No, fear not, this isn’t another one of those banal youtube tutorials showing you 8 natty ways to tie your scarf around your neck. But rather a few saucy ideas for head and neck jazzing if you’re looking for a little more pizzazz (bet you haven’t seen that word in a fashion related article for a while have you) in your outfits.
They have the ability to transform a run of the mill outfit to something way more unexpected or conversely, as demonstrated so well by so many air hostesses around the world, they can add or at least attempt to add a certain flourish to an otherwise conservative get up.
My go to scarf executions are simple and there are 4 of them:
- The Carrie Bradshaw “how-to-stop-your-hair-smelling-like-cigarettes” head scarf look.
- The Keith Richards look
- The Jaunty kerchief look
- The country manor drapey look
I love this scene from And Just Like That. I did LOL seeing Carrie “inconspicuously” walk her block in full rubber gloved regalia all in the pursuit of not smelling like cigarettes. It makes me laugh just looking at this photo. And whilst I don’t recommend this exact permutation, I think it’s a good jumping off point for some head scarf styling. Like this example below for instance… Great for by a pool or beach day to keep hair out of a sun-creamed face whilst giving a little nonchalant nod to farshion.
Or maybe this… a slightly more elevated option.
Or this… skinny twilly style scarf (but beware, depending on your head shape, you may require a bobby pin to hold it there. I do).
And then there’s Keith. I LOVE the way he pulls off a scarf. So cool. So him. Timeless too. Looking back through old pics, he was doing this in the 60s.
So this is my version of Keith’s iconic rocker scarf vibe… let’s be clear, maybe don’t roll this one out for a job interview (unless its for a role at your very cool local cafe or something) but it sure does feel fun busting this out on holiday or just on your own as you tidy your sock drawer. Also vaguely reminiscent of the great Bjorn Borg… I mean that was a look. A triumph.
Next, the jaunty kerchief look. Possibly my fave, definitely my most oft’ called upon. I like it because little pocket kerchiefs like these are easy to come by. This little Paul Smith number (green and white below) was found second hand in Matsumoto, Japan. I have lots of them. The key for me is colour and print. I like a colour that will act as a surprising addition to an outfit and I like pretty much any print. You see the thing is, prints in such a small format can be completely wacky but it’s only a taste. A wafer of fun so you can really push the envelope here I feel.
And below is the old Country Manor Drapey look. Full disclosure, i haven’t nailed it below but you get my drift. It adds a certain something without doing too much. It can tell a story (Ralph Lauren hunting lodge in this instance) and it can add a layer of interest to an outfit. This look is made (or broken) by the print and the outfit as a whole. I’ll work on some improved versions to share. I know we can do better here.
Do get in touch and share example of how you’ve nailed this look. I’d love to get inspired by you for more cool ways to scarf.