Touch of panache
Welcome to the season of the scarf
No accessory has more style power than the scarf. Versatile, inexpensive and practical, the scarf is worth its weight in fashion gold.
To welcome back the season of the scarf, here are 10 reasons to wear scarves and 10 things you might not know about them.
WHY SCARVES?
1 Style booster: Adds drama to any look and is an easy way to introduce seasonal colours.
2 Versatility: Can take daywear to evening wear
3 Cost-effective: Many sell for under $30
4 Travel light: Takes little space but extends your wardrobe.
5 Splash of colour: You can even get away with less makeup.
6 Accentuates the positive: Draws the eye away from figure flaws, complements eye, skin and hair colour.
7 A fun way to express yourself and individualize your style statement.
8 Practical: Lightweight warmth when you need it.
9 Adds polish: Pulls a look together.
10 Will always fit, no matter what your size.
WHO KNEW?
1 It takes 300 cocoons of the silk moth to produce enough silk for one scarf.
2 The best silk scarves have handrolled hems that are hand-stitched.
3 The hem of a famous Hermes scarf is rolled forward to the front.
4 The French have seven different words meaning scarf: Foulard (generic ) Carre (square) Echarpe (long) Fichu (head scarf ) Cravate (neck) Cache nez (muffler-style)
Chale (wrap)
5 Silk has the temperature-regulating ability to be warm when it’s cold and cool when temperatures rise.
6 Some of the world’s most revered fashion icons are known for their scarves: Grace Kelly, Jackie Onassis, Audrey Hepburn, Madonna and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
7 A true Pashmina is made of wool from the Himalayan Capra hircus goat. The most precious wool comes from the neck, with lesser quality from the shoulder and belly.
8 The scarf has its roots in Rome, where its purpose was cleanliness, not fashion. This cleaning cloth was called a sudarium, meaning “sweat cloth.”
9 Colourists in France who “paint” silk scarves must allow each colour to dry completely before applying the next. The process can take weeks.
10 Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite way to wear her Hermes scarf is tied under the chin, kerchief-style.