Scarves can be found everywhere and on everyone these days, and not just for warmth (for those of you who thought scarves only kept away the cold), but for fashion. You can always see celebrities on your favorite blog rocking a scarf or at least see every other person walking down the street with one on. Whether it be a Keffiyeh the checkered print scarf that caused a bit of controversy because of its ties to the Palestinian cause or a Hermes, thankfully, this trend is not ready to die yet. On the Fall ‘08 runways, scarves continued on in styles from sleek to psychedelic and were worn all different kinds of ways. Right on.
For women, Gucci wrapped blue and rose-colored fringe scarves around the waist and paired them with black leggings and knee-high boots. Tuleh simply laid a burgundy scarf around the neck, then gathered it at the front with a flower. You can achieve this same look with a brooch or by tying the scarf in a knot just below the breast bone. At Emporio Armani, Giorgio wrapped a grey knitted scarf close around the neck, but with enough slack that it doesn’t look like the model is choking. It gives off the look of, “Yes, I’m cold, but I can look cute, too.” Jasmine di Milo wrapped a skinny black and white scarf around the neck with the two ends draped in front of the body, not distracting to much from the outfit, but acting as the perfect finishing touch. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lacoste made their scarf the bulk of the outfit. A very large scarf in a dark mustard shade was draped around the body once, and tucked into the belt in the front. I even like to tuck in a skinny printed scarf into the front of my belt as well. One thing to remember, don’t be afraid to mix patterns. 3.1 Phillip Lim put a multi-colored circle-print scarf with an ethnic print dress and it just works.
On the men’s runways, 3.1 Phillip Lim had more of a pashmina scarf draped around the neck and hanging off the shoulder to one side with a comfortable-looking suit. The structure of the jacket against the free flowing scarf gives an attractive contrast.
Earlier this year, Sean “Diddy” Combs teamed with Diageo to design a limited edition silk scarf, but not for his Sean line. He designed the scarf for the Something to Share campaign by Dress for Successan international not-for-profit organization that helps disadvantaged women by providing professional clothing and career development support. The campaign aims to empower a community of people to share their knowledge, experience and passion for a great cause. Visit SomethingtoShare.org to purchase your scarf.
My personal stash of scarves has dramatically grown and continues to grow still. From vintage stores, my grandmother’s house and any H&M I come across, I am always on the lookout for a unique scarf that makes me (and hopefully any onlookers) say, “Wow.” ‘Cause scarves, as you may have learned by now, can tend to have that effect in an outfit.
