Scarves

Scarves are one of the most important classes of items I own. The best kinds are life companions! They keep you snug in winter, save you from those crisp summer breezes and evenings, serve as towels for accidents, hide your hair, be a picnic blanket or a blanket in general, hold your things, be a good skirt and if the issue should arise, be an oversize Kleenex. My favourite is a second hand tribally-striped cotton orange, pale peach, navy and purple number with some small cotton tassels on two sides. It’s big enough to be warm in the cold, but thin enough to be a summer shoulder sun protector. I love it and will never part with it if I can help it.

There is a time and a place for all kinds of scarf: these creatures are never born without purpose! The thin ones for belts, those square silk ones (frequent fodder at vintage fairs) and bandana are perfect for neck ties, bag decoration and hair bands. Meanwhile, thick woolly ones are your winter buddies and pashmina shawls are just right for keeping warm in the evening when out somewhere special and big Spanish-style tasselled, bright showstoppers are fabulous for enlivening evening wear. Finally, football scarves! The shorter woolly ones with the team colour stripes and logos, great neck-warmers, in and out of the stadium.

Remember not to forget a scarf clip if you're doing a silk square necktie, or if you want a bit of glitz without having to stab holes in the fabric with a brooch pin. 

Moreover, the pattern potential! Scarves can update an ensemble and add splashes of colour and focal points. It’s also a chance to experiment with crazy prints if you don’t want to wear a full sized item. Some of my favourite prints include corn kernels (recently acquired), a giant leopard in a jungle, zebra heads in each corner, ladybirds and a grey lion head.

They’re very easy to wear, you just need to start! Once you begin to incorporate a scarf into your daily wear, it’s second nature to question where you’ll tie one next! The trick is to hang them so you can see them easily. This may sound a tad obvious, but scarves are tricky things; they hide each other, slide around in their containers and smaller ones get a bit lost, tassels get tangled and you, in the midst of your busy and important-ness, cannot allow yourself to be swamped in your own finery everyday. It just won’t do! Last year I purchased an Ikea scarf hanger on my first ever visit to the shop: a hanger with circles of solid canvas hanging from it. I had hopes it would revolutionise my life. It has, well, now that I have placed it on the back of my door after I feared for the structural safety of my wardrobe pole. I can tie them on in colour order, in pattern grouping or however the heck I want! And I can see them all! An alternative occurring in the room above mine is a length of ribbon and string tied from a curtain pole to a nail in the wall, just take care not to overload the line or hit live wires.

Decoration for the body and room!