Shop anywhere, from brick and mortar boutiques to all the online locations and you will find scarves in practically every place. Scarves are big, and there are so many ways to tie them, to create different looks and themes, and even to represent different vintage styles. If you find yourself standing in front of a mirror with a scarf in your hands or wrapped around your neck and not knowing what to do, you are not alone. There are many “scarf-challenged” souls with whom you share company, and you should not even think about taking that scarf and hanging it somewhere in your closet (where it might never be used,) when there is help for all of you.

The Power of Adding a Scarf Isn’t so New
There are lots of different purposes for wearing a scarf. It might be to accent an outfit, for a colorful way of showing off, nicely tied around the neck, or it could provide a perfect touch to cover the method you used to secure your ponytail. A scarf can help you cover up on a bad hair day, or serve to move the hair away from the face and eyes when it’s hot. And there are many ways to go about tying a scarf. A well known and popular form of scarf-wearing originated in the 50s, with the 50s housewife’s scarf style being the headscarf. This vintage look works great today, and can serve to really top off a number of outfits.

The 50s Housewife
First, make sure your scarf is square and large enough to wrap fully around your head, encompass your particular volume of hair and leave room remaining for a nice bow, rather than a tiny knot. Having the right size is key to your scarf looking good. Start by evenly pinning up your hair close to your head, with no obvious lumps that would create a bulge beneath the scarf. This is a great time to pin curl your hair, so that when you take the scarf off, you can proceed to a second hairstyle. Take one corner and fold it over to meet the opposite corner, creating a triangle. Bend your head over and place the middle of the folded edge at the nape of your neck, with a corner in each hand and the middle point of the triangle over your face. Pull together and tie each side on top of the triangle tip on your face. Tie the two side points in a nice bow, and tuck under the middle point. If you wind up with excess bow, you can tuck those ends in as well. Make sure your ears are covered with the scarf, for the complete look.

As a Headband
Begin with a triangle as in the paragraph above, but beginning at the tip, begin folding the triangle over, in 2-inch widths, until you are left with one long band. Take this and place it at the nape of your neck with the ends to either side of your face. Fold right over left, and secure in a loose knot. Tuck under the ends, and voila! You can alternately tie the ends into a bow, for more pizzazz.

The Basic Triangle
This one works great with ponytails, especially. You begin with the folded triangle, and then place the middle of the long edge at the hairline of your face. Take either side end and bring them together under your chin and tie in a nice bow. This bow looks great when it is created off to one side. You can also take the ends and instead of tying them under your chin, bring them down and around to the nape of your neck, then tying them in a knot. With either method, your remaining hair is free to flow out of the back. If you prefer to secure this method further, you can take the remaining back point of the triangle and slip it under the knot to hold in place and cover the back of your head.