On Style: Scarves...

I probably have too many scarves. I certainly have too many to list here, but let me tell you, not one of those purchases do I regret!

Having something around your neck is often necessary to complete a look. Even something as simple as a T-shirt benefits from a roughly hewn piece of material draped casually around the shoulders. It adds texture, depth and shading; it frames your face, draws the focus where you want it to be drawn; makes the most of the dull canvas you’ve erected to highlight you sparkling beauty…

…aaaaaaaand it keeps you warm.

Being of a Spivvish nature, and wont to the odd midnight excursion in the wilderness of an unnamed, undressed female’s bedroom, I have oftentimes found myself at the foot of a drainpipe in my long johns, shivering in the bitter frost of 2am and in the absence of my seed.

Here, a scarf would help; a scarf always helps.

Forgive me for using the word NEED (you don’t need any of this, and the whole idea is perfectly trivial, but since you’re here and still reading these tips, allow me to assume the role of your instructor (feel free to ignore me)) – you NEED to have several different types of scarf if you want to project the right image.

Snoods – those big ‘tubes’ or ‘hoops’ of material that you wrap around your neck in a figure of eight, are very fashionable right now and look brilliant with tees and gritty knitwear of the All Saints ilk or Gap chunky cardigans. What they do not look cool with are suits and formalwear. They disrupt the line too much and should be avoided in professional or dashing situations.

In these situations you NEED either fine wool, preferably cashmere, but excusably acrylic. You NEED a black and brown scarf at the very least, but would benefit from the ownership of light/dark grey and camel scarves. They should be tied either in the same way as casual cravats (basically an over-under with one leg hanging over the other), or the fold over, where you fold the scarf in two (lengthways), put it around your neck and tuck the ends through the loop of the middle before pulling tight. The problem with the latter is that it requires a longer scarf – fine for fine wool, but often too much of an ask for formal cashmere or acrylic scarves.

You also NEED (and this is the last thing, I promise) at least one, ludicrously chunky autumn scarf for those romantic red, brown and yellow walks in the countryside. Get this one handmade by an Aunt/sympathetic mother in law. You can’t beat rustic in the great outdoors.

And buy a Barbour jacket, will you? It’s about bloody time…


Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.

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