The Scarf Society

CONNECTIONS | by DEBRA PRINZING

MY RECENT VISIT TO A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE IN TUSCANY (where I spent a week with 10 of my girlfriends in a rented villa) is symbolized by a soft, colorful scarf.

Each woman had in common a friendship with me; some have been pals since my early 20s, while others are more recently dear. Individually, we couldn’t have been more different from one another. Throughout the week, though, we bonded as a group. We spoke with a familiar friendship-language, punctuated with laughter and enhanced by delicious food, good wine and unforgettable scenery.

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And there was something else: Our Italian scarves.

Street vendors in Siena and Florence offered a tempting array of scarves: cashmere-and-silk textiles woven of gold and maroon, apple green and sapphire blue, solid or paisley-patterned. Pretty soon, most of us had joined what I called The Scarf Society. It was October, so the soft cocoon of fabric draped over the shoulder was appropriate. But it wasn’t all about getting warm.

The scarves, shawls and pashminas made us feel sophisticated. Even the less-flamboyant women in our group gravitated toward the look. Wrapped once or twice around the neck; used as a shawl around the shoulders; or worn asymmetrically with the ends twisted together, these lengths of fabric had a way of making even a t-shirt and jeans look glamorous.

Was it the scarf or the place? Was it the mutual experience of kindred spirits or a fashion statement? I’m not sure. But now that I’m back at home, I feel elegant when I wear my woven tapestry with threads of pale yellow and dark green. And I will always remember the warmth of my friendships.

You could call it a fringe benefit of an unforgettable vacation.