If you’ve ever visited Le Quaintrelle, you know that this blogger is a whiz at recreating runway looks without the ridiculously high designer budget. Today Emily is here to show us how we can steal a designer look using our favorite inexpensive accessory.

Spring is here and that means sunshine and warm weather, but it doesn’t mean having to ditch your scarf. Going from winter to spring, a scarf turns from being a necessity to an accessory. There’s a ton of different ways a scarf can be worn that will keep you both cool and stylish. Remember to keep the material light and the colors bright, and you can keep your scarves a part of your wardrobe all year long.

Here’s some ideas of how designers have styled scarves from their Resort 2010 collections, and my (very less expensive) way of coping these looks to show you how to make a look go from a runway to a hallway!

Lutz & Patmos

Tip: Try a solid color pashmina

Rag & Bone

Tip: Try a lightweight cotton scarf.

Jonathon Saunders

Tip: Try a skinny scarf.

Antonio Berardi

Tip: Try a colorful circle scarf.

Antonio Berardi

Tip: Try a more neutral circle scarf.

Bottega Veneta

Tip: Try a red scarf.

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Today’s guest blogger is Sarah, an aspiring freelance writer and diehard shopaholic. When she isn’t writing for her Pittsburgh-based fashion blog, Looking Sharp!, Sarah can be found scouring local boutiques for unique and funky pieces to update her wardrobe. Here she gives us tips on sharing our favorite accessories with our favorite guys. Let us know what you think!

From vests and ties to oxfords and fedoras, women have often become ‘one of the guys’ by borrowing looks from the gentlemen. However, menswear looks cannot say the same.

On occasion, guys might be able to borrow one of our oversized t-shirts or a pair of socks when they are in desperate need, but the pickings are slim when it comes to what fashions they can borrow from us ladies.

One accessory that does come to mind as a perennial favorite is scarves.

It may take some men time to catch onto the scarf trend, but once they do, you just might be in luck.  Now you may not have to feel bad for purchasing too many scarves, because you will be able to share them with the guys.

When purchasing scarves for the opposite gender, try these key tips:

Color: Magenta pink and purple may not be the best colors for the guys.  Look for scarves that are either a solid in a dark color, like blue or green hues, or in classic neutral tones like cream, gray or black.

Print: Animal prints will definitely not turn him on when it comes to his scarf. Keep prints to a basic plaid or check pattern.

Shape: Like women, men can wear a variety of scarves, including the skinny, square and shawl style, though you can’t call it a shawl around him.

Fringe: Fringe gives off a feminine quality that might turn guys away.  I would keep fringe scarves for us ladies, except on square scarves. Those are masculine enough.

Two scarves that follow these tips are the Erica Colorblock Scarf and the Heather Plaid Square Scarf.

The Erica Colorblock Scarf is a great example of mixing neutrals into a pattern, without the pattern being overwhelming.  This scarf can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion.  It can be worn to the office under an overcoat or paired with a sweater and jeans for the weekend.

The Heather Plaid Square Scarf is an edgier scarf that pairs well with a vintage t-shirt, washed denim and sneakers.

Men may not ever be able to fully embrace women’s wear, but scarves prove to be gender neutral as long as you follow the tips mentioned above.  If scarves don’t work out for the guys in your life, then there will just be more for you to accessorize.

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We have something a little different for you today, my friends. As scarf-aficionados, we are all well-aware of the versatility of our favorite accessory, but we might not have spent much time thinking about where our loves of scarves originates. Sure, for those history buffs out there, there are resources like our timeline on the history of scarves,  but most of us will look closer to home for answers.  From where does your love of fashion come? You might remember a family member from your childhood who inspired your fashion savvy, or a certain celebrity who just recently moved you to experiment with your look. Some of you might not even remember a time when you weren’t in love with fashion.

For guest blogger Ryan Tom, an internet marketer who represents RC helicopters, the cartoons he watched as a child were his inspiration. Ryan recently contacted us wanting to write a guest post about famous cartoon characters who have made scarf-wearing their own. Check out his top four scarf-wearing ‘toons.

There are many cartoon characters out there that are always shown wearing a pretty cool scarf. What are the best ones, and why do they wear them?

Dick Dastardly

You might recognize this character from Wacky Races or Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines – he is one of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera’s most famous creations, along with his partner-in-crime, Muttley. Dick can be seen in Wacky Races wearing very old-fashioned racing gear: a long blue or purple overcoat, long red gloves, the famous hat, and of course, a red scarf. The scarf is thrown on in various episodes to add to the traditional “driving” look, and even Muttley sometimes wears a scarf when helping Dick navigate. Unfortunately, every single scheme that the aptly-named Dastardly attempts with Muttley always fails, and he actually never technically wins the race.

