Rx: Scarves
(I know that’s not the actual symbol for “prescription” in the title but couldn’t find a keyboard command to make one, so it’s close enough for horseshoes…)
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| Hermés, “A Walk In The Park” carré. Picture source. |
Scarves are certainly fun and ornamental, and I love the panache they add to even the simplest outfits. But scarves can also be serious medicine for what ails our wardrobes. Pour example…
Symptom: High Temperature. It’s too HOT for sleeves, but you prefer a bit of upper arm coverage.
Scarf Rx: take a large sheer square scarf….
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| Scarf, Banana Republic, a few years old now. |
fold in half and knot the ends together on each side…
slip your arms through on either side…
et voilà!!
Symptom: Fatigue. Your capsule travel or work wardrobe has a LOT of black. You want to change it up, or perhaps feel that black isn’t flattering near your face.
Scarf Rx: A longer scarf in a contrasting color not only breaks up the black, but when looped once around the neck with ends hanging down helps create elongating vertical lines.
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| Scarf, Eileen Fisher. Other Eileen Fisher scarves here. |
This scarf also has some nice shimmer that reflects light onto the face, and counteracts the shadowing effect of the black.
Symptom: Exposure. Your favorite v-neck top or sweater shows a bit too much décolleté for the office or book club meeting.
Scarf Rx: a silk square, tied “cowboy style.”
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| Scarf, Hermès. I can’t for the life of me remember the name, but it’s one of the smaller “vintage” size squares. |
Wear it outside (this looks great under a blazer too) or…
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| Yes, I can see this old top is stretched out and fits poorly. It’s headed straight for the “donate” pile. |
tuck the pointed end of the “kerchief” into the sweater’s neckline.
Symptom: Stiff neck. That unflattering crew neck top is strangling your style.
Scarf Rx: use a contrasting scarf to create a visual V. (This works for turtlenecks too.)
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| Scarf, Hermès, “A Walk In The Park,” pictured at top. This is one of my very favorite scarves! |
Some general tips:
- Scale your scarves to your size. If you’re petite, big and bulky scarves will swamp you. If you’re taller or larger, small scarves will get lost.
- If you’re busty and want to draw attention elsewhere, avoid arranging scarves with knot or bulk directly over the bustline. A bright scarf tied midway between the shoulder and widest part of the bust works well, as do long scarves with ends hanging as above.
- Keep the fabric weight of your scarf in line with the rest of the outfit. A sheer silk will look odd with a heavy coat or sweater. A heavy knit scarf overwhelms a lightweight tee.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 United States License.
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love this post! You look fab x
@Faux Fuchsia, thanks so much!
Thanks for a great post. Scarves are definitely for “women of a certain age” and I am there. I too want to wear one almost every day. They can take an outfit from staid to stylish, from thrown together to put together. Beware, though, a TSA agent made me take one off a week or so ago (one just tied around my neck, not a big one draped over my body.) Grrr.
@ Elle, you’re very welcome. That TSA request seems rather extreme, but I find they tend to be rather arbitrary.
Ah, I am saving this post to my archives, Une Femme – so many excellent suggestions. I am going to try #1 for work this week. Thank you for this and for sharing your knowledge with Visible Monday!
@ Patti, thank so much! I’ve found #1 is also very helpful when traveling in a warm climate. Thanks again for hosting!
You are looking amazing, Sue! Such a natural, glowing confidence coming through in these photos (and in so many of your recent posts). You’re an inspiration, and I don’t mean just the scarf-tying.
@ materfamilias, mille mercis! I’ve found that concentrating on and experimenting with the more photographic aspects (lighting, backgrounds, depth of field) has helped me to relax a bit and feel less self-conscious in front of the lens. Thanks so much for your kind words!
Fabulous post!
Eileen Fisher’s scarf looks soft and the texture is great.
Love all of your scarves you wear them so well.
@hostess, thanks so much! I just love this scarf. It’s new this season, but doesn’t seem to be available online. The metallic threads are such a nice touch!
Fabulous post! Scarves have certainly become my go to accessory these past few years…xo
@High Heeled Life, thanks so much! Scarves are such a great and versatile accessory.
