Wrap it right

If you want to make the transition from girl (or boy)-next-door to a stylish someone in just a matter of moments, just reach out for a scarf. Now it may look like a bitsy fabric, but it’s a fashion accessory that has all it takes to add oomph to your looks.

It’s the season to wear scarves and you are going to have a hard time choosing one as they come in a variety of fabrics/prints/colours. This season, designers insist that printed scarves in plaids and seersucker are very in. Also ruling style sheets is the Kuffiya or the Palestinian scarf in its traditional black and white checks (Shah Rukh Khan is all for it).

For Kalyani Chawla, vice president, marketing and communications, Christian Dior, scarves are not just stylish but versatile to boot: “They are a great accessory to have at work, for a night out, a lunch date or even the beach.”

Designers believe that the way you drape the scarf can actually make it more interesting and versatile. But the trick lies in selecting the right colour to coordinate with your outfit.

Designer Dev, of Dev R Nil, says: “If you are wearing a black or brown outfit, wear a scarf in a contrasting hue to break the colour.” Their collection offers checked and striped scarves in cotton, silk, cotton-silk blends and wool blended with silk. The scarves are jazzed up with thread embroidery, bead or sequin work along the edges.

International luxury brands have always rooted for the style of scarves. Like French brand, Hermès, has been synonymous with scarves for decades. Says Shibani Chatrath, manager of the Hermès store in Delhi: “As our latest line of scarves are inspired by the theme of voyages, they come with flags of different countries printed on them.” The brand has scarves made of silk and prices are on request.

Versace’s scarves come in wool-cashmere blends, silk, wool, cashmere and mohair. Priced upwards of Rs 12,000 the scarves with greca (a traditional Greek design of horizontal lines) patterns and Medusa motifs are hotsellers.

“Silk scarves are perfect for formal evenings whereas woolly, bulky styles go well with the casual denim-and-legging look. Plain tops can be paired with patterned scarves or vice versa,” says Dinesh Sehgal, managing director, Blues Clothing Company, that brought Versace to India.

Christian Dior has a line of printed scarves in silk and chiffon, some with sketches of the House of Dior. Prices are on request.

Then there’s Chanel’s Autumn Winter 2009-10 collection with its wide range of warm and lightweight cashmere and silk scarves. These come in deep autumn shades of burnt red, brown, dark blue and grey. Priced at about Rs 41,000, these have been jazzed up with the Chanel logo embroidered with sequins.

On a different note, even sportswear brand Adidas has added scarves to its latest Autumn Winter collection. The brand has a wide range of trendy woollen scarves in a variety of colours. Prices start at an affordable Rs 549.

Indian designers too are flaunting scarves in their collections. Designers Radhika Singhi and Sayantan Sarkar of Threads are creating them out of any scrap piece of clothing they can find in their Kolkata studio. “We like to use fabrics innovatively and also love to mix fabrics like lace and wool,’’ says Singhi.

The designers are liberal with the use of wool, net, lace and tabby silk and love to embellish the scarves with flowers made of fabrics, cultured pearls and Swarovski crystals for a feminine touch. Prices start at Rs 1,500.

But perhaps it’s not just enough to possess that It scarf, but is equally important you know a few stylish drapes to stand out in the crowd. However, you must remember that draping depends on the length of the scarf.

Dior’s Chawla says that there are many interesting ways of wearing a scarf. “The smaller square ones can be knotted around the neck, worn as a bandana and even hung around the strap of your handbag,” she says. “A long chiffon scarf can be worn as a belt, a headband, or hung loosely around the neck to give a cowl effect,” she adds.

Another interesting way to tie a scarf is the Grace Kelly way, which is simply to make a bow-tie knot with the scarf. One could also try the rosette. For this, fold the scarf lengthwise to desired thickness. Then place the middle of the scarf at the back of your neck so the ends are in front. Start twisting each end over the other until you create a tight ‘rope’ that is rolling on itself. Allow the scarf to create a small twist at the neck and wrap the ‘rope’ around itself to create the rosette. Tuck the ends behind and under the scarf around your neck to hold it in place.

So it’s time to go scarf hunting and to make a cool style statement before summer gets here.


Promita Mukherjee, Graphiti