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 that I look at the black version of the Chrysalis scarf. For accents, I chose the shades of pink in the dahlias, the shades of orange/yellow in the dahlias, and the purple in the… wisteria? I don’t know all of the flowers names, yet!
There was NO WAY I wasn’t going to include this blue patchwork scarf, right? And even though there’s just a few touches of beige in the scarf itself, all of the colors present here are lovely worn with beige…
HECK YES this ruana is part of the next year! We all fully understand that one will not be wearing a ruana every month of the year (well, there are cool evenings in the summer…) but the colors are always a good inspiration.
I tossed grey into the mix here because I’ve always used 2 neutrals when building wardrobes, and I felt that grey fit in here the best. We shall see, eh?
This next scarf was chosen partly because a lot of you really wanted a closer look at this color palette for this pattern, and also because I think that it’s going to bring some real interest and life to our olive and beige wardrobe. I just plain and simply like this scarf a lot!
Brown. What a wonderful color (I have brown eyes!) and what a difficult color to find in the world of clothing and accessories! But I love this scarf design – it’s fluid and fully of lovely details. The accent colors here will be the same as those for the black and grey wardrobe – that’s going to be interesting!
And lastly, many of you have asked about a wardrobe that shows more denim blue, but with something other than beige… As soon as I saw this scarf, I knew that denim and grey would be on this year’s agenda. The wee touch of blush and rust, as well as the muted greens, will make this wardrobe project both beautiful and unique:
Here’s where I have to insert a pretty big caveat – I have NO IDEA how long Echo keeps scarves in stock. They could run out of all of these next month! So if you are smitten, seize the day… Especially with the ruana, which is marked down. That – to me – is always an indication that something is soon to disappear!
Just to give you an idea of what the future might hold, I’ve chosen a handful of accessories in each of these palettes. They may just whet your appetite, or you might have to step in where Santa dropped the ball and treat yourself. It happens…
mask – Miamica; Chrysalis silk square – Echo; pink quartz earrings – Aparna; ring – QVC; grey beret – Halogen; socks – Sof Sole
The options for this scarf are seemingly endless, but I started with turquoise…
mask – The Mighty Company; Patchwork Painted Floral silk square by Echo; earrings – QVC; hat – Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise; ring – Kendra Scott; socks – Me Moi
I’m sure that later in the year this wardrobe will see LOTS of pink, but for now I had to indulge in purple… And yes, the mask has sequins. Why not?
Amethyst earrings – Neeru Goel; sequined mask – Natalie Mills; hat – Talbots; socks – Columbia; ring – HSN; Lofty plaid ruana – Echo
Our next wardrobe is going to be full of all sorts of shades of tomato red, coral, and lighter warm pink…
Carnelian earrings – Neeru Goel; Patchwork Painted Floral silk scarf – Echo; hat – Topshop; ring – QVC; mask – Anthony Veer; socks – Loft
I got a bit nutty for a minute – the rose jewelry just made me smile… Sometimes, that’s enough!
Chrysalis silk square – Echo; rose earrings – Danai; hat – Topshop; mask – Urban Outfitters; ring – HSN; socks – Allbirds
If you see a packet of masks that are in all of the best shades of your wardrobe, grab them! And I adore this ring… A pretty ring that just delights you is worth an indulgence – we are not overrun with delight this year, are we?
Blue topaz earrings – Mutiara Collection; Mountain View Wrap – Echo; ring – Nitya; hat – Four Buttons; masks – Frye; socks – Me Moi
I hope that these meet with your approval – I tried to fulfill as many requests as I could…
And never forget what you all mean to me – The Vivienne Files brings me so much happiness. I hope it does to you too!
love,
Janice
p.s. I don’t have good flashbacks for Christmas Day, but I wouldn’t mind if you took another look at a heart-felt wish from me…
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Awesome! These look excellent. I do like this preview. Thank you, Janice.
Happy Christmas
Merry Christmas, Janice, and all the best för the coming year.
Merry Christmas! I wasn’t sure if I would see something this morning or not! It would never occur to me to track most commented on posts, though I probably would track requests. That’s why you do this and not me. I see a couple of combinations I could incorporate into what I already have. decisions decisions. Thank you for putting this together for us. Can’t wait to see how everything progresses. Holiday Blessings to all.
Merry Christmas, Janice, to you and yours. Thank you for all you do with grace and style! ⛄️?
Merry Christmas to you, Janice, and all your readers! You have been such a bright spot in this unprecedented time. I have followed you for several years and each new year I promise myself that I’m going to try to obtain my version of one of your wardrobe ideas. This is the year! You’ve given us so many wonderful combinations. I’ve decided to not limit myself to one group but to go with the ones I can incorporate into the wardrobe I have.
Thanks for all your hard work. You are very appreciated.
