CP2003

How do the italian women wear their scarves? any special knots..or the just have them on....

elaine

actually, they do have special knots, and it looks like this

cigalechanta

They wear them the same way that French or American women do.
You can google some illustrations.
If you have a Hermés shop near you you can pick up a little booklet that they put out a few times a year.

BTilke

Nordstrom's used to sell a video on scarf tying...it was available in their (surprise) scarf department and showed several ways to tie a variety of scarves (square, rectangles, long scarves, etc.). They had it running over and over all day long. Is it still around?

kismetchimera

There is a nice paperback book by Carol Straley the title is:

Sensational Scarfs ( prince paperbacks crownpublishers, inc. NY)

(44 great ways to turn a scarf into a fabulous fashion look).
There are plenty illustrations and shows various ways to work with scarfs.

cigalechanta

or simply type in google, scarf tying, there are alot of examples.

rex

Beware the "blonde scarf problem".

Blonde gets a scarf for a gift.

Takes it back to the store; wants to exchange it.

"Is there a problem with the scarf, miss?"

Yes. Too tight.



Best wishes,

Rex

Scarlett

rex, LOL
from a Blonde

travelbunny

..I think you can read all the books in the world, but I still think you have to have spent your adolescence in Italy or France to do it properly..maybe it isnt the scsrf but the attitude..

cigalechanta

you can do it if you are a scarf wearer. when you go to www.hermes.com
click on the scarves and at the left bottom of the page click on playtime for your scarf, it will download two parts on wearing them. My favorite is the wearing of two as a skirt but they must both be the size of the Hermes.
I wear mine also as a belt with my jeans.

wlzmatilida

I second TravelBunny (and I LOVE that name, btw).....

I don't claim to have any expertise in this, but what little I have pales in comparison to French women!

and there's also those "wraps" / "shawls" whatever you want to call them -- the pashima types they sell all over Europe - I have two of them in cotton (they pack flat and are great), but I will never learn to tie them 1700 ways like European women!

Melodie

NatalieM

LOL Rex, from another blonde. I am now a scarf addict...this may be obvious, but the most common style we saw was with a longer scarf (often pashmina style): fold in half, wrap around your neck, and put the loose ends through the loop. Wear loose when it's warm, tighter when it's cold. Mine never looked as chic as the Italian women's did, however.

LoveItaly

Rex, LOL, great joke. What is it today with you fellows, wonderful jokes for sure. Keep it up!

chiarachiara

I agree Travelbunny! I can never figure out the way the French women - usually young - wrap the scarf around and around their necks and do not look stuffed? They look so casually elegant and cosy and comfortable. Maybe they have longer necks? Or is it all in the knot? Maybe only the attitude!

loisco

I have trouble too..also am short 5'2. The only scarves that look good on me are the small square ones which I can't find easily.

Also I despise wearing a scarf in hot weather. ....I do have a Nordstom's booklet that I got years ago but I still have a problem.Somehow the scarves overwhelm me...end up undone, or trailing in my drink...guess I am not sophisticated enough but I do think it's my height..

BTilke

Maybe I have spatial relations difficulties (plus I'm left-handed) so web sites and booklets never helped me. But 20 minutes spent with a friendly Nordstrom's saleswoman on a slow afternoon gave me the ability to tie different size scarves pretty well in a few ways. Which is all I need, I have no ambitions to compete with French or Italian women, but I do like to wear a scarf on occasion. And I can now go into Hermes without feeling (and looking) totally hopeless.

FauxSteMarie

Now this is a very important thread for travelers to Europe.

God forbid you should be in Europe (a) without a scarf (preferably Hermes, of course) and (b) tie it improperly. You will, of course, be immediately "tagged" as another American dolt if you do not know these fashion essentials and be pelted with eggs by irate Europeans.

W9London

One thing that makes it really easy to tie and avoid the slippage/the scarf getting untied is the scarf ring (remember? almost so 80s!)

Hermes still sells some, and I've picked up a few cheaper ones at
both Tie Rack and Link.

Another really European look I love is Hermes' pleated scarves. Though I heard you have to send it back to Paris for re-pleating if you dry-clean them.

loisco, you can find small square ones at Hermes too. Originally meant as men's pocketchief, but I tuck one under a shirt.

GreenDragon

Or you can always use a nice brooch as a 'scarf ring' instead - use one with high contrast to the scarf color, pin it to your shoulder or near the ends meeting in a V.

elina

It is actually Egyptian men who have the most stylish way of wearing scarfs.