Five ways to wear a silk scarf
The most versatile thing in your wardrobe — if you know how to use it.
· 3 min read · Tania Cottew
A square silk scarf is one of the few pieces that genuinely does everything. It changes the entire register of an outfit, travels beautifully, and — unlike most accessories — actually gets better with age as the silk softens. If you own one and only ever tie it around your neck, you are missing most of what it can do.
Tied loosely at the neck, inside a shirt collar
Unbutton the top two buttons of a plain shirt or blouse, fold the scarf into a long diagonal, and tie a loose knot at the front. Leave the ends slightly uneven — it should look effortless, not precise. This works especially well with white shirts, blazers, and anything slightly oversize. Think less flight attendant, more French actress running errands in 1967.
As a headband
Fold the scarf into a band about two inches wide, tie at the nape or tuck the ends under. This is the simplest method and works beautifully with low buns, blown-out hair, or even just a good ponytail. A printed scarf with a plain outfit; a plain scarf with a printed one. The rule is contrast.
Looped through a bag handle
Tie it loosely through the top handle of a structured bag — a tote, a leather shopper, anything with a single top handle. It adds colour, softens the bag's silhouette, and takes a plain outfit somewhere far more interesting. Change the scarf and you change the whole bag.
As a light top under a jacket
This requires a larger square (90cm or above). Fold corner to corner to make a triangle, knot the two shorter points behind your neck, and wear under a blazer or open-front cardigan with the knot tucked in. It photographs beautifully and is considerably more interesting than a plain camisole.
Tied to a wrist, bracelet-style
Fold the scarf very narrow, wrap around the wrist once or twice, and tie with a small knot. This works best with a plain or simply-dressed outfit where the scarf can do the work. It's a small thing that tends to get noticed — which is exactly the point.
If you photograph your scarves and add them to Ask Elemi, you can ask which of your existing pieces they'd work with before you leave the house. Most people find at least three combinations they'd never tried.