Merry Christmas Janice & family! May your holidays be bright & beautiful filled with light & love.
This collection & accessories are beautiful.
I enjoy reading & learning from your posts.
Thank you for all that you do! And I still think you deserve an award for helping
us readers get through this year with all the delightful heroines, their stories and capsule wardrobes.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank you so much for the preview. What you have chosen is brilliant. I know everyone will have at least one favorite if not two or more. I have three?. You definitely listened to the emails ?. Thanks again for all your work. It is so much appreciated. ?. So excited to see what’s in store next year!!
Merry Christmas to Janice and to all who adore her posts as I do !
Janice,
What delightful eye candy! Even colors that I would not wear, I can thoroughly enjoy their beauty in the posts to come ! Merry Christmas and thank you for adding color to all of our days with your posts — the highlights of my mornings year round !
Aw, how fun to see this. Merry Christmas, Janice. You are one of the pleasures of my weeks.
Hello Janice! Thank you for taking time out of your busy holiday schedule to put together creative combinations for us. That makes it official – the Blog Community Award Committee will be contacting you shortly.
Hi again: As it turns out, Santa brought me some clothing that matches some of your featured colors. The only tweak for me would be switching out the tomato red (mostly because it does not live in my closet). I see a small peep of burgundy in the scarf, so I am wondering about that as a swap-?
I love some of these scarves and would love to buy one, but I don’t know if they will ship to the UK. Does anyone know?
Merry Christmas Janice. I can’t wait to see how these wardrobes progress. I think it is the post I most look forward to, thanks for the sneak peak.
Merry Christmas, Janice . Thank you for the preview. I can’t wait to see the wardrobes you compile based on the lovely selection of scarves that you’ve chosen.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a better 2021, Janice! I adore that purple ruana and can’t wait to see what you do with this wardrobe in the future. I’ve tried wearing capes and ruanas in the past, but they just look awful on me, otherwise I’d have already bought this purple one.
That ruana wardrobe is definitely going to be the one I’m most looking forward to in 2021. Those are pretty much my wardrobe palette colours.
Though, that last one with the denim, and grey? That’s going to be lovely, too.
Awww, let’s not kid ourselves . . . though the 2 mentioned ones are likely to be my favourites, I’m eagerly awaiting ALL the wardrobes for this coming year!
A Happy Christmas to you and yours, Janice!?
Merry Christmas (a federal holiday) to you and yours. Happy holidays to all your fans. Wishing for a Happy and Healthy New Year! Hoping for a little prosperity, too.
Planning to have lots of black eyed peas for luck on New Years Day. And cabbage, too, for money. This is a southern tradition. And I am a southern girl (belle).
Thank you for your wonderful blog. I look forward to reading it each day you publish.
(((Big Hug)))
Louise P
Happy Christmas Janice. Hope you are having a relaxing day. I didn’t expect to see a post but reading your blog is like opening a present full of beautiful things. I love the rings you are showing and this could be the one are of my jewellery collection that could be developed. I’m looking forward to seeing how all these wardrobes develop next year. Thanks for including purple! ?
Merry Christmas, Janice. I can’t wait for this year. It should be the most beautiful of all, what creat combinations of neutrals and accents and all the scarves are fab! Thank you so much for including the blue patchwork scarf. I received today a surprise (well, not totally as I gave a hint a few months ago!) My husband gifted me with this blue partchwork scarf! It is absolutely gorgeous and a great size square. It will go literally with everything I have. It is draped over a large vase on our table just so I can gaze at it. Thank you thank you and can’t wait to see the wardrobe for this and the other great scarves you have chosen for 2021. You blog is such a joy and so helpful. The first thing I read in the mornings – every morning even if you don’t post a new one there is a wealth of archives and I just pick a color and go! Thank you for being you, Janice.
Thank you for including a muted scarf this year! I love the watercolor-y print of the Mountain View wrap. I feel like you are drawn to bright accents and high contrast prints, usually. Here’s to a happy, health 2021 everyone!
Merry Christmas, Janice! Thank you so much for The Vivienne Files, a lovely start to my days.
Oh No. This is the first time I have liked all of the scarves. What to do.
Merry Christmas to all.
Beautiful, as always. You have such an eye, Janice! A very very merry Christmas to you and yours, and BIG VIRTUAL HUGS coming your way.
Merry Christmas and thank you for a year of inspiration! I always learn something from your posts and they’re a bright spot in an otherwise dull week. The effort you put in is much appreciated!
I’m just wondering what our Christmas outfits are this year as probably most of us are having ‘a quiet time ‘at home’. Do you glam up or remain comfy and cosy? We have a ‘stay at home’ order in my part of the UK. My outfits today were a mixture of the two.
