if it were covered in chocolate sauce. In fact, I love it so much I came up with a list of why. Yep, I’m that kind of nerd.

1. Color triads for the win! This triadic combination of a primary blue, secondary green and tertiary red makes me happy. And also reminds me of the pixels on old CRT televisions when you would lean in far too close to the picture.
2. The softness and fluidity of the scarves are such a beautiful visual and textural juxtaposition to the structure of the shift dress
3. It moves so well!
4. Tying two scarves together gives you the length of a long scarf without the accompanying bulk
5. It’s an amalgam of two other outfits. Fashion recycling!
6. The soundtrack of the photo shoot (see below).

Here in the mountains, we don’t have “late summer,” we have “grasshopper season.” The ground and grass and weeds become so full of the little (and decidedly not-so-little) hoppers that a seemingly empty and calm field will explode in a flurry of wings the minute you set foot in it.

Trust me, they’re in there.

This is one of the times I wish we could hear photographs, because every click of the camera was accompanied by a cacophony of pops, whirls, thuds, chirps, pings and the occasional shriek (when one misread directions and went up my dress) as grasshoppers filled the air and came down in crash landings.

I don’t mind grasshoppers outside, but one of my big, irrational fears is being stuck in a car with them. There’s a story behind that fear, and that story is that I was once stuck in a car full of grasshoppers. I don’t recommend it.

 

 

 

 

Millie Daily Style: Lobster Bib Edition

When I put this on this morning, I thought it looked pretty nifty, but now looking at the pictures I took, the scarf totally looks like a lobster bib. I never tried lobster before I went vegetarian, but it seems like a messy proposition even for the most delicate of eaters (which I am decidedly not), and I certainly wouldn’t use a nice scarf like this to catch the copious drips.

In my defence, it was chilly, and having the scarf up around my neck was warm.

Scarf issues aside, I am thrilled, THRILLED, that it’s finally cooler out now, and I can wear my tights and not melt. I love these emerald green tights, even though whenever I wear them my feet turn green. Somehow that’s part of the allure of them. This shirt is pretty flattering on me too — I’ve come to realize that shoulder ruffles or ruching or interest of some sort makes me look curvy in a rather lovely way. I am having to rethink my staunch no-ruffles-ruching-or-gathering rule. Note also the pink lipstick, which was previously on my no-go list too.

While the shoes looks nice they’re woefully uncomfortable; they’re somehow too tight (in the toes) and too loose (at the heel) all at once. But I wasn’t going far today, and the tights help considerably, so I took another stab at Operation Stretch Out the Toes of Those Cheap Shoes.

False confidence, this. Operation Stretch Out the Toes of Those Cheap Shoes is looking pretty hopeless.

Operation Grow Out Pixie Cut is… going? It’s in that super awkward stage where I look like a lopsided sheepdog, but neurotic trimming of the hair at the nape of my neck when it even thinks about growing much past my hairline has mostly kept the mullet at bay. (A. is very hepful with this, after I took a wedge out of my hair when I tried to do it myself.) It’ll be a while before it looks even vaguely reasonable again, and by that time it’ll probably be summer and I’ll get itchy to hack it all off again. How anyone gets through summer with long hair is an utter mystery to me — anyone care to enlighten me?

Katie Daily Style – Elemental

• Dress – thrifted
• Cardigan – la Mama
• Scarf – via Ashley of Pretty Clever
• Sandals – Target

One of the reasons I photograph so often on my balcony is the shelter it provides me from the wind. With average (and almost constant) wind speeds of ~10mph, the “breezes” around here are definitely known to mess up hair and flip up dresses (and scarves).

But as much as I might dislike how the zephyrs always mess up my hair, I love how tangible and visceral the weather is. At over a mile above sea level you feel immersed in it, as if you’ve been thrust into air and enveloped by the elements. The sun is closer, the sky is bluer, the wind is stronger, the raindrops are fatter, the thunder is louder. The stage is set for perfect days and tempests alike.

On days like today the air becomes a living thing, swirling and tangling around you. Scarves snap in the breeze and skirts billow in the bluster.

And the wind gives you insta-booty.

Like clockwork, at 6pm the heavens opened, the air smelled delicious, and everything cooled down. And then the sun set and gave me this.

Thanks again to Ashley for the gorgeous silk scarf!

