The Birth of a Trend - The Universal Accessory

When you are dressing for the day or the occasion, in the same way that a meal is brought to another level by creative seasoning, your outfit will be even more exciting to wear with a touch of "spice" added for flavor.

The easiest way to accomplish this is to find the perfect scarf to punctuate your style statement.

About fifteen or so years ago, a very major phenomenon hit all over the world.  The word of the day was "pashmina."  Remember? It took a minute to figure out how to say it!

There were girls in New York wearing two and three shawls of different colors at the same time, flaunting their good fortune in having acquired the hottest accessory in YEARS!  I mean, it was so out of the blue.  Suddenly, EVERYONE had to have this newest status symbol, and the more the merrier! It literally spread like WILDFIRE!

Never one to shy away from a best-seller, I acquired hundreds for my store, in every color imaginable.  The irony was that I myself had ZERO interest in this trend, as I didn't wear scarves. Furthermore, I was convinced that this piece of fabric  was just a one hit wonder and had nothing to do with my particular taste - it was just a fad!

And thinking this thought every single day until the day I actually wore one - the ladies of India notwithstanding, only having worn this item for like thousands of years - the day came in my store when I felt cold.

Looking around the store, my eye rested on the pashmina display. At that moment, I had an epiphany. Wait a minute - I can put on a pashmina!! In the first minute of wearing it, I warmed up so quickly that I was literally shocked.  Wow!!!  Those Indians sure knew a thing or two!

Needless to say, I became an aficionado, a fervent acolyte of neckware in all of its forms!

This trend became so universal, that it ushered in THE moment when the scarf arrived as a must-have accessory, soon available at every price point, and accepted as such all over the world. It is now as firmly entrenched as the right bag or shoe to complete a look. There are so many sizes, iterations (the infinity scarf is one example), and colorways available that it boggles the mind. Love it!

You will never see a celebrity, man or woman, out and about without a scarf. And in any weather, hot OR cold. Enough said!

My go-to piece every day is one of my favorite scarves - I have so many now that it's like a joke in my family!

And don't for God's sake go shopping with me - because I will be on the hunt for scarves - everywhere!

The pashmina was the first - I have had many of them. The color saturation in that combination of silk and hair is stunning and in my opinion changed the game at the time, for all time. A true no-brainer! And the start of something BIG!

The resources for this extremely versatile accessory are literally everywhere now, but a particular favorite of mine is Zara, in both women's and men's departments, for a fast and up-to-the minute wardrobe update. A lot of fashion for the money and enough different variations every season  to make it very exciting.

Here are some examples I love.  Enjoy!!