First of all, for a very cold morning walk, I wore navy cords, light grey polo-neck, thick dark pink umper plus navy faux fur lined parka, ivory fleece hat and thick grey fleece lined gloves, thermal socks and navy boots.
For Christmas lunch at home, I changed into a grey velvet dress with a sparkly snowflake brooch, earrings and a sparkly bracelet. With this I wore cosy lined tights, thermal socks and fleece lined slipper boots!
In the evening, I changed into a dark teal satin blouse and matching crushed velvet maxi skirt with sparkly silver long, thick cardigan with faux fur collar. I also wore a multi-coloured bead necklace and ring. My tights and slippers remained the same.
All in all, I felt suitably Christmassy but also cosy and comfy.
Beth T, I do love your comments. I can’t even fathom changing outfits 3x in one day – unless I were going out, or like the other day when I slipped and fell on my butt in the mud and had to strip and start all over. I went with cozy – just a red turtleneck and a fair isle cardigan I’ve had for a few years – which went off and on all day long as my temperature fluctuated…..I miss being in school, where I would be wearing various Christmas themed sweaters, and mini-top hats to celebrate the season. I didn’t do any of that this year. And I even bought Talbots cute scottish terrier sweater with intentions of wearing it. oh well, perhaps next year. Best to all.
Hi Beth, I loved to read about your Christmas outfits. On Christmas Eve, I put on a red pullover sweater, skinny jeans, and black tweed loafers with a metallic gold stripe in them. I asked my husband, “Do I look Christmas-y?” He paused and said yes. So I put on the rest of the outfit…a gold glittery hairband, big sparkly crystal earrings, a black velvet vest, and the capstone piece, an aqua scarf with grey striped kittens wearing Santa outfits and playing with outdoor Christmas lights (I had bought this several years ago at a thrift store and it’s fun to bring it out every year)…and asked him again. This time I got an instant “YES!” Haha. On Christmas, I wore a bright blue pullover sweater with jeans, a bright blue vest, a high-bling-content chunky gold-colored pendant, and a white infinity scarf with multi-colored Christmas ornaments. I felt comfy but festive for my mid-day Zoom meeting with my parents and my sister’s family.
Although I’m not a fan of patchwork scarves, the palette you’ve chosen for the blue patchwork scarf matches a lot of my wardrobe. I’ll be watching this wardrobe with great interest!
Happy Christmas to Janice and all her followers. You do such an amazing job, I’m in awe of you!!
Echo don’t seem to post scarves out of the USA, I’ve even written to them to ask why. Didn’t get a reply unfortunately. I would love to by the patchwork scarf in turquoise and pink..it’s gorgeous. Keep up the good work and thank you again. Happy New Year too
Also appreciate the muted colors of the mountain scarf. Muted colors are very hard to find in my size. I have very low contrast in my features and as such I’m very quickly overwhelmed by bright, dark, jewel tones, animal prints and even pastels. It can be really depressing.
Oh, Janice, I think I am going to cry… holy handbags of totally un-whapable scarves!!!! I love you & what you do SOOOO much; I cannot even begin to think of the time & effort you put into your posts & the year long arcs you bring to us. I will be a wild woman aimlessly wandering in streets, malls, shops, websites …. I was going to pick one & follow it; maybe this will be a no buy year! ….And I will continue to read & follow for the sheer joy you bring to us all, if not my specific wardrobe (this year)! Much thought of a very different nature as a result of 12months, 12 months wardrobes for 2021!
Thank you so much, Janice, for all the hours & hours of work you put in for each page you generate for us!
Love & best wishes in the coming new year!
Merry Christmas and best wishes for health and happiness in the new year.
Merry Christmas! Thank you for all you do! I love reading your blog. What lovely scarves. The blue patchwork is my favorite. And the denim one. I love that ruana – I look hideous in them, though. I think it’s because I’m only 5′ tall. They fall so long on my that my legs looks about 6 inches long. The color is so yummy, though, that I actually went to the website twice to consider putting it in my cart. What put me off both times was the 100% acrylic fiber content.
Fully expected the first patchwork scarf to be my favorite and thought the mountain scarf had potential. Then I read down to where the accessories were added and the mountain scarf and its chosen accessories nearly jumped off the page at me! So excited to see how this progresses. Thank you Janice for all your hard work in bringing us a blog that not only is a delight to read, but also helps us whittle down our wardrobes to a manageable size that is not only good for our closets, but great for the environment! Merry Christmas to all! Enjoy all 12 days!
I love these wardrobes for giving me ideas for recombining what I already own, especially the orphans. I have a base of black and grey, but could never stick to just one color theme. Your idea of 5 pieces, including accessories, has worked very efficiently for purple, red, brilliant green, teal…a few are obviously my favorites and I have far more than 5 pieces, but it does allow me to get more use out of each piece and color way.
