fashion quandaries Pt 3: the delights of etsy, for the neck

Editor's Note: I realize this series of posts is quite frivolous. But it has been so much fun looking at these beautiful things on etsy for the past couple of weeks (I have been doing the looking and image gathering and writing for that long--but am finally getting them all finished and posted. The looking is easy--all I need is one hand to "drive" the mouse while I am nursing Smiley. But writing is harder to work in, and so it takes me a while to complete a post when I only have five minute snippets of time here and there!).

But I realized while finishing this post this morning, and then seeing Aubrey's comment over on Pt. 2, that this is like virtual shopping with girlfriends! If you are going to shop, that's definitely the best and most fun way to do it! So thanks for joining me. : )


I mentioned in post Pt. 1 about how I got some new tops,* and want to build some more style around them. In particular, I would like to accessorize them a bit, but without buying junk jewelry or stuff that I don't like, like, like. So, keeping in mind my clothes shopping guidelines, and my desire for more color and flair in my life I wrote about in my last post, I now bring you my practical, versatile, colorful, soft, child-friendly solution--a scarf, something like this:

Summer Breeze Cotton Scarf by Beautiful Bridget

I'm thinking that cranberry would actually look pretty good with the new fushia (its not bright, more like a crimson pink) top I bought, which is the one item in my wardrobe begging for something to give it more style. But what do you think?

blue spring scarflette by Miss Lila Mae

I also really like this long, delicate scarf, esp. with the colorful brooch. The brooch does not come with it, though, so that would be another thing to find. (But I have seen plenty of cute ones on etsy already--I'll show you a few at the end.)

purple spring scarflette by Miss Lila Mae

Another one by the same artist. I love the pattern of this purple one, but not sure purple (while a lovely color and a good color for me) would compliment the tops that could use the accessorizing, esp. the fushia one.

green scarf with purple flower brooch by high note designs

But I LOVE the color of this scarf, and the flower brooch comes with it! But this is a shorter, heavier scarf than the others so far, and so would be more limited in the season in which I could wear it. . . but it is so pretty. . . Of course, I don't own any scarf at the moment, so could use a warm one (esp. on a morning like this, when it is chilly in the house and I am sitting still typing and D has not yet got the fire going. . . )

chocolate blue cotton scarf by Adrienne Kinsella

I really like the colors in this scarf, and it would look great with my multitude of black and grey tops, I imagine (esp. with denim jeans! or would that be too matchy-matchy?)--but since I most need the scarf to go with the fushia top, I am not sure this one would be the best choice. These are actually the exact colors of my new blue top and Free People tunic, but I don't think I would wear the scarf with that outfit--definitely too matchy-matchy, in my mind.

scarf offered by Angeneh

Then there is the whole other world of fabric scarves, but I just really don't want to go there. I am wanting casual, and silk scarves just seem more high maintenance. I do have some silk scarves, and actually do wear them sometimes--but usually only tied around a ponytail. ; ) But it is amazing how just adding that simple scarf to the ponytail immediately and effortlessly elevates the plain top and jeans to an outfit. So that is what I am going for with the knit scarf idea. . . But this particular scarf is sure pretty, and might look really cute with that fushia top and blue jeans. I can't tell that it is handmade, though--from the listing I suspect it comes from India.

boho hexagon scarf by the Madd Crocheter

THIS is the scarf I saw in the Garnet Hill catalogue two years ago that was $88 bucks and still sold out before it could go on sale. Sigh. I am entertaining the thought of trying to make one myself--something I like this much could be the project to get me off my duff and learn a new skill--except the lady who sells the pattern for this scarf says it is intermediate in skill level because of all the tying off and sewing together. So, probably not the best choice for a first foray into the craft. But oh, so gorgeous!!! If I was only going to get one scarf, that would be it. The scarf is not for sale, however--just the pattern for it--or I would be so tempted.

So as I mentioned before, the right scarf by itself would add a nice bit of style to my wardrobe; the right scarf with a high-spirited, beautiful brooch would be even more fun:

Blue Eyed Suzy Crocheted Flower Brooch by Bunny in Disguise

Your basic simple, but pretty flower pin, which would help any color scarf look good with my fushia top.

Lola Buttonhead Brooch by Jetta's Nest

Another cute flower brooch--cute, and a little edgy! (it also comes in red)

red crochet flower brooch by LaPerLaA

Love the black seed beads--and the chunky texture of the petals.

Blue Felted Brooch. No.010 by Hanne B. Designs

This one melted my heart: it is the exact look of the flower I had in my wedding bouquet, called Love in a Mist, which I chose because it is the closest cultivated match to my favorite flower, wild Chicory (which is too delicate to do well in a wedding bouquet).

And then there are the fancier ones:

Hand Stitched Owl Brooch by Little Canary Bird

That one is for you, Desiree! : )

Another one by the same artist

Red Felt Bird Brooch by Cheery Deary Designs

How can you be dark and broody on the inside if you can put something like this on your scarf? It makes me think of the saying, "Fake it until you make it"--if you don't feel like smiling, do it anyway and soon you will find you are smiling naturally.

Dove on a Branch Heart plush brooch by Accessoire

Another pretty and cheerful brooch. (If you haven't noticed, it appears I like fairly simple designs, solid worksmanship but with a homespun/imperfect look, and some texture, like beads, to create contast with the soft, fiberous materials. And who doesn't love birds? Cheerful but unpretentious--same with flowers.)

Little Felt Heart Pin by Skipping Stones

Oh, this heart is just too cute. And it comes in other color combinations too. . .

Anyway, you get the idea. One colorful, soft (no itchy wool, or acrylics--I'm a cotton girl) scarf; one colorful, delightful brooch. Just the right touches for giving my current clothes a little more personality and style, but without a lot of fuss.

Oh, and some of these brooches would be so cute on the side of that red on red cashmere hat--Aubrey? ; )

*I tried to take photos of my new clothes, but have not been able to get good enough lighting indoors to really show the colors and textures. So you will just have to use your imagination for this post. (And maybe I can add work out an outdoor fashion photo shoot sometime when the sunshine is more reliable. . . )