Neckwear's revival has consumers scarfing up colors

Want to change the look of a sweater, blouse or suit? Add a scarf. Then keep changing the look by the way you tie it.

Judy Myers is known for wearing a scarf accent nearly every day, to the point that when she doesn't wear one, people ask where her scarf is before saying hello.

The preference for this first vice president at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Danville is the large square scarf.

"You can just do so much with them," Myers said. "With the number of ways they can be folded, jewelry that can be added, textures and colors and designs they come in, the combinations are endless."

Myers actually selects the scarf she wants to wear, then coordinates the rest of her clothes each day.

"It allows me to rotate the ones I wear," she said, standing next to a drawer full of fall-colored scarves featuring gold, orange, red and green leaves and other designs. "I have a drawer full of spring and summer scarves too and a number of holiday scarves. I actually cleaned them out and probably disposed or 30 or 40 this year."

Myers likes to buy scarves while on vacation the way some people buy magnets, shot glasses and coffee mugs as souvenirs.

"There are some gorgeous scarves that let you remember the places you visit," she said. "You can look and look and then be on vacation and come across just the color you've been looking for too."

She got into scarves in the 1970s, when the very small-square scarf tied around the neck was popular worn inside or outside a collared shirt. Later, when she dressed more formally for business she got reacquainted with scarves as an accent.

"Normally, I wear a suit. Wearing a scarf is a great way to update an older jacket," Myers said. "The thing about scarves is that you can take them to the cleaners or wash them, but it's not so often that they become faded or worn, and they don't go out of style. Shapes and sizes might go out of style, but a scarf is always a good accessory."

Connie Franzen is the owner of Deena's Style Shop in Rantoul where Myers sometimes shops for her scarves. Franzen's mother, Deena Rasmus, was also known for wearing scarves and always carried them in her shop, a tradition Franzen has continued.

"Scarves are definitely coming back around," Franzen said. "Back when Oprah wore them, they became all the rage. Now, the emphasis is how cute they are with the coat-jacket look."

Franzen is always happy to help people who ask about how to tie a scarf.

"Some people loved them. They simply didn't know how to tie them, so they didn't buy them," she said. "We've always carried them even when we sold very few. Scarves were my mother's trademark."

Scarves are also purchased for reasons other than clothing accessories, Franzen said. Customers have bought hand-painted silk scarves to use as decorative table covers and one woman had a scarf made into a pillow because it has the exact colors she wanted to go with some new furniture.

Myers said she's seen scarves framed for the same reason.

"A scarf can add a lot to an outfit," Franzen said. "They can add glitz and color, but they are a good fit with the most casual outfit as well and the heavier ones are perfect keeping you warm."

At Wind Water & Light in downtown Champaign, Mary Tangora carries hand-painted, dyed and specialty yarn scarves, which makes wearing a work of art also possible with scarves.

Each scarf is created by hand and shows the unique talent of its artist.

Tangora and other artists have created jewelry to be used with the lighter-weight scarves.

Scarf rings are used by folding the scarves into various shapes and then feeding the ends through the ring in the same or opposite directions or sometimes even more than once to create bows or unique designs.

The rings, carried in the store, are made from metal, shells and other natural and unusual objects.

A scarf can be worn as simply as draping it around the neck and letting it hang straight down to fancy accordion folds that create unusual shapes.

What kind of scarf to wear depends on a number of factors: will it be worn with a dress, suit, or shirt; what's the occasion, what is its texture and shape.

Tying tips, etc.

Basic beginning folds for square scarves will finish with:

— Ends straight across.

— Ends diagonal.

— Ends pointed.

Some basic knots:

— Ascot.

— European Loop.

— Fake Knot.

— Hollywood Knot.

— Neck Wrap.

— Square Knot.

— Twice Around Ascot.

On the Web

Simple directions with illustrations for folding and knots are available at www.texeresilk.com/cms-scarf_tying_guide.html. The site illustrates 35 scarf-tying styles that include using scarves not only as neckwear, but as belts, hair accents and total head coverings.

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