Dapper Accent: The Silk Scarf

A silk scarf is generally thought of as an elegant accent to a formal dinner or evening look. However, with the resurgence of menswear and the willingness of more and more men to embrace classic style and elegance, the door is now open for the silk scarf to find its way into personal style vocabularies on a more regular basis. As a finishing touch, it adds an extra element of class and sartorial sophistication to any dapper look. Here’s one way to wear a silk scarf.

There are a few ways you can tie a silk scarf. The way I’ve chosen to wear it in this look is what is often called the “false knot.” It’s referred to as a false knot because rather than tying a proper knot with both ends of the scarf, you’re creating the illusion of one. Here’s how to do it.

Start with the scarf draped around your neck, one end hanging about 12-inches lower than the other. Take the long end and tie a knot in it at about chest level. As you pull the knot tighter, keep one hand inside the knot, like you are tying the knot around that hand. Pass the shorter end of the scarf to the hand in the knot, pull it through, tighten the knot, and then adjust the height of the knot just like you’d adjust your neck tie. Finally, tuck the scarf into your shirt.

Just like with a regular scarf, the higher you pull the knot, the more warmth it is going to provide. However, as a dapper accent, I like a silk scarf to just peek out at the neckline of my shirt. Any higher and it can appear overly stuffy.

This Look: Burgundy houndstooth wool blazer by Uniqlo (not available, similar here) – Burgundy striped shirt c/o Deo Veritas (similar here) – Black jeans by Levi’s – Black silk scarf by Reiss (or indulge with this one) – Black silk pocket square with white edge by Brooks Brothers – Watch with black leather strap by Timex – Black leather plaque belt by J.Crew – Burgundy wingtip dress shoes c/o Johnston & Murphy

Thanks for reading.

Stylishly Yours,

Brian
He Spoke Style

Photography by Rob McIver Photo.