Katie Daily Style – Double Bubble Rectangle

• Shirt – la Mama
• Skirt – Gap
• Belt – thrifted
• Silk scarf – thrifted
• Beret – Urban Outfitters
• Flats – Naturalizer
• Jacket – Gap
• Purse – la Mama

The other day, Audi wrote about dressing to embrace her columnar shape rather than using clothing to create an hourglass appearance. With this outfit, I’m doing the opposite. Instead of accentuating my curvy, short-waisted figure with a skirt or belt at my natural waist or a nipped-in cardigan, this combination creates a rectangle.

Add a straight-cut denim jacket and it’s like you drew me with a ruler!

Call me square (or rectangular, whatever), but I like it.

Although, chances are what I really like is the double polka dot action going on. Whoever said “less is more” was obviously not talking about polka dots. Or Dippin’ Dots. But they were talking about polka music.

P.S. Remember how I wore this scarf last time? So pretty!

Pantsless Flapper Dudes* Make Everything Better

Today I indulged in some thrifting therapy to take my mind off of going through five (5!) interviews for a job that could have been pretty awesome and that I would have been excellent at and then not getting it. Suffice to say, Katie was in need of something pretty.

And did I ever find it. In moments like this words become futile, so I’ll just show you:

Let’s take a closer look:

Chelsie Daily Style – Scarfed!

Last night I was inspired to try wearing a scarf like this. So today, I did. Sometimes it looks a bit bib-like, but like an elegant silk bib. I attached the scarf to itself and my shirt with a brooch from Katie. It stayed put all day. A little bit of drapery and intrigue was added to an otherwise fitted outfit.

• Shirt – Hand me down
• Cigarette Pants – Hand me down from Sararh
• Bracelet – Hand me down
• Liberty of London Scarf – Thrifted
• Brooch – Gifted by Katie
• Earrings – Gifted by Katie (They are large turquoise hoops)

This is a smaller silk scarf, so I was really able to showcase it’s full square footage by wearing it this way. I’m almost inspired to wear a white shirt, scarf combo, with my black blazer as an upcoming interview look.

Katie’s Pathetically Late Christmas Giveaway Winners

You guys rock! Seriously, the haiku, limerick and free-verse stylings of you lot would make Whitman, Poe and Auden proud.* Especially when poetry wasn’t even required! You really are the most adorable overachievers.

Thank you to everyone who entered, and I only wish I could send something to everyone. But as much as I’d like to spend my days making things, the dishes must get done and the vegetable drawer must get cleaned out. So, if any of you are interested in swapping pretty things for housework, just let me know!

And the winners are (as chosen by Random.org):

Gift Pack #1: Sadie, with her entry

Such pretty parcels!
Beautiful things to delight
The lucky winners.

Gift Pack #2: Maria, with her entry:

Blog stalker am I
Coveting beautiful things
Winning would be grand

Gift Pack #3: Terri, with her entry:

in cloudy water
my reflection disappears
opal emerges

Congratulations, ladies! I’ll be emailing you all for the postal details.

And, once again, the biggest of “thank yous!” to everyone who entered. A lot of you popped out of the woodwork for the first time, and I do hope you’ll be back to chat.

*Maybe not Ginsberg, but he always seemed a bit snobbier.

Chelsie Daily Style – DvF Scarf Vest

We’ve been talking about scarves a lot lately, and I started brainstorming ideas and ways to wear a scarf. I came up with this ‘scarf as halter’ idea, and thought, self – that looks a lot like a vest. And so, I created the scarf vest. Light and flowy, over a button down shirt, secured with two safety pins in the back, and cinched with a narrow red belt.

I folded this large DvF scarf in half to create a triangle. Then I knotted the top points together and placed that section over my head. Then I wrapped one end around and affixed it behind the scarf with a safety pin, and pinned the other end behind as well. The first pin was to the scarf, the second is affixed from scarf to shirt. This scarf was large enough that the ends were tucked in behind the scarf and the ends reached to the opposite side of my waist.

The second picture shows the narrowing in the back a bit better. Success? I’m not sure, but it did provide me with an outfit that had a nice punch of colour. I definitely needed the safety pins for this one. Trying this same technique with a smaller scarf could be more tricky.

Thrifting Silk Scarves

Just call me Guesty McPosty.

