the art of the scarf

it is the source of no small sartorial embarrassment, that the more determinedly i strive for the casual elegance of a well-tied scarf, the more it eludes me. i have plenty of practice with the neck-warming winter variety. cold days call for folds of fabric looped generously around the neck twice and tied in front. no problem. but summer scarves, that seemingly simple and foolproof recipe for parisian chic, are impossible. i can spend a good 15 minutes, untying and retying, only to yank the thing off in frustration before i've even made it out the door. i think that the dimensions and quality of the fabric play an important role in making a scarf look 'right'. cheap silk and nylon don't drape well. too much fabric and the scarf resembles a neck-brace. too little risks strangulation. but most important, it would seem, is the correct attitude. one must try as hard as one can to make it look as though one isn't really trying.

i'll keep working on it.