The leaves are starting to turn and the temperatures at night are going down. Next week it will be official, fall is just about underway. I’ve been mourning the loss of summer and sailing season for the past several weeks, but I know from year’s past the best way to get through this change-over is to focus on the things we all love about fall. Getting the closeted fall and winter wardrobe out and stocking the house with gourds, pumpkins and the like. The smells of leaves, heartier food and lighting a fire. I thought then I’d haul out for your pleasure and mine one of our finest and most popular posts from the past by Sylvia Sabes, how to tie a scarf the French way. As the air gets crisper, the scarves must be donned.
The French are well known for their commitment to accessories and their devotion to the scarf. Yes, it is about fashion, but it is considered a health issue as well. My concierge yells about me daily because the 12-year-old refuses to wear a scarf, and the Frenchman recently advised me to wear a scarf to bed because I had a bad cold and didn’t want it to get worse. And it is true, after wearing a scarf daily, one feels naked without one. Naked and drafty. Which is a convenient problem for me because I happen to have something of an addiction.
By scarf, let me be clear that I am not referring to that little silk square famous across the globe. That is a lovely accessory, to be sure. But it is something to complete one’s outfit, not to keep one warm. And it is so loaded with status signals and social meaning that very few of my peers ever take theirs out of the closet, although I am sure that every single one of them has at least one petit carré in her possession, if not three. If you’re looking for some inspiration, Hermès has plenty on their website.
Now back to me. Since moving here I’ve learned countless ways to wear a scarf. Here are four of them, with photos of my favorites to help you find your way.
The express or the slip knot in mid-tie
The Italian Twist