So that’s it, back to school season is here as we still enjoy some kind of summer vibe from Paris to Milan, London, New York and Tokyo. We won’t mention the Mediterranean which just acts as if nothing happened. I mean, hi Stromboli, Procida, Lavezzi, Ponza, Panarea, Cavallo, Pantelleria and Caprera, come andiamo sotto quell'ombrellone ?
Fueled by a vibrant back-from-the-beach freshness, we look at what’s coming with energy and a style that doesn't want to forget anything about the past few weeks.
Here is how to tie your scarf to bring a touch of summer cool to your back to school style.
How to tie a scarf in the open
The easy, bandana-like approach of wearing your scarf tied in the open perfectly fits with our small-to-medium-sized 40cm and 60cm scarf formats. Whether on a tee-shirt, a crew neck, or a shirt, wearing your scarf this way adds just the right amount of nonchalance to your look. Depending on the color or the print you choose, it makes any outfit look one step ahead of its game.
The below snap shows Roma-based sartorial mastermind Gerardo Cavaliere wearing his scarf tight on a sand tee shirt under a camel jacket, adding a unique touch of Italian flair to his earth-toned outfit.
Next is an amazing example of how to tie a scarf on your outerwear jacket; fold your scarf into a triangle, tie the two tips of the wider side together on the front and just go for it; the less you pay attention the coolest it will be.
Same applies for that blue, loosely tied scarf look where the navy neck scarf elevates the overall outfit to another level of cool.
Whether with a 40cm, 60cm or 90cm scarf, tying your scarf in the open is the fastest way to a very nonchalant way of being refined.
Here Leandra Medine plays a 60cm red scarf on a white oxford shirt. The result? A perfect balance between that cow girl vibe brought by the combination of the denim and the scarf, toned down by the crisp white oxford shirt for a very fun while elegant look.
NYC-based graphic designer, art director and collage artist Maristella Gonzalez plays the 60cm version of our Gênes, 09h17 neck scarf here with a simple knot aligned with a pink crew neck tee shirt livening up the whole thing through color combination and volume.
How to tie a scarf, the tucked in way
There are so many situations where you want to tuck your scarf in. Whether for chilly September nights, two wheels rides in the city or Sunday post-lunch countryside walks, it is a great way to feel comfortable, warm and elegant at the same time.
What about this tucked in mustard scarf look executed by Robert Rabensteiner with a wide 90cm neck scarf? Just brilliant.
Depending on how you do it, it can either add a level of formal chic to your outfit as in Robert’s case above but it can also be the trigger for rakish relaxed coolness when worn deep on the neck with a white shirt as our dear friend Roberto Mararo here, or...
...untied under a white tee shirt for the most effortless vibe as Haider Ackermann.
Even if we tend to see women wearing their scarves in the open most of the time, the tucked in option is just as wise as it is for men.
Indeed, that interpretation of a somewhat men’s classic way of wearing scarves is all the more elegant and feminine. Whether tightly tied on a crew neck with an oversize checked suit jacket, or...
...tucked in an oversize wool sweater with a bulky effect as Leandra Medine, or even...
...worn loosely tied inside a formal striped shirt as Giuliva Heritage co-founder Margherita Cardelli does with our Gênes, 09h17, it is an extremely tasteful way of wearing a neck scarf that brings an understated touch of nonchalance to a more classic outfit.
How to tie a scarf with panache
Now, forget about everything you know, and go with the flow.
Whether wearing a wide, 90cm scarf loosely untied around your neck under a suit jacket as Beams PR Toshihiro Yasutake here, or...
...tying it tight on a deep crew neck under a trench coat as this gentleman below, those were not obvious combinations but they work just perfectly. Colors, textures and proportions are so well balanced that the looks seem so natural, easy-going and fresh.
Same goes when rolling your medium-sized 60cm scarf into a really tight kind of rope and tie it around your head as does this other gentleman below. Once again, far from obvious but just perfectly executed and so natural.
How do they do that you would ask? There’s no secret to it.
You just need to feel it and be comfortable with the whole thing. If it makes sense to you it would work, no matter what. It is much more a question of self confidence than abiding by some obscure rules of styling. So forget about it and do your own thing.
Women have already travelled a whole wider spectrum than men in how to tie a scarf in very creative ways. Whether worn as a head scarf in a maximalist babushka vibe, or...
...a more minimalist pony tail version of it.
Exploring the wrist option is also something women are very comfortable with. Here Maristella Gonzalez shows us how to wear our Gênes, 09h17 on the wrist with a very natural and confident feel.
Remaining on the small-to-medium-sized scarf but going further on that pure accessory thing, tying your scarf tight around the hand of your colorful leather briefcase can be a very cool way of twisting a somewhat very formal item into a very stylish one.
In just a few words, bringing summer vibe through color, print and texture to your back to school look is quite easy with the addition of a scarf, whether on a 40cm, 60cm or 90cm format exploring all the options detailed above.
At the end of the day, and for any doubts you might have in front of the mirror, it all comes down to your inner feelings and what you are comfortable with.
This doesn't get wrong, never, ever.
Pics by @billaltaright, @adamkatzsinding, @thesartorialist, @tommyton, @sandrasemburg, @gerardocavaliere, @maristellagonzalez, @blaublut-edition, @laurenmessiah