How to rock the suit scarf combination this winter

As the cold weather kicks in, you’re probably thinking about digging around for your trusty hat, gloves and scarf. There’s just one problem: the suit scarf combination isn’t the easiest thing to pull off. Luckily, we’ve got your back. We’ve rocked the suit scarf combination enough to know that there are a few rules to pulling it off.

Rule #1: To properly rock the suit scarf combination, you need to pick the right scarf

That’s right, you can leave your football scarf in the drawer – it’s time to think of your scarf the same way as you think about your ties, pocket squares and accessories: as part of your outfit. That means that your bulky snood (or ‘infinity scarf’, if you’re on the other side of the pond) is a no go, because its inherent chunkiness is going to disrupt the clean lines of your suit. A summer scarf isn’t going to cut it either – it’s too thin, and won’t keep you warm. (So, what’s the point?) Which leaves you with pretty much two choices: the dress scarf and the business scarf. The dress scarf These bad boys are made of high-quality material – cashmere or fine wool, for instance – and give off that high-end look. They’re not as warm as their business counterparts, but they’re a little classier. Save these for evening events. The business scarf A thicker, less formal alternative to the dress scarf, a business scarf is still formal enough to wear to the office or to meetings, and is a damned-sight warmer too.

Rule #2: Keep it simple

You know the rules for buying a tie, right? The rules of width, colour and fabric? Well, the same rules apply to a scarf. You want it to compliment and match your suit, not clash or detract from it. Try to keep the scarf a similar colour to your suit (or, if you’re looking to be a little bolder, your pocket square).

Rule #3: Wear it properly

Just like wearing a chunky scarf, wearing your scarf in the wrong way can detract from your outfit and break up your clean lines. That leaves you with a few trusty ways to wear your suit scarf combo: The Drape: Pretty much what it says on the tin: drape it around your neck and tuck it inside your blazer. Couldn’t be any easier, really. Once Around: Again, this is a Ronseal scarf move. Drape the scarf around your neck, making sure one end is a lot longer than the other. Then, take the longer end and wrap it once around your neck. Wear over you jacket. Easy. The Toss: Drape the scarf around your neck and toss one end over your shoulder. Wear over the blazer. (The person who named these scarf moves wasn’t particularly inventive, were they?) And that’s all there is to it. Easy, eh?