Buying and Tying: A Guide For The Scarf-Wearing Laddy or Lass

Scarves. Shawls. Bufundas. Foulards. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

You instantly make a pair of jeans and a t-shirt shirt look like a grown up outfit. You keep my neck warm and dry. You protect my delicate nose from offensive smells. You are my pillow on long, unexpected car rides. You work tirelessly for me.

And so in the spirit general autumn gaiety, I offer you, dear reader, these tips on working your scarves as hard as they work for you.

The Double Loop

Simple, classic. The double loop is the ramen noodles of the scarf world: easy yet comfortable and satisfying. Almost any scarf works with this style, but I’d recommend going for something big and cozy, a football scarf, some plaid, professional-looking stripes, the harry potter or, if it’s not so cold where you are, a lighter knit.

+

The “I Have Important Shit To Do And Need This Nonsense Out Of My Way”

This one’s nothing more than a single or double loop kept in place with a hidden safety pin. It’s excellent for days when you’re running errands or constantly moving around and don’t need extraneous bits of wool in your way. It works best with shorter scarfs like this thick knit one or this tartan number.

 +

Le Complicated and Fancy Loop

Now we’re bringing out the big guns. This little loop looks excellent with and otherwise plain getup and tends to last longer if you craft your knot with big old chunky knit scarves.

+

The Fake Circle Scarf

The fake circle scarf is the scarf of people who could buy pasta but instead make it. Actually it’s not because that scarf is a hand-knitted real circle scarf, but you get the picture. It’s le complicated and fancy loop plus one, mainly because all you have to do is casually toss (or, if you must, loop through again and tuck in) the hanging parts of the last knot over your shoulder. It requires a very long scarf and stays in place with thick knits, fine wool knits, and everything in between.

+  

The Keffiyah

While the keffiyah (worn as a fashion accessory, that is) was in the limelight a few years ago, I don’t see any reason that it has to go so soon. You can go with the traditional pattern or you can try different colors and textures or patterns.


Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our A+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining A+ and supporting the people who make this indie queer media site possible?

Join A+!

Laura

Laura is a tiny girl who wishes she were a superhero. She likes talking to her grandma on the phone and making things with her hands. Strengths include an impressive knowledge of Harry Potter, the ability to apply sociology to everything under the sun, and a knack for haggling for groceries in Spanish. Weaknesses: Chick-fil-a, her triceps, girls in glasses, and the subjunctive mood. Follow the vagabond adventures of Laura and her bike on twitter [@laurrrrita].

Laura has written 308 articles for us.

39 Comments

  1. I’m a huge fan of the European Knot: http://www.tiemyscarf.com/how-to-tie-a-scarf/videos/131-european-knot

    Very simple and chic and can be done with pretty much any scarf (except really thick/short scarves). Basically just do the first three steps of the Complicated And Fancy Loop and stop there.

    I picked up the habit when I was in London with my family in high school and it just looked so great so I’ve been doing it every since.

    • I was coming here to say this – I love wearing a keffiyah, but make sure you know the meaning behind it. also, please don’t buy a fake keffiyeh from like urban outfitters or whatever – if you can, buy a real one made in the middle east.

Contribute to the conversation...

Yay! You've decided to leave a comment. That's fantastic. Please keep in mind that comments are moderated by the guidelines laid out in our comment policy. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation and thanks for stopping by!