Pulling off a scarf requires a certain nonchalance. Which is ironic, because the answer to the question “how to wear a scarf?” is a complicated one. The effect should be laissez-faire, easy-breezy—but getting to that look isn’t as simple as twirling some fabric around your neck and heading out the door. In fact, it’s hard to think of an accessory with equal power to be either outfit-making and outfit-breaking, and which side of the line you land on is all about the styling.
Not to mention: There’s a multitude of scarf options available—and the style you choose will also determine the way it’s worn. A demure silk scarf and a chunky knit convey very different messages; same goes for a wispy neckerchief or an oversized blanket scarf with fringe.
How to wear a silk scarf
Photographer and New York Times best-selling author Jamie Beck’s scarf preference usually bends towards the former: a classic square of printed silk. Her love for the style isn’t new, but it was reignited when she relocated to Provence from New York City several years ago. “I have this wonderful collection of scarves that used to spend more time in boxes than worn, until I moved to France,” she admits, noting that everyone in her adopted country—men and women alike—seems to wear a beautifully-tied scarf with ease. “It’s just built into the French way of life, like putting on your socks. The cultural influence changed me from someone who collected beautiful scarfs, to someone who takes pleasure in accessorizing with them.”
So much pleasure, in fact, that Beck has taken to cataloging her favorite techniques for tying a silk scarf via Instagram. And, she’s given them names that embody the vibes they exude—there’s the Chic Outlaw, the Bavarian Crown, and—naturally—The Hepburn. “A scarf adds elegance simply by the nature of wrapping a beautiful fabric around your body,” she notes. “It is a little piece of art and elevates you by wearing it, and by doing so, you present yourself in a manner beyond just being stylish, but also having a certain intelligence and control. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve never seen someone behaving badly in a beautiful floral silk scarf.”
To that end, she leans towards more polished looks: “I really love folds and folds of silk scarves atop silk dresses. I think it makes you look like a flower,” she says. “I also adore the way a scarf looks in a clean, sleek, tie as a lining to a button up top.”
Still, Beck emphasizes that a scarf does not have to be precious: “It’s also just a fun, beautiful piece of fabric that you can drape around, like Josephine Bonaparte accompanied with her loose floral shawls in her portrait paintings,” she says. “There are a lot of women in the South of France that take a silk scarf tied just once around their shoulders, a style called a fichu, which has been worn like this in Provence since the 18th century.” Just drape it over your shoulders and tie it? Easy enough!
How to wear a knit scarf
Now, a scarf can simply be practical, too—an agent to guard against the chill. For Kate Lindello, founder of Noihsaf, necessity is the mother of all invention; she’s all-in on knit scarves because she lives in frigid Northern Minnesota. As with her taste in clothing, Lindello leans toward natural fibers for her scarves: cotton for summer and wool for winter. A good blanket scarf should be long, wide, and full of texture, according to this winter expert.
Unafraid of becoming a walking cocoon, Lindello often pairs a blanket scarf and a wool sweater to forgo a jacket. Her favorites come from a brand called Scarf Shop, another product of Minnesota. “Their scarves are all kettle-dyed in their Minneapolis studio, and they come in an array of colors, ranging from fuchsia to fog gray,” Lindello details. Lighter options, like their large wool cloud scarf, allow for maximum layering, minus the bulk.
How to wear an oversized scarf
Going for an oversized scarf leaves less margin of error. Plus, on an elemental level, it’s warmer. Brands like Acne, Rodebjer, and Rachel Comey often offer scarves of this size. Style them with a blazer to skip a coat, or copy Kelsey Lim, founder of Abel Objects, by piling them high. Admitting she’s “extremely headwear-averse,” Lim says that scarves permit her to remain hat-free. “My strategy for not losing my ears to frostbite in the winter is to wrap the full width of a scarf behind and over my head like a hood, then secure it with one last loop around the neck and over the shoulder.”
Lim’s ethos around lightweight scarves, on the other hand, is to embrace versatility. A light scarf can be folded in half and used as a top, or rolled into a headband. Her favorite trick, however, is the scarf-as-reusable-giftwrap. Search “furoshiki” on YouTube for infinite tutorials, per her suggestion.
How to wear a scarf as a top
Heather Hurst, personal style expert and curator, guesses that the resurgence of scarves might have to do with that versatility. It’s a shirt! It’s a necktie! It’s super-scarf! “Scarves are vehicles for monochromatic layering, bold patterns, and playing with scale and texture, and you’re not limited to using the piece only for its intended purpose, the way you would with say, a ‘statement’ top,” she offers. Hurst appreciates the timelessness of classic scarf-tying, but nevertheless suggests throwing out images of Bunny Macdougal and instead, come up with your own variations.
Tie a scarf as a skirt to go out, per Hurst’s suggestion. Use it as a shoulder strap for a beat up Louis Vuitton Speedy. Wrap a scarf around your wrist. Test fate and spin a scarf into a halter top. There’s no shortage of styling devices for this time-honored accessory.
How to wear a head scarf
A scarf can also convey whimsy, glamour, mystique, or modesty when worn on the head. As Beck points out, a scarf’s versatility should never be overlooked: “It’s not just for your neck,” she says, echoing Hurst. “Tie a scarf on your bag, around the band of your hat, over your hair in the rain… or, if you break your arm, it makes a very chic sling—something Grace Kelly taught us long ago.” Other options? Wrapped around your ponytail, twisted into a braid, or tightly piled atop the head. Most importantly, the answer to “how to wear a scarf” is “however you want, really.”
