Q. Hi, I love to wear silk scarves and I do wear them frequently. Back in the 60's and 70's (I'm 43 now) I used to wear headscarves a lot, but stopped as the fashion changed. I recently tried them again. I like how they look and I still love how they feel. I think they are fun to wear. However, no one my age (or younger) seems to be wearing them so it makes me reluctant. Any chance they will come back in style? Any recommendations on how, when, where to wear them, if at all. .

Thanks, Betty Morris

A. Hi Betty Morris:

You couldn't have chosen a better season than fall '95 to revive silk scarves as headwear. Designers have decided to revive the clean, classic looks of the early '60s ala Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy Onassis, both of whom liked to wear the scarf as headwrap. They will work for you with pants or short dresses this season, and can be worn either with the triangular tail free, or tied back with the front ties. I'd love to h ear what kind of comments you get: I'm betting folks will consider you ultra-chic. (Just shows classics always return, especially when functional!)

Comments

Dear Sharon,

I wanted to thank you for the positive answer about wearing silk headscarves. You indicated that you were interested in feedback on the reactions I have received...so here goes. Sorry - this runs a little long.

I should preface this by saying that I enjoy wearing all types of accessories (jewelry, belts, hats, etc.). There is no doubt, however, that scarves, particularly high quality silk scarves, have always been a favorite of mine.

What started as a matter of comfort has turned into a real fashion experiment for me. Prior to asking you my question, I had started wearing a headscarf several times a week because my husband and I had just bought a new car - a convertible. With the top down much of the time up to now (this is Southern California), I found that I needed something for warmth (early in the early morning and at night) and to keep from feeling too windblown. As a frequent wearer of scarves, a headscarf, whether fashionable or not, was the obvious solution for me. I'm not much for baseball caps, which wouldn't help much anyway, or hooded jackets. I now wear both ties you suggested. For style, I like the looped under the chin, knotted in back tie (I'll call this the "back tie") - I really like how it looks on me. However, driving on the freeway I prefer the old-fashioned, knotted under the chin headscarf. (I'll call this the front tie.) I find it more secure and I like the "tail" of the scarf free - the movement of the scarf in the wind feels wonderful. Depending on the situation and my mood, I now wear both styles of headscarf ties.

When I wrote you, I was wearing a headscarf when necessary while in the car, but was quickly taking it off when I arrived at my destination. As I indicated, I was a bit shy about wearing a headscarf because no one else seems to be wearing them. That is when I netsurfed to the scarf tying page and then asked my question on your page.

After your answer, I decided to wear a headscarf into the office to test the reaction. I chose a pantsuit and a wonderful floral print scarf to go with it. I wore the back tie style. The outfit looked stunning, if I do say so myself. When I got to the office, I left the headscarf on for nearly an hour while I worked ("too busy to bother taking it off"). The reaction was very positive. Of the three other woman in the office, two loved it. The one in her twenties was neutral. (When I showed them your reply, they were even more impressed.) I got some other compliments including a couple from men. Since then I wear a headscarf whenever I want to. I recently wore one (back-tied) to an outdoor luncheon - I left it on the entire time. I got nothing, but compliments. Several of the women asked me about it - what size and type of scarf was best and the tie. My most important fashion critic, my husband, also likes how I look wearing them.

For what it is worth, I have a few tips on wearing headscarves (which you can pass on to others or not, as you choose):

First, a general comment, which I know this is obvious to you... Pick a scarf that goes with your outfit and coat/sweater, if you are wearing one. Use different scarves and (head)scarf ties even with the same outfit. [Personally, I think that a woman should have at least five silk scarves in her wardrobe. I'm an extreme case - I now have over 50 scarves (not all are silk) - collected over many years. I use 15 or 20 silk scarves regularly on a rotating basis. Of these, perhaps five are oblong and the rest are (mostly large) square scarves. I probably wear a scarf in some manner - I know quite a few different ties - every other day. At most, I wear a favorite scarf a couple times a month.] So make the (head)scarf part of your fashion statement and not just something thrown on for comfort (even if that is your primary purpose for wearing it).

If you are wearing the front tie while driving, you can anchor the ends of the scarf under the shoulder seatbelt so they don't fly around.

Another way to secure the ends of a front tie headscarf (and this one dates back to the 60's) is to tuck them in under the scarf. Basically, poke the ends up and under the scarf. I have found that the best location to put the ends is in front of the ears, but still under the scarf, because in that location they are anchored securely. This is a bit tricky to do because you want the ends smoothed out for appearance and comfort. (Obviously, if you wear the scarf further back on your head you may have to anchor the ends in a different location under the scarf.) The look achieved by this is worth the effort. You get the cleaner look of the tie back style with the advantages of the front tie.

I have been wearing the large (36" square) silk scarves and have found sometimes I prefer to shorten up the tail of the scarf. You can do this by folding down the front end of the triangle (by about 3-4") and then tie the scarf (front or back) as usual (with the fold down so it doesn't show). This also has the advantage that the extra fold of silk is over the ears and provides extra warmth.

Something I haven't done since my college years, but I tried this last weekend up in the mountains: the double headscarf. For this you need two silk scarves that go together well - perhaps a solid color and a print. The first scarf is placed toward the front of the head and tied either peasant style (just tied at the back of the neck) or with the back tie (the tie I used). The second scarf is placed further back on the head (so a portion of the first scarf is visible) and tied in front. The first scarf is hidden by the second scarf except on the front part of the head. When done correctly, it gives an interesting visual appearance and is toasty warm. This weekend we were outside for nearly two hours with temperatures in the 40's. Despite this I was very comfortable. I really don't expect this to catch on as a fad, but it is fun to experiment. I think scarves, in general, are very versatile and underused. It's a shame that more woman don't take the time to learn how to wear them. For me, it has been quite exciting to rediscover another use for them.

Thanks again for the encouragement.

Betty Morris (Just call me the "scarf lady")