As always, trends come and go. At this moment, though, it seems like 2018 is the Year of the Scarf.
From celebrities to everyday people, the trend seems to be universally loved. I have seen it all over the place; whether it was around peoples’ necks or in their hair — and I knew I had to try it. After being introduced to the trend over the summer, I started growing my collection of scarves/bandanas. The past week I embarked on a journey to discover if the scarf trend was really all it was cracked up to be.
Monday: Comfy and chic
It is super hard to get up earlier than I need to on Monday to get ready. So, for the start of the week, I opted for a classic white t-shirt and denim shorts look. To finish off the look I added the simplest scarf in my collection (see: this black bandana patterned scarf) from Urban Outfitters.
Sometimes, with v-neck shirts, I get a little uncomfortable with the amount of exposed chest I show. However, the scarf was the perfect way to cover that up but keep it fashionable.
Tuesday: Stripes with a twist
In terms of difficulty, I would rate this style at about a one. The hardest part is laying the scarf down flat and rolling it to the desired skinniness you want. Plus, I got a lot of compliments from friends and roommates I saw while walking around campus. I think without the bandana, the look would have been very predictable but it brings a certain “cool girl” vibes I quite like.
I don’t have class on Tuesdays, so I thought it would be the perfect day to experiment with a new style. I’ve seen fun Instagramers and celebrities tie scarves in their hair as a super cute substitute for a hair tie, so I thought I would give it a go. I picked out another basic outfit but instead I grabbed my silk bee scarf from Urban Outfitters to add a fun pop in the back. Full disclosure: I have worn this scarf around my neck and I really liked how the silk material felt, but it just felt a little too short and didn’t hang the way I wanted it to.
As you can see, I have really long hair and I think the length of the scarf just looked a bit awkward. Also I would rate this with a difficulty of 3 just because its hard holding your hair in one hand while trying to warp the scarf prettily with the other. Throughout the day, I found myself tying it again and again so finally I just used a clear hair tie and wrapped the scarf around that. However, I did see my mom that day and she had some very kind words for this look and it made me feel a lot better about the scarf-in-the-hair look. I would very much try this one again, but I just need a lot more practice to make it look cute.
Wednesday: Boho Braids
Wednesdays are usually my longest days on campus. Most weeks I opt for the biggest t-shirt in my closet and exercise shorts, but this week the power of the scarf made me feel empowered to actually look nice. So, I also thought I’d step up my scarf game with this brown and white polka dotted scarf I got from The Copper Closet.
I have done the scarf braid before for a Gator game and got tons of compliments, so It was no surprise to me that I got similar ones on Wednesday. Friends on campus called me “cutie girl” and overall, I got unprompted but positive compliments that made my ego soar through the roof.
Overall, I am really terrible at braiding my own hair, so I tried to embrace the who messy-but-cute vibe. By far, this was the one the more difficult side of styling just because of my absolute lack of braiding skill and it too me a few times to braid the scarf in a way that I remotely looked like. The key for this look is definitely clear rubber hair ties that you can tuck the scarf into something.
Thursday: Rocking the bun
Thursday was by far the hardest attempt at wearing a scarf. I tried to switch it up with a scarf bun style I found on Instagram. But much like trying to follow beauty videos on the internet, my outcome looked very different from the original. But I didn’t hate it.
I wrapped my floral Madewell scarf around like the ponytail but pinned the ends up too make it have the bun appearance. Long story short, it was extremely difficult, and it kept falling apart. I don’t want to be dramatic, but I think I redid this bun about a thousand times Thursday afternoon until I finally gave it up. But on the upside, I think this was the day that I got the most compliments. So maybe it worked for the best?
Friday: Back to basics
Because of Thursday, my last three days of wearing the scarf trend was pretty predictable. I went back to the classic black bandana around the neck. In my opinion, it’s the easiest way to wear the bandana/scarf trend while still looking chic.
I loved the look of the striped t-shirt with the black bandana. There’s something fun and fashion-forward about the mixing of the patterns. Also, Friday was the day I realized I might be a trendsetter because one of my roommates joined in on the scarf trend.
Saturday: Go Gators, go scarves
Saturday was the LSU at UF game and I brought back the orange/brown scarf. But this time, I used it as a ponytail holder. I have to say that it made me like the ponytail scarf tie more than when I tried it Tuesday. So, the big lesson on this is that sometimes you just have to keep doing it until you perfect it! If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again (or just try a different bandana).
The best part of Saturday was being told that wearing scarves was my “thing.” Not only was I shocked that people noticed my scarf-wearing abilities, but I was proud to claim something as my “thing.” You take what you can get, people.
Sunday: Classic cool
For Sunday, I wore my H&M pink/green/black bandana. And at this point, I just stuck to what I knew, the tie around the neck. This is my favorite and most recently purchased bandana, so I saved it for the last day hoping to go out with a bang. The length and the pattern make it one of the easier bandanas to wear. Honestly, I loved the way I paired it. I’m not going to lie, I think it was my best day (even if no one noticed or said anything).
Final scarf reflections
All in all, I loved the trend and will continue to participate in wearing bandanas and scarvess. However, the seven days in a row idea was trying. By Wednesday, I was ready to quit. So even though scarves and bandanas are cool, trendy, etc., I would say there is definitely a thing of too much bandana — or too much of any trend. And that’s coming from a girl who’s “thing” is apparently styling scarves. My biggest piece of advice, though, is try it. You just might end up loving it.