Scarf or Stole to Wrap or Not to Wrap?

Autumn is a beautiful season. The sun progressively loses its bite, and the evenings turn up early. Trees start putting up a splendour of colours before shedding their leaves. The nip in the air is clearly discernible, as autumn and winter clothesline start appearing on the high street shops. And today on Instagram!

Autumn is also a season to refresh your wardrobes. In comes a new range of neckwear – scarves, cowls, snoods – a wide range of neck warmers in different styles and textures. Old timers, particularly, women of our mother’s generation, rue the times when knitting was a passion, and churning out a range with exquisite embellishments super quick was a norm in many homes.

Autumn and winters that follow, offer the right excuse to wrap the stoles and scarves around more regularly. Besides telling us that winter is well and truly here – they’re all about warmth and reassurance. Be they crafted in Australian Merino wool, soft Mysore silk or natural cotton or even the very sustainable Eri/ Ahimsa silk,  scarves are the ultimate fashion accessory for women. That’s what makes them wearable all year round.

An Eri silk scarf or a Merino Wool Bengal Jamdani stole are your best friends when the weather is chilly. Or even during changes of season when the weather is alternately warm or cold in a single day. Let’s not forget the summer when entering a room with air conditioning at full blast can affect work! And did we mention how a stole can be a life-saver on chilly flights ? Anyone who thinks scarves and stoles are meant only for winter couldn’t be more wrong. We’d all love a bit of warmth to keep us going.

Did you know the Eri is the world’s most sustainable silk and is native to Assam and Meghalaya region of the North East of India. With most other silks: Mulberry, Muga, and Tasar – the moth is boiled in order to extract the fiber. This is not so in the case of Eri. No wonder this silk has earned the moniker “Ahimsa” or Peace Silk. Because the silk moth is not killed while processing the yarn. The peace story takes place when the moth evolves and breaks out of the cocoon. The cocoons are then boiled in hot pH balanced soapy water for one hour to clean out the sericin- a protein gum coating created by silkworms in the production of the silk cocoon.

An Eri Silk scarf or a Merino Wool Bengal Jamdani stole just helps add a whole new dimension to an ensemble- one of the most functional items in your wardrobe. A boring trouser and shirt can be made interesting by adding a stole. It is also a great way to add colour or a bold element to a dull ensemble. Imagine the lady in the picture below without the stole/scarf. She’d be looking rather plain isn’t it? Stoles add an edge to any garment. Lately, scarves are in fashion not only for casual but also with formal wear. Designer scarves for women, if chosen correctly to match the outfit, can make a strong statement about your personality and style. Worn smartly, it can trigger a fashion trend in just a few knots.

Here are a few autumn styles from both these worlds that can pique your interest:

To style a dress, a stole/scarf can be thrown around the neck or pinned and worn on just one side. One can tie a stole around the head in the French way. For formal or evening outfits, light-weight silks ( like a hand-embroidered Kantha work silk stole) work best. Mix up your look by using it as a sarong or tying it over a skirt. Indian bodies are perfect for drapes, so have fun with it. Go for the dramatic bandana, a turban to hold your hair or just cover your head. You could even use a stole as a headband.

 Besides, ArtEastri’s range of handcrafted stoles can be beautiful gifts for your loved ones too! Every item here is handpicked and designed with the aim of keeping the Indian craft heritage alive. Not only are we committed to providing scarves made from ethically sourced materials, but we also aim at providing you the best quality in natural yarns. You can shop online for stylish statement fashion scarves for women only at arteastri.com. Check them out today!