How to make a spring scarf look glam, not gran

Plus: Lisa solves your fashion dilemmas below

Scarves often get overlooked as spring approaches. At this time of year they tend to be a hodgepodge of whatever’s left over from winter – the ones that didn’t get lost, mangled or bore you witless. But underestimate them at your peril. 

Scarves can add colour, quirk, personality and just the right amount of glamour to your outfit. Can’t afford an Hermès Constance bag? Well, cherchez the Hermès scarf on a vintage website. It doesn’t have to be Hermès, of course; just high-end enough to make your whole outfit look more polished and expensive. 

Silk twilly, £185, Hermes; Gucci Horsebit Floral Silk Scarf, £210, Hardly Ever Worn It

I used not to be able to wear silk scarves, at least not round my neck. They seemed too classic and ageing. But I’ve grown into them and now I always keep one in my pocket. They’re much warmer than you’d imagine.                                                                  
What could look fresher with an ivory shirt and navy trousers, or last year’s quiet-luxury beige? No wonder the neckerchief has cropped up all over the catwalks recently. Off the catwalks, I’m seeing young women wearing silk scarves tied round their ponytails, or knotted under their chins à la Jackie Kennedy.

Want to inject some softness and a suggestion of boho into your outfit? (Boho is edging back, I can feel it. There’s so much minimalism still around, the pendulum swing is long overdue.) After the welcome given to Chemena Kamali’s first collection for Chloé during the recent Paris Fashion Week (she riffed quite hard from Clare Waight Keller’s playbook), soft/hard juxtapositions are bound to catch on all over. Which means a floaty scarf, or one with a fringe or some frills, may feel like exactly what your trusty trouser/blazer suit needs.

A small patch of lavender, blue or dip-dyed indigo could be the answer to nudging a winter palette into something more optimistic. A little of all these can go a long way. Rise & Fall makes triangular cashmere bandanas in the same shades as its jumpers, so you can go bright, or make it more muted and subtle, using the bandana to add an extra design detail to your jumper or change the neckline slightly, as I have done above. 

Johnstons of Elgin’s ivory-edged sky-blue scarf in merino and cashmere is a lovely spring weight and ultra-chic, especially with an all-cream/all-black/all-navy/all-khaki outfit. 

Thread Tales also makes beautiful scarves in different weights which are conceived as heirlooms and as far from a mass-produced item as you can imagine. Meanwhile, Arket’s blanket-stitch-edge cream scarf is an excellent dupe of Toteme’s cult hit. 

Treasure your scarves; don’t just chuck them on and hope for the best (the Princess of Wales is a pro when it comes to neat styling). There’s something life-enhancing about wrapping your neck in a well-loved, well-looked-after scarf with traces of your favourite scent.

Try these…

Silk bandana, £75, Toast; Wool blanket stitch, £77, Arket; Colour blocked wool, £260, La Fetiche 

Alpaca blend, £95, Jigsaw; Merino wool, cashmere and silk, £150, Johnstons of Elgin; Dip dyed wool, £80, Thread Tales 

Lisa wears: Twill woven bomber jacket, £395 and leather boots, £425, ME+EM; Cashmere scarf, £95 and jumper, £180, Rise & Fall; Jeans, from a selection, Levi’s; Gold vermeil earrings, £150, Kitty Joyas; Leather bag, £159, All Saints; Sunglasses, £77.48, Le Specs; Hair and Make-Up: Oonagh Connor at Joy Goodman using Nars and Dr Paw Paw

Lisa solves your style dilemmas

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