The other day, I was going through my drawers in a cleaning attempt and as I was doing that, I came upon a beautiful brightly colored little thing-a scarf. Seems I had forgotten about it…surely because I thought it is something that my mother would wear and that scarves are an "old lady" thing. Well, that has changed and now, scarves are experiencing a revival in what fashion is concerned and the long, skinny tie-scarves featured in the collections of Anna Sui, Ralph Lauren and BCBG by Max Azria from four or five years ago have greatly contributed to the updating of look.

Worn to provide a splash of color on a plain outfit, to shelter from the cold or to protect a hairdo, scarves do women's work in a wardrobe. You see, they can be the most fool-proof accessories as long as you know what to do with them. But we'll talk about that later. Now, let's do a little history…

For what is known, the scarf dates back at least as far as ancient Rome where it was called sudarium (Latin term for "sweat cloth") and was used by Romans to wipe their necks and faces. But the sudarium soon became a fashion accessory for both men and women, whether it was knotted to a belt or worn round the neck.

Experts claim that the scarf was made of cloth rather than wool and initially, it indicated the rank of the warriors in the Chinese Emperor Cheng (Shih Huang Ti). Moreover, the 17th century brought a wider scale use of scarves as they were very often used by Croatian mercenaries. Again, those scarves were not made of wool but ordinary cotton in the case of ordinary soldiers and the officers wore silk.

The elegant "Croatian style" enamoured the French who were thrilled with the fashion innovation and started wearing scarves too. The French called the scarves cravatas from the Croatian word kravata. A scarf was also used to show one's political inclination by its color and as such, became extremely popular. In the 18th century, men and women alike wore neckerchiefs, no matter of the social class they belonged to and the trend rapidly grew on people and even reached Norway.

In the 19th century, the cravat became again a fashion accessory for men and a basic item in every man's wardrobe. The major supplier of silk scarves at that time was Sweden, mostly represented by merchants like K. A. Almgren and Casparsson & Schmidt, who supplied bands and ribbons as well as scarves in Norway, Finland and other countries. The first types of scarf or headscarf presented two small pleats or trimmed fringing. Around 1840, single or double-knotted fringes were extremely stylish and scarves were worn both as shawls and headwear.

Needless to say that the 20th century saw different types of scarves inspired by the old trends and combined with the new ones. Even though interesting in design, scarves seem to have been forgotten for a while. Well, now they are back and let me say that their future looks to be secure enough as they present huge opportunities in what "playing" with colors and patterns is concerned. Knitting and weaving techniques are struggling to fulfill the demands of the fashion designers.

The most popular are the silk scarves. The exquisite nature of the material makes them provide endless possibilities for enhancing your wardrobe. Silk scarves range from lightweight to delicate and gossamer light (chiffon scarves and chiffon wraps) and can be worn in many different ways like, for an example, as a head covering, a belt, sashes, an accent piece or just like a shawl. Whether you want to add a subtle and refined nuance or flair to cut a dash with your wardrobe, silk scarves are just the thing to accomplish your desire.

But what makes silk scarves so special? I guess it's the fact that their made of silk. Silk was, for centuries, given the reputation of a luxurious and sensuous fabric, associated as such with wealth and success. To better understand why is silk so highly appreciated, let's see some of its attributes.

Silk:
-Is the strongest natural fiber. A filament of silk will break harder than one made of steel with the same diameter.
-Is porous, permitting it to breathe and absorb moisture. Consequently, it is cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
-Is easy to dye and beautifully takes on deep colors like the bright, iridescent ones that are brilliant in effect or appearance. What's even greater is that most often, silk prints look on the back side almost as good as on the front side.
-Creates luster and beauty as its smooth fiber enables it to reflect light.
-Is very resistant even to mold, this making it stronger than cotton or fine wool.
-Successfully enhances the effect of the wardrobe, giving it a silky feel and improving one's look as it drapes beautifully and retains its shape.

How to Care for a Scarf

We all know that beautiful things must be well taken care of. When you truly treasure something, it's only natural you'd want it to last as long as possible. But for that to happen, you have to protect it as the "object of your affection" cannot protect itself.

So, if you deeply value your silk, cashmere or wool scarf, handle it with care. When you're not wearing it, you must fold it without creasing it and keep it in a dark dry drawer or box or you could hang it over a padded hanger in your closet. Also, be sure to iron it at low temperatures and dry clean only when it becomes soiled. It also helps to put herb sachets in the drawer/box where you store your scarves, these sachets keeping them fresh and acting like a moth repellant for wool and cashmere. You have two options: to buy herb sachets or to make your own. If you choose the latter option, then let me give you a hand and provide you with an example of such a recipe. So, you must mix together:
-2 ounces each of mint, dried rosemary and lavender;
-1 ounce of dried thyme;
-8 ounces of whole cloves.

Sew together 3.5 inch square pouches of a tightly woven fabric. Fill with the dried mixture of herbs, tie the open end with a ribbon (to make it prettier) and place in your drawer or closet.

Keep in mind that with a minimal amount of care, you will see to it that your scarves remain "young" forever and have a long "life".

Scarf Styles

As we've seen, scarves were made from a great variety of fabrics throughout history, each style being appropriate to the fashion trend of that period. Nowadays, scarves are mostly made from silk, rayon or acetate to offer light weight, strength, a shimmering finish as they have become looser and more free flowing. Cotton and wool are more common fabrics from which scarves can be made, those scarves being slightly heavier and with structure and often textured finishes.

Therefore, scarves have many shapes and sizes and also, many are designed for specific purposes. Considering size, we have bandanas and handkerchiefs with 14-16 inches on a side and shawl-like scarves which can be up to 48 inches on a side. As to their shape, they can be square, triangular or rectangular with fringed, fused or hemmed edges. They can also be dyed in many colors and have many patterns. Making a long story short, the sky's the limit.
Ways to Wear a Scarf

A scarf can be worn in many different ways: as shawls, head coverings, accent pieces, belts or even as a garment. Tie them or pin them with a piece of jewelry, do whatever you want in order to obtain the desired effect, may it be to add flair or to give a subtle accent to a certain style. Now, we shall have a look at a few of the possibilities to wear a scarf.

Headwear

One of the traditional ways of using a scarf is that of covering one's head, whether to protect from the cold, rain or as a sign of propriety. But back to fashion for that is what actually interests us. In the matter of fashion, scarves keep their initial purposes (to protect the head/ hairdo) but they are made to also look good in the process.

Another use of a headwear can be seen in the case of women who are cancer patients and suffer from a loss of hair caused by the chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatments.

Garments

The versatility of scarves allows their use as garments as well. Be inventive and play with your imagination, wear scarves as tops, as blouses or even as skirts.

Accessories

No matter of the style of your outfit, a scarf can be a splendid accessory. Want to add a splash of color to a plain or severe-looking garment? Wear a scarf that gives life to the otherwise "dead" outfit (fashionably speaking). Want to give a boring suit the femininity and softness it lacks? Nothing easier, again, use a scarf! You would be surprised to see the variety of ways in which you can wear a scarf and improve any outfit. Endless possibilities I tell you!

Pin Them Down!

That's easy! How do you do that? You just play with your scarf, twist and fold anyway you want (as long as you don't exaggerate with it because then it would look silly and you'll fail in adding style and you'll come off as poor dresser).

Remember that these mentioned above are only a few of the ways to wear a scarf as to add a tremendous amount of variety to an otherwise simple, plain or even boring wardrobe. Find the right scarf and give life and energy to your wardrobe! Check out the images below and you might get some ideas. Enjoy!