Holiday Style Details

I have been a fan of ruanas and large scarves for many years. A ruana is a large wrap to drape over your shoulders. There are no sleeves. Capes and ponchos are a challenge for me since they make busty women appear to be wearing a tent.

My stunning silk and felted wool ruana was handmade and individually hand-dyed to achieve the delicate hues of color. The designer is Sibel Mallory, the owner of Cybele Boutique at 850 N Court Street in Lewisburg, West Virginia.

I am modeling my second silk ruana from Cybele Boutique. You may remember the blue one from the post here.

Styling tip: When I wear a voluminous piece, I balance the look with other more fitted garments.

A statement piece can turn an effortless black outfit into a stunning party look. I added a large antique silver ring with a pink crystal, polka dot sheer tights, and a burnished gold evening bag to complete the look.

I designed and made the earrings several years ago while I was earning a living as a designer of boutique jewelry for a decade.

Covered Perfectly Top$$$ Pants or $ Pants$$$ Shoes or $ Shoes$$$ Bag or $ Bag$$$ Tights or $ Tights$$$ Ring or $ Ring

Congratulations to the three winners of a lariat style necklace from Beauty In Stone! Katherine Allan, Gwen Ewing, and Donna Ingalls, you will get an email from Suzanne McKinney, the designer, later today. I randomly chose winners from the comments on the blog post from Monday.

56 Comments
  1. You look stunning, your weight loss is so noticeable and I never thought you had any weight to lose! But I don’t love the hose, I would like to see you style this look with a high heeled suede dressy boot and no hose, maybe black tights so it would be a solid look. I have no style so why would I even bother to advise you….

  2. Beautiful ruana!! Do you know of any businesses in western North Carolina that sell items such as this? We visit Asheville and the surrounding area often.
    Thanks, Elaine

  3. CONGRATULATIONS to the winners! Thank you Susan for sharing with your readers!
    That red ruana is absolutely gorgeous on you! I love your antique earrings that you designed. It’s a very respected compliment to see you wearing my jewelry designs!
    Suzanne of Beauty In Stone Jewelry

  4. Beautiful as always–Thank you for all the hard work you put into helping other ladies like myself. Hope you will have a great day

  5. A really gorgeous holiday look! The ruana is a stunning piece, but probably not for someone 5′ 2″. Can you suggest a similar look for the shorter gals? Thank you.

  6. Susan, when the post opened I knew this ruana was by the same designer as the turquoise, which I remember well. You have styled this perfectly in my opinion. It is a beautiful piece and you look lovely in it! Would also look great over white, ligbt taupe or pale grey I think. Would you wear it over these lighter colors? I look forward to your every post. Your pared down approach is so refreshing and in sync with my thinking at this point in life.
    Congrats to the three lucky winners of the lariats. What a special treat!

  7. Oh my gosh, forgot I wanted to comment on tbe earrings. Beautiful and festive too. Can’t help but wonder if you miss this creative outlet.

  8. Stunning, just stunning! Great styling tips with today’s outfit too.
    I’m thrilled to be a winner! Thank you so very much.
    Can’t wait to wear it.

  9. You look absolutely stunning! I have a lot of black basics, as I call them. I am a black, white, navy, grey, royal blue, pink gal!
    Cool complexion (used to have dark brown hair….now silver), blue eyes, cool undertone skin…now tanned.

    I identify very closely with your look! (not at all sure of the high heels anymore),

    I am about 5′ 3″, petite frame, about a size 8 (on a good day, haha)

    I look forward to more looks and ideas; and especially the links to find the items described.

  10. Lovely looks! I wish Covered Perfectly made pants. I love their tops and have several. They look good and wash so well, thank you.

  11. Love your ruana! I’ve been to that little shop in Lewisburg & her designs are fabulous. You’re making me get the twitch to email her & order one! They’re not inexpensive, but are truly one of a kind! We visited Lewisburg while staying at the Greenbriar this past summer. Beautiful area.

  12. You look absolutely stunning. I like the fact that this ruana is lightweight, making it versatile for wearing with a variety of outfits year round. Thank you for another idea for a versatile article of clothing that I need to consider adding to my wardrobe that can be worn for years.

  13. Susan, stunning outfit! Lovely as always. I saw your “Dear Santa” black, white, and red scarf a week or so ago online while xmas shopping, before I saw it on your blogpost. I had to order it for myself. When it arrived I was disappointed. It isn’t near as striking as photographed on the retail website. Instead of white, that color is actually a muddy pale pink or some other color. Maybe a pale, muddy pinky apricot. Gives the scarf an entirely different look. And if that is silk, it’s a flimsy, almost see through, silk that does not come across as the quality I was expecting. I don’t want to be a negative Nelly. That scarf is beautiful as pictured, which is why I grabbed it. But that photo, which is on their site, does not well represent the scarf itself. Just a heads up.

