At the beginning of the season and before the shopping appointments amass, I like to spend time in the stores.

I don’t shop with anyone specific in mind… I’m just observing. Noticing the consistencies between brands: repeated colours, fabrics, styles and vibes.

But I’m also looking for new takes on autumn/winter perennial favourites. New shapes, new expressions, new iterations. The evolution year on year, season on season.

This research allows me to anticipate. It tells me what I can expect my clients to be desiring as a seasonal update. Or the styles I can introduce them to that they don’t know they want until they try them.

One detail has stuck out…

Scarfing.

Or enscarfing…

No, I like scarfing.

I’m calling it that.

The act of adding a scarf detail to clothing.

It was everywhere.

And I get it. It’s evolutionary. It’s Darwinism.

When you see people adding scarves to their waists as belts, wrapping them over dresses and skirts, tying them to belt loops, the natural evolution is for designers to integrate the scarf into the design.

We’ve adapted to our new environment and our new way of seeing things.

First there was the scarf coat from Toteme. Then the beautiful blazer iterations from Maria McManus. But now it’s not just the neck, it’s the waist too.

And it makes sense. The eye loves asymmetry. It finds it intriguing, not just from a style perspective, but in terms of how it sees the body.

The line of the body becomes less distinguishable, so in effect it disguises that area. Use the word flattering if you will.

And this detail doesn’t create any styling issues. In fact, the styling is built in. So all you need to do is pair it with your favourite items and you’re good to go.

If you like the idea of scarfing, here are my favourite pieces.

If something catches your eye in a shop window, on a colleague, or on social media, make a note of it. That’s your eye and your style evolving, and nothing inspires change quite like noticing it.

have a good week.

Penny.

P.S. New Season, new ideas, right? And that’s exactly what we are here for. Our style evolves as we do, and sometimes it just takes a fresh eye to notice what still works, what needs updating, and what you’re ready to try next. Get in touch here.

Photo credit: Kallmeyer via WWD