“Scarves are for women”
How often have you heard this, or even thought it yourself? It is a constant source of wonder to us at The Dandy Cat that human beings insist on projecting either masculine or feminine attributes to inanimate objects.
It is a very wrong statement to suggest that scarves are only for women, not only for the clear sexism of it all but also for the utter bad form of denying men the chance to brighten up their winter attire with a simple clothing accessory.
A scarf is a thing of great joy. Nothing makes a person more miserable than a draft blowing down their collar, a scarf is therefore a barrier to misery. You can choose to wear it in a sombre colour and hide your dandy side, or you can enliven your day and the lives of those around you, by adding a splash of colour to your otherwise grey(ish) Winter wardrobe.
Here at the Dandy Cat we champion a good scarf, no overly long, shapeless and bedraggled woollen scarves are found with us, a scarf should be as stylish as the wearer. This means finding one that is the right length or has the right amount of colour to lift your outfit. Colour does not have to mean acid yellow or crushed strawberry pink (though whatever floats your boat we say) but colour should also never be feared. Colour, chosen well, will lift your look above the others around you and make you stand out as one who is to be admired, not derided.
We favour Sussex Tweed scarves for adding a subtle sense of Autumnal or Winter colour and finesse to our wardrobe. Not only are these handmade locally from the softest tweed you will ever have encountered, but they are just the right length and provide a wonderful stylish hug for your neck as the winds of winter blow in.
We also champion the neckerchief, preferably in silk. Silk is a wonder product for winter, its warm, soft hold around your neck will make you wonder why more people don’t wear it year-round. We get a lot of questions about our neckerchiefs, mainly from those who feel they are strictly for women and therefore represent some sort of emasculation of the modern man. The truth is that a silk neckerchief has been worn for centuries by some of the most virile of men. Military the world over understands their insulating properties, adventure motorcyclists use them as a low bulk, lightweight way to fight off a chill and those magnificent men in their flying machines of WW1 and WW2 used them to ward off the freeze during battles in the sky. No one could ever accuse any of these groups as being anything less than heroic, so if they wore neckerchiefs, why can’t you?
Scarves then. They keep you warm and they look stylish. Don’t let the pressures of society steal them away, be strong and stand up for your right to sartorial swagger.
Pop in store this Autumn and treat yourself; you deserve it.