Under wraps: how to style a scarf for winter warmth

Although the longest day of winter is behind us, we’re still in the thick of the coldest months of the year and adding warmth to outfits is a necessity.

At the moment my go-to is a fine merino turtleneck that I wear beneath everything from shirts to three-ply cable-knit jumpers. But that’s only because last winter I lost my all-time favourite scarf. It was an enormous brown-grey yak wool that managed to be dense and light. The other scarves in my wardrobe, while beautiful, don’t really compare.

Nevertheless, scarves are an excellent way to add warmth to outfits. Here, Australian fashion professionals explain their favourite ways to style scarves in winter.

A hoodie and scarf in one

Writer and bookshop owner Jordan Turner’s preferred way to style a scarf in winter is to wrap it around his neck once so one end falls down his chest and the other down his back.

“If it’s a chilly morning [while walking the dog] I’ll turn it into a hoodie and scarf in one, creating a hood with the middle of the scarf and then using the same once-over wrap,” he says. “If it’s windy I’ll do two [loops around] so both sides of the scarf are behind me.”

Turner says long scarves work best for this look. “If each end can almost touch your toes when hanging it around your neck then it’s perfect,” he says. “I always reach for one I bought at Jac + Jack because the length is twice my height.”

To create the look, find the middle point of the scarf and place it at the back of your neck (or for the hoodie version place the middle point of the scarf on the top of your head). Let the sides fall down over your shoulders then take one end and throw it over the opposite shoulder.

“My idea is to recreate a way I can feel as if I’m still under my doona in bed at home,” he says. “I love feeling cosy wrapped up in a scarf that could almost be a blanket.”

A silk scarf beneath a button-down shirt

Costume designer and stylist Maria Pattison opts for a look that’s “luxe” and “a little romantic”. It involves styling a rectangle silk twill neck scarf beneath a button-down shirt with a hint of the scarf coming through at the collar. “This can make a huge difference [warmth-wise] if you’re wanting to wear a shirt in winter,” Pattison says.

Wrap the scarf around the back of your neck and cross it over your chest so it sits beneath the buttons of the shirt. Pattison says to pick a colour that complements the rest of your outfit. “I like a cream scarf with a white shirt,” she says. “But a hint of colour to draw out your eyes is a good trick here too.”

Add a belt

Stylist Jessica Steuart-Hoyler’s favourite way to wear a scarf is by creating an asymmetrical wrap around the neck and one of her shoulders that is then belted at the waist. This style works best when worn “with volume and purpose” so the scarf sits “up high to protect you from the elements”, she says.

To create this look, the vintage collector and founder of preloved luxury fashion website Reciety says you need a substantial, oversized scarf with a bit of width and drape. Start by placing the scarf over your right shoulder so almost all the length is on the front of your body. Then wrap the long end across your chest, over your left shoulder, across your back and over your right shoulder and upper arm. This should reveal the entire width of the scarf as it drapes down the front of the body.

“I add a belt to keep the scarf in place,” Steuart-Hoyler says. She coordinates her jewellery and the hardware on the belt to the colour of the scarf. For example, “Silver hardware on the belt and all silver jewellery to complement a grey scarf.”

The head and ear-warmer

Raquel Boedo loves to use a scarf to make a hood to keep her head and ears warm. “I always check the weather to tell me what scarf to choose and how I will wear it,” says the co-founder of McIntyre Merino. “After that it’s all mood related.”

To create this look use a long, wide scarf. Start by placing the scarf across the front of your neck and cross the two ends over behind you. When you bring both ends of the scarf back in front of you, tuck them inside the first loop you created. This allows you to pull the middle of the scarf from the back of your neck on top of your head. “Then you are ready to take on the world,” says Boedo.

She suggests using a scarf that gives an otherwise plain outfit a “pop of colour”, such as bright pink.

The one-shoulder look

“I love a scarf that is just thrown over the shoulder once. I feel it looks chic and effortless but still warm and practical,” says Jillian Boustred.

The creative director of her eponymous fashion label prefers scarves that are not too big or thick because she doesn’t like it when the bulk of the scarf hides the outfit. For versatility, Boustred also opts for neutral colours such as cream, black or chocolate.

“I feel scarves are best-suited for day wear or more casual looks, so I am wearing it mainly with denim or suiting,” she says.