5 Steps to Choosing a Great Scarf!

I have purchased very few new clothes for my own wardrobe this season, but I have added countless scarves and am having a blast with them.  In fact, I’m wearing a cozy one now as I write this.

What I have noticed, however, is that most women own scarves and yet they often sit in their drawer unworn because they don’t know if they look good, are always fussing with them, or are unsure how to wear them.  Sound familiar?

Here are 5 guidelines for choosing a fabulous scarf.  Be sure:

1. The predominant color in the scarf is one of your best.  (Hint: sometimes you have to fold it up and tie it before you can really tell which colors are most noticeable.)
2. The pattern reflects your personality (e.g., if you are a gentle, quietly engaging person wearing a bright bold print will overwhelm you).
3. The contrast of colors relates to your natural contrast.  In other words, if you have blonde hair, soft blue eyes, and fair skin then black and white (the highest contrast possible) print is going to be too much because your natural coloring is all light and low contrast.  Whereas if you have dark hair, dark eyes and light skin, the high contrast will be lovely with your natural coloring (or if your hair, skin and eyes are all dark but the whites of your eyes are very white, you also will look good in high contrast coloring.)
4. The size and shape of the scarf is very versatile and useful.  My favorite shape is a long narrow scarf.  It is usually less bulky (unless the fabric itself is bulky), and there are many more ways you can tie it.
5. You love it!  Because accessories are meant to enhance with their beauty they draw a lot of attention to them.  If you are going to wear something that people notice, be sure you are delighted to wear it!

Accessories of all kinds are the easiest, quickest, and most fun way to do a quick image makeover.  Use these guidelines to sort through your current scarf wardrobe – keep only the ones that meet all of those criteria and donate or give away the ones that do not.  So, are scarves a key part of your wardrobe this season?  What do you love about them?