K/R - blanket scarf - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Urgent

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

K/R - blanket scarf

Roxanna

Veteran

Hi all - wanted to ask your opinion about this blanket scarf I just ordered from BR. Wit the weather how it is, I am all about cozy but I tend to have sale goggles, so i wanted to check in with all of you for some sober second thought

Pros:
- I tend to wear a lot to wear a lot of cashmere and merino wool in the winter and I like that this has a woven texture that might bring some interest to my outfits, especially now that I am gravitating more toward neutrals and away from bright colours
- I am playing with textures a lot lately for a luxe look and I feel that this plays nicely into this

Cons:
- Is this too gigantic on me? Does it look like I am being swallowed? I am petite (5'3") with small shoulders so that's a real concern
- Does it look luxe or does it just look like the usual acrylic blend BR offerings? As luxe is one of my style descriptors, this is important
- Are blanket scarves over? I'm not sure if I am still loving them and i don't want to be done with them by the time next winter starts
- this is HEAVY, not a light and frothy wool layer as I had imagined. It works from a shawl perspective, but does it work as a scarf?
- is there a different way I should tie it to make it work ?

Thank you for all your counsel, Fabbers!

This post has 3 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

Urgent

19 replies

Latest reply was from Jaime

Inge

(website)

I like it, Roxanna. Like you said, it will add great textural interest to your outfits, and the colour combination is neutral but fun, and it will go with other neutrals and colours in your wardrobe. I think it looks cosy and that you can get away with the size. I don't think big scarves will be out anytime soon, but if it's heavy and very warm it might be too warm to wear as a scarf indoors, making it less versatile? That is, if you were planning on wearing it inside, of course. For outside, I can see it work with anything from heavy and lighter weight coats, gilets, blazers, poncho sweaters...

Inge

(website)

ETA: Angie's post about big scarves has links for ideas on how to wear them:
http://youlookfab.com/2013/11/.....big-scarf/

Anonymous

I like it too - but it strikes me as an outdoor piece rather than something you'd wear inside. Is it a rectangle, or a big square you've folded and wrapped? If you did wear it inside, I'd be tempted to not wrap it but just let it sit and drape over your shoulders as if it were a "shawl" (what a gross word that is!). You know though, I have to be honest in saying that it is rather overwhelming on your petite self. You can do better , luxe wise too I think.( Not that this matters, but I'm kind of done with BR. It now feels like the fast fashion always-on-sale meh-level emporium that Gap used to be. Nothing is of very terrific quality , is it ? ) You are so cute with your hair and lipstick I can't stand it ! I love your look.

Anonymous

I second everything LisaP said. You can definitely do better.

It overwhelms your frame.

It does not come across as lux.

You can do a lot better.

Roxanna

Veteran

Thank you ladies. This is just the kind of honest feedback I come here for. To be honest, I was not feeling it, and I came here looking for confirmation.

Inge - thank you for sharing the post! Very helpful to have bookmarked.

LisaP - totally agree with you about BR - have not speed there for several seasons because of ho-hum, badly fitting and middling quality merchandise. But what do you do when you're on an interminable conference call and a sale email from BR pops in your inbox? Well, if you're me, you throw all your thoughtfully made resolutions to the wind

Thank you ladies. Back it goes!

My new mantra : it's on sale for a reason...

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

In the winter I am terrible. I love giant cosy cardigans and blanket scarves. Sometimes I look like an ambulatory hamster nest.

I don't dislike this piece, but I think you can do better. I'd go for a brighter color as an accent piece. Aritzia has had some patterned lovelies, and Chan Luu has so many tempting colors.

Anonymous

Ambulatory hamster nest. OK, lisa, that is the BEST expression ever.

Roxanne, try the ones at Aritzia, as Lisa suggests. They are not knitted, and are a true blanket (woven with multiple layers) and lay beautifully. They are huge, and can also be worn over a coat. Super popular around here.

Diana

Veteran

OK, so I'm a huge fan of blanket scarves. I love scarves that swallow up my entire neck, that I can do a "turtle" move with (e.g. hunch up my shoulders and hide my head up to my ears). Especially for outdoors. However, it's imperative to me that they be luxe, and they have to drape in a certain way. This one doesn't seem to be draping right. I do not think it's overwhelming, in fact I think it may not be big ENOUGH. There's something about a truly oversized scarf that is really luxe. Try maybe a little thinner fabric but with larger dimensions.

