Accidental Statement

I vividly remember the year I decided scarves were cool and chic. Upstate Newyork 1996, I was visiting a then boyfriend, and his mum took me shopping at the Nordstrom. She was so uber chic and had great taste. (she was also a shrink, as tried to suss me heheheh). Anyways, we wondered around the store and she asked me what I would like – clueless, I was really, as it wasn’t the kind of store I would normally frequent, I found it a bit boring, bar a few things. But then we got to the accessories, and oh my, so many beautiful exquisite silk scarves. Since she insisted on buying me something, I chose this small burnt orange scarf, and a pair of silver earrings, which cost a fair bit.

To show my appreciation, I wore it round my neck the next day, on another trip with the boyfriend’s mum, and I it looked so cool, I decided to became a scarf person. (If there is such a thing…)

Ok – whilst I am happy to dawn scarves around my neck, wrapping it round my head is a completely different matter. The closest I have gotten to this, is a bandana, whilst trotting around the world on my travels, and it was only for practical reasons…

Apart from the Jackie O look, The only other image that comes to mind, concerning head scarves, is that of a pepper seller (hawker – some of you will understand this and others not), somewhere is West Africa, with her  tray balanced  on top of a head rest which has been wrapped into an escargot, her scarf starting from just above her brows and tied to the back, but the knot  pushed midway up the back of her head, her brows heavily drawn with a black eye pencil, a fake beauty spot in between her brows, red lipstick on the lips, lined with some more black eye pencil, and chewing gum….and it was never a cool look.

Lately though, I have seen many a head scarf look, that I think is funky and shouts out cool, and whilst I haven’t taken photos on each occasion, I am really digging the way these chicks have got there scarves dawned. I may just rock one or 2 this summer. (PS. I still have and wear my little orange scarf).

Contrary to what many of my friends think, I don’t have lots and lots of clothes. In fact, I can fit them all into one big suit case. It’s true, I really can. It just seems like I have a lot because of the constant reinvention, and of course, I’m always on the lookout for little quirks to gussy up my much worn and loved clothes.

Entrer dans – Dress clips (from the late 1920’s – 1950) – what joyous, versatile and fun clamps these are.  Clip one on neck line of a T-shirt, pockets of jeans, perhaps a pair to rolled up sleeves, at the bottom of your legging, the hem of a jumper, the list goes on. I really like these clips, because they are so small, easy to use, but you can’t help but notice them.

Personally, my battered shoes are my choice place to put the dress clips, and doesn’t Nell’s outfit stand out with the clips on the neck line of her dress, and yep, she went one step further and put another in her hair. Digging the belt, then bag, and the whole vintified (is this even a word..) look.

Where to buy them… online if you prefer, but I, would head down to a vintage market of course, they cost as little as a tenner, and you can test the stiffness of the clips, and yes, haggle.

Once you get a pair, you’ll wonder what you did without them. I sometimes do…..