One of the beauties of scarves is that they come in every conceivable color, pattern and material.[break] Depending on the type, you can wear it on an errand or even to a fancy gala. You can try bright color scarves and coordinate with the rest of your ensemble to create your own look. Patterns are an excellent way to add an extra punch to jeans and a plain white shirt. Or choose contrasting colors that are complimentary like sunflower yellow and navy. Scarves give you freedom to play around with the way you wear them and give your outfit different personalities.
Besides being versatile in styles, scarves have many practical usages. First off, as face masks they are as useful as they are hideous. When walking past the particularly smelly Bagmati or when a gust of dust blows your way, snuggle your nose into your scarf to protect yourself from unwanted odors and unnecessary grit in your nasal passages. And during a light breeze, particularly the cool one during winters, you can wrap it around your shoulders as a stole.
If you are tired of chunky necklaces and big earrings, scarves are also a great substitute for jewelry. But make sure to get beautifully patterned scarves or the ones in unusual colors such as cobalt blue and sea foam green.
Depending on the fabric, you have an array of options for any time of the year. In the summer opt for lighter cottons and silks that can be worn loosely. For the crisp winters, the readily available pashminas are a must have. A wide range is available in the market, a lot of them are made in Nepal. Prices differ on materials and quality. Depending on the mix and quality of pashmina, you can buy a scarf for a couple of hundred rupees or pay thousands.
When shopping in Kathmandu, keep in mind that some places like malls and department stores will have higher marked prices compared to small stores behind the Basantapur area. It will also benefit your pocket to look around and bargain; some stores in Thamel advertise silk scarves at Rs 550 when other stores like Saba Handicrafts, near Pilgrim Guest House, Thamel, offer them for Rs 200. If you have a smaller budget, cotton scarves come for as low as Rs 100 each.
With price tags that are affordable, along with the various benefits, perhaps it’s time to start or update your scarf collection. The best part: scarves are timeless and their usage will never go out of style. Now that is a fashion investment worth making.
Experiment with styles
Even if you possess only one scarf, it is guaranteed that you can wear it at least half a dozen different ways. Different shaped scarves will give you different looks – all of which are worth trying:
- Wear it loosely around your neck with both ends hanging in the front (or both ends at the back).
- Fold it in half and loop it into a half knot.
- Wrap it around your neck several times for a snug fit.
- Throw one end over a shoulder.
- Wear it the way you want!
If you are tired of wearing scarves around your neck, fear not, for scarf can serve as several fashion accessories:
- If you have a thin light material you can wrap it around your head as a headband - hair up or down, it’ll give your locks a new look.
- With a collared shirt, slide a scarf under your collar and use a tie knot - it’ll have a different fall.
- You can also slip a scarf through your belt loops for some color around your hips.
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