THE IMPORTANCE OF A SCARF

I wear a lot of scarfs. I currently own so many I could tie them all together and then circumnavigate my apartment without running out of slack. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s a bit excessive. But what most people don’t realize is that a scarf is not just a frilly accessory that pulls together a blasé outfit with a pop of color or smartly paired pattern. A scarf can become your most intimate traveling companion.

In Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, we’re told that a towel is the most important item a hitchhiker can carry, but I think it’s safe to say that the scarf might just give the towel a run for its money.

A perfectly selected scarf can do all of the following without raising a sweat or breaking a thread:

1.) Keep you warm

Whether it’s draped over your shoulders as you brave the transition into AC or wrapped tightly around your neck in the middle of a snowstorm, that extra layer can make all the difference between comfort and a chilly catastrophe.

 

2.) Keep you cool 

On the flip side, it’s amazing how much heat a light colored scarf can reflect off of your skin. It’s like the portable shade of a tree or at the very least it can help you avoid a sunburn.

 

3.) Shield you from pollution… 

…or at least bad smells. I’m not sure how much putting a scarf over your face actually filters the air around you but it definitely can’t hurt.

 

 

 

 

4.) Hide you from curious observers

It can be used to shield your beauty from the world… or, more often in my case, to shield the world from my nap-face ^^.

5.) Make almost anything you wear seem like an outfit. 

Your suitcase can only hold so much, a scarf brings new life to a tired t-shirt or an overworn dress.

6.) Be used as a towel

I always reserve one corner of my scarf for drying my hands when there are no towels or hand dryers available.

 

7.) Mark your belongings

Put it on anything from your suitcase to your chair. At the opera house in Vienna, people use scarves to reserve their spot in the standing section.

8.) Tie things together 

In the Fellowship of the Rings, Sam spends a considerable amount of time pondering the importance of rope when you’re traveling. You never know what you’re going to need it for. While it’s not always possible to carry around yards of rope in your pockets, I’ve found that a scarf can often get the job done in a pinch.

 

9.) Share the load

A scarf can double as a pouch or purse. It can also absorb some of the weight of a heavier load. You may not be expecting to have to carry large rocks or babies across long distances but traveling is full of surprises and it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.

10.) Help with an injury 

Scarves are long enough to be used as a sling and just enough fabric to stop the bleeding or bandage a wound. I’ve never actually used a scarf in this capacity, so I’m just theorizing at this point but I think you get the point: owning a scarf could very well be the difference between LIFE and DEATH.

So next time you’re packing for a trip, don’t forget to grab a scarf on your way out the door.