I Can Do It!

Whether I should do it or not is another story entirely.

It had to happen eventually, I suppose. After years of being someone who shrugged and thought, "Hermes scarves? Hmmm...not sure what all the fuss is about," I have gone and fallen head over heels in love with one. I blame this woman, because I was reading her post about her own new scarf when I had the exact thought I've related above, and then went to look around on the Hermes website, and then suddenly went, "Oooooh! I love that one."  And now I want it bad.

I'm channeling this image, of course. Lifted from of course. Lifted from here.

It's kind of silly really, because I almost never wear 'lady scarves' (as opposed to warm scarves- which I do wear slightly more often, but mostly because I knit them myself, and then feel like I ought to wear them.) I was lecturing myself on how ludicrous it was to be enamored of a fancy, expensive scarf when I don't ever wear them, and then I came up with the brilliant idea that if I were to begin wearing the lady scarves I have now, then I would be justified in perhaps getting a fancy, expensive Hermes scarf as a graduation present later this year. So I pulled out this one, which is a pretty fabulous scarf in its own right, and went right to work experimenting.

I've posted before about my ambivalent relationship with this particular form of accessory. I admire scarves on others. I appreciate that they're a terrific way to add flair and panache to a simple outfit. They can, generally speaking, be had pretty cheaply (unless you're foolish enough to go browsing at Hermes, like yours truly.) Yet I can never seem to make a scarf work right. I try off and on (like any good personal style blogger) to do the scarf thing, but I just can't pull it off. You see, I'm of the opinion that a scarf should add something to an outfit, that an outfit should look better with a scarf than without, for the scarf wearing to be considered a success. Unfortunately, almost every time I try to tie on a jaunty scarf it looks ho-hum at best and frankly ridiculous the rest of the time.  This particular experiment was not an exception to this rule.

I think my problem is this: I have a weak chin and a rather large chest and, as a result of this combination of physical features, filling up the space in between the two with fabric- even beautiful, expensive fabric- doesn't do my chest, or my chin, any favors. But I'd be damned if I was ready to let that stand between me and my beloved scarf. So I put this one on my head. And I like it. (You can see a small stain on the corner of the knot tail- I'll tie it more carefully next time I do this to obscure this spot.)

It's not terribly glamorous, but I love the vintagey, munitions-worker feel it has when worn this way. I think it looks rather fetching with my bangs and sideburns poking out. And it's allowed me to finally get this scarf on the blog. This vintage silk souvenir scarf was a gift from a wonderful friend. It belonged to my friend's mother and, since I have a fascination with all things Parisian, my friend passed it along to me hoping I would give it a loving home. I enthusiastically accepted it but then let it languish in my closet for a year.  It wasn't my intention to sit on it- I just couldn't figure out how to wear it. Until now. I totally think this kerchief head wrap is a perfect way to wear such a pretty vintage scarf.

However, I don't think this one success quite justifies my purchasing the Hermes scarf. Yet. Or maybe ever. The scarf I'm looking at is a relatively do-able $325 but, let's be real, that is an awful lot of money for a scarf. Even a beautiful, luxury, status scarf that one might eventually give to a young niece or cousin once it's been worn and loved into vintage status. Three hundred and twenty five dollars is a small price to pay for an heirloom, right? But it could also purchase any number of perfectly inheritable vintage scarves instead. Who knows if the imaginary, as yet unborn, future recipient of my scarves will be a label snob or not. I am terribly conflicted. And I simply can not afford it, even if I weren't conflicted. I should not do it. I should not buy the Hermes scarf. I should not even want that scarf. I should begin appreciating the beautiful scarf I already own and stop browsing on expensive websites. I really should.

But if you want to see the Hermes scarf after which I'm lusting, it's right here. Yesterday it was shown in a blue colorway also but that has disappeared. Does that mean this scarf is selling like hot cakes and I should buy immediately or it will be lost to me forever? Argh. What is wrong with me?

Edit- I think it's gone! I just clicked the link I had here and it now goes to a perfectly ordinary scarf that I don't want at all and I can't find my dream scarf. It was called J'aime mon Carre. I loved it briefly and well. I don't know enough about these things to know if it's completely, or just temporarily, unavailable. Not that it matters as I can not- repeat NOT- buy that scarf.