Last week I was both over at Between Laundry Days talking about fashion and curation and at Oranges and Apples praising my glasses, and today I’m hanging out with the far-too-cool-for-me Jentine at My Edit sharing my love, and tips, for thrifting silk scarves.

All my silk scarves. In a bird cage. How blogger-esque of me!

I think thrifting scarves is the best thing since sliced bread (and if only I could find that Hermes scarf with the sliced bread pattern my world would be complete), so I think it would be the bee’s knees if you pop on over and read why.

Are you a silk scarf thrifter? What’s your best find?

Katie Daily Style – Just Say No to Cannibalism

• Black dress – thrifted
• Zebra print dress – JC Penney
• Dark brown scarf (#7)- gift
• Black leggings – gift
• Grey socks – Target
• Brown belt – thrifted
• Brown boots – La Mama’s

Just the other day, I was saying to myself, “Self, you might do well to have more brown in your wardrobe.” “I agree,” I replied. “However, I think I’d want dark brown – better for my coloring.” “Right-o,” I concurred.

And wouldn’t you know it, the next day I received a fantastic Christmas package from my dear, dear friend Steph (Melon).* And in said package? A gorgeous, rich, dark brown cashmere and silk pashmina!

And so I paired the oh-so-lovely scarf with the other browns of my wardrobe (good timing, too, as the boots were oh-so-necessary) and headed outside. It snowed yesterday and the snow was the perfect backdrop to let me pretend to be a legit style blogger. However, do you know what happens when it snows? It gets freakin’ cold! 55º to -7º in one day – global warming is real, people, and Mother Nature is cruel with her revenge. It was so cold that I gave up on finding the perfect photo location and settled for the tree next to my parking lot.

The other lovely thing in my present from Steph? Lavender-mint body scrub. I feel sorry that they haven’t invented smell-o-internet yet, because you people are missing out big time. I smell delicious! In fact, I’d be gnawing on my arm right now if not for the fact that (a) it would severely limit my bracelet-wearing options, and (b) it’s been scientifically proven that cannibalism is not a viable nutrition option. So I won’t eat my arm. There you go, a New Year’s resolution we can all subscribe to: I won’t resort to self-cannibalism.

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you stay happy, healthy, and without anyone trying to eat you.

Thanks, Melon!

No Repeats Challenge: Day 9

*If you’re really cool, you get to call her Melon.

Katie Daily Style – “Building” an Outfit

• Black dress – thrifted
• Denim shirt dress – thrifted
• Dior silk scarf – thrifted
• Black belt – Target
• Boots – Trotters

This outfit started around my Dior scarf (boy, do I love writing that phrase), which, if you remember, is covered with navy hexagons that look like the chambers of a beehive. I was planning on doing some serious bee research today, and felt some sartorial inspiration would help.

A Serious Bee

A Serious Bee Researcher

The navy in the scarf lead to the denim dress, and since it was the last warm day the weatherpeeps were telling us we were going to have, I decided my pale legs needed one more day of victory in the sun.

However, I forgot that the museum had other plans for that day and my lovely hymenoptera-inspired accessories were replaced. What goes better with a little black dress (covered with a denim dress) than a silk scarf?

Katie Daily Style – 2! 4! 6!…Meh

• Navy and grey striped tank – Old Navy
• Grey sweater – American Eagle
• Ginormous striped sweater – Le Chateau
• Denim pencil skirt – thrifted
• Red flats – Hush Puppies

This feels like something I should wear to a college football game. If I went to football games, that is. I do make fun of people who go to football games, so maybe this is what I can wear when I’m mocking those who value collegiate sports. I’m quite good at being snarky and sarcastic – snarcastic? -and I should probably have a uniform to let people know I’m about laugh at their love of team sports.

Hide your giant foam fingers, Katie has her striped scarf on!

I do go to soccer games with The Rocket Scientist, but that’s only because he bribes me with nachos and Dippin’ Dots. I’ll do almost anything for immitation cheese sauce.

This scarf was one of the first things I bought when I moved to Canada, and I remember thinking it was so cool. I wore it all fall my freshman year with dark bootcut jeans and a grey 3/4 sleeved shirt and just felt so university.

And I have no idea why I keep hiding behind my scarves lately. I’m about as coy as a goldfish. Eh? Eh? Get it?

P.S. To prove the long history I have with this scarf, here we both are back at the apartment Chelsie and I shared in 2004.

