Wearing a Scarf

How should a man wear a scarf? There are several ways, and most of them work whether the scarf is paired with an overcoat or just an odd jacket.

Which is a reason to point out that scarves look great without overcoats. Tied like an ascot around the neck (like the men in the illustration) and worn over a sweater or a shirt, a scarf fills the front of the jacket and keeps the wearer warm. I like them paired with tweed on weekends instead of a necktie.

Of course, some men don't go to the trouble of tieing their scarves when they're wearing an overcoat. Scarves can be worn without a knot, where the ends just frame the opening of the coat, exposing the necktie. It's a nice look so long as the overcoat holds the scarf in place, and so long as the winter wind isn't whistling into the wearer's shirt.


A step beyond the open scarf is the continental approach. Fold the scarf in half and place it around the neck. Pull the two ends through the open loop, like the rather ordinary looking Johnston's of Elgin (the oldest cashmere house) scarf in the photo.


Scarves can be silk or other materials but I like cashmere best when it's cold. The scarf in the photo is a tightly woven charcoal chalkstripe by Colombo Cashmere (Colombo and Loro Piana are the creme de la creme of the Italian makers). $225 at Four In Hand.

Summer Scarves

There are times in warm weather when a jacket is appropriate but a necktie and dress shirt are a bit more than man needs. When that's the case, try tieing a scarf in a four in hand knot and wearing it over a tee shirt under a jacket. It's a neglected warm weather look for travel, resort or casual wear, and particularly useful when the occasion can't take an ascot or neckerchief.

Scarves for summer should be lighter weight wool or even cotton toweling rather than winter cashmere or silk, particularly if it's humid.

Sources: Four In Hand

I discovered Jonathan Fischer's Four In Hand site when I was searching for one of Begg's paisley cashmere scarves for my wife. Alex Begg Scottish cashmere scarves are among the very finest I've ever seen but the patterned versions are hard to find. FIH had several.

That led me into a series of emails with Jonathan, the entrepreneur behind the site. I like his assortment of linen pocket squares with hand rolled edges ($24), the selection of Marinella neckties ($155) and the variety of short (56") neckties that accompany the more common regular (59") and long (63") lengths.

My first order was processed the same day and sent by DHL, Four In Hand's preferred shipper, with a tracker.

The company will accept neckties back within 14 days of receipt for a full refund of the merchandise price. Suits and outerwear can be returned within ten days for a full refund of the price paid for merchandise, and up to 14 days for a store credit. Unless otherwise arranged shipping costs are not credited.

Sources: www.customshirt1.com

Years after he closed his Manhattan retail location in favor of life in rural Long Island, shirtmaker Alex Kabbaz realized he had a few dozen pair of unsold Zimmerli underwear in storage. He placed an ad on eBay, expecting to sell the goods in a couple of months. Instead, he sold out in a week and placed a call to Zimmerli asking if he could re-open his account. Three years later he sells more of that underwear than anyone else in the world.

Customshirt1.com has evolved over time into an online version of the past's great haberdashers like Sulka and Bowring & Arundel. Kabbaz is one of the world's best bespoke shirtmakers and he offers only carefully selected products that complement his customers' bespoke shoes and tailored clothing.

His newest line, hand made neckties from English tiemaker Seaward & Stearn was shown for the first time at last week's Collection of Sartorial Elegance exhibition in New York. S&S joins Zimmerli underwear, nightwear, sweaters and polos; hose by Pantherella and Marcoliani; Alex Begg cashmere scarves and Kabbaz's sublime custom shirts. All are available over the web (the neckties are not up as of this writing but should be soon) except for the shirts, which must be measured in person.

As you might expect, the service is as good as the merchandise. In stock items are shipped within 24 hours with package tracking and every effort is made to ensure that the items will be satisfactory. If all else fails, there is an equitable exchange policy.

Sources: KJ Beckett

The city of Bath is one of England's most elegant places to visit. Set in the Somerset countryside about 100 miles west of London, the World Heritage city sits on the only naturally occuring hot spring in the United Kingdom. Its springs, Roman baths, medieval Abbey and Georgian architecture have attracted visitors for centuries.

A few miles outside of the city proper is the home office of Internet haberdasher KJ Beckett. Here, the three Beckett brothers have brought the 21st century to the area, assembling a selection of contemporary accessories made for the store as well as selected items from modern English designers such as Robert Charles and Simon Carter. I found the site because of its outstanding knit tie collection. There's a large assortment of other neckties, wool scarves and dozens of brightly colored and patterned socks for casual wear.

Beckett maintains inventory of the offered items and generally any order received by noon is shipped the same day. Most UK customers receive their orders by Royal Mail in 2 to 3 days. US and ECC customers usually receive their orders within a week. The company stands behind its offerings with a liberal return policy.