How To Knot A Scarf

Looking good should never come at the expense of comfort, and learning how to knot a scarf is an essential winter fashion step for anyone who's gotten tired of throat infections. A scarf is an indispensable winter accessory, and the knot you tie will make all the difference in whether you like how yours fits into your style. 

1. The first step to proper scarf tying is somewhat counter-intuitive. You want to protect the front of your neck from the frigid air, so it's important to leave any openings in the back. This means put the scarf on from the front, and wrap backwards around both sides, continuing all the way around until you bring the two ends back to the front. In all, if you don't have the scarf wrapped around your neck twice with an uninterrupted section in the front layer closest to your skin, try again. An alternative method for the fashion-inclined is to fold the scarf in half first, then, from back to front, bring the loose ends around and through the loop.
2. With both loose scarf ends in front of you, you can now tie your knot. While some scarf connoisseurs prefer a regular over-and-under, fancier wearers will even tie their scarves like a professional tie, for a look that indicates you're neither cold nor a slacker. If you followed the alternate method beginning with the fold and loop, you can just call it a day here.

Some alternative knots include the open-ended half-Windsor knot commonly used in the day cravat, but these styles may require a longer scarf. Remember, you're trying to keep warm, so as long as you aren't too cold, you shouldn't really worry about it too much. For most people, the rakish sling-over-the-shoulder style associated with aviator goggles and a flight cap is pretty appealing, and in these cases, you don't want to waste too much real estate on the knot itself, so keep it simple and start with one end longer than the other. Scarves that display a lot of pattern work can also fail in the fashion department solely because larger knots look like jumbled masses of color.