The Well Dressed
Wine Bottle

   Lay a 32" scarf flat with a scarf point facing you. Place the wine bottle in
the center so the bottle is aligned with the top and bottom scarf points.

  Fold the top point
down first. Fold the
bottom point up.

  Wrap the outside points so that they cross each other at the front of the bottle. Tie them into a knot at the bottle's back. The bottom point that you first folded up can now be folded down over the bottle's front.

January 1, 2007 Archive

When You're Not Audrey Hepburn
By Laurie Nienhaus
 

   You'd think that a woman who doesn't blink twice at taking public transportation while wearing an 1880's polonaise would feel confident wearing just about anything. Yet, adorn me with a silk scarf  - such a simple thing - and I'm quickly reduced to an ill at ease fussbudget.

   However, when Donna Hardin of Mrs. Spenser's Teas mentioned in our fall 2006 Lily that French women find the scarf to be an indispensable accessory, I began thinking it was time to give the scarf another chance. After all, perhaps I was only scarred by the picture of myself with my sister you see here.

   So, I found a book on how to tie scarves and even went so far, in anticipation of success, as to buy a 32" silk scarf. Yet, the book provided only one idea that appealed in the least: the Audrey Hepburn-ish style of scarf wearing. A bit on the dramatic side but, I've always fancied Ms. Hepburn and I as having the same sort of swan-like neck so I thought I'd give it a try. 

  You see the result to the left.

   I don't quite remember if Audrey Hepburn wore this look in one of her movies or if she happened to be photographed in real life wearing a scarf with sunglasses. But one thing I can tell you for certain - you're hailed with suspicion and teased rather mercilessly in this day and age if you lunch while so dressed.

   I've concluded that my new silk scarf is best not draped anywhere on my person. However, it does make for a lovely wine bottle cover. So far, I've returned home with it each time its adorned a wine bottle, but if I'm ever asked to bring wine to a friend whom I suspect can wear a scarf with the grace of a French woman, I'll let her have both the wine and the blasted scarf.

    I'm much happier wearing a beret, even though, alas, Mrs. Hardin says that according to a French friend of hers, a beret is an accessory best reserved for men.

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