Happy New Year Janet! I hope your Christmas was wonderful.
I’m excited to see future posts for both patchwork scarf combinations! Lovely warm colors.
Thank you for your welcome, cheerful contributions to these crazy days we’re in.
Thank you so much for your hard work on our behalf! YOU are such a gift to us! Merry Whatever-you-celebrate!!!!
Happy Holidays, Janice and fellow readers! These scarves are beautiful and I can’t wait to see what you do with them! I think my personal favorites are going to be the warm-toned Patchwork Floral and the brown Chrysalis, but I’m ready to be surprised!
To Sally and Sheila for some reason, I can’t reply to individual comments. Wow Sally, your outfits must have looked amazing. Perhaps, I was being too subtle in my Christmas jewellery. There are Twelve Days of Christmas from Christmas Day, through New Year to Twelfth Night when we take the decorations down. So I hope, Sheila, that you wear your Scottie jumper sometime in the next week or so just for the fun of it. Perhaps, I shall ramp up the bling at New Year but why not before?
Today, I had a sofa day and film day wearing a plum polo-neck and grey velour trackies, but I wore a sparkly statement necklace that I’ve not worn before as I’d never had an occasion to. However, I reckon that we can choose to make every day special so if that means wearing diamante with trackies, I will. Who is to know apart from my family? I have all these nice things so I shall wear them when I choose.
Beth T, a sparkly statement necklace with velour trackies is absolutely perfect, I love it! Today I wore a sparkly necklace also…and added a string of faux pearls with it on the theory that the more, the merrier. Luckily my accessories do not need to socially distance ;)
Of course, I am looking forward to seeing how wardrobes are built for all of these lovely scarves! My own favorite palette puts the blue patchwork first and mountain view second. But I am also extremely interested in the red patchwork as well…the olive/beige/red wardrobe in 2020 intrigued me, and the addition of the softer warm pink and sandstone/orange to that palette seems very promising. (And I just love the patchwork scarf so much in both colorways, I am very fortunate indeed with these selections!)
I am a bit surprised by how much orange there is in these scarves…5 of 6 have an orange/coral in the palette, only the purple ruana palette lacks it. If a color were to be over-represented in this way, I have to admit that orange is probably my last choice because it’s personally a hard color for me to wear so I mostly stick to accessories. I’d much rather see blush, burgundy, or teal overwhelming the wardrobes :D But no complaints from me! I know that there will be so much to enjoy and learn from in this series in 2021.
I am late but Merry Christmas! I am so excited for this series and I’m loving how colorful they promise to be. Thank you for all you do! :)
Sally, the idea that our jewellery doesn’t need to socially distance made me laugh out loud – we can wear as much as we like! ?
I too like layering necklaces and pendants. A pearl or bead short necklace covering the chain of a pendant that hangs under the beads is one of my favourite combinations. Add to that another longer bead or emblem necklace for a three layered look. My inspiration comes from paintings of Tudor women, particularly aristocratic ladies who were allowed to wear jewellery. Queen Elizabeth 1 was an expert at jewellery layering.
What a delicious surprise! I am going to love several of these, especially the black Chrysalis scarf and the purple ruana, both of which I want to buy myself.
Merry Christmas, Janice!
Oh Janice thank you! What a beautiful selection. The last one really speaks to me with the soft blue and grey. I just picked up a denimy mid blue cashmere cardigan and v neck pullover on a Boxing Day sale and I’m looking at that one as I am mentally playing with my new sweaters.
Thank you as usual, and I’m looking forward to following along, especially the blue/grey muted scarf. This year I finally let my hair go grey, and it is a cool grey which is forcing me to re-think some of my wardrobe colours. For Christmas I got a denim blue sweatshirt style casual dress so the scarf would make a great start to accessorizing!
Looking forward to following along. All the best for 2021!
Love – love- love the colors, especially scarves 1, 2, 3, and 6.
Respectfully, the scarves themselves, excepting #6, seem very “grandma-ish” — butterflies and patchwork?
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, Janice, and I’m wishing you a very happy 2021! Thank you for the sneak peak! As always, I am looking forward to seeing what you do with these scarves. I can say with certainty that the two patchwork scarf colorways are my personal favorites with regard to the colors I like to wear. However, I love the print of the butterfly scarf and would be most intrigued with it if its background was navy; regardless, I am most eager to see the brown and gray wardrobe develop, especially with the bright colors.
Thank you, Janice, for being so responsive to the color requests of your readers! This year’s scarves are affordable and practical, but I have to admit that I miss the days of having the monthly fantasy inspiration of a half dozen luscious Hermes scarves. Even without that luxury factor, though, I’ll definitely be interested in seeing the wardrobes develop and how the colors play out throughout the course of the year. – nancyo