Traveling Light: The Versatile Cashmere Scarf

For us road warriors, traveling from warmer to cool climates in the spring and the fall can be a wardrobe challenge. What can you bring that (1) keeps you comfortable warm at your destination, (2) doesn’t add packing bulk, (3) doesn’t get crumpled up and wrinkled in the overhead bins of a plane, and (4) looks appropriately professional and stylish?

It’s even more complicated when you’re hopping from city to city rather than doing a simple round trip. And nowadays, this isn’t just a spring and fall issue. With climate patterns becoming so unpredictable, we now have to be attuned to weather differences throughout the year. (NYC heat waves in January? San Francisco cold fronts in July?)

It took Ms Incognita a while, but she finally hit on a strategy that works for her—-a mid-weight muffler or scarf and a pair of lined leather gloves. They take up almost no room in your carry-on or briefcase. And the combination is incredibly warm if you’re already wearing a business jacket and pants. So long as the temperature isn’t consistently in the 30’s, the winds aren’t gale force, and you don’t plan on walking more than 10-15 blocks, you will be quite comfortable.

Even in normally warm seasons like spring, the cashmere scarf comes in handy. Ms Incognita was seeing clients in NYC and Pennsylvania last week, and the morning temperatures were in the 40’s before rising quickly during the day. The muffler was in use in the mornings and back in the briefcase by lunch. Much easier than toting a a light coat around!

A cashmere muffler isn’t just limited to keeping your neck warm. Draped around the shoulders it’s a godsend for overly chilly airplane cabins and conference halls. And when it unexpectedly starts snowing or the weather is too blustery for hats, you can wrap it around your head and neck like a cowl to keep both warm and relatively dry.

Here are a few of the lessons Ms Incognita has learned about fabric, color, and shopping while working this strategy.

Fabric

Cashmere is Ms Incognita’s preferred fabric—heavy enough to be warm, light enough to be breathable and packable, soft enough not to be scratchy, and elegant enough to be professional. You might want to consider a somewhat fluffy weave. These are more airy than a flat weave in spring temperatures but still quite warm enough when the weather is colder.

Also think about fabrics that could work for evening or event dressing in cooler climes. Rather than a coat, could you use long gloves and an elegant muffler or shawl in cashmere, silk, or a fine wool weave? It can be a very attractive look, still keep you sufficiently warm during the generally short period between car and event location, and again allows you to travel light.

Colors

Since Ms Incognita has a lot of black and browns in her professional wardrobe, she also has mufflers and gloves in both colors. Solid colors generally are more vesatile than patterns. You don’t have to invest a lot of time in figuring out what patterns work well with what you’re already wearing.

However, it finally dawned on Ms Incognita that this look can go from simply appropriate to chic by adding a shot of color. A deep mallard blue works with black outfits, and a leaf green works with the brown outfits. And both play well against Ms Incognita’s red hair. This new approach is getting the fashion equivalent of a gold star—unsolicited compliments from other executive women on the streets of NYC—so Ms Incognita thinks she’s finally on to something!

Shopping

Ms Incognita has an unfortunate track record of forgetting to stock up on basic essentials and then having to scramble to get something (like a muffler) that isn’t her first choice, just because she needs it now. A more proactive approach definitely makes life smoother. A good strategy is to survey your closet at the beginning of the fall season, figure out what mufflers and gloves combos you don’t have or need to replace, and just go to a website with a big selection like Nordstrom’s to get everything you need. Over and done with in 30 minutes, and you’ll be prepared for at least several seasons for whatever setting you find yourself in.

Another option is to go online in January and February to fill out your muffler and glove wardrobe. The sale prices kick in then, and although selection may be more limited, you still may find exactly what you need.