5 Years Later: The Scarf Hair Tuck

Casual winter outfit with camel blanket scarf and sherpa lace-up boots — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Happy 2021! I’m kicking off the new year with a fun new series—each month this year, I’m going to pick an outfit that I first wore and blogged back in 2016 (which was five years ago, if you can believe it!) and recreate it using the same (or very similar) pieces! I actually could have started this series in 2020 or even 2019, but 2016 is the first full year I used a DSLR for blog photos, and no one needs to be reminded of the photos I took with the camera prior to that (lol).

(On second thought, maybe I should recreate those really old outfits…those are still among my most-repinned on Pinterest!)

My goals with this series are to put together updated versions of some of my favorite past outfits, see how much my style has changed over the years (if at all), highlight the items that are still in my closet five or more years later, determine if it’s time to pass on some of my older items, inspire you to evaluate the longevity in your own wardrobe, and most importantly, remind you (and myself) that it’s cool to rewear your favorite outfits/items!

Camel blanket scarf + black pompom beanie casual winter outfit — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

THE SCARF HAIR TUCK — 2021 vs. 2016

First up in the series: The scarf hair tuck, which is a winter outfit that features camel, black, patten mixing, and my hair “tucked” into an enormous scarf! It’s full of classics that made it perfect for this series. In 2016, I wore a Gap sweater, J.Crew pants, ModCloth boots, and H&M scarf for this look (I should have also worn a coat—I remember it being so cold!). I no longer own the sweater or the boots, but I do still own the exact pants and scarf and featured them in the new 2021 look!

I purchased the J.Crew pants (I believe mine are the original Pixie ponte pants) in September 2014; it’s so hard to believe I’ve owned them for that long! I’ve had the crotch reinforced due to wear, but otherwise they’ve held up nicely. These pants basically got me through grad school! I haven’t worn them much since because they feel a little too snug for work (check out how I typically wear ponte pants for work), but I’ve kept them around as they’re a great basic and perfect alternative to leggings. I will say that they are feeling more snug now, and I also would prefer a higher rise these days. I cannot confirm if J.Crew’s current Pixie pant is the exact same as mine but I would assume it is pretty dang close! (I purchased a short length in mine and would go for petite if buying now.)

Alright, so…remember when we all wore scarves the size of our heads? Is it weird that I still own a giant blanket scarf? I know they’re not as “in” as they were five years ago, but I hope it’s not weird because I genuinely still love the giant scarf trend! My neck has never been warmer! I have pared down my collection a little bit since then and now only own two (maybe three?) that I would consider large enough to be considered blanket scarves. This one from H&M is still a favorite of mine and it’s my largest blanket scarf; I mean, it’s pretty much just a blanket, haha.

Everlane ReNew teddy bomber casual winter outfit with camel blanket scarf — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Blanket scarf + ponte pants + sherpa lace-up boots casual winter outfit — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

I no longer own the striped sweater or the combat boots I featured in the original outfit from 2016. The combat boot swap was easy—I purchased this pair of Marc Fisher Izzie lace-up boots back in fall 2018. I purchased them as basically a replacement for/upgrade to my old ModCloth pair.

I do not own a different camel striped sweater or even a plain camel-colored sweater, so that swap was a little more difficult! I originally planned on wearing a different sweater, but the color was far too orange to go with the scarf, so I knew it had to come between my camel cardigan, camel sweater blazer, and this ReNew teddy bomber. No pattern mixing this time. To keep things relatively simple (i.e. no layers) since I knew I was going to cover everything up with the giant scarf, I opted for the teddy bomber. The teddy bomber was also the warmest option!

Instead of wrapping the scarf nicely like I did in 2016, I just draped it over my shoulders. LOL. I’m nothing if not lazy, especially following a year like 2020. I also popped a beanie on top of my head this time to counter the lack of real coat and maintain some warmth!

Whew—that was long but fun! Which outfit do you prefer—the 2016 original or 2021 update?

Check out all outfits in the 5 years later series!

OUTFIT DETAILS

Everlane jacket / similar by ASOS (last seen here)
J.Crew pants / new version (Factory version)
Smartwool socks / exact
Marc Fisher boots / exact
H&M scarf / old; similar by Mark & Graham
J.Crew hat / exact
Dior Lip Glow in pink / exact