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Brr—it’s cold outside! Prime time to bundle up with hats and scarves. Problem is, I’ve never been a big scarf person. Even on the most frigid of winter days, I would rather go bare-necked than wrap a big, scratchy piece of fabric around myself. Talk about total sensory overload!
Living in New York City as I do, there have been some occasions where I’ve had to burden myself with such layers, and then navigate the busy streets and subway system. A scarf that provides some temporary warmth, once indoors (or worse, trapped on a crowded train), is a guarantee for sweating buckets. A huge, Lenny Kravitz-approved accessory is not my friend.
But this fall, there is a scarf that I can get on board with: a super thin, barely-there scarf. Yes, I’m talking a very-Y2K one—worn by, say, Hilary Duff. Hear me out.
Recently, there have been some winning celebrity fashion moments that have convinced me to embrace the skinny scarf. Earlier this year, I was inspired by Timothée Chalamet’s thin little pink scarf, which he styled with an edgy leather jacket and classic white tee. Without it, his outfit was relatively nondescript—but with that itty-bitty piece of material, his look instantly became a lewk. Ditto for the singer Sombr, who hosted Saturday Night Live earlier this month in a leather jacket and silky red scarf. (A very Jimmy Hendrix-coded move of him.)
To me, the styling approach feels particularly fresh in the menswear space. For years now, womenswear designers have been delivering us long, thin (and often useless) scarves—harking all the way back to early-aughts Chloé and Marc Jacobs days, when boho-chic ruled the runways. On today’s sleek and simple mensy looks, though, the addition of a thin scarf feels unexpectedly romantic and cool; pair it with a leather jacket or silky shirt, and you suddenly look like you belong on the Dior Homme fall 2005 runway, or you’re fronting a new rock band. You may not be able to sing a tune, but you can look like you can.
Sure, one could argue such thin scarves are unnecessary—superfluous even. It’s not like they’re really keeping you warm at the end of the day. But instead of bemoaning them for purposes of practicality, think of them as an added little treat for your outfit, for when you want to instantly inject it with some zing and personality. Such a little scrap of fabric can have a major impact: It’s a low-effort, high-attitude accessory. So, yes, this winter, you may just finally find me giving my neck some adornment. I’m inspired! But trust me: I will still be freezing. But stylishly freezing in my skinny scarf.
On board with the look, too? Shop more skinny scarves below.
