How Scarfs Helped People Define Themselves
Monday, 26 October 2009 03:06 | 
Written by Benedict Perez |
During the Roman times, people needed a piece of garment to keep off the dust from their eyes or wipe hands and faces. Rather than always looking around for a towel or handkerchief, or caught unawares without one, they had resorted to keeping a piece of cloth wrapped around them. This we now know is a how scarfs came to be and back then, designs or material were not given much thought as long as these served their purpose.
During the Roman times, people needed a piece of garment to keep off the dust from their eyes or wipe hands and faces. Rather than always looking around for a towel or handkerchief, or caught unawares without one, they had resorted to keeping a piece of cloth wrapped around them. This we now know is a how scarfs came to be and back then, designs or material were not given much thought as long as these served their purpose.
Somehow it caught on and a trend was born out of practical function into something that complemented fashion statements and social status. There were military men who had special types and kinds to distinguish their level titles from the others. There were the women who used scarfs to look mysterious, demure, or to keep hair from going out of place and the type of material was a determinant of prominence in the social circle.
At the turn of many centuries, scarfs saw their aesthetic as well as practical uses in many people, especially in women. They wound these around their necks as they wound these around their individual lifestyles and personal identities. Looking good with this versatile piece of garment became paramount together with feeling good about what their wearing in consonance with occasion, weather, and the style of the dress they compliment it with.
Now those dilemmas over what to wear at a date or social function need not beleaguer women constantly. No matter how modest, a scarf can make a tremendous difference that old dress sitting in the wardrobe like it just came out of the boutique racks. While long swan-like necks are graceful on a ballerina, it tells a different story with a low-necked blouse until swathed with a gorgeous scarf to taper the length.
The creative possibilities are vast for this garment that used to merely serve to remove dirt and grime from a traveler's hands and faces. Today, anyone can create a fashionably new look on an occasion, on any particular weather, granting the right design, color, size and even material. Come to think of it, we can even make a good Cinderella story of rags to riches on a scarf that had such humble beginnings.
During the Roman times, people needed a piece of garment to keep off the dust from their eyes or wipe hands and faces. Rather than always looking around for a towel or handkerchief, or caught unawares without one, they had resorted to keeping a piece of cloth wrapped around them. This we now know is a how scarfs came to be and back then, designs or material were not given much thought as long as these served their purpose.
Somehow it caught on and a trend was born out of practical function into something that complemented fashion statements and social status. There were military men who had special types and kinds to distinguish their level titles from the others. There were the women who used scarfs to look mysterious, demure, or to keep hair from going out of place and the type of material was a determinant of prominence in the social circle.
At the turn of many centuries, scarfs saw their aesthetic as well as practical uses in many people, especially in women. They wound these around their necks as they wound these around their individual lifestyles and personal identities. Looking good with this versatile piece of garment became paramount together with feeling good about what their wearing in consonance with occasion, weather, and the style of the dress they compliment it with.
Now those dilemmas over what to wear at a date or social function need not beleaguer women constantly. No matter how modest, a scarf can make a tremendous difference that old dress sitting in the wardrobe like it just came out of the boutique racks. While long swan-like necks are graceful on a ballerina, it tells a different story with a low-necked blouse until swathed with a gorgeous scarf to taper the length.
The creative possibilities are vast for this garment that used to merely serve to remove dirt and grime from a traveler's hands and faces. Today, anyone can create a fashionably new look on an occasion, on any particular weather, granting the right design, color, size and even material. Come to think of it, we can even make a good Cinderella story of rags to riches on a scarf that had such humble beginnings.
About the Author:
People can be narrow-minded about scarfs. Out of fear of looking outlandish, ostentatious, or overdressed, people tend to limit their use to keeping warm in the cold weather months or covering their faces when traveling along dusty roads. What they need to know more is how one can find myriad of types and designs of scarves and how even a single piece can make a difference to one's look at any occasion.