    1. I agree that the scarf looks different in person. I also ordered it and was a little disappointed at first. I’ve worn it several times with denim and black or gray. It seems more of an off-white in those cases. I’m sorry it wasn’t what we expected from the picture.

  14. How do you leave the house wearing a ruana when it is cold weather? I need to wear a coat this time of year (NE Ohio). What do you advise. And how do you wear this out the door when it is cold?

    1. Wrap it around your neck as a scarf, put on your coat. When you arrive at the party, take off your coat and arrange the ruana. When you wear a heavy ruana such as my faux leather-trimmed black one, you can drape it over your coat as an extra layer of warmth as shown in the video in the blog post here.

  15. Susan I do so enjoy reading your articles always helpful and you show us how easy it is to turn clothes into stylish outfits. I have a question for you, do you have any suggestions of what to wear for a busy Christmas morning when in between cooking the turkey and opening the gifts and greeting drop in neighbours and friends

    1. I would wear black leggings and a long red tunic with comfortable black shoes and pretty earrings. Don’t forget a fun apron to keep your look tidy while you are cooking.

  16. Wow! This is such an amazing look – but so simple when you think of the individual pieces. Just gorgeous Susan!
    I really like the unexpected polka dot hose, your earrings……all of it!
    My husband & I are hoping to take a Spring vacation in West Virginia so I’ll be checking out Cybele Boutique if we get to Lewisburg.
    Question: I realize that this particular ruana has weight to it so likely stays in place well but what would you do with a lighter weight one which might tend to slip off a shoulder or start to droop in the back?

  17. How would one get in touch with shop owner to purchase a Ruanas …. I was directed to her FB page when I used your link. I would like a beautiful piece to wear on my trip to Paris.

  18. Hi Susan,

    I e mailed Suzanne to thank her in advance for the Lariat necklace. I was so happy to find out I was one of three winners selected. I love this necklace and will always think of you ladies when I wear it, which will be often. I have not won something in a very long time, as you can imagine it made my day. It’s been a great week, I went around town asking for donations for plastic bags to package food for our two Foodbanks. This was also a big win, I like to know that I can help in some ways. We give back to a few organizations, just can’t give to everyone like we used to.

    On a personal note I love you in the Ruana, what a gorgeous color, really looks beautiful on you. Dressing up is so much
    fun, I enjoy it too, have been doing this since I was a little girl.

  19. You look stunning in the Runa, especially the last photo. It makes you look so young. I really like the dotted tights just classy. Thanks for so many ideas.
    Judy

  20. The ruana is stunning…just a show stopper. I messaged Sibel (the artist) via the shop’s Facebook page and was delighted when she got back almost immediately to me. She was delightful to chat to and very proud of her art. She was happy to take a credit card over the phone and is putting a red ruana in the mail to me this morning. Thank you, Susan, for pointing us in the direction of this beautiful boutique.

  21. This piece look like a piece of art. You inspire me, Susan. I have 10 to 15 ponds that I would love to lose. My husband just had a mild stroke and we have committed to a healthier lifestyle. We joined a gym that seems to have older members and more geared to our needs (we are both are 66 and blessed to have a loving family with no financial concerns. I have always loved beautiful clothes and have a very nicely balanced closet. I really would love to look my best. Thanks for any suggestions you have.

    1. Avoiding all processed food and taking an extended break between your last meal of the day and your first meal of the next day is a great place to start. Get twenty minutes of brisk exercise every day. Find your passion and enjoy that endeavor as often as you can. Always have something that you anticipate with joy.

  22. YOU need to once again design and sell your earrings. I had hoped this pair was on your website. BEAUTIFUL! YOU are so good to share your ideas with us. MERRY CHRISTMAS MR. MICKEY AND TO YOU!> May the NEW YEAR bring 100,000 good wishes to you both

  23. I so enjoy your post so much. With lifestyle changes I’d love to see what you wear at home. I, like you , always dress to go to town and end up staying dressed all day. I too, love scarves as did my mother.
    Thanks for all your cute ideas.
    Priscilla

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

I share tips and inspiration for using what you already have in contemporary ways. Defining words include effortless, classic, refined, discreet, and elegant. My style is chic, minimal, and timeless with a bit of edge.