I’m trying to look angry that some punks just destroyed the snowman in our front yard. Mess with Katie and you’ll get that face.

sarah’s guide to dressing like a classy broad while traveling

i think back to a few lines in a former katie post, that highlighted some key indicators she was moving to adulthood (e.g. making the bed each morning, and wiping the lipstick off the juice carton before company come. thanks for the consideration btw). while always making me laugh, it also got me to think that i, too, have started to engage in ritual activities that move my maturity status up from confused tweenie to sophisticated woman (though there’s still a loooong way to go before the latter happens!). the ritual of applying cream after showering, and always having a bottle of white wine in the fridge are activities never on my radar before i started paying my own rent. one of my most recent notes of adulthood came from changing my travel attire from a proud-to-not-have-done-laundry-for-three-weeks to a hey-you-can-bump-my-sophisticated-lady-self-up-to-business-class-and-noone-would-know-it’s-all-a-lie. now, i know that when you travel you want to be comfortable: to be able to curl up in your seat, maybe do a few yoga stretches between connecting flights. but, like anything in life, you can find a balance. work and play. love and hate. and yes, even comfort and style.

my change in attitude started when i realized that every time i stepped on a plane there was a whirlwind of possibility. no, not of what awaits on the other end silly! possibility of who i could be wrestling for the arm rest, or whose dessert i would eye as they decided to leave it on the tray. perhaps it would be the country director for a renowned ngo, sad that they hadn’t found a suitable project manager to hire. or, do i dare dream, an irish doctor on their way for their 5th placement in a rural camp placed close enough to a beach, but far enough from danger! in the words of will from will and grace, one should always dress right when traveling internationally. but 14+ hour flights, not including airport travel, wait time, and connections, wouldn’t make anyone run towards their prom shoes and a sundress. sigh, what to do?

i know many of you revel in the comfort of yoga pants, and would never dare to forget your wooly socks. my pre-grown up style for flights: cargo pants (side pockets provided for quick passport showings), fake birkenstock sandals so that i could (gasp) wear socks with to keep the toes cozy, and easily slip them on for a potty break (which, if you know me, you know is a major concern). the bag would be a backpack, usually ripping at the seems, and soaked in the muck found on hostel and public bus floors. but now, ladies and gents, lets fast forward and document some ways that we can ensure we stay true to our fabulous and fashionable selves, while still hugging our inner freshman whose best friend is a hoodie:

this is a picture of me, in my travel clothes, upon arrival back in asia. note; the enthusiasm is because i took the picture 1 week and 1 jet lag recovery later.

when preparing your style travel you need to consider:
1. comfort for pulling up your legs, contorting ones body for naps, and the pre-connecting flight yoga stretch.
b. the weather before, during, and after your flight. going from a winter sprung city to a tropical havana, while getting there in a stale cooler, with the option of your luggage not meeting you, does require some tact. and
*. what kind of trip it is. if its for work, you need to remember that while boasting about your uber-cool job that lets you rack up the air miles, you may encounter who doesn’t know where to go for the best local cuisine. if its for pleasure, you do have more leniency to rub in this fact to the business tripper but don’t forget you may get seated next to a lovely solo traveler looking for someone to join them in an odyssey of the countries most taboo cuisine.

taking all these items into consideration, i came up with this:

1. comfort! found in the foundation: the pants. or in this case, tights! for many people the yoga pant serves its purpose not only on the sticky mat, but on the plane too. let me tell you, there are options! i used to reject the notion of stirup pants. i silenced my inner 80s child when they resurfaced, believing i still hadn’t earned enough hipster status to pull it off. but i converted when the frustration of pulling down my riding up tights got the better of my protest. the comfort and warmth they provide are key when you realize your inner contortionist. here i chose black, for me important not just for slimming, but more for when i inevitably spill the rice from my veggie meal on my lap (its always something with rice, and like the potty thing i mentioned earlier, anyone who knows me knows i’m messier than a baby in car seat) i loved these tights so much that i included a second pair in the “in case my luggage doesn’t make it” clothes i carry in my handbag. more on the handbag later.

2. shoes! no more hippie mippie for me! i had these shoes made in vietnam for about 10$, as i couldn’t find any other shoes to fit my western foot. i always recommend shoes that can be easily slipped on and off, and still allow for some sock room on the plane. these are not only comfy, but give a dressy impression while not compromising comfort. you getting where i’m going with all this?

