Should I Start Wearing My Scarves Again? 

The scarf is the accessory of the moment for everyone, at every age

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“Cleaning out my closet this spring, I found my scarf collection. It was nice to be reunited, they are all really nice, but I haven’t worn them in a long time. Are they in fashion? Should I start wearing them again?” 

That would be an emphatic, louder for the people in the back: Yes! I can’t even type the letters to the word “sweats” any longer, let alone bear anything made of fleece. The humble scarf—endlessly versatile, elegant and playful at the same time—is a great gateway accessory on the road back to wearing real clothes

Scarves are romantic, transformative, even! Think of Audrey Hepburn (or Jackie O!) pairing a triangular-fold Hermès headscarf with mysterious big, dark glasses. Who doesn’t want to feel like that? Or Kendall Jenner, flush with youth, a sweet little neckerchief providing jaunty punctuation at her collarbone. You know how it feels somehow illegal to not wear a scarf in Europe (especially in France)? Channel that flair to elevate your summer, continental style. 

Scarves are for every age, and everybody, says Toronto celebrity stylist Talia Brown Thall. “You see young women wrapping their grandmother’s scarves around their chest as strapless bandeaux,” she says, “or wrapping it around their forehead, boho style.” Hermès, she says, has those little Twilly scarves, slim bands of printed fabric that can be wrapped anywhere on the body: neck, wrist, ankle, “or tied onto your purse, or hooked into a belt loop, or tucked into a jacket pocket. Brown Thall has seen—and scooped up—knock-off versions over the years. Currently J.Crew has a scrunchie-style thin ribbon scarf to be worn in the hair

The ladylike look is back with a bang, says Brown Thall, as we yearn for familiar classic references: There is a reason pearls are on point, as well as scarves. You can start with a white T-shirt and jeans as a base, she says, “then add something bright orange, or green or purple; the pop is something everyone will notice, and it adds dimension to an outfit.” 

The great news is that virtually anything goes for scarves: There is nothing that is not in fashion. This is where you can go to a vintage shop, or Toronto’s recurring outdoor pop-up the Hippie Market or Kensington Market (especially Courage My Love) and have a toss through the big basket of scarves every single vintage vendor inevitably has. There is something classic about silk,” says Brown Thall. “It keeps its value and doesn’t age.”

Hermes scarves, in particular, keep their value: new, a classic square is $500—an investment to be sure, but one you can pass on to your grandchildren to wear as a tank top one day, too! Prices depend on size and rarity on the secondary market. At top Toronto consignment shop VSP, vintage Hermes scarves range in price depending on rarity, but generally cost around $425. Simons.ca also offers selected vintage Hermès squares for $395 each.

And it’s not just a “ladylike” trend: Scarves are truly gender neutral. A scarf can add a crisp hit of flair to an outfit, says Brown Thall: “Jazz up a plain outfit, or elevate a day look into an evening look.” A pocket square or an opera scarf is one way to go to add polish to a look. But you could also go for louche: a long skinny scarf worn loose or tied round the neck gives a Mick Jagger rock ‘n’ roll ’70s kind of vibe that also feels right for a 2021 summer night. 

This last tip is something I had never thought of, but when Brown Thall brought it up in our scarf chat, it changed the way I view my scarf drawer and its appeal. So, I dutifully went through my favourite scarves, washing some by hand and taking the really good ones to the drycleaners. She was so right! It’s a revolution. I also changed where I stored my scarf boxes and loose scarves, putting them out onto a vanity table where I can see them, now, so I think of them as I’m heading out the door more these days. “Out of sight, out of mind,” says Brown Thall. “You have to set yourself up for accessories success.” 

There is one drawer of my own scarves that I can’t yet bring myself to wash. They just came from my mother’s house when I sold it. We lost her last year, and I can’t bear to lose the scent of her and her perfume on them. But I will work up to it, and in the meantime. I will start to wear them. That’s a great example of just how powerful a square of silk can be, holding memories of a lifetime, wrapping us up in something safe and familiar, to help us all get back out into the world.

 

Shop the Advice

Impulse purchase, vintage treasure, hand-me-down or investment splurge, a scarf is never a bad idea. Keep your scarves out in view so you remember to work them into your outfit

HermèsHermès scarf, $240, hermes.com
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These cute little scarves are the perfect jaunty accent piece: Wear them wrapped around your neck, hair, wrist, ankle, belt loop or purse!

 

J. CrewJ.Crew scrunchie, $29, jcrew.com
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A cheap and cheerful take on the Hermès original, this one comes with a built-in scrunchie, but also looks cute on your wrist or ankle.

 

ZaraZara scarf, $50, zara.com
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A perfect pop of spring-fresh green!

 
Made InlandLLiM scarf, $250, madeinland.ca
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This scarf from LLiM is designed by Toronto artist Tony Yaw, who tells stories through wearable images.

 

Made InlandRara scarf, $225, madeinland.ca
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This extra-large scarf is by Toronto designer Radhika Maheshwar; the pieces are handcrafted by artisans in India.

 

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