Love the large square arm coverage one! And if I ever find “a walk in the park” I will snap it up no matter the cost. It is my favorite of all Hermes I’ve seen! Thanks for the nice post.
@ spacegeek33, thanks! I scoured some of the resale websites a few years ago and that one turned up within a few months. Some of the high-end resellers have “wish lists” and you can get notified when desired designs come in.
Love the “visual V” idea for a crew neck!
I’ve used a lot of those you showed, (beautifully I might add) and one of my scarf therapies is the old Ferragamo scarf I keep in my car to wear a la Grace Kelly around my head and neck for when the top is down.
@ Well Styled Life, thank you. If I had a convertible, I’d definitely keep a scarf handy for those Grace Kelly moments!
Fabulous suggestions.
Merci beaucoup.
Sam
@Sam, thanks! Glad you enjoyed!
Love your Hermes scarves! Great post. XO, Jill
@ jill, thanks so much!
Great advice! I do not know what I would do without my scarves…I love them so much. I really have to force myself NOT to wear a scarf every day or I would. These are all excellent suggestions!
@Pam, thank you! I’m looking forward to cooler weather and really busting out those scarves on a daily basis.
Force yourself not to wear a scarf every day ??? How is this possible, Pam?
Anne
How did you tie the Hermes, Walk in the Park in the last picture? It looked like a “different” knot????
Thanks so much,
Jennell
@ Jennell, it’s just what we used to call a “granny knot.” You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmHwAH5gZYA
This is brilliant! Lots of fantastic advice and agree with materfamilias – you look amazing. Love that Hérmes scarf.
@That’s Not My Age, thank you very much!
I had the same experience as Elle — told by a TSA agent to remove my scarf. And, it being 5am, it took me a while to realize what she wanted. (Really?? My Liberty scarf is a danger?) I usually wear scarves when traveling to give comfy traveling clothes a shot of color and style.
@Linn, scarves are an essential part of my travel wardrobe. And you can often pick up some great scarf souvenirs along the way. It does seem a bit zealous of the TSA to ask us to remove smaller scarves….
Great advice and lovely scarves! Thanks for sharing!
@ Sandy, thank you, and you’re welcome. It’s always my pleasure to talk about scarves. 🙂
Ohh, what a luscious scarf collection. Great illustration of scarf effects.
Mater: yes, she looks fabulous!
Elle: here in Montreal women of all ages wear scarves, so do men- so it may be a matter of where you live. (And I use this logic to justify even more scarves.)
And- what is your lipstick colour, it;s perfect- colour but not too bright.
@Duchesse, thanks so very much! The lipstick is one of the Dior Serum Rouge, #910 (Mocha Serum). I LOVE this formulation, as it’s sheer and moisturizing like a balm but stays put much longer than you’d expect. Here ’tis: http://tinyurl.com/8k4mq9c
Although I don´t like to wear scarves ( only shawls ) myself, I must say that You wear them well : ).
@ mette, thank you very much!
So beautiful and helpful, thank you Susan! Scarf-tying is something I’m mostly hopeless at, and though I wear them almost every day, I mostly just fling one end over my shoulder and call it done. I lack patience! I deal with a lot of temperature fluctuation at work, and scarves are extremely functional for comfort. You have a gorgeous collection.
@Amber, thank YOU. There’s something to be said for not over-styling. I’ve found a few simple arrangements that are easy and mostly stay put, and tend to stick with those. We also have crazy temperature fluctuations between office and outdoors, and I may be crazy but I swear I get sick FAR less often now that I’ve taken to wearing scarves regularly.
You wear your scarves so well. Off topic, but your eyelashes look so lush and long – are you doing something different? Beautiful.
@ Kathy, thanks! The only difference is I switched to Clarins mascara (based on Tish’s recommendation) and I think it’s a bit more conditioning, less drying.
You are definitely the Scarf Doctor. I love what you did with the large floral sheer scarf, and your tips are always so helpful. Great photos and you are looking relaxed and beautiful. Whatever you’re doing is working!
@ Style Crone, thank you so much! I look forward to hearing about your NY trip!