3. the top! this was bought while our beloved chels was showing me the ropes of thrift shopping in her town (though that town is not recognized by google maps, so i still doubt its existence). the colour is in my usual palates, and the softness is uber-desirable. its extra room encourages you to forgo the regular-size toblerone for the large one, and doesn’t restrict movement when doing a few between flight yoga poses. i have a tank top on underneath, for the autumn canada and in-flight coolness. but when i arrive i can easily dispose of it, and the shirt is billowy enough to allow for maximum ventilation. its also something that i would (and will) wear on a regular basis, as i favour empire shirts and quarter sleeves. and it makes me feel pretty, which is, after all, the first rule of style according to sarah. the second rule of style, is that it should make you feel pretty. got both of those?

4. for extra warmth and style, i also suggest two things: one, a jacket or sweater that’s easy to move in (note mine here) and never doubt the upped class factor with a fancy scarf.

5. not so easily seen are a few light accessories. my tried and true “sarah” in arabic necklace, and evil eye pendant because i’m beyond superstitious and need all the travel luck i can find. a watch (a must to track flight time, though don’t forget to update the time when you arrive. running to your connecting gate cause you failed to do so is not so much fun) and a silver ring i bought in mexico, and have lost and found more times than i can imagine (including 5 mins ago) but yet it always re-appears.

6. the bag. this one was influenced by chelsie on our trip to see katie last year. the notion of something other than a backpack for travel seemed odd, but i loved how stylish the look was. you have to pick one that can easily carry all your hand luggage needs: your laptop and any other electronics including their charge cords (never ever ever put in checked luggage! foolish people, trust the jester!), booka, magazinea, toiletry bag, facecloth, ipod or any other music listening device, passport holder, a spare set of clothes and undies, eye glass case, and of course, a few snacks (buying toberlerone or any other fancy dark chocolate from the duty free is one of my airport rituals never to be missed. like how some sports players don’t wash their jocks all season…hmm, maybe not…) the only grunts i have with a one shoulder bag is that it can strain an already tired back if its too heavy. but most airports have trolleys you can take from the duty free stores so pre-departure wandering can be enjoyable. and some also have quick massage booths, so treat yourself!

and that’s that people! i would love to know your travel style, so please comment what normally makes the cut when planning your trips. i hope i have been able to give you some pointers, and i am happy happy to pick up a few from you.

remember, you don’t have to forgo style just to be comfy. there’s a reason they say “its not about the destination, but the journey.” treat planes, trains, and automobiles as part of the fun of it all! mr. steve martin did it, and so can you.

Katie Daily Style – A Visit from the Traveling Scarf

I love having visitors over. However, my spare bedroom a.k.a. the bathtub isn’t that comfortable and keeps most people away. That’s why I was thrilled to have the Traveling Scarf, the brainchild of Kimberly of Fab Finds Under 50, come and stay a while. It really was the perfect house guest – quiet, tidy, and didn’t eat all the cheese in my fridge in the middle of the night (ahem, Rocket Scientist).

Meet my roomie for the past few days – the Miami Scarf from Affordable Scarves.

The scarf is a tropical print in teal, sage, olive, mustard, cream and black, and it’s HUGE! I didn’t take a photo, but it’s almost as tall as I am.

Most people wear the scarf once. Amateurs. Since the rules of this scarf-sharing extravaganza stipulate that I was supposed to wear the scarf within the next 3 days after receiving it, I did. 3 times.

Day 1

• White shirt – gift from the mama
• Black cigarette pants – Gap
• Mustard belt – thrifted
• Mustard beret – thrifted
• Bronze shoes – Naturalizer
• Miami scarf – Affordable scarves

This outfit started out as the black pants and the white shirt. A gorgeous and classic combination, but I wanted some color. In came the mustard belt and beret, and it was better, but still not there. Musing on what to add as I walked to the mailbox, I discovered that Shea from Bon Chic, Bon Gastronomique had sent me the scarf! Lo and behold, the scarf had mustard in it (better than mustard on it. Eww.) Perfect!