Rupert The Bear

Rupert has been around since 1920 and is still going strong, with a Rupert annual produced every single year since. Rupert is always seen in a red jumper and yellow trousers with a bright yellow scarf wrapped around him. Several television shows have been made around the character, and although not as popular as he once was, Rupert has inspired books and even video games.

Daphne Blake

Daphne has to be the most famous on this list of scarf-wearing ‘toons,  and according to Scooby Doo fans, she is the third most-liked character in the franchise, second, of course, to Shaggy and Scooby. Daphne is always seen wearing her purple dress with a green scarf, and in the earlier seasons she was always the one being captured by the bad guys. In some of the later seasons and the movies, she is portrayed in a better light, becoming a bit less clumsy and almost matching Velma in coming up with ideas.

Penelope Pitstop

Another character from the Wacky Races franchise, Penelope Pitstop is the only girl in the entire series. She wears a bright pink racing uniform with white gloves, finishing off the outfit with a purple scarf. Joseph Barbera thought that it would be a great idea to include a girl in the line up for the show, and the character and car were put together in just a couple of hours.

So there you have it, some of the greatest scarf-wearing ‘toons of all time!

Can you think of any other famous characters from books and television who rocked a scarf? Who is your fashion inspiration? Let us know!

Image Credit: news.bbc.co.uk, metsmerizedonline.com, teddybearhugs.co.uk, wikipedia.com, comedy-zone.net

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Let’s give a big welcome to Ina from My Vogue, a fantastic website that reviews affordable clothing and gives you great tips for putting together that perfect outfit. In this post she gives us her take on wearing scarves in the warmer months – don’t worry, you don’t have to leave your favorite accessory behind!

Have you always thought about scarves as winter accessories only? Well, let me tell you, there is no need to put your stylish scarves away once the cold months are over. Believe it or not, with a little imagination, you can wear your favorite fashion accessory all year round, even during the hot summer. Of course, I am not saying to wrap yourself into a thick knitted shawl when it is 100 degrees outside! Instead, there are beautiful pieces made of cotton, silk, or other light material. The Affordable Scarves boutique has a very nice “summer collection.” Once you pick your favorite scarf from there, go ahead and read these top 5 tips on how to wear it during hot months:

1. Be stylish – name the most sophisticated and classy fashion accessory??? A scarf! Seriously, that is an absolute necessity in every business look – a silk scarf completing an elegant suit, that’s classy. A cotton scarf matched with a casual outfit will make it fashionable and stylish.
2. Be creative – a scarf is not only a “neck accessory.” That’s right – why not use it as a kerchief or a belt? My favorite pool outfit in the summer is a light dress, flip flops, sunglasses, and a scarf wrapped around the head – it looks funky and different, plus it protects the hair from the strong sun. Try it out this season – it’s really fun! Accessorizing a linen dress with a scarf instead of heavy leather belt is also a very smart move – it looks much more gentle and feminine. Plus, this way the outfit will be very interesting every time you put on a different scarf.
3. Be sophisticated - matching colors when creating a fashionable look is very important. For example, I always try to match shoes + purse + belt. Sometimes it’s not possible, though. No matter how hard I looked, I just couldn’t find the same pink suede handbag as the fabulous Italian pumps I bought an year ago. Instead I found the same color scarf! So my way of being sophisticated when I want to wear those suede heels is to combine them with my favorite pink linen scarf and black purse.
4. Be fashionable - all these different trends every year are a little overwhelming, aren’t they? Not everybody can afford to buy new sets of clothes every season just to be up on the latest fashion. It is much easier and cheaper to buy one or two trendy scarves. Keep in mind at the Affordable Scarves online store you will find all the fashion trends – animal prints, florals, embellishments, metallics, stripes, etc. What else do you need to call yourself a fashionista?
5. Be comfy and warm – no, I didn’t forget Iwas talking about summer months. However, even in the hottest months I am freezing in the office, at malls, and in all kinds of enclosed areas where the air conditioner is set on 55 degrees when outside it is 90 – you know that’s not healthy at all, right? And in states like Texas where the summer is unbearably hot, most of the time we are inside (unless we’re in the pool) so I always like to have something cozy to keep me warm. Why not a light sweater or a beautiful trendy scarf???

And because I wanted to show you how beautiful and sophisticated it can look to combine scarves with spring/summer clothes, I matched two outfits on looklet.com.

Thanks, Ina, for giving us some great ideas on how to wear scarves all year long! To check out some of our latest warm-weather accessories, be sure to visit the Affordable Scarves Spring and Summer pages!

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