Get Stylish With Scarves

During the cooler months, a scarf is your practical key to looking good. A well-coordinated scarf can take your outfit from bland to snazzy. They?re practical too. Scarves are more than just an accessory. Sometimes they can be the difference between your neck being frostbitten or toasty warm. A thick wool scarf is the perfect stylish solution to a chilly winter day.

Yes, men can wear scarves

Despite scarves not being effeminate in the slightest, some men refuse to wear them in the belief that they?re a woman?s thing. Men who think this usually dress like Neanderthals, so you can safely disregard their fashion advice. If you?re that preoccupied with looking manly, limit your scarf wearing to when the weather is appropriate, and choose simple designs that don?t have tassels or fringing.

Patterned scarves

Scarf it up!

You have to be careful with a distinctive scarf- an understated block color like navy blue or tan is a safer bet. While patterns can be fun, a patterned scarf can all too easily look like a tea towel wrapped around your neck. Only go with a patterned scarf if the rest of your outfit is plain, and repetitious designs such as stripes or plaid are the way to go.

How to tie your scarf

It looks like it should be easy to wear a scarf- just drape it around your neck and knot it. But, just to complicate matters, there are many different ways you can knot it. One popular and simple way is the Parisian knot. You fold the scarf in half, drape it around your neck and pull the ends through the loop which is created. This works best with long scarves, and can be difficult with thick wool scarves.

Try the overhand knot if you?re inclined to expand your style beyond the basic Parisian loop. If you know how to do a Windsor knot in your tie, you know how to do the overhand, which is simply the first few steps without creating the tight knot itself.

Your other option is not to knot your scarf at all. You can loop it around your neck once with both ends hanging down your torso. This looks great, but can be impractical as the ends get in the way of everything you do. You could loop it around your neck twice to reduce this problem, but that can look silly.

The one thing not to do with your scarf is nothing. Even a terrible knot is better than just having it hang around your neck with the ends hanging down or slung over your shoulder. It looks sloppy and serves no function- a scarf worn this way will do an inefficient job of keeping your neck warm.

What to wear it with

How you wear your scarf depends on the season. In the dead of winter, pair a wool scarf with a pea coat. When it?s not quite so cold, a patterned scarf with a leather jacket looks effortlessly stylish. For days which aren?t chilly enough for a jacket, a cashmere scarf looks a treat tucked into a V-neck jumper.