Your scarves are gorgeous! Good tips. Love the “elongation” using pale grey over black. The Banana Republic scarf is a knockout. I love chiffon.
@ California Girl, thanks! I was so pleased to find that BR scarf a few years ago. J.Crew has some great scarves each season too.
Awesome Susan.
I meant to tell you, you look absoultely great!! Cécile
@ Cécile, merci beaucoup, you are very kind.
Love all these options! (And you look fantastic in all of them.)
Wore one of my favorite scarves this evening, as the weather cooled off, for a night meeting. (Work, not fun…) Kept me warm and made me feel very polished!
@BigLittleWolf, thank you! Scarves are a great way to add polish.
Oh, I love this post!! Thank you!
You look beautiful, and I LOVE your Hermes “A Walk In The Park” scarf! What gorgeous colors!
@ gracefully50, thank you so much! I look forward to wearing this scarf every autumn.
Great post. I love scarves. I can see why you love the Hermes scarf. It is so flattering with your coloring.
@ Awakening my Wardrobe, thank you!
I love that first idea and will be using it tons this fall! Just need to find a scarf big enough…
@Kate, thanks! Though this is more of a summer scarf, you might be able to find something similar at sales or outlets now.
The last time I flew they had a sign that if you were over 70 you didn’t have to take your jacket off. I wonder if that holds true for scarves as well.
My favorite thing with a scarf is to use it to keep wool items from rubbing against my neck. Not only does it keep my neck from getting red and itchy but it also keeps my sweaters cleaner.
I do not hesitate to handwash my scarves to keep them free from oils and odors. Handwashing scarves is an entirely different blog post.
@RoseAG, oh that’s a great idea! I haven’t yet handwashed any of my Hermès scarves, though I do know people who have done successfully with a Shout color catcher in the water to prevent colors running/bleeding. I do handwash most of my other scarves.
Maybe I should knot ten scarves directly over my bustline! Great post.
@Melanie, you gave me a chuckle picturing that!
Beautiful scarves. Proposals are magnificent. An interesting post.
@josep-maria, thank you very much. I see from your profile picture that you like scarves too!
Love your Hermes walk in the park scarf – gorgeous colours and print.
And how handy is the first scarf into shawl tip!!
xx
@Make Do Style, thanks! I’ve also used that shawl trick when doing the tourist thing in Italy during warm days and needing shoulders covered to visit churches.
What a beautiful and informative post my dear! I often forget the many situations the addition of a scarf can bring such instant panache to…well done. the first scarf turning into sleeves…sheer style genius! Thank you for the inspiration!
I love all your scarf tips, I love scarves! So much so that one of my friends asked me to make a video on how to tie a scarf! Funny.
I am going to review your scarf tying video’s to get some practice on tying. Scarves look so good on you. I originally found your blog when I was looking for scarf tying videos.
Do you find the Hermes scarves very different from other scarves or are they similar in feel and texture to some of the other famous designers? I do love the Hermes designs.
Hello Dear Pseu, What an original idea for the large scarf! Your tips, despite all the other posting out there on the internet, are among the best I’ve ever seen. Many thanks!
Lovely floral design scarves perfect for summer fashion. Just try some long scarves, i think it will good.
Another great scarf post!
I’m excited that the weather is getting cooler and we are finally getting to scarf season.
great tips! another one I use – when you have that button-down-shirt-boob-gap problem, arrange a scarf just so to cover the gap. works great.
Fabulous tips. I’m definitely going to have to give some of these a try!
Great tips, thanks! Love number 1, never tried it but I’m sure I will next summer!
I have 50 scarf therapies!!!
Just catching up after returning from hols – thought you might like to know the Hermes 70 cm is Finish by Jean-Louis Clerc.
@ Anonymous, thank you!! I’m making a note to myself.
Love your scarves! Do you still have the Banana Republic one with the flower?
Thanks, as a matter of fact, I do still have it.
I absolutely love it! Would you ever think about parting with it? Am I crazy for asking that? haha I’m not sure what it is about this scarf. I was searching online for vintage scarves and this one came up and it just spoke to me. So I just had to ask! I always have the hardest time finding scarves that I feel are just “me”.