Joy

Veteran

I agree with what Diana said. Thanks to Inge for the link to Angie's big scarf post. I'd forgotten and needed to see it again.

Aida

Veteran

I was thinking the same as Diana, this has a kind of neither-here-nor-there length to it so it's just a bit awkward. Huge fan of HUGE scarves over here (fellow shortie, but my shoulders are broad). That said, I think this particular scarf would work much better as an infinity scarf because when you did the second loop if you let it sit a little longer you'd have all kinds of cozy fluffy scarf action going on.

Evie

Aritzia carries beautiful blanket scarves in a variety of colours and patterns. If you don't want as much volume, they also carry triangle blanket scarves, which basically are the same, but half the fabric. I bought one for my daughter-in-law for Christmas and I see her wearing it all the time for both inside and outdoor looks.

Colette

Veteran

I don't dislike it but I think sending it back is the right call. A luxe textured scarf is out there waiting for you.

Style Fan

Veteran

I love the colours of the scarf on you. So lovely with your hair and skin. The scarf itself is so so. I am also done with BR. I am not impressed with the quality.
There is something about a beautiful luxe scarf that changes the vibe of an outfit. Worth looking for.

Roxanna

Veteran

Thank you ladies - such great wisdom here! You not only helped me make an honest decision about this scarf, but you gave me what to look for and where to look for it in my next purchase! You guys rock.

Lessons learned from your comments:
For me, a blanket scarf should be thin wool, woven but very big - that way it fluffs up on itself and looks luxe. Such a smart observation, Diana. Aida, you're right - this kind of fluffiness is beginning to be an infinity scarf, now that I look at it again.

Places to look for it: Aritizia (thanks Lisap and Evie!), Chan Luu (Thanks, UmmLila - had forgotten about that site but I do love their scarves!)

Stay away from - BR, Zara (I find most of their scarves in the fluffy thick blanket range)

Style Fan, Colette - thanks for the encouragement! Sometimes I try to convince myself that OK is good enough, and it never works out for me.

Staysfit

Veteran

I have to agree with what everyone else already said here. I think you can find something better. I would like to see you post a picture wearing a scarf in your newly discovered features to see if they truly work out for you.

Roxanna

Veteran

Staysfit - the funny thing is, now that I think about it, I have lots of scarves that fit into this category already in my closet. I think I just wanted something new to perk me up. I'll post a photo of me wearing one of those to see if it hits the mark.

Teodora

Don't buy things you just like, you have to LOVE it. It seems you already have significant doubts in addition to owning similar items.

If you like big scarves like this, you can wrap it where one end is at the front and the other is at the back (vs. wrapping it all the way around your neck and bring both ends at front). I hope it makes sense...

xoxo,
Teodora

L'Abeille

Veteran

1. This scarf doesn't look luxe to me, it looks like that thing Roots does where everything is a giant sports sock.

2. Don't worry about too big; you look like you have the big hair, big features and big personality (as evidenced by your big smile) to carry it off just fine.

3. Have you tried a pashmina (or Kashmiri) wrap? Hangs down in front of your left (or non-dominant) shoulder, wraps around behind and across the front and then toss it back over the left shoulder again. A blanket scarf should have enough length and weight to hold itself in place that way (at least if your shoulders are as broad as mine...)
Another alternative: Hang both ends down the front, spread out a bit, then belt over top at the waist. Might not like the effect if you have a larger bust. A variation is to hang it equally to front and back over your left shoulder, pulling it across your body diagonally to the right, and belt it.

4. If you want to dabble at less expense: I found a blanket scarf last year at Aldo Accessories. One side is a very large black and red plaid and the other side is black and white houndstooth. I LOVE it. I still get compliments on it this year. My fashionista-est daughter kidnapped it when she was home over Christmas. I saw another at Aldo on Boxing Day that was blue and green plaid, reversing to a glen check, and had to be restrained from buying it too.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Nothing to add except we are the same height and you have great lips!