Do you wear your scarves in the summer? I’m sure you have a bunch of these lovely items in your closet, and yet the last thing you want to do in the heat is to wrap them around your neck.
Therefore, I thought it would be fun to give some great examples of how to pull out your scarves and wear them even if it’s 80 degrees or hotter outside.
Quote of the day: “Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.” Taylor Swift
While I love to go shopping, I feel like many times we already have a ton of fabulous things in our closet. That’s why I love to get creative with our clothing items.
I’m hoping that’s one of the legacies I leave behind!
And scarves?? They are truly magical pieces of fabric. Even though many women seem overwhelmed by them, once you start pulling them out and “playing” with them, they can become your best friend.
Some of these ideas have been explored in previous posts, so I’ve linked the original article if there is one.
Ways to Styles Scarves in Summer
1-Wear it on a hat
2-As a belt
3-Decorate a purse
4-Headscarves
5-One shoulder poncho
6-Top with a necklace
7-Sew a poncho
8-Drape a camisole
9-Sarong
10-Backless top
11-Decoration in buttonholes
Don’t think these are the only ways you can wear your scarves in summer. I am sure there is a boatload of other ideas. The fact is, there are so many sizes of scarves which makes them so versatile. Think of this as origami with fabric.
If you like these ideas, then you’re going to love 2 other methods I tried out.
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1- Wear Your Scarf on a Hat
Hats seem to be such a great way to add flair to a simple summer outfit. Yet their functionality for for keeping the sun off our face and neck is unbeatable. Thus there is no reason not to decorate your hat with one of your fabulous scarves.
The easiest type of scarf to use for this is either a skinny scarf or a square scarf that you fold and roll into a long tube.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try other scarves for this trick. If it’s a longer scarf, it can hang down the back of your outfit, because as I always say, just as many people see you from the rear!
2-Belt?
The reason I ask this as a question is many of you say no to belts, especially in the summer. And now that I’ve been living in Arizona, I get it. But I will say that I find a fabric belt less oppresive than a leather belt.
And as a “glass half full” girl, I will say that it can hide some sweat stains too!!
Insider tip: Maybe this is obvious to everyone, but a belt does not have to be tight at your waist. I usually make it looser in the summer.
3-Decorate Your Purse with Scarves
I think this is the easiest way to use your scarves in summer. Just tie it around your purse handle and let the scarf give your purse some sass.
Insider tip: You can also wrap your scarf around the entire handle of your purse as seen in this video.
4-Headscarves
Now I am in no way an expert at wearing headscarves. I have dabbled with them from time to time, and I just love seeing them on other women. My crew made fun of me that I was wearing this scarf as a “do-rag” which I had no idea what that was until I googled it.
While a head scarf may seem even more conspicuous than a hat, it’s certainly a great way to style those scarves for the summer as well as hide a bad hair day.
One thought is that they don’t have to cover your entire head. You can always use them like a headband.
Insider tip: Many of the silky scarves tend to slide off hair easily, so I will use a bobby pin in two spots on the back of my head to secure the scarf in my hair. My Gibby’s headscarves stay in place easily without bobby pins. (code Jodie20 for 20% off)
5-One Shoulder Poncho
I always think one disadvantage of wearing scarves around our neck, is that you scrunch up the material and don’t notice the beautiful print. Therefore, when a request came about wearing scarves as tops a couple of years ago, I decided to see how to showcase the beauty of the scarf.
Now there are many options of having your scarf be your top, as I will show below. But this is one of the ways to make it a tad more modest if you are so inclined.
This idea requires no tying or advanced science degree. I draped the rectangular scarf over a shoulder and then attached it in two spots (you can see this in more detail in the blog post). At that time I used a scarf clip and clip-on earring, but I think today I would use my magnets (found on Amazon).
Of course, I did wear a sports bra under it, but you could also wear a camisole or swim top.
6-Top with a Necklace
Wearing your scarf as a strapless top can be done by using a necklace as a band around your neck. Now just because my “top” is showing my belly, doesn’t mean you can’t do this and have yours covered. Just choose a wider scarf!
This is another wonderful way to “show off” the print of the scarf. In fact, I came up with this idea for this exact scarf only so I could join a group of women showcasing birds. I have very few bird-decorated clothing items. (and chickens/roosters count as birds, right?)
Insider tip: I am wearing the best and most comfortable strapless bra called Gatherall. It’s different and that’s why it works so well. Gather10 gives you 10% off. I have a video showing how I put it on if you’re interested and a blog post that tells even more.
For this idea you attach the necklace and then tie the ends of the scarf around the front of it. If you aren’t comfortable leaving the bottom edge just hanging, you can use fashion tape to make sure it stays shut.
7-Sew a Poncho
If you happen to know your way around a sewing machine, then you can transform your large scarf into another type of poncho.
Charlotte cut a hole in the middle of this large square scarf so she could easily pull it over her head.
In the blog post showcasing this, you can see how she could change up the neckline by turning it.
This could be worn without another top under it very easily. And you could use a chain belt to give it shape which wouldn’t be as confining as a leather belt.
If you didn’t want to wear a belt, you could always play around with magnets or elastics to keep the ends from flying up.
Insider tip: I’ve learned from a brain coach that playing with our clothes is actually a good activity to create new pathways in our brain. That means it’s just as productive as cooking dinner and even better for you than watching tv.
8-Drape a Camisole
There are more ways to wear scarves in the summer by creating tops out of them. I saw this idea on Maggie’s Snaps video (found here with the brown scarf). I didn’t have a tube top but I played around with a camisole instead.
The ends of the scarf are where you see each of the magnets in the front (magnets found on Amazon). I started on one side and then draped it around my body and up over the other side.
I have to say, I almost like the back the best, but I don’t think I could figure out how to work it backward. Unless I just take it off and put it on in one piece…I’ll have to try that.
This is another way to wear your scarves in the summer and really show off the beautiful print.
9-Scarves in Summer as Sarongs
Now let’s not get caught up in terminology. Because what is a sarong, exactly?? It’s basically a dress. So you could get creatives with your large scarves in summer by making them into a dress.
If you aren’t comfortable wearing them by themselves without something underneath, do what Lesley did and tie the scarf around an existing outfit.
This would be the perfect option for that dress that feels too skimpy, or maybe you just want to add something of interest over a solid base. Your scarf can be the coverage you need without adding a heavy extra layer.
And you can do this over a dress, swimsuit, shorts, and top, jeans and top…the options are endless.
EXTRA IDEA: You can have your scarf be a skirt as I showed in this video.
10-Backless Top
ANNNND here is another top made from a scarf that is very modest in front, yet can be sexy from the back.
This was made from a large rectangular scarf folded to be a triangle. It also works with a large square scarf.
After it is folded, leave the folded hem at the bottom, and use the two ends to “tie” around your neck. Then tie the other ends behind you in the back.
Insider tip: I’m sure it’s no surprise that I used my Maggie snaps magnets instead of tying the ends. For me, it meant there was more material to cover my body.
I am wearing my backless/strapless bra (Gatherall as discussed in #6) but you could also wear one of your strappy sports bras instead.
11-Decoration in Buttonholes
I was inspired by fellow blogger, Jennifer when she used a scarf in her jean jacket buttonholes in this video.
While I only had 2 buttonholes to work with, I still like how it turned out. I didn’t even tie them at each end.
I like how this gave the outfit more color without having to wear a belt.
What this entire post really comes down to is taking out some of your scarves and just playing with them. It’s time well spent and makes them incredibly versatile no matter what the temperature is outside.
Thank you
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