21 reasons why you should accessorize with scarves

Scarves can serve as wardrobe horses

Never underestimate the style factor of scarves for your outfit. Like brooches and hats they can turn a good outfit to great style. Why scarves play such a powerful role for great style cannot be nailed down on one reason alone. It’s a combination of multiple reasons. In the following, I list the most important reasons for why you are missing out a great opportunity to look your best when you don’t use scarves to accessorize.

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1. Scarves come in a variety of colors. They may add the perfect pop of color to an outfit or when printed tie the colors of an outfit together.
2. They can be used as a signature style element and/or to express your personal style.
3. In summer, thin cotton, silk or polyester scarves look great with a white T-shirt, jeans and sandals or pumps for the weekend, and Casual Friday (if jeans are allowed), respectively.
4. In summer, a colorful neckerchief, button-down white or chambray shirt and dark jeans with strappy sandals provide instant evergreen weekend style.
5. Neckwear of any kind can transfer a summer dress into an awesome fall look by placing it over a wide cleavage (to provide some insulation and not catch a cold), by tying the colors of the dress, fall sandals and tights together, or by adding some matching fall colors to the look.
6. In fall and winter, knit scarves like infinity, long 4-5 inch wide (10-12.5 cm) 70s-style, oblong, buttoned scarf, and hood scarves add style to outerwear.
7. The same applies for poncho, blanket and Russian shawls.
8. Poncho-, cape- and blanket-style types can be used in a stylish way to add extra insulation around the neck and shoulders when the polar vortex brings painfully cold air into town.
9. Poncho-, blanket-, cape-like and Russian pieces allow wearing a light fall coat longer into early winter before switching to heavier wool coats.
10. Qiviut (the under-wool of muskoxen), silk and wool wraps provide great insulation.
11. Heavy silk or light wool shawls add interest and increase the winter office outfit options with crew-neck sweater, blouses or shirts.
12. They can be worn instead of a turtleneck sweater.
13. A light-weight Russian shawl ups a simple jeans, sweater and booties weekend winter outfit.
14. In spring, you can wear your new summer dress already by just adding a scarf in a light color or spring inspired print. You get the best look when the dress and piece have a similar style and colors.
15. You can vary the look of you outfit by applying different tying technique.
16. You can stay out of winter outerwear wardrobe boredom by styling your outerwear in various ways with poncho, blanket or large Russian wraps around the shoulder over a wool or shearling winter coat and belted for shape.
17. Scarves can do double duty as head covers.
18. They can be used instead of a belt.
19. Most infinity wraps cover the neck with the first, and the head like a hood with the second loop.
20. You can fold a square thin silk or cotton piece into a stylish summer bag.
21. A neckerchief can be worn as a bracelet.

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Are you interested in more style tips to look your best? Buy How to Dress for Success in Midlife.

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Photos: G. Kramm

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