I added the scarf Brigadoon-style to my outfit, and away I went. The giant Miami scarf was perfect for draping, and I like the one-shoulder look for my figure. Plus, it gives me an excuse to sing “Go Home with Bonnie Jean.” Although the print of this scarf made me want to sing it in a Jamaican accent…

Day 2

Katie Daily Style – Now With Frosting

• Green dress – thrifted
• Green and blue silk scarf – thrifted
• Gold belt – thrifted
• Blue ballet flats – Old Navy

Ah, there are those expensive looking silk wrinkles!

I took inspiration from my “Ode to a Grecian Falafel” outfit and decided to drape one of my recently thrifted silk scarves over my green dress. While the scarf I wore on falafel night was large enough that I could tie it around my body, this scarf was simply tied to one shoulder and belted into place.

I was planning on wearing this to a friend’s co-ed bachelorette party on Saturday, but after a day spent out in the hot sun for an insanely huge and important and exciting museum event in which I helped children build museums out of cookies, crackers, candy and frosting,* I didn’t have the energy or patience for a floaty scarf, belted down though it may be. So I ended up wearing something else all together, which I’ll show you later.

*Upon sharing with the other bachelorette party-goers how I had spend the day covered in frosting, one of them remarked, “What did they have you do, jump out of a cake?” Well, maybe next time…

Katie Daily Style – Capsule Wardrobe and a Meteorite Older than the Sun

• Purple and navy striped tank – Old Navy
• Navy tank – Old Navy
• Purple cardigan – thrifted
• Navy and white silk scarf – thrifted
• Jeans – Parasucco
• Silver Mary Jane’s – Naturalizer

Today was another “messy museum” day, hence my trusty uniform of jeans, shirt and scarf. Today’s outfit was required by the fact that I was going to spend the day in a giant warehouse full of rocks, minerals, and fossils. The highlight of my day was a tie between getting to help identify Jurassic insects preserved in amber, see a fossil of a horseshoe crab and its tracks (looked like this one), and holding a carbonaceous chondrite meteorite bigger than my head that is 12 billion years old. That rock, which I held (!!!), is older than our sun. I have the coolest job.

Today’s outfit was not only practical, but a test-run for packing for my vacation. I’ve decided to try the capsule wardrobe idea, as the weather in California is so unpredictable that I suspect I’ll be layering a lot. A lot of the resources I read suggested taking only neutrals, which just bores me, so I decided on three colors: navy, grey and purple. Yes, navy and grey are neutrals, but they’re less boring to me than black and less likely to show the staining evidence of my ever-present clumsiness than white. And purple is just pretty, so there you go. Doing some searching for articles on three-color capsule wardrobes, I came across Franca’s fantastic post on just that topic, and the beautiful selections she pulled together have convinced me that a three-color vacation wardrobe with jewelry and scarves to bring in other punches of color will look fabulous! I loved today’s combination of navy and purple, and the pops of white and silver from the scarf and shoes really stand out.

Katie Daily Happy – Silk Scarves

The other day I mentioned that I consider scarves to be one of my wardrobe workhorses. Well, I should have been more specific because the real stars of my scarf wardrobe? Silk scarves.

I don’t know how many of you wear silk scarves on a regular basis, but I promise you: once you go silk…umm… you won’t go back to non-silk.* Silk is cool in summer and warm in winter, soft against your skin, knots beautifully and won’t come undone halfway through the day like so many polyester fabrics do, always drapes beautifully and, like linen, gets those expensive looking wrinkles. Plus, you get to spend the day wearing a silk scarf, and there’s nothing shabby about that. Anything that makes you look a little closer to this is good in my book:

Image

I’ve never paid more than $1.00 for any of my silk scarves, and you’d be amazed at how many you can find in thrift stores with a little looking. I’ll often just run my hand along all the scarves and pick out the silk ones by feel.

This weekend I scored big time and thrifted 5 silk scarves for $0.50 each. Meet the newest additions to my scarf drawer:

Kelly Green Giant Square Scarf

Peacock Blue Honeycomb Print Scarf. Why, yes, the pattern does say “Dior.”

Royal Blue With Kelly Green Polka Dots

Navy Blue, Cream, Brown and Black Patterned Scarf (already worn here)

Orange, Peach, Pink and Cream Vera Scarf

*I tried to come up with a clever rhyme for how much you’ll love silk scarves, but the best I could do was: once you go silk, you won’t bilk and avoid getting more silk, or: once you go silk, you won’t tolerate people of the ilk who don’t wear silk, and it was just getting too wordy. So, in conclusion